Micron

[Maxil223]

What do these microns stand for?? Do they affect speed?
.13
.18
.25
90nm
130nm

I realized that new processors have a 90nm micron
so Im guessing that the higher the number the higher
the clock speed?

 

[jiffylube1024]

Micron is a unit of measurement. 1 Micron is 10^-6 meters (ten to the power of -6, or: 0.000001).

Microns happen to be used to describe the thickness of transistors in electrical devices (most notably CPU's, RAM chips, etc).

The smaller the number, the smaller the size of the transistors (therefore more fit in the same space, so new CPU's can have more transistors in the same space or less. This is important because it means they can fit more features and more cache into a smaller or similar sized die).

CPU's are manufactured at a given manufacturing process, and as you 'shrink' the manufacturing process, CPU manufacturers can create faster/cooler running CPU's (although as a general trend CPU's get hotter and hotter since they draw more current as they get faster).

So, current CPU's are manufactured on a .13um process and newer CPU's on .09um (um is the scientific notation for "micro meter", otherwise known as "micron").

However, since saying .09 'microns' is sloppy scientific notation, we go down to the next unit of measurement: nano. 1 nm = 10^-9 (10 to the power of -9 or 0.000000001 meters).

So, we say new CPU's are 90nm (this is exactly the same thing as .09um). That is why you sometimes hear the older CPU's called .13um or 130nm; they mean exactly the same thing!

Essentially, the smaller the number (remember 90nm is smaller than .13um, or 130nm), the faster the CPU.

 

[Steg55]

the theory is that the lower the 'process' the lower the voltage required to get the IC working. However the problem with lowering the process is that electrical leakage increases (electrical current shifting between tracks when its not supposed to).

In practice the lower the process the higher yhe CPUs can be clocked. With A64s the 90nm process allowed for better overclocking, lower voltages and hense lower temperatures. With the P4 prescotts it didnt quite work right and the prescotts wound up considerably hotter than the 130nm counterparts.

If you are planning on buying an A64 then aim for a 90nm model. If you are buying a high end P4 then you dont have any option but the 90nm models.

Steg