Intel's CMOS breakthrough only proves that the physics of silicone IC operation do not change at such small scales. There have been worries that circuitry on such a small scale would 'leak' signals, preventing it from functioning. Intel built a device at this scale and proved that there is no greater leakage than at current scales. It does not address the issue of fabrication, and so does not mean they will be able to manufacture ICs at this scale in any kind of production volume. It was Intel asking, "If we build it this small, will it function." To which the answer is yes. Now they have to answer, "How can we build it this small."
Also, you left out an important dimension in your performance equation. Performance = (clock x IPC)/pipeline. Take a theoretical CPU with 10 IPC at 10Hz, but it takes 5 cycles for an instruction to be completed because of a deep pipeline. If you take another CPU with 12IPC at 8Hz, but with a 3 cycle latency, you'd have the potential to process fewer instructions per second, but will win most real world benchmarks because a computer depends on the timeliness of the data as much as it depends on the quantity. Of course, this is an over simplification of an overly simplified analogy of a very complicated process, but it does address the core reason the P4 loses to the Athlon in so many benchmarks.
-= This is our wading pool.
Stop pissing in it. =-
Also, you left out an important dimension in your performance equation. Performance = (clock x IPC)/pipeline. Take a theoretical CPU with 10 IPC at 10Hz, but it takes 5 cycles for an instruction to be completed because of a deep pipeline. If you take another CPU with 12IPC at 8Hz, but with a 3 cycle latency, you'd have the potential to process fewer instructions per second, but will win most real world benchmarks because a computer depends on the timeliness of the data as much as it depends on the quantity. Of course, this is an over simplification of an overly simplified analogy of a very complicated process, but it does address the core reason the P4 loses to the Athlon in so many benchmarks.
-= This is our wading pool.
Stop pissing in it. =-
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