The term tends to get used incorrectly, but this link is not bad:
Product binning - Wikipedia
Effectively it's just sorting chips. Build a chip with 8 CPU cores and upon testing it can only push 7 reliably, so you sell that as a 7 core CPU instead.
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iPad The new iPads have binned chips !
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The term tends to get used incorrectly, but this link is not bad:
Effectively it's just sorting chips. Build a chip with 8 CPU cores and upon testing it can only push 7 reliably, so you sell that as a 7 core CPU instead.
I think if anyone wanted to train an AI on the phenomenon of people engaging in debates in forums primarily for seeking validation as opposed to genuine discussion and the associated behavioral patterns, one would be hard pressed to find a better source than forums such as this one.
Oh, and Reddit!
It means the chip has some cores disabled… so performances are a bit worse than actual chip (not binned)
Then what does it mean to emphasize that a certain platform has "binned" chips? Wouldn't all of Apple's offerings have "binned" chips to some extent? I feel like we keep getting different definitions of this term and none of them make any sense.
Sorted into bins based on performance.
All chips are binned. Uninformed YouTubers give the impression that "binned" chips are bad when in reality every chip is binned (AKA tested and sorted). In the past, Intel's Extreme Edition chips were also "binned" for absolute top performance.
Think of binning like how the USDA grades meat -- each label means something different but they're all graded/sorted/binned.
Think of binning like how the USDA grades meat -- each label means something different but they're all graded/sorted/binned.
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Binning is how computer chip makers sort their products based on performance. Even though all chips are made using the same design, tiny differences during manufacturing mean some perform better than others. So, companies test each chip and group them into different "bins", the best ones are sold as high-end models, while the ones that don’t perform as well might be sold as budget options with certain features turned off.
Think of it like baking cookies: even if you use the same dough and oven, some cookies might come out perfectly round and golden, while others might be a little misshapen or slightly underbaked. Instead of throwing them out, you might serve the best ones to guests and keep the others for yourself, same ingredients, different quality!
That doesn't mean anything. What bins? And if they're all sorted into bins, then aren't they all "binned"?
But that means that all the chips are binned! So what does it means to say that certain chips are "binned", when in fact they are all binned?
Exactly! You are getting it now. It is true, all chips are binned. Binning involves validation which tests the chip's performance. Why do we test the chips? Because performance is unknown when chips are cut from the wafer, "you never know what you're gonna get". All chips have to go through the process of testing and sorting/binning. YouTubers incorrectly use "binned" to imply the product is deficient but, by definition, all chips are binned. The term "binned" can also refer to the top-performing variant of a chip family, but it doesn't really matter as they're all binned.
MaxTech is guilty of this all the time, as well as mis-calculating performance gains. Their math always takes the higher value divided by the lower number. For instance, a score of 50 is 25% better than 40, which is correct. But if a faster chip completes a test in 40 seconds instead of the previous record of 50 seconds, then MaxTech will also report it as a 25% improvement when in reality it is a 20% reduction in time. Just goes to show you can't trust everything YouTubers say. They mean well but they're not experts...and sometimes struggle with basic math.
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Did you read the link I posted?
Pretend that you have two chips, and two bins. Bin 1 is marked 10 core CPU, bin 2 is marked 9 core CPU.
You test the chips. If they both reliably work as 10 core CPU you put them both in the 10 core bin. If one works as a 10 core and one works as a 9 core you put one in each. If both are only good as 9 they both go into the 9 core bin.
No, not all chips are binned. For some chips you need a more binary yes/no works/doesn't-work. A wifi chip is unlikely to be binned, as far as I know. Or if you believe you'll never use those inferior chips you might just have a pass/fail, there may be no need to bin (sort).
Or instead of 2 bins you might be 5 bins. Or 7 bins. Or 3 bins.
"A binned chip is a computer chip that, due to slight variations in its manufacturing process, doesn't meet the performance standards of a top-tier chip, so it's categorized as a lower-grade chip and sold at a lower price; manufacturers often disable certain features or cores on these chips to ensure they function within their designated performance level, effectively "binning" them into a different category based on their capabilities."
You're getting lost in pointless semantics.
Yes, all chips go through binning, but in practical usage, 'binned' typically refers to chips sorted into lower performance tiers. If you're fixating on phrasing rather than the actual process, it appears you're just looking for something to argue about.
So, the real question becomes why is this definition so important to you that you keep rejecting answers instead of accepting the explanations people have graciously provided and moving on?
I think you're misunderstanding. I'm not "getting" anything. I'm noting the confusing use of a term, which continues to confuse the more people offer up various conflicting explanations.
Yes, that's a copy/paste, but it doesn't match up with the explanations on offer, which continue to define binned chips in a way that encompasses all chips.
Just wait till you've spent a little more time on the Internet and seen how MB/s, Mb/s, MBPS, mbps, Mbps etc., all get misused. Craziness. But just try to understand the core concept. You won't get everyone to agree to use the term correctly.
I don't know what the "correct" usage is, which is why I asked. But based on the responses, even the people who think they know are not in agreement with each other. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't believe that there is an industry standard approved terminology. It was used incorrectly in the original post but I think most of us got it
Just think of it as sorting.
I agree with Howard on this, "You won't get everyone to agree to use the term correctly".
The word binned is misused both ways, either to refer to a lower-performing part or a top-performing chip. That is why it is confusing. All chips are sorted, but it depends on the context how someone uses "binned". Hope that clears it up more.
I wonder how much of the confusion is a result of “the bin” being a bit of a synonym in some places for “the trash.” 🤔
Wouldn't you still have 2 bins even if they're pass / fail? A Pass bin and a garbage bin?
In all seriousness we're in here arguing about what amounts to nothing. All chips have been binned in one way or another.
I can't help you, sorry. You're going to have do some digging for yourself.