💰 Integrated Circuit Price Ranges (Retail/Small Volume)
The price of an integrated circuit (IC) or microchip has an extremely wide range, spanning from just a few cents to thousands of dollars per unit.
The cost is entirely dependent on the type, complexity, and volume of the chip being purchased.
Transistor Count: The more transistors (the more complex the function), the larger the silicon die, and the higher the cost. A simple logic gate IC has a few dozen; a modern CPU has billions.
Feature Size (Process Node): Chips made with the latest, most advanced manufacturing processes (e.g., 5nm, 3nm) are vastly more expensive to produce than older, larger nodes (e.g., 180nm, 90nm). The sophisticated machinery (EUV lithography) drives up the cost per wafer significantly.
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