Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

IBM Producing 65nm Chips?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,627
31,013
Team Xbox claims that IBM will be producing 65-nm chips for the upcoming "Xbox 2" and start delivering commercial parts in the next 12-18 months.

In November, Microsoft and IBM announced that the future Xbox would utilize IBM processors. Few details had been available.

IBM produces the PowerPC 970 for Apple's PowerMac G5 which were introduced at a 130nm process. Recently introduced Xserve G5s now utilize a 90nm process. Reducing the process size should allow future chips to reach higher speeds and potentially less heat production.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2004/01/16/ibm-producing-65nm-chips/
A

aftk2

macrumors regular
Nov 10, 2003
132
19
Pacific NW
I wonder how this would work...would IBM be making PowerPC chips for the XBox 2? If that's the case, will their be backward compatibility between the current XBox and XBox 2? I don't see how there could be, since the XBox is built with a Celeron. Perhaps some kind of x86 compatibility layer? Backward compatibility was one big reason that the PS2 did as well as it did (of course, the PS1 was a huge success...so maybe it doesn't matter as much for the Xbox 2.)

I don't know...just thinking out loud. At any rate, keep'em coming, IBM.
 
S

Stoffel

macrumors member
Jan 6, 2004
36
0
Germany
I don't bother the xbox2 but hey! do you think that the g5 can make it into the powerbooks before fall 2004?
 
LimeLite

LimeLite

macrumors 6502a
Mar 20, 2003
652
0
Los Angeles, Ca
Originally posted by aftk2
I wonder how this would work...would IBM be making PowerPC chips for the XBox 2? If that's the case, will their be backward compatibility between the current XBox and XBox 2? I don't see how there could be, since the XBox is built with a Celeron. Perhaps some kind of x86 compatibility layer? Backward compatibility was one big reason that the PS2 did as well as it did (of course, the PS1 was a huge success...so maybe it doesn't matter as much for the Xbox 2.)

I don't know...just thinking out loud. At any rate, keep'em coming, IBM.
Click to expand...
Well, it's microsoft, and they own VPC now, so I'm sure they could still make it backward compatible if they really wanted to.
 
crees!

crees!

macrumors 68020
Jun 14, 2003
2,016
242
MD/VA/DC
Originally posted by pimentoLoaf
Five (count 'em, 5) gigahertz desktops by Jan 2005, perchance?
Click to expand...

Hehe, you're dreaming. That would be a complete waste of time, money, and R&D if you cut out the everything except for 5Ghz chips. I would say 2-3 years before 5Ghz chips with the flow of the silicon market.
 
SilvorX

SilvorX

macrumors 68000
May 24, 2002
1,701
0
'Toba, Canada
Originally posted by Dont Hurt Me
Game cubes use the power Pc.
Click to expand...
I know more people who have xboxes than Game Cubes, game cubes were a sweet idea, but theres a lack of titles (compared to games I like thats available for xbox or whatever), and the optical drive is way too ***** small (so no dvd movies) but it reminds me of ye ol powermac cube in a way
 
Dont Hurt Me

Dont Hurt Me

macrumors 603
Dec 21, 2002
6,055
6
Yahooville S.C.
IBM is the( fill in the Blank). everyone is getting on this boat & setting sail with this chip division. dont blame them a bit. IBM is just starting to rock give them a year or two and see what happens.:D Great move for Apple.
 
W

warcraftmaster

macrumors regular
Dec 5, 2003
126
0
here
halo 2 and xbox 2 would be so sweet!
cant what for it he he
you know what if the xbox use the same chip as g5. i bet it would be eazy to port. to the mac:D :D :D :D then i can have halo 2 on my g5 and at 7ghz. plus nvidia*** is partern with ibm. so my gpu will have 3ghz with 200gb pipe line to the ram he he:cool: (dreaming).and i will have my 30 hd wide display form apple.(cant wait) i better save now and put all of my money in apple stock:p
 
I

ITR 81

macrumors 65816
Oct 24, 2003
1,052
0
Originally posted by LimeLite
Well, it's microsoft, and they own VPC now, so I'm sure they could still make it backward compatible if they really wanted to.
Click to expand...
If they do that then they would have to develop DirectX for it then??
 
