an incredible 15 billion transistors. That’s more than all
but the largest high-end desktop and server CPUs and
GPUs. It’s huge. It’s so big that I wouldn’t be entirely
surprised if Apple shrunk the total chip area a bit to
around 85mm^2 and around 12.5 billion transistors.
Transistor count by itself is a poor means of
estimating processor performance, but it does tell
us how much ‘room’ Apple has to work with. It means
more cores, or bigger cores, or more cache, or any
combination of these improvements.CPU performance
For the A13, Apple didn’t do a lot to change its
fundamental CPU architecture. It’s still the same
number of cores, and the cores aren’t dramatically
different. Instead, the company relied on the fasterSingle-threaded performance is expected to improve,
but not as much as multi-threaded performanceanincredible 15 billiontransistors.That’smorethanall
butthelargesthigh-enddesktopandserverCPUsand
GPUs.It’shuge.It’ssobigthatIwouldn’tbeentirely
surprisedif Appleshrunkthetotalchipareaa bitto
around85mm^2 andaround12.5billiontransistors.
Transistorcountbyitselfisapoormeansof
estimatingprocessorperformance,butitdoestell
us howmuch‘room’Applehastoworkwith.Itmeans
morecores,orbiggercores,ormorecache,orany
combinationoftheseimprovements.
CPUperformance
FortheA13,Appledidn’tdoalottochangeits
fundamentalCPUarchitecture.It’sstillthesame
numberofcores,andthecoresaren’tdramatically
different.Instead,thecompanyreliedonthefaster
Single-threaded performance is expected to improve,
but not as much as multi-threaded performance