How CPUs are Designed, Part 4: Where is Computer Architecture and Design Headed?

Despite continuous improvements and incremental upgrades taking place with each new generation, processors haven't had any industry shifting advancements for a long time. The switch from vacuum tubes to transistors was huge. The switch from individual components to integrated circuits was huge. After that though, there haven't been other similar paradigm shifts on that scale.

Yes, transistors have gotten smaller, chips have gotten faster, and performance has increased hundredfold, but we're starting to see diminishing returns...

This is the fourth and last installment in our CPU design series, giving you an overview on computer processor design and manufacturing. Starting from the top down, we looked at how computer code is compiled into assembly language and how that is converted into binary instructions that the CPU can interpret. We looked at how processors are architected and process instructions. Then we looked at the various structures that make up a CPU.

Going a bit deeper, we saw how those structures are built and how the billions of transistors work together inside a processor. We looked at how processors are physically made from raw silicon. We learned the basics of semiconductors and what the inside of a chip really looks like. If you missed any of this, here's an index of the series: