TL 9 microchips?
 

Could the microprocessors of the upcoming 2 nm node be considered TL 9?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_nm_process

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

<shrug>Gurps provides no microchip data on what TL9 proper uses. The only measurement we get in UT is "storage size".

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

I think earlier post said we are at the end of TL 8 venturing into TL 9 in some parts.

From what GURPS says about TL 9 Ultratech, we have some computerstuff already in that legue. Sadly GURPS hasn´t much about the nm or the needed computing power for certain TLs. I gives a bit about expert systems and from that and the accuracy of some new weapons systems using that expert systems we are in that part TL 9.

So yes I would say a real 2 nm node is good enough for early TL 9.

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

gurps ultra tech was printed 15 years ago. In tech time this is a century!!!

the books will never be updated in this part, it would be necessary to make a revision every year... minimum.

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

There is relevant material in Chapter 5 of GURPS High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics.

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

As the Wikipedia page clearly explains those 2nm microchips are just another iteration of the same MOSFET technology that's rocking around since the '60. If the question is about reaching TL9 electronics capabilities (and the discussion about "what is TL9?" is in itself another can of worms) then I think a more likely candidate would be quantum computing.

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

This will only become clear in retrospect. It's a serious mistake for RPGs to try to predict technological progress. Classic Traveller attempted to do this, and there's a Murphy's Rules cartoon from 1981, pointing out that some then-current computers exceeded the capabilities of Traveller ones.

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

Don't forget Gibson's "three megabytes of hot ram"

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

If you're going to write science fiction set in the future, though, you probably have to predict technological progress—and accept the risk of getting it wrong.

Re: TL 9 microchips?
 

Traveller didn't give sizes in real world terms, though. I understand that the authors knew that the model they used was obsolescent even when written, but felt it made for interesting game choices (do we run the improved aim software, or the improved dodge software?) Later supplements and edition went for a more abstract approach.

OTOH, in 2300AD some of those same authors did make the mistake of listing the storage size of the hand computers and their data chips (200MB, as I recall).

One thing that I remember is a comment by a guy who worked on oil rig IT. He said that he laughed at Traveller's huge computers until he saw the size of the controlling electronics on rigs. Being made to take abuse and bad weather and to control heavy machinery they themselves were very heavy and there were many boxes over the whole rig.