731 Million Transistors

CEO Paul Otellini introduces the Nehalem wafer, which boasts 731 million transistors on each chip, at Intel IDF 2007.

For more on Intel IDF:
http://www.intel.com/idf/us

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• inteldeveloperforum
• idf2007
• nehalem
• paulotellini

[HHRich]

@MeTaLcOrE1616

It's complicated, but look up "photolithography" on google.

It's done by a series of repeated processing steps, exposing the silicon wafter to ultraviolet light and creating patterns in and on the surface of the material using masks to block and allow the light through to create the shapes, patterns needed.

Chemicals are then inserted into shapes, patterns on the wafer/chip. These chemicals change the electrical properties, creating transistors.

[MeTaLcOrE1616]

my question is, how do tey put millions of transistors in small chips?

[FSFchannel]

Not at all, if the CPU is designed for that, however, a 2GHz processor with better architecture is much better than a 6Ghz processor with old architecture.

Like Core 2 vs netburst .

[dregothic]

With current tech, yes. But not with newer tech. Intel was sending out test samples of Core i5 to mobo makers and its being said that the 2.13GHz Core i5 will be able to hit 3.6GHz within the same thermal ebvelope using Turbo Mode.

And the 22nm parts they have been testing run at 3.8Ghz using only 1v.

Soon it will be possible.

Plus Intel did find a way to integrate fiber lines into silicon that use continuous light instead of pulsing light. That should be fast.

[bootnecklad]

producing freq. above i think 6ghz is quite hard =/

[juidas]

:( i will lose all my money upgrading! did you saw the pictures of the Nehalem chip it's really amazing I don't know why it's bigger but really it looks amazing.. PS: by pictures I don't mean the one he's holding LOL! google it and you will see.

[t2thei]

omg, 731 is a bad number!

[dregothic]

And thats just on the Quad core part. Imagine what the Octo core part will have.

[TsarNick77]

On one die? That is incredible.