AutoPhi V18 Cost-Per-FLOP Analysis — From $10/KFLOP to Fractions of a Cent
Written Mar 26, 2026; first published here. Some details may have changed since it was written.
The Ratio Is the Product
In the AutoPhi V18 catalog, the product is not the chip — it is the ratio. The ratio of performance to cost. The ratio of compute to power. The ratio of quantum capability to investment. Understanding this ratio is the key to making the right procurement decision from the 1,000-processor on-demand catalog.
Cost-Per-KFLOP Across the Catalog
The following analysis tracks cost-per-KFLOP from the bottom to the top of the AutoPhi V18 catalog, demonstrating the exponential efficiency gains that define the platform:
| Processor | Price | Performance | Cost/KFLOP | Efficiency vs Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed #1 | $1,000 | 100 KFLOPS | $10.00 | Baseline |
| Seed #10 | $1,217 | 142 KFLOPS | $8.55 | 14.5% better |
| Seed #20 | $1,513 | 210 KFLOPS | $7.19 | 28.1% better |
| Seed #50 | ~$2,692 | ~680 KFLOPS | ~$3.96 | 60.4% better |
| Micro #51 | $2,973 | 709 KFLOPS | $4.19 | 58.1% better |
| Micro #120 | $13,372 | 10,580 KFLOPS | $1.26 | 87.4% better |
| Mini #200 | $76,440 | 242,950 KFLOPS | $0.31 | 96.9% better |
| Entry #300 | $675,638 | 12,210,000 KFLOPS | $0.055 | 99.4% better |
The Exponential Curve
The data reveals a consistent exponential curve: cost-per-KFLOP drops by roughly 50% with every tier transition. By the time you reach the Entry tier, each KFLOP costs less than 6 cents — compared to $10.00 at the Seed baseline. This 180x improvement in cost-efficiency is the direct result of three factors working together:
- Node shrinks: 130nm → 90nm → 65nm → 45nm → 28nm — each delivering higher transistor density and lower per-transistor cost
- Voxel configuration scaling: More complex voxel arrangements extract more compute from the same silicon area
- Quantum integration scaling: Higher qubit counts enable quantum-accelerated operations that augment the classical FLOPS measurement
Beyond FLOPS: The Quantum Value Proposition
The cost-per-KFLOP analysis captures the classical computing dimension, but it understates the total value of higher-tier processors. A Seed #1 with 1 qubit and an Entry #300 with 464 qubits are not just different in FLOPS — they are qualitatively different computing resources. The quantum capability of the Entry #300 enables entire categories of computation (optimization, simulation, cryptography, machine learning) that are impossible at any speed on a 1-qubit processor. The true "ratio" includes this quantum dimension, and it is what makes the AutoPhi V18 catalog unique in the semiconductor market.
Explore the full AutoPhi V18 On-Demand catalog and find your optimal ratio[dead link]