The Concept of Binning: How Manufacturing Precision Leads to Quality Variations

When it comes to cookie cutters, it's easy to imagine the frustration of getting identical-looking cookies when you're trying to create uniform treats. This is the same concept behind binning, a term used in the manufacturing industry to describe the process of sorting products like processors and memory modules by quality once they've been manufactured.

Manufacturing processes for computer chips are extremely precise, but due to the intricacies involved in fabricating tiny components, there will always be some variation between individual processors. For example, a CPU with a certain microarchitecture will have targets for performance, power management, and thermal output set by the manufacturer. If a sample meets these targets, it will be binned at a higher quality and sold as a higher-end product. However, if it falls short, it will end up being a more value-oriented product.

The concept of binning is particularly evident in multi-core CPUs. Let's say you have a Core i3 from Intel sitting in your rig right now. Although it's a dual-core processor, the actual die might have been designed with four cores. If one of the cores isn't up to par but has others that function as intended, those defective cores can be disabled and the chip sold at a lower tier. This means that the Core i3 in your machine could actually be an i5, but some small issue occurred during manufacturing.

On the other hand, the highest bin consumer-grade Intel CPUs often become the unlocked K series chips marketed to overclockers. These processors typically perform well without needing to crank up the voltage or produce excessive heat. However, even with these high-end products, there is still variation between individual processors due to the minute differences in their designs and manufacturing processes.

This variation is what's known as the "silicon lottery." Enthusiasts often talk about this phenomenon when reviewing new GPU releases that aren't part of the extremely high end. In these cases, reviews might mention that the GPU has the same GPU as a more expensive model but with X number of compute units disabled. This is usually due to binning, where certain blocks of compute units don't meet quality standards and are therefore disabled.

The process of binning can be misleading, leading some people to believe they can upgrade their GPUs by simply adding better cooling or tweaking BIOS settings. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Most major manufacturers have physically disabled the connections between inactive cores and the rest of the processing unit, preventing consumers from accessing those hidden capabilities.

However, it's essential to remember that buying a lower-binned chip is still a good thing. It means you saved an innocent CPU from being melted down for gold and silicon, which would otherwise require a monthly donation to support such practices due to the environmental impact of e-waste.

In addition to its applications in computer hardware, binning also has implications for internet security. TunnelBear VPN, for example, allows users to connect to 20 different countries, making it seem as though they're browsing the internet from a different location altogether. This service offers an easy-to-use app for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac, with a Chrome extension available for those who want to access specific content without revealing their original location.

When using TunnelBear VPN, two things happen simultaneously. Firstly, your connection gets encrypted with AES 256-bit, providing an additional layer of security. Secondly, your public IP address is switched, allowing you to browse the internet as if you're in a different country. This means you can access geo-restricted content or avoid online tracking and surveillance.

To try out TunnelBear VPN, users can take advantage of their 500 megabytes of free data with no credit card required. For those who want to upgrade to unlimited data, there's an option to save 10% by visiting the TunnelBear website. By using this service, you're not only securing your internet traffic but also supporting a company that prioritizes user privacy and security.

As for future content, Linus has recently received comments from viewers with great ideas that haven't been covered yet. These ideas will be addressed in upcoming videos, so make sure to subscribe to the channel for more "weird stuff" like this. While some might find the sound quality of the mic to be horrible and filled with things bouncing off it, there's still value to be found in exploring unconventional content.

