Why are CPUS not getting faster?

[EsaT]

5.7Ghz here for one of the new mid range Core i9! http://www.pcgamer.com/intel-core-i9-7900x-hits-57ghz-and-crushes-cinebench-record/

That news conveniently forgets that now Intel won't be using solder to attach heatspreader even on its expensive CPUs:
https://www.techpowerup.com/233865/...-lake-x-hedt-cpus-to-use-tim-wont-be-soldered

 

[Tom B]

If intel use a higher quality TIM on these CPUs, it might not be as bad as people are making it out to be: https://www.overclock3d.net/news/gp...s_lower_by_26_degrees_after_tim_replacement/1 we'll need to see real thermal tests to find out.

 

[keyser]

Actually the speed of light argument has already been spoken of many years ago by people in the field.
Speed of light divided by 5 billion equals 0.05 meters
299792458 / 5000000000 = 0.0599584916
Light travels ~6cm per clock cycle @ 5Ghz. But thats the speed of photons in a vacuum. We're talking about electrons through silicon that isn't 100% pure. It's an engineering problem up to a point. Then its just the laws of nature.
On top of that we also have the heat and the quantum tunnelling problem. https://youtu.be/Gtp51eZkwoI?t=9631

 

[EsaT]

If intel use a higher quality TIM on these CPUs, it might not be as bad...

All TIMs are crap compared to liquide metal/solder if heatspreader isn't seated with precision.
They're meant to fill unevenness between surfaces instead of being thicker layer.