How lower #nm improves the performance of a CPU?

[Janithdalw]

I'm not an actually a geek. I can't understand how low #nm improves the performance. As far as I know nm is the physical distance between transistors. Lower the #nm value you can place more transistors on a chip. But transistors refer the electricity, how it directly affects the performance of a CPU? And have heard that transistor count never tells the true story of a CPU. More transistors don't always mean better performance. For example, Nvidia designed the GM204 with a lower transistor count than the GK110. But it performs better than the GK110.

Intel uses FinFet for their 14nm nodes. Can someone simply explain me what is the FinFet. What type of manufacturing technology do Samsung and TSMC use for the 20nm nodes? I think that is not Intel's FinFet technology.

Thanks.

 

[neon neophyte]

it doesnt improve performace, it merely makes everything smaller and gives a smaller TDP. with a smaller die, you now have more room to put more in and have better performace. also with a lower tdp, you can now do more without the TDP going through the roof.

the die shrink alone does not improve performance, it merely makes room for there to be improved performance.

think of all the processes shrinkage on consoles. consoles didnt get any more powerful with each die shrink. what they did get was a smaller power envelope and smaller casing because less cooling was required.

 

[Janithdalw]

it doesnt improve performace, it merely makes everything smaller and gives a smaller TDP. with a smaller die, you now have more room to put more in and have better performace. also with a lower tdp, you can now do more without the TDP going through the roof.

the die shrink alone does not improve performance, it merely makes room for there to be improved performance.

think of all the processes shrinkage on consoles. consoles didnt get any more powerful with each die shrink. what they did get was a smaller power envelope and smaller casing because less cooling was required.

Thanks, but how transistor count affects the performance of a CPU?

 

[neon neophyte]

It's not so much the transistors that up the performance of a cpu but that the processes that do up the performance of a cpu require more transistors