Tri-gate Inside

In the world of technology and computing, small is more. The goal for chip manufacturers has always been the pursuit of smaller and more powerful products. A computer’s Central Processing Unit (aka CPU or processor) is the “brain” of the computer. Computers speak and operate in bits which are nothing more than ones and zeros, that in combination translate into numbers, words, commands etc. The CPU processes information, makes calculations and provides computing power via these “bits" of information. Within a computer’s hardware, these bits are represented by electrical impulses that must be transmitted throughout the various components of the computer.

Modern processors are made up of transistors which switch or manage these streams of electricity. To reduce the size of processors, the size or placement of the transistors must be re-designed. Intel’s newest generation of CPU is the Ivy Bridge processor. In order to reduce the size further of this new chip, Intel utilized what they refer to as “Tri-gate” technology. Transistors are small devices with gates that control the flow of electricity through them, and in Tri-gate transistors electrons have three times the surface area to travel through. Intel’s newest transistors are 22nanometers in length. This is smaller than red blood cells! At this size, every change implemented can have a significant impact on performance. Tri-gate technology changes the way in which the electricity flows through the transistor gate decreasing energy usage and increasing reliability.

If comparing CPUs to brains, the brains are getting smaller but smarter. As all of us have already witnessed the unfathomable advancement of technology in the past twenty years, it sure seems that the wave is not slowing down but actually picking up speed. Just like anything, the Ivy Bridge processor is not perfect but the Tri-gate technology will certainly open doors to more and more possibilities.

As the pursuit of smaller and more effective technologies continues, it will be interesting to see what comes out next. Here at TechFarmer we love to stay on top of current trends in technology. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have on processors or any other future technology.