IBM claims to have taken a major step forward in chip technology by creating the world's first 2nm chip. The company says it has squeezed 50 billion transistors onto a chip the size of a fingernail.
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Its architecture could help processor makers deliver a 45 percent performance boost with the same amount of power as current 7nm-based chips, or the same level of performance using 75 percent less power, IBM says. Many 2nm-based processors will likely offer something in between, a balance of better performance and improved power efficiency.
Mobile devices with 2nm-based processors could have up to four times the battery life of those with 7nm chipsets. IBM claims that you might need to charge these handsets every four days. Laptops could get a boost in speed from these processors, while autonomous vehicles will detect and react to objects faster, according to IBM. The company claims that the technology will benefit fans of efficiency , space exploration, artificial intelligence, 5G and 6G, and quantum computing.
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IBM appears to have discovered 2nm chips before its competitors. The Apple M1 and A14 arrived along with Huawei’s Kirin 9000 last fall as the first processors based on TSMC’s 5nm process node. Other manufacturers, such as AMD and Qualcomm ,typically use TSMC’s 7nm chips, although Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 is built on Samsung’s 5nm process node. As for Intel, the company is unlikely to release 7nm processors until 2023. It currently uses 10nm and 14nm chips. However, Intel’s chips tend to have higher chip densities than its rivals. TSMC, meanwhile, is also working on a 2nm process and expects to move into volume production of 4nm and 3nm next year.
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It's unclear when 2nm processors will make it to consumer devices, but announcing 2nm chips and manufacturing them at scale are separate challenges. IBM plans to release the first commercial 7nm processors this year in its Power Systems servers. While 2nm processors are likely a few years away from coming to laptops and phones, it's at least good to know that more powerful and efficient processors are in the works.
Information source: engadget.com
