Apple A19 SoC die shot
33 comments
·September 23, 2025nomel
Is there a link to a version that isn't almost entirely compression artifacts?
This definitely isn't the original, since the blue text at the bottom right isn't even legible.
daemonologist
Seems like the full resolution images are for sale ("contact us").
bigwheels
+1, it's pretty fuzzy. Maybe chipsandcheese or hotchips will do an independent imaging?
The A19 appears to be remarkably intricate chip.
Neywiny
Yeah if you scroll down they tell you how
system2
I scrolled down, and there is only 1 paragraph of text and two blurry images. What did you scroll down to?
paulsen
Next to the paragraph of text is this:
"High Resolution Floorplan images available here"
With some contact info below that
It is moved to the end of the page on mobile it seems
cAtte_
[dead]
Zee2
It’s still my strongly held belief that things like this are one of humanity’s grandest achievements.
temp0826
It's definitely an "on the shoulders of giants standing on the shoulders of giants" thing. Insane breakthrough technologies on top of other insane breakthroughs. Firing lasers at microscopic molten drops of metal in a controlled enough manner to get massively consistent results like what??
itopaloglu83
It’s a mind blowing achievement, nothing below sorcery if you think about it.
ASML machines are hitting tin droplets with 25kW laser 50,000 times a second to turn them into plasma to create the necessary extreme ultraviolet light, and despite generating 500W of EUV, only a small fraction can reach the wafer, due to loses along the way. I believe it was like 10%.
Here’s an incredible, very detailed video about it: https://youtu.be/B2482h_TNwg
bigwheels
That is a really cool video, thank you!
Maybe the high water usage is at some other stage? Or intermediate preceding stages? I'd love to understand more end-to-end, as surely it isn't as easy as popping a wafer in a semi-truck trailer sized lithography machine.
brcmthrowaway
Nah, NVIDIA GPU has way more raw computational power & smarts.
NetMageSCW
See how fast it is running on 8 watts.
hmottestad
Anyone interested in more info and detailed videos should check out Geekerwan: https://youtu.be/Y9SwluJ9qPI
English subtitles are recommended, unless you are better at Chinese than I am.
ksec
The interesting part is the E-Core on A19 Pro are nearly as good as the previous ARM Big Core while only using half the power. I would love to know the die size of the cache and E-Core.
ARM were catching up to Apple in terms of big core, now Apple has leapfrogged in E-Core again. But competition is good. ARM should have some announcement coming in next few months.
miotintherain
Is there some magic with AI that lets you watch those videos dubbed in English?
brailsafe
Didn't think I'd be confronted with a covert Factorio map today. I just deleted the damn game to try and regain control over my life!
alberth
Do TSMC current node sizes allow for Backside Power Delivery (BPD)?
As someone who knows nothing about PCB, from those images it appears that double side printing of some sort is happening.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
monocasa
No backside power delivery on TSMC yet, even at 2nm. It's supposed to come on TSMC's A16 node.
I think what you're seeing is the silicon layers visible from the back through the bulk substrate, and the metal layers on the front.
wmf
There is no backside anything here. This may be a photo of a thinned die; silicon is somewhat transparent so you can often see the die structures better from the back because it isn't blocked by the metal stack.
adgjlsfhk1
It will be a shame when backside power delivery makes that not work as well.
hirvi74
The only thing more impressive than this technology to me is possibly the machines that manufacture these chips.
muricula
Does anyone know what the block dot at 12 o'clock on the image is? https://chipwise.tech/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/A19_SoC_die...
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dishsoap
Well I see the 'die shot,' but not the 'analysis'
giuliomagnifico
Unfortunately I think think you have to pay for the analysis and high resolution pics.
top_sigrid
Are there also already analyses of these die shots, explaining what be concluded from them?
Missing Anandtech.com right about now