Do process nodes actually matter? | Ask an expert

Q: Why do people get so heated about the node that different companies use? Intel gets a lot of flak for being on 14nm, and so has Nvidia for being on Samsung’s 8nm process. It’s as if anyone not on TMSC 7nm has made a fatal error.

You can chalk up much of the uproar to human nature. For the same reason that people align themselves with a particular sports team or burger joint, they’ll loyally defend a CPU manufacturer—or go on the attack against any critiques. As my colleague Brad Chacos often points out, no one likes feeling as if they chose the wrong product, especially when it’s an expensive electronic investment. That sensation (or even the hypothetical threat of it) tends to spark fiery wrath in staunch fans.

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