Why Do Some CPUs Cost More Than Others?
Weekly Wheaties #2610
In this newsletter:
📝 Post: Why Do Some CPUs Cost More Than Others?
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: New Apple Products
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Tech Headlines
😎 Pick of the Week: Google AI Edge Gallery
📦 Featured Product: Travel Jewerly Case
📝 Why Do Some CPUs Cost More Than Others?
Let’s start out with what a CPU is. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is essentially the brain of your computer, phone, or tablet. It communicates with every other piece and part of your device, from the storage to the screen to the WiFi chip. But not all CPUs are created equally. When you purchase a device, you may have noticed the CPU is marketed at a certain speed - typically measured in Gigahertz (GHz). You may have also seen a listed number of Cores. These numbers are important and do have a purpose, but they’re probably not as complicated as you think.
In order to create a CPU, billions of transistors are etched into a die at the nanometer scale. There are other terms here that all describe either part of the process or other material (i.e., wafer, packaging, etching, layering), but the important part to understand is that multiple CPUs are essentially built at the same time. They are built with the same material, on the same machines, with the same settings, over and over again.
Here’s where it gets tricky, though. Not every CPU that comes off the die is created equal. At the scale (both in the number of CPUs created and the size of the electronics on each CPU), there are tons of variations in the final product, with some even having defects. When removed, each CPU is sent for testing. They are electrically tested for their running voltage and the speed at which they can function. Then, they are sorted by performance. This process is called binning.
Why do they have different voltages and speeds, you may ask? Well, as mentioned, they may be created equal, but they aren’t produced equal. Let’s compare this to baking brownies. Each brownie produced is made with the same mix, placed in the same tray, and baked at the same temperature for the same amount of time. But the edges cook differently from the center pieces. Similarly, some CPUs come off the line capable of running at higher speeds. As they are sorted by speed, the consumer is able to purchase different grades at various price points. The ones that don’t meet certain specs are sold at a ‘discount,’ but only under a different name.
The Intel line of CPUs is a great example to compare here. Over the last few generations of CPUs, they usually offer models ending in 5, 7, or 9. The 5 is the more budget-friendly version, the 9 is the performance version costing the most, and the 7 is the middle-of-the-pack version. From a production standpoint, these are all identical. Just looking at them, they may even appear identical. However, they function at different speeds and cost differently based on those speeds.
Another kicker is the software side of things. Manufacturers can limit the speeds of CPUs to make it fit one of the tiers better if it’s not quite fast enough for the higher tier. Then, a consumer can overclock that same CPU to outperform its original listed speeds. This is why (and how) some CPUs that are the same speed can perform differently. And many may not like to hear this, but that is also why one computer can ‘last longer’ than another with identical specs otherwise.
Smartphone and tablet CPUs go through the same manufacturing and testing processes as PCs, too. The difference here is that phone manufacturers usually hide the variation behind software and power management. Most phone CPUs are overkill for what they are needed for - except for gaming apps that require a lot of processing power. However, some phone models have a “Pro” option that is only possible because of the binning process.
So the next time you purchase a device and are trying to decide between speeds, remember, you’re not buying a different recipe — just a better brownie from the same pan.
🗞️ ICYMI: New Apple Products
In a series of press releases last week, Apple introduced the new iPhone 17e, an updated iPad Air, an updated MacBook Air, an updated MacBook Pro, new Studio Displays, and an all-new MacBook Neo. The iPad, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro all have the new M5 chip installed with other updates, and the Studio Displays have a drop in price compared to the last few models, while upgrading their specs.
The two devices stealing the show (and headlines) are the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo. These are both the first entry points into the Mac ecosystem for their devices, with a price to match. Both come in at $599 and are a hard bargain to beat when compared to the competition. If you want an iPhone or a MacBook, are a student, or may just be testing things out, these are two no-brainer options. The MacBook Neo can also be purchased for $499 in the Apple Education Store.
For both devices, yes, you are giving up some features, but it’s up to you to decide at what price point what a feature is worth. Apple is infamous for the pricing ladder to maximize their profit. I mean, they have 4 different types of iPad models. Not to mention, multiple pricing ladders within each model. Then accessories on top of that. If you’re curious, you can read here on The Technical Differences Between the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air.
🗞️ ICYMI: Tech Headlines
Google ends its 30 percent app store fee and welcomes third-party app stores
OpenAI introduced GPT‑5.3 Instant - a smoother model, more useful for everyday conversations, and GPT‑5.4 - their most capable and efficient frontier model for professional work.
SpaceX to expand Starlink’s mobile coverage as it seeks $1.75 trillion IPO valuation
Starlink targets 25m users by year-end as Gen2 satellite plan promises 100x data density
😎 POTW: Google AI Edge Gallery
While I realize this could have been part of the news this week, I feel it deserves a spot as a Pick of the Week. Google recently released an AI app, both for Android and iOS, for no charge. It is essentially an AI Large Language Model (LLM) that can run locally on your phone or tablet without an internet connection. That may not sound like that big of a deal, but with there is no subscription model to use it, and you will never run out of credits. That also means it is somewhat limited in what it can do, but I bet it’d still surprise you. Before using, you must download a model or two. They are between 3-5 gigabytes, so it does take up a bit of space on your device. Then, there are a few options to choose from. I’ll highlight 3. The “Ask Image” model allows you to upload an image and ask it questions about the image. This also means you can ask it to pull text from the image - one of my favorite prompts. The second option of “Audio Scribe” is just what it sounds like - upload an audio file, and it will give you the transcript. You can also translate that same file. The last option of “AI Chat” is the on-device chatbot. Obviously, for the size, your output may be limited and not the best. But it’s a great app to play around with and start diving into chatbots at no cost!
📦 Featured Product
I was talking with a friend the other day about tech pouches. I’ve suggested the Bagsmart Electronic Tech Pouch in the past, as that’s what I use. However, it does have one downside compared to others - it isn’t sturdy. This can be viewed as a pro or a con, depending on the situation. I personally like this one for my backpack as it doesn’t take up more space than is necessary. There are others available that fit here, but I wanted to share this Travel Jewelry Case instead. It is a bit geared more towards women, and it can also double as a jewelry case to allow mix and matching when you're packing!
