65nm
Latest
Xbox 360 Xenos GPU shrinks to 65nm this fall
We know the 65nm version of Xenon, the Xbox 360's triple-core CPU, had been delayed from Q1 2007 to "mid-2007," just missing being used in the Xbox 360 Elite, making irony the system's most prominent feature. But the CPU isn't the only thing getting shrunk: DigiTimes reports that the Xbox 360 will be equipped with a 65nm Xenos GPU this fall as well, with production of the new graphics chips scheduled for May. For those of you on the fence about the Elite, a newer, cooler, and cheaper (to manufacture) Xbox 360 should be here in the fall. The question: wait or jump in?[Thanks, Fandel]
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT snapped in the wild
Shortly after going from codenames to a more retail-friendly tiltling scheme, ATI's midrange RV630, er, HD 2600 XT has already been acquired, photographed, and slapped into one lucky PC overseas. According to the author, the card sports 256MB of GDDR4 RAM, and even more impressive, doesn't require any sort of external power connector to suck down the respectable 80-watts of power required for usage. It also appears to have a single-slot cooler and a hefty heatsink, not to mention a snazzy flame job that any true geek should adore. Let's face it, you're after the pics, so feel free to click on through for a few more shots and screengrabs from the installation. [Warning: Read link requires registration][Via Inquirer]
IBM moves to 65nm Cell chip production
IBM announced today that it is beginning production a 65nm version of the Cell processor, which is a good bit smaller than the 90nm version used today. A smaller chip could also lower power consumption and lower production costs.This news should not, however, get your hopes up for a price drop in the near future. The PlayStation 3 continues to be a hefty loss leader for Sony, estimated to cost $840 to manufacture. Sony is also gearing up to rip the PS2 hardware out of the PS3s to help with the European launch.Historically, consoles have never seen a price drop in its first year. Will the rumored 2009 price drop, coinciding with the 45nm Cell chip, prove fruitful? It's certainly a lot more likely than seeing the console slash prices anytime soon.[Via Engadget; thanks, Michael Chomiczewski]
Cell processor shrinks to 65nm today
IBM has begun manufacturing of the new energy and cost-efficient 65nm version of the Cell processor. It will cost roughly a third less than the current 90nm version of Cell. According to the iSuppli teardown from launch, the Cell used to cost $89 to manufacture. Using those figures, Sony would save approximately $30 per system sold with the new processors.The highly advanced Cell chip isn't done shrinking: the next projected size of the chip is 45nm, which is expected to arrive in a couple of years.[Via GameDaily BIZ]
Smaller 360 CPU delayed until mid 2007
Microsoft has been planning on reducing the chip size of the 360's CPU since inception, but it looks like it's going to be a while longer before that actually happens. Digitimes reports that the large 90nm chip that's currently in the 360 will be shrunk down to a nicer 65nm, but not until mid 2007 because of a delay. The benefits of shrinking a CPU are not only cost reduction, but less power consumption, and less heat is generated. When a gaming console's innards get smaller and cost less, that can only mean good things for consumers and a possible price reduction may be in the distant future. And since the new smaller chip will need less power maybe we can finally reduce the size of that huge power brick.[Via Joystiq]
65nm Xbox 360 CPU refresh delayed until mid-2007?
Bad news for those potential Xbox fanboys out there waiting for a cooler and less power-hungry Xbox before they spring for that nifty white box: DigiTimes is reporting that Microsoft's upcoming 65nm processors -- the current 360s are running those oh-so-2005 90nm chips -- have been delayed, and won't be making it off the production line until mid-2007, at least a quarter after current projections. Of course, the main source of noise on the box is really the disc drive, and we hope this doesn't mean Microsoft will hold off much longer on a price cut (no, not that price cut) but we really wouldn't mind a little bit of modern processor tech in this thing, so we'll hope Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Microsoft's partner in chip-building crime, will pull through on this one and deliver those 65nm chips right on schedule.
Smaller processors on Xbox 360 delayed
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Xbox_360_die_shrink_delayed'; Over the past generation, when a new console hits the market, the console manufacturer goes on to shrink the die size of the CPU. The benefits are a cheaper chip -- the smaller the die, the more that fit into a manufacturing run -- and cooler temperatures. The Xbox 360 die shrink is going to have to wait a little bit longer. Originally slated for Q1 2007, the 65nm processors for the Xbox 360 are being delayed until mid-2007. This means gamers are going to have to wait a little bit longer to get those Xbox 360 units that aren't quite so hot; it also means prospective buyers may be waiting a bit longer to see a price drop. Reducing the die size on the Xbox 360 CPU is a major step to a price reduction, something Microsoft needs right now. Xbox 360 sales are less than smoking and the PS3 and Wii offering up some competition, Microsoft could have used a price drop as an excellent weapon against them. Maybe Microsoft can get the 65nm chips up and running before the PS3 has a chance to entrench itself in Europe.
AMD shows off Barcelona server chips, garners mixed reviews
With Intel giving its shareholders some awfully great news to savor over the holidays, AMD had to hit back with some news of its own, but you'll definitely get a different vibe from reading ExtremeTech's take on the firm's recently showcased Barcelona than from the horse's own mouth. While AMD parades its 65nm chip as "the world's first native quad-core x86 server processor," and boasts about its "significant advancements in performance per watt capabilities," we've reason to wonder if things aren't a bit sugarcoated. While the wafer was demonstrated as utilizing "all 16 cores" and being a seamless upgrade from "dual-core to quad-core", hard facts (read: the much anticipated benchmarks) were curiously absent. Aside from injecting onlookers with more of the same technical minutiae we've seen over the past few months, AMD didn't exactly flesh out a lot of new details to chew on, but ExtremeTech's reference system "was the loudest they'd ever had in their office," and sucked down nearly 600 watts of power with just two HDDs and a single graphics card. So while we're firmly withholding judgment until its officially released, we'd say AMD still has a bit of tweaking to do before the competition rolls in.UPDATE: Looks like we mistook the quad-core Opteron and the Quad FX (announced on the same day, nonetheless) chips as one in the same, when (thankfully) they're not, but those eying the recently-released FX-based desktops may want to think about how much noise they're willing to put up with before throwing down on a new machine.Read - AMD Press ReleaseRead - ExtremeTech's Hands-on Testing
The amazing, shrinking Cell chip hits 65nm in '07
As part of any successful company's strategy to reduce the cost of their product (in this case the admittedly expensive PS3), Sony's Ken Kutaragi has revealed the not-surprising news that they're planning to reduce the system's Cell processor to a smaller, cheaper, and cooler 65nm manufacturing process in 2007. They're currently manufacturing the Cell using a more reliable 90nm process in both IBM's Fishkill and Sony's Nagasaki facilities. Microsoft announced their intentions to use a 65nm processor several months ago as well, as part of their long term plans to continuously reduce cost (not price) of the console. It's unknown, but likely, that the PS3 will be met with similar concerns as the Xbox 360's overheating woes; a 65nm die shrink would ameliorate such concerns. [Thanks, Siraris]
Intel and TI brag about chip tech advancements
Two of the biggest names in chips, Intel and Texas Instruments, have taken this fine Monday to announce independent advancements made by their R&D departments in the never-ending search to continue Moore's law. TI kicked things off by unveiling their new 45nm manufacturing process that uses some immersion lithography trickery to trump Intel's current 65nm chips by 30 percent. They plan to use the tech for memory chips. Intel, of course, is not to be outdone, and announced a new better way to insulate circuits. Their new "tri-gate transistors," which should be on the scene by 2010, reduce the power leak problems experienced when transistors are dropped lower than 90nm. The tech could cut power consumption by as much as 35 percent or boost performance by 45 percent. "This will be an option for chips somewhere beyond 45 nm--in the 32 or 22 nm mode--so that gives us confidence we can continue scaling Moore's Law into the next decade," said Intel's Mike Mayberry. The tech also does away with the troublesome carbon nanotubes that IBM has been proposing, which are currently too costly to produce chips with. Now we're just waiting for AMD to announce a 22nm chip due next week and for half the cost, then our day will be complete. Don't let us down, guys!Read - Intel "tri-gate transistors"Read - AMD 45nm manufacturing
Xbox 360 to get CPU upgrade in 2007
In a joint announcement, Microsoft and the manufacturer of the Xbox 360's CPU, Chartered Semiconductor, have announced that the console's processor will receive an upgrade in 2007. The upgrade will move the chip's design to a 65nm manufacturing process (the existing CPU is based on 90nm technology) which will provide lower power consumption and a smaller heat output. It's expected that the upgrade will not alter the processor's performance as this could cause compatibility issues with games already released or currently under development for the Xbox 360.Although the launch of the Xbox 360 was touted by Microsoft as a successful one, a vocal minority of people reported that their consoles were crashing due to overheating. VNUNet points out that console manufacturers often take advantage of new processor technology as it becomes available, so this may not be a direct response to Xbox 360 overheating issues.[Thanks, SloopyDrew. Via VNUNet]
