Xbox 360 CPU changes
We already know that Microsoft's manufacturing partner, Wistron, is hoping to build one million Xbox 360s per month by the end of the year, and now Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, one of the CPU makers, have now announced that they hope to reduce the current power and heat problems, by introducing 65-nanometer, Silicon-on-Insulator semiconductor technology CPUs into Xbox 360s.
The Xbox 360 currently uses 90nm and, not only will the new chip cost less to produce, it will also see an end to the overheating issues that have plagued the console since launch. Chartered SM also claim that the new CPU will be capable of running software faster, although it hasn't been mentioned as to whether there would be software upgrades.
Chartered have also commented on a potential increase in the speed of the CPU. "SOI refers to placing a thin layer of silicon on top of an insulator, such as silicon oxide or glass. The transistors (switches that are used in microprocessors) are then built on top of this thin layer of SOI. The basic idea is that the SOI layer reduces the capacitance of the switch, so it operates faster," they explained.
"We are excited to expand our manufacturing relationship with Microsoft and leverage the innovative 65nm SOI technology made available to us through our agreement with IBM," said Kay Chai Ang, Senior Vice president of Fab operations at Chartered SM. "This is both a recognition of Chartered's 300mm manufacturing excellence and increasing customer confidence in our ability to enable cutting-edge technologies as products transition to 65nm. By working closely with IBM to enable manufacturing compatibility and dual-sourcing capability, our goal is to continue to be a reliable manufacturing source to Microsoft."
Microsoft were keen to mention their flexibility when it comes to dual-sourcing from IBM and Chartered SM, "We look forward to working with Chartered on the production of such an important component of our Xbox 360 system," said Larry Yang, General Manager of Xbox Console Development at Microsoft. "Chartered's ability to demonstrate the manufacturability of IBM's advanced SOI technology in Fab 7 was key to our selection. We plan to continue with our strategy of dual sourcing from Chartered and IBM's fabs, which are operationally aligned and compatible, to give us the consistent product quality and flexibility we will need."
Production of the new CPUs will begin at the start of 2007, and the change could mean a new design for the console. Incidentally, the PS3's processor chip is also said to be 65nm.
Source: The Inquirer
