Here's everything we know about Apple's 3nm silicon processor

It is expected that Apple will use next-generation processors based on 3 nm manufacturing technology, and launch them later this year in iPhone phones first, so what is the impact of these advanced processors? And what does that mean?

Semiconductor manufacturing is the process of creating computer chips. And the “node” of this process or what is referred to as the term “Node”, which is a measure of the smallest possible dimension used in the manufacturing process, measured in nanometers, which is a unit for measuring very short lengths, and the chip node helps determine the density of the transistor on the chip, as well as improving performance and energy efficiency. In short, the smaller the node size, the more transistors can be packed into the chip, resulting in better performance and efficiency.

In recent years, the relationship between actual physical dimensions and chip technology advances has become less clear; Because of slow progress and increased focus on marketing. However, the term still generally refers to the level of sophistication and advancement in chip technology.

What nodes does Apple currently use?

In 2020, Apple made a huge leap in the manufacturing process by moving to 5nm manufacturing technology for the A14 Bionic chip and the M1 chip used in its devices. However, some chips like the S6, S7, and S8 in the Apple Watch still use the 7nm process. That's because these chips are based on the A13 Bionic chip, which was Apple's last chip designed for the iPhone using a 7nm process.

And Apple launched the A16 Bionic chip with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, and confirms that it is a chip with a manufacturing accuracy of 4 nanometers; Because it uses TSMC N4 technology. But in fact, it's made using an improved version of 5nm manufacturing precision with TSMC's N5 and N5P technology. Apple referred to it as a 4nm chip for marketing purposes, but the underlying technology is based on an improved 5nm process developed by TSMC.

What will 3nm technology bring?

The 3-nanometer manufacturing accuracy will provide a very big leap in performance and efficiency for Apple chips. This reduced size allows for a significant increase in the number of transistors on a chip, as the increased transistor count allows more tasks to be processed at the same time and executed at a faster rate. In addition to a significant decrease in energy consumption compared to previous generations.

It will allow up to 35% less power consumption while offering better performance compared to the 5nm technology that Apple has used for its A and M series chips since 2020.

And with the development of 3nm chips, there is the potential to integrate more advanced custom components directly on the chip. For example, these chips could better support advanced AI and machine learning tasks, enabling more powerful and efficient AI capabilities. In addition, improved graphics performance, allowing for more advanced graphics processing, results in better graphics rendering, higher resolutions, smoother animations, and immersive experiences in applications, games, and other graphics-intensive tasks. It can contribute to more detailed and realistic visuals, which enhances the overall quality of graphics processing on devices using these chips.

There were rumors indicating that Apple initially intended to include ray-tracing capabilities in the A16 Bionic chip, but decided to remove this feature during the development process of the chip and return to the A15 Bionic CPU design instead. However, it is possible to include ray tracing support in the 3nm chipset.

Ray tracing technology, or RTX, is a technology that generates highly realistic images that simulate the way light behaves in the real world, taking into account factors such as reflection, refraction, and shadows. By tracking the path of light as it interacts with objects in a XNUMXD scene, ray tracing can produce images that closely resemble what can be seen in the real world. Ray tracing is computationally expensive and requires significant processing power, but it's worth it. This technology is widely used in the film industry and video game development to create high-quality photorealistic images.

With advances in chip technology, such as moving to smaller node sizes such as 3nm, it is becoming increasingly possible to integrate specialized ray tracing components directly into an upcoming chip design.

It should be noted that moving to a smaller chip size can present some challenges, such as increased power density, heat generation, and manufacturing complexity. This is one reason why manufacturing processes are increasingly leaps and bounds. These jumps typically involve moving to a smaller node size, such as going from 7nm to 5nm and then to 3nm. Each new node size represents a significant improvement in chip manufacturing capabilities and often brings benefits such as increased transistor density, improved performance, better power efficiency, and enhanced functionality.

According to The Information, these future Apple processors will contain four dies, which can support up to 40 cores. M2 processor has 10 cores and M2 Pro and Pro Max have 12 cores, so 3nm technology can greatly enhance the performance of multi-core systems. This allows for more concurrent processing tasks and improves overall performance in applications that can effectively use multiple cores.

When will the first 3nm chips be announced?

TSMC has actively ramped up its 3nm production testing since 2021, and this year it expects the technology to be commercially viable. Full commercial production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, and the production plan is believed to be on track.

It was reported that Apple has placed a huge order for its 3nm chipset. Recent reports indicate that TSMC is facing challenges in meeting the demand for upcoming Apple devices. Due to tools and productivity issues, which may cause some minor issues, such as delays. However, it is unlikely that Apple will postpone the launch of the A17 Bionic and iPhone 15 Pro models.

Once 3 nm is produced, TSMC plans to proceed with the development of 2 nm technology, and production is expected to start in 2025.

What upcoming devices will contain 3 nm Apple silicon chips?

This year, it is rumored that Apple will introduce two 3nm chips, the A17 Bionic chip and the ‌M3 chip. It is expected that the A17 Bionic processor will be included for the first time in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which are scheduled to be released in the fall.

For the M3 chip, it can be supplied for the 13-inch MacBook Air, 24-inch iMac, and the iPad Pro.

Source:

macrumors