K

knoxer

macrumors newbie
Mar 17, 2003
29
20
Iowa - USA
People, no one has said anything about the XBox using PowerPC chips, only chips manufactured by IBM. I'm sure the Fishkill plant has enough room to run 'XBox' chips AND PPC's.
 
jwhitnah

jwhitnah

macrumors regular
Aug 20, 2003
181
111
WI
I hope Xbox 2 is a G5. Economics of scale may lower the cost to apple for their version of the G5, and of course make a PowerBook G5 possible. Someone told me PS2 was 128 bit (I did not check on this-lazy). Funny that Xbox 2 would still only be 64 bit with a G5 (if true).
 
MorganX

MorganX

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2003
853
0
Midwest
Originally posted by aftk2
I wonder how this would work...would IBM be making PowerPC chips for the XBox 2? If that's the case, will their be backward compatibility between the current XBox and XBox 2? I don't see how there could be, since the XBox is built with a Celeron. Perhaps some kind of x86 compatibility layer? Backward compatibility was one big reason that the PS2 did as well as it did (of course, the PS1 was a huge success...so maybe it doesn't matter as much for the Xbox 2.)

I don't know...just thinking out loud. At any rate, keep'em coming, IBM.
Click to expand...

They will be making PowerPC chips for Xbox 2. You should be able to find a quote from both sides somewhere. They would use VPC for backwards compatibility. They will also have to port DirectX to PowerPC. I don't think it will be a problem getting the OS on PowerPC since NT has run on PowerPC in the past, getting DirectX there will be interesting.

Some say the CPU will be a stripped down G5 with game performance enhancements like the current Celeron in the Xbox.
 
Sabenth

Sabenth

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2003
887
3
UK
a couple of things that stick out are:

Xbox 2 or what ever there gona name the new Slab has to be backwords comatible. If not jeez its going to be a night mare for people and there games.

If it uses simliar chips to g5 ie PPC Based weer dose this put intel i mean Windows ms is always going on about its partnership with Intel.

I dont think this chip thing would allow us to use xbox games on g5 g4 g3 or any other form of Mac machine Bloody wish it would though.

Ibm seems to be the clear winner here at the moment as well
 
Trowaman

Trowaman

macrumors 6502a
Nov 3, 2003
598
0
CD: TX-14
Originally posted by carletonmusic
That would be weird if an Xbox could top a G5.
Click to expand...

I now give you the new #3 compter cluster, XBox Cluster.

I remain a strong Gamecue fan though. SMASH BROS MELEE and ROGUE SQUADRON!!!!
 
Snowy_River

Snowy_River

macrumors 68030
Jul 17, 2002
2,520
0
Corvallis, OR
Originally posted by LimeLite
Well, it's microsoft, and they own VPC now, so I'm sure they could still make it backward compatible if they really wanted to.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't need the VPC technology, as they'll be writing the OS directly for the processor. I wouldn't be surprised to learn the MS has had versions of their OSes that run on PPC processors all along, just as Apple has Marklar. Just because they have it doesn't mean they'll use it... ;)
 
Vector

Vector

macrumors 6502a
Feb 13, 2002
835
1
Wouldn't microsofts use of a ppc chip in the next xbox make it easier for companies to port games to the mac. since the companies would be writing the games for a ppc chip similar to the ppc 970 it seems this would make the job of porting far easier and possibly economically sound for the companies.
 
fatfish

fatfish

macrumors 6502
May 11, 2003
258
0
Poulton-le-Fylde, UK
Originally posted by knoxer
People, no one has said anything about the XBox using PowerPC chips, only chips manufactured by IBM. I'm sure the Fishkill plant has enough room to run 'XBox' chips AND PPC's.
Click to expand...

I'm sure this is true, but what is interesting is that IBM are in a deal with Chartered semiconductore to produce 90 and 65 nm chips so IBM can dual source for their clients.

Whilst there is no talk of what chips they will be it is obvious the 90's will be PPC and although not impossible, it would be quite a feat to leap straight into 65's with a different architecture.

However, we all know how slow emulation is so the options are a new 65nm chip running CISC or