If you're interested in learning more about computer hardware, internet security, or any other topic covered by Linus, feel free to explore further on the website. Despite its flaws, this channel continues to serve as a valuable resource for those seeking knowledge and entertainment.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: endo you remember the last time you used a cookie cutter to make treats for your weekly techwiki viewing party well even if that was for a different occasion odds are that your cookies came out looking slightly different no matter how identical you tried to make them this is the same concept behind binning a term used by the manufacturing industry to sort things like for instance processors and memory modules by quality once they're manufactured you see although manufacturing processes for computer chips are extremely precise there's going to be some variation between them due to the intricacies involved in fabricating such tiny complicated components for example a CPU with a certain microarchitecture which you can learn more about in this video up here will have targets for performance power management and thermal output all set by the manufacturer if a certain sample hits these targets it will be bined at a higher quality and end up being sold as a higher-end product but if it falls short it will end up being a more value oriented product multi-core CPUs illustrate this very well let's say you have a core I3 from Intel sitting in your rig right now although it's a dual core processor the actual die might have actually been four cores if a chip has a core that isn't up to par but has others that function as intended the defective cores can be disabled and the chips sold at a lower tier so that I3 in your machine could have actually been an i5 but some small thing went wrong in the factory on the other hand the highest bin consumer grade Intel CPUs often become the unlocked K series chips marketed to overclockers as these are typically the ones that perform the best without having to crank the voltage way high or putting out an insane amount of heat even so due to the minute differences between individual processors overclocking results will vary between even favorably bended unlocked chips the so-called silicon Lottery you hear Enthusiast talking about the same concept also appears in graphics cards as well often times when there's a new GPU release that isn't something on the extremely high end you'll see a review that says it has the same GPU as a more expensive model but with X number of compute units disabled this is often due to binning where a GPU might have a block of compute units that don't make the cut quality-wise so they're disabled instead and sold as a say GTX 950 instead of 960 so hold on a second you're telling me that I can turn on extra cores that might be hiding on my CPU or GPU and get some free performance if I slap on a better cooler or something right unfortunately no that party has kind of ended years ago it was more commonly possible on certain products through some bios trickery or maybe a firmware update here or there but these days most major manufacturers physically disable the connections between inactive cores and the rest of the processing unit so they can't be used at all by consumers but even so don't feel bad if you bought a lower Bend chip just remember remember that you saved an innocent CPU from being melted down for gold and silicon and didn't even have to make a monthly donation because you saw a depressing TV commercial tunnel bear VPN lets you connect to 20 different countries allowing you to browse the internet and use online services as if you're in said different country they have an easy to use app for iOS Android PC and mac and they even have a Chrome extension if you just want to have like one thing going in that country and not everything just choose a country in the app turn tunnel bear on and watch as your bear tunnels your internet connection to a new location when you turn tunnel bear on two things happen your connection gets encrypted with AES 256bit which is awesome and your public IP address gets switched so you can show up as if you're in a different country like I just said you can try out tunnel bear VPN with 500 megabytes of free data with no credit card required and if you want to upgrade to unlimited data you can save 10% by going to Tunnel bear.com Linus if you like the video like it if you dislike the video dislike it comment down below if there's like stuff you want us to cover someone released a really good comment recently that had like four different things that we haven't covered yet that were great ideas so we're probably going to do those don't forget to subscribe and check with Channel super fun we do like weird stuff this Probably sounds horrible in the mic and there's like things bouncing off of me and it's bad but if you didn't like that sound you should go there don't know how that works go there anywaysdo you remember the last time you used a cookie cutter to make treats for your weekly techwiki viewing party well even if that was for a different occasion odds are that your cookies came out looking slightly different no matter how identical you tried to make them this is the same concept behind binning a term used by the manufacturing industry to sort things like for instance processors and memory modules by quality once they're manufactured you see although manufacturing processes for computer chips are extremely precise there's going to be some variation between them due to the intricacies involved in fabricating such tiny complicated components for example a CPU with a certain microarchitecture which you can learn more about in this video up here will have targets for performance power management and thermal output all set by the manufacturer if a certain sample hits these targets it will be bined at a higher quality and end up being sold as a higher-end product but if it falls short it will end up being a more value oriented product multi-core CPUs illustrate this very well let's say you have a core I3 from Intel sitting in your rig right now although it's a dual core processor the actual die might have actually been four cores if a chip has a core that isn't up to par but has others that function as intended the defective cores can be disabled and the chips sold at a lower tier so that I3 in your machine could have actually been an i5 but some small thing went wrong in the factory on the other hand the highest bin consumer grade Intel CPUs often become the unlocked K series chips marketed to overclockers as these are typically the ones that perform the best without having to crank the voltage way high or putting out an insane amount of heat even so due to the minute differences between individual processors overclocking results will vary between even favorably bended unlocked chips the so-called silicon Lottery you hear Enthusiast talking about the same concept also appears in graphics cards as well often times when there's a new GPU release that isn't something on the extremely high end you'll see a review that says it has the same GPU as a more expensive model but with X number of compute units disabled this is often due to binning where a GPU might have a block of compute units that don't make the cut quality-wise so they're disabled instead and sold as a say GTX 950 instead of 960 so hold on a second you're telling me that I can turn on extra cores that might be hiding on my CPU or GPU and get some free performance if I slap on a better cooler or something right unfortunately no that party has kind of ended years ago it was more commonly possible on certain products through some bios trickery or maybe a firmware update here or there but these days most major manufacturers physically disable the connections between inactive cores and the rest of the processing unit so they can't be used at all by consumers but even so don't feel bad if you bought a lower Bend chip just remember remember that you saved an innocent CPU from being melted down for gold and silicon and didn't even have to make a monthly donation because you saw a depressing TV commercial tunnel bear VPN lets you connect to 20 different countries allowing you to browse the internet and use online services as if you're in said different country they have an easy to use app for iOS Android PC and mac and they even have a Chrome extension if you just want to have like one thing going in that country and not everything just choose a country in the app turn tunnel bear on and watch as your bear tunnels your internet connection to a new location when you turn tunnel bear on two things happen your connection gets encrypted with AES 256bit which is awesome and your public IP address gets switched so you can show up as if you're in a different country like I just said you can try out tunnel bear VPN with 500 megabytes of free data with no credit card required and if you want to upgrade to unlimited data you can save 10% by going to Tunnel bear.com Linus if you like the video like it if you dislike the video dislike it comment down below if there's like stuff you want us to cover someone released a really good comment recently that had like four different things that we haven't covered yet that were great ideas so we're probably going to do those don't forget to subscribe and check with Channel super fun we do like weird stuff this Probably sounds horrible in the mic and there's like things bouncing off of me and it's bad but if you didn't like that sound you should go there don't know how that works go there anyways\n"