Semiconductor Type:
CPUs & General Logic
CPUs are general-purpose processors that execute broad instruction sets and run operating systems, compilers, and managed runtimes. They provide flexible performance across diverse workloads, from cloud servers to laptops and embedded controllers. Modern CPUs rely on deep caches, speculative execution, vector extensions, and multi-socket scaling.
Architectures
- x86-64: AMD EPYC / Ryzen, Intel Xeon / Core
- Arm: Server (Neoverse), Client/Mobile (Cortex-A), Custom (Apple M-series)
- RISC-V: Emerging general-purpose cores and microservers
Representative Vendors & Platforms
| Vendor | Platform | Segment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD | EPYC (server), Ryzen (client) | Cloud, HPC, desktop, mobile | High core counts; strong perf/watt |
| Intel | Xeon (server), Core (client) | Enterprise, client PC | Vast ecosystem; AMX/AVX-512 vectors on select SKUs |
| Apple | M-series (Arm custom) | Laptop, desktop | Tight CPU-GPU-NPU integration; high efficiency |
| AWS | Graviton (Arm) | Cloud | Custom Arm servers; cost/perf focus |
| SiFive / Others | RISC-V cores | Embedded to server (emerging) | Open ISA momentum; toolchains maturing |
Key Features & Extensions
- SIMD/vector units (AVX-512/AMX, SVE/SVE2, NEON)
- Secure enclaves (SGX/TDX, SEV-SNP, ARM CCA)
- Chiplet/3D packaging and large L3/L4 caches
- Coherent interconnects with GPUs/NPUs/DPUs
Use Cases
- General compute, databases, virtualization
- Control planes and orchestration in AI clusters
- Edge gateways and deterministic workloads (with RT patches)
Selection Guidance
- Match ISA to software stack and ecosystem dependencies
- Balance single-thread performance vs core density
- Evaluate memory bandwidth, PCIe/CXL lanes, and coherency
- Consider TCO: perf/watt, licensing, and cloud availability
Market Outlook
CPUs remain foundational across all compute tiers. Arm server momentum and x86 innovations will coexist; RISC-V will expand in embedded and niche server roles as toolchains mature.