Carbon Per Transistor (CPT): The Golden Formula for Green Computing Metrics
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arXiv
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866912221226860544 |
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| author | ElSayed, Zag Elsayed, Nelly Abdelgawad, Ahmed |
| author_facet | ElSayed, Zag Elsayed, Nelly Abdelgawad, Ahmed |
| contents | As computing power advances, the environmental cost of semiconductor manufacturing and operation has become a critical concern. However, current sustainability metrics fail to quantify carbon emissions at the transistor level, the fundamental building block of modern processors. This paper introduces a Carbon Per Transistor (CPT) formula -- a novel approach and green implementation metric to measuring the CO$_2$ footprint of semiconductor chips from fabrication to end-of-life. By integrating emissions from silicon crystal growth, wafer production, chip manufacturing, and operational power dissipation, the CPT formula provides a scientifically rigorous benchmark for evaluating the sustainability of computing hardware. Using real-world data from Intel Core i9-13900K, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and Apple M1/M2/M3 processors, we reveal a startling insight-manufacturing emissions dominate, contributing 60-125 kg CO$_2$ per CPU, far exceeding operational emissions over a typical device lifespan. Notably, Apple's high-transistor-count M-series chips, despite their energy efficiency, exhibit a significantly larger carbon footprint than traditional processors due to extensive fabrication impact. This research establishes a critical reference point for green computing initiatives, enabling industry leaders and researchers to make data-driven decisions in reducing semiconductor-related emissions and get correct estimates for the green factor of the information technology process. The proposed formula paves the way for carbon-aware chip design, regulatory standards, and future innovations in sustainable computing. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_02606 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Carbon Per Transistor (CPT): The Golden Formula for Green Computing Metrics ElSayed, Zag Elsayed, Nelly Abdelgawad, Ahmed Other Computer Science Materials Science As computing power advances, the environmental cost of semiconductor manufacturing and operation has become a critical concern. However, current sustainability metrics fail to quantify carbon emissions at the transistor level, the fundamental building block of modern processors. This paper introduces a Carbon Per Transistor (CPT) formula -- a novel approach and green implementation metric to measuring the CO$_2$ footprint of semiconductor chips from fabrication to end-of-life. By integrating emissions from silicon crystal growth, wafer production, chip manufacturing, and operational power dissipation, the CPT formula provides a scientifically rigorous benchmark for evaluating the sustainability of computing hardware. Using real-world data from Intel Core i9-13900K, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and Apple M1/M2/M3 processors, we reveal a startling insight-manufacturing emissions dominate, contributing 60-125 kg CO$_2$ per CPU, far exceeding operational emissions over a typical device lifespan. Notably, Apple's high-transistor-count M-series chips, despite their energy efficiency, exhibit a significantly larger carbon footprint than traditional processors due to extensive fabrication impact. This research establishes a critical reference point for green computing initiatives, enabling industry leaders and researchers to make data-driven decisions in reducing semiconductor-related emissions and get correct estimates for the green factor of the information technology process. The proposed formula paves the way for carbon-aware chip design, regulatory standards, and future innovations in sustainable computing. |
| title | Carbon Per Transistor (CPT): The Golden Formula for Green Computing Metrics |
| topic | Other Computer Science Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.02606 |