The process of making a computer component such as a CPU is anything but cheap, and there are a lot of small expenses to be paid. One of the things not many think about are the prototypes of new circuits and their testing. Something highly vital in the process of getting a fully working circuit. Lower quality testing can, in the end, become fatal mistakes if the tester overlooks certain tests which could lead to the company releasing the product much later than first intended. NVIDIA estimated the development costs for ASIC to be around $46 million where $2 million were the testing itself. Now NVIDIA plans to extend the bill a bit more by redefining and optimizing their testing procedures which should pay off in the future.
NVIDIA counts on about 8-10% lower development costs if the testing quality gets higher. This should also lower the amount of problems when it comes to manufacturing and probably make NVIDIA able to meet their deadlines when it comes to releasing products.
“Containing test costs takes investment, but better tests result in higher yields, faster ramp to volume, and better margins on the products. Reducing the total costs for a product requires investment in test, as no other change in the design and manufacturing flow has as large an impact on costs, Malachowsky said.”
