What is a 5nm chipset? The chipset technology uses a nanometer unit, and some phones now use 5-nanometer chipsets, and these types of chips will be used in computers in the near future. A 5-nanometer chipset consumes less power and performs better than its predecessors. But what exactly does a 5-nanometer chipset mean, and why are companies looking to reduce that number?
What does chipset technology mean?
Overall, the lower the number of handset technology, the more companies can install transistors in a given range. The more transistors a chip has, the more processing it will be able to do, and the more powerful it will be. In this regard, we must refer to Moore’s famous law. Although this is not a scientific law, it predicts that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit will almost double every two years.
Chip companies use nanometers to better demonstrate manufacturing technology. Intel, for example, has been using 14nm manufacturing technology for desktop PC processors since 2014. Instead of changing the technology of its processors, the company has focused more on improving the design efficiency of these processors.
AMD, on the other hand, uses the latest manufacturing technologies for the Raizen series processors. The Raizen series was based on 14-nanometer technology, and only 4 years later, the Raizen 5000 series with 7-nanometer technology arrived, and in 2022, the company’s 5-nanometer processors are expected to reach users.
The difference between Intel and AMD processors is very wide, and in this article, we can only discuss this very briefly. Overall, Intel manufactures its own processors and has taken a monopolistic approach to design and building them for years. But after designing its processors, AMD outsourced them to Taiwanese company TSMC, which also makes chips for companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and Qualcomm.
On the other hand, new manufacturing technologies and their related nanometer numbers do not have the same meaning between different companies. This means that Intel’s 10-nanometer processor is not necessarily less powerful than AMD’s 7-nanometer processor. Therefore, the number of nanometers is not a good criterion for comparing different chips.
Why are companies looking to lower the nanometer number?
Each nanometer is equivalent to one billionth of a meter. Years ago, the length of a transistor gate determined the number associated with manufacturing technology. But it was last used in 1997, and now the nanometer number is just a promotional term.
A 5-nanometer chipset uses more advanced manufacturing technology than a 7-nanometer chip, but there is no clear link between processor features and the number assigned to it. That’s why many experts say that Intel’s 10-nanometer processors used in laptops are comparable to AMD’s 7-nanometer processors.
So why is the nanometer unit still used, even though it is not a good standard for evaluating chips? In answer to this question, we must say that companies and of course users are accustomed to this criterion and therefore it is still used. Various ideas have been put forward to replace this criterion, but chip companies still use the nanometer unit.
Are 5nm chipsets ubiquitous?
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series are based on the 5nm chipset. Qualcomm’s 5nm chips include the Snapdragon 780G and Snapdragon 888. The Exynos 2100 also uses the same manufacturing technology.
For computers, AMD plans to launch 5-nanometer chipsets in 2022. Intel is also preparing 5-nanometer processors, but we will not see them in the near future. Instead, the company will launch its desktop processors with 10-nanometer technology in late 2021 or early 2022. Intel 7-nanometer processors are set to arrive in late 2022 or 2023, and we will probably see the unveiling of Intel 5-nanometer processors in 2024. Although there is a possibility of a change in the release date of these processors, it seems that Intel is currently adhering to this schedule.
Intel also wants to use the name 20A for its 5nm processors, which stands for Angstrom. Each angstrom equals one-tenth of a nanometer, and Intel intends to set a new standard for processors. Of course, like the nanometer, Angstrom is just a marketing term and has nothing to do with the above processor features.
The last word
Most flagship phones now use a 5nm chipset, and these chipsets will soon be available on computers. But overall, you should not take these chip numbers too seriously, and the manufacturers just want to differentiate between the different chips.
Source: How To Geek
