For years now, I do not buy/create assemble a new computer, because I am totally overwhelmed by the options available to me.
If we agree there is ‘The Paradox of Choice’, it seems to make sense to have a much more limited choice between CPU models from a consumer point of view. For example, have for each year an entry, business and a pro model, add extreme for gamer and have each of these models have a version with a beefy integrated CPU.
But it seems also a good idea for the manufacturers: They have to design, test and build each of their models, create advertisement etc., like configuring their assembly lines alone costs money. Further, compilers have to generate code for a specific architecture, which means that all my software I didn’t compile myself ends up using an instruction set of the lowest common CPU, not utilizing whatever I bought fully.
Apple (not a fan ;-)) shows IMHO how it is done with their Apple Silicon: Basically even I understand which CPU choice would be the right one for me. The Steam Deck is IMHO another success story: As reference hardware I know easily if I can play a game, and it is easy to know if my hardware is faster than a Steam Deck. Compare that to games with hardware requirements like ‘AMD TI 5800 8GB RAM’ (made up model) which makes my life miserable.
What I am looking for is fact based knowledge:
- Why does it make (commercial) sense for AMD/Intel to create so many models?
- What are their incentives?
- What would happen, if they would reduce the amount of different CPUs they offer? (Is there historical knowledge?)
Binning. By detecting defects and working around them by making a design that can function without some portions of the processor and disabling a defective part of a processor, and selling it as a lower grade, one can have a higher rate of salable processors.
Splitting up the market to permit use of price discrimination. If I know that people who want error-correcting memory are less price sensitive than those that are, I have a separate line of processors and motherboards that costs much more and avoid offering error correcting memory on my cheaper line. This converts consumer surplus into producer surplus.
Binning is an important part of the answer. They could have only 5 CPU models, but they’d waste silicon that way.