Page 32 - Quantum Times 2020 Spring Edition

QUANTUM TIMES

much different from the two proc essor
alternative to set the bar at a higher level.
giants. To improve product specs, AMD has
A couple of years ago, there weren’t many
been trying to make them more dense while
people who knew the company AMD, and
Intel has been trying to refine the
those that did had the image of a
manufacturing process of it. Intel has been
struggling company that couldn’t make
on the 14nm process for a while now and has
products any better than a potato. When
only been improving it by creating the 14nm+
AMD returned, it had completely
and 14nm++ processes. AMD, on the ot her
redesigned their products in terms of
hand, had gone from 28nm to 14nm, and
hardware and architecture so that their
then to 7nm. If recent leaks are true, they
processor lineup was employing the latest
could be on 5nm by the end of next year. This
and greatest in the semiconductor
could prove fatal for Intel as you can on ly
manufacturing industry. Using newer
harvest so much out of a single proc ess
innovations allowed them to significantly
before you have to move on, or you risk
increase core counts, the processing nod es,
becoming a footnote in the history of
by nearly twice Intel’s while repeating
technology.
similar manufacturing costs as Intel. This
Not only are the specs leaning in AMD’s
put Intel at a significant disadvantage
favor, sales are also rising. According to the
because they were still using the same
data of several retailers, 77% of all sales were
core counts and architecture as 7 years
from AMD products, with Intel left with a
ago, albeit with slight revisions. From 2018
measly 23%. While sales don’t mean
to now, those two have been fighting a
everything, it certainly is a sure sign that AMD
close battle, but if recent leaks are true,
is beginning to reign dominance ov er the
AMD may already be two or three
ever-changing processor market.
generations of products ahead of Intel and
The fact that AMD’s technological prow ess
they could become the favored brand of
is improving does not harm any party, in fact
PC enthusiasts for this decade.
it benefits all parties. AMD would definitely
Intel had always preferred refining
gain sales, while this may give Intel the
existing technologies instead of finding
motivation to finally improve their prod ucts.
new standards. One factor of how efficient
Consumers would get the most benefit ou t of
a processor runs is the transistor density.
all because we would finally have a
This aspect of manufacturing processors is

QUANTUM TIMES | 32