[ GLOSSARY DEFINITION ]
Performance
Nanometer
Unit for chip feature size; 3 nm is today's cutting edge for phones and laptops.
Also known as:
nm
3nm
4nm
5nm
Full Definition & Technical Explanation
A nanometer node (3 nm, 4 nm) is shorthand for density/efficiency, not a single physical dimension. A 3 nm Apple A19 offers roughly 20% better efficiency than 5 nm at the same performance.
Node names like "3 nm" are marketing labels that no longer match physical transistor size exactly, but smaller still means more efficient. See Fabrication process specs.
Related Technical Terms
Lithography
The size of the smallest transistor features; smaller generally means more efficient.
Performance
TDP
Sustained power/heat a chip is designed for; higher allows higher performance with more cooling.
Performance
TSMC
The world's leading chip foundry, fabricating Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD chips.
Performance