16 billion transistor count seems too small.

[romanof]

The M1 chip has a claimed 16 billion transistors on the die. I don't (can't) dispute that, but the numbers don't add up for the standard technology that has been common since bytes came into being. Each byte is 8 bits (disregarding parity or ECC or whatever), and even the simplest dynamic memory needs at least one transistor per bit. Or, did with any that I am aware of. So, by that count, the 8gb M1 would need 64 billion transistors just for the ram.

Obviously, memory has changed from what has been the usual over the last 50 years. My technology career ended years ago and I am long out of the industry. Any on here with insights into the discrepancy in transistor counts vs what is actually on the M1 die?

Just curious.

 

[MBAir2010]

i am staying away from this topic!

 

[jz0309]

The M1 chip has a claimed 16 billion transistors on the die. I don't (can't) dispute that, but the numbers don't add up for the standard technology that has been common since bytes came into being. Each byte is 8 bits (disregarding parity or ECC or whatever), and even the simplest dynamic memory needs at least one transistor per bit. Or, did with any that I am aware of. So, by that count, the 8gb M1 would need 64 billion transistors just for the ram.

Obviously, memory has changed from what has been the usual over the last 50 years. My technology career ended years ago and I am long out of the industry. Any on here with insights into the discrepancy in transistor counts vs what is actually on the M1 die?

Just curious.

The RAM is not part of the main die, it’s its own seemingly proprietary package packed on top of the die.
# of transistors for a CPU/SOC indicate complexity and density ...

 

[thekev]

It sounds like you're thinking of cache.

 

[romanof]

The RAM is not part of the main die, it’s its own seemingly proprietary package packed on top of the die.
# of transistors for a CPU/SOC indicate complexity and density ...

Ah. That makes more sense. Then Apple's graphics are too simplistic, showing a square that is supposedly their SOC with blocks for ram and everything else except the interfaces to the outside world.

Looking closer, I see the broken box that holds the DRAM. Apparently that is the indication of a separate die.
Then it isn't really magic, as I was wondering.
Still one heck of an engineering feat, though.