[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | The Processor | Processor Physical Characteristics ]

Physical Chip Characteristics

This section discusses the different physical characteristics of chips. These are factors related to the design and manufacture of the physical chip itself, and have a direct impact on the chips' size, performance, power consumption, heat generation and price. I discuss here some of the technology decisions made by designers and manufacturers, and what their impact is on the final product. Many of the descriptions in this section are applicable to all similarly-manufactured complex integrated circuits, not just processors.

Next: Process Technology

Home  -  Search  -  Topics  -  Up