Only 2.5x the power usage?

More seriously, there's always a few comments on threads like this claiming it's unfair to compare Intel to AMD or Apple because "they have a larger node size and are hamstrung by it." Which is Intel's choice, they were happy having a superior node all to themselves for decades and now it's a problem for them.

I don't remember people saying AMD was just as good as Intel but was just on a worse node either, did it matter to anyone but AMD fanboys?

For those that do not care just about the faster CPUs on benchmark and tribal fights, and like instead to nerd out about architectures, it is still interesting to know whether Apple superiority is due the ARM architecture, the Apple microarchitecture improvements or TSMC process.

It is likely a mix of all three and of course microarchitecture cant be easily disentangled from the process.

Unfortunately I’ve seldom seen discussions framed in that architectural curiosity context.

The drowning out discussion noise seems to be much more of the macho-tribal variety of shallow assumptions and absolutist conclusions.

And that’s really too bad, because I do really enjoy conversations framed in honest wondering and non-biased estimation of the future potential of various architectures.

There are relatively large differences in performance between implementations of ARM X1, so yeah, there is more to it than microarchitecture.

Yes. That is why I have been very explicit about node numbers and characteristics along with clock speed. Apple cant push to 5GHz without using another node and possibly some redesign. Intel using their own ultra low Power node or even TSMC 5nm low power node will not be able to reach 5Ghz either.

And let people make their own judgement. Again this isn't for consumer review, just for those interested in tech and how it all fits together.

Well, it made less sense to make excuses about fabs back when Intel and AMD both ran their own fabs.

When did they make these excuses? AMD hasn’t had its own fabs for about a decade way before Intel was stuck on 14nm.