Intel Is Flipping the CPU Upside-Down

Learn about backside power delivery (branded by Intel as "PowerVia") and what it means for your next processor.

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[Stuntman]

Who knew the backside would be ideal for power delivery.

[TeflonBilly]

I'd love to see a Techquickie about the *current* status of non-silicon based transistors (GaAs, GaN, etc...) and where the chip industry is with transitioning off of silicon based chips.

[kevmscotland]

99.9% the "manufacture cost savings" aren't for the benefit of the consumer and we wont actually see cost reductions.

[ny]

For those confused, the picture shows you the new change. The transistor is now sandwiched between power and data. That's how the two are decoupled/separated.

The concern is the transistor is now insulated on both sides rather than being on one of the edges.

Although, as some point out, the whole package gets hot so cooling it shouldn't be much different. Perhaps there will be more backplate cooling to help dissipate more heat on both sides of the chip?

[jaytee]

AMD has been giving Intel Backside Power Delivery for about the last 3-4 years now.

[NoNick]

If I understood right then this would push more heat towards the motherboards socket. I imagine the pins, the socket and cooler mounts acts as some sort of thermal interface already, but this would motive motherboard makers to add heat spreaders to the socket itself for example to the back of the motherboard, where the cooler reinforcement usually sits.

[matthewgiroux]

Glad to see these changes are finally happening! :) Intel finally gives a solid reason to change socket :P

[avonperera]

Fun fact: CPUs were invented in Australia, that's why the front side is upside down. It's also why they're referred to as "chips" and not "French Processor Units", and when they're hot we cool them with Tomato Sauce, not Ketchup.

[Joeysmith_]

Can you make a video about why some old cpus had the chip on same side as the pins?

[milescarter]

Fun fact, if its a FCLGA the FC is already for "Flip Chip". So after 50 years they are actually going back to the original way 😂

[marcusd]

“Lower costs”…yeah, for Intel. There is absolutely zero chance this gets passed to the consumer. As noted, the new technology will increase the price to roll it out. Just don’t expect it to go down lol…they’re counting on you to accept the new price and forget.

[PushyPawn]

So basically Intel's changing from a power top, to a power bottom.
Whatever works.

[datsunx]

I searched "backside power delivery" at work to find out more. My meeting with H.R. is first thing tomorrow morning

[NedskiYT]

I did PCB layout for about 25 years. A typical PCB layout has semiconductors on the two outer (surface) layers, signal traces on adjacent inner layers and power/ground layers interspersed between the signal layers.
So is this like taking the components and putting them near the center/interior of the stackup with the signal layers on one side of the stackup and the power/ground layers on the opposite side of the stackup?

This would dramatically alter the impedance calculations for the semiconductors.

[IM.learn.general]

Good concept for a video I don't know how much the audience will embrace this, but it's good to have 1 - 3 near production technology terms defined even if it doesn't find a large audience.

[irwainnornossa]

I don't know about any specific chip-making topics to cover, but I'm sure you have a solid backlog of them, so…cover them all.
I'd watch even 20 minute version of videos like this.

[JanasV]

I see a couple problems right away..
- Reduced cooling capacity because of the bigger gap
- While the majority of signal connections are internal, those that need to come out back to the motherboard still need to pass somewhere near the power wires (introducing some of the noise back into the equation) and the signal wires must be longer, which means once again greater resistance, and more latency (which we know even RAM isn't a fan of uneven/longer wire lengths).

[johndoh]

"Chipmakers" don't have to use more complex technology for this issue with power as more pins are added to chips.

SEMI-CONDUCTOR companies have to use more complex technology. You know, TSMC, Samsung, one part of Intel's business?

[glenwaldrop]

The biggest heat points are going to be at the contacts then every time the connection steps down, even if it's a solid piece. As the power is diffused through the circuits passed through the silicon the heat generation will be less at each point. I'm sure someone already knows (hopefully will contribute) the heat at the power contacts on the silicon vs the heat of the internal IO vs processing.

I don't think moving the power delivery will really change cooling much if at all. It's probably only going to be the thickness of the current protective layer, heat generation shouldn't be much of a factor and conductivity should be about the same.

[danwat]

Just spoke to someone who works an Intel. 1 and 1.5nm being designed! AI logic is a big concentration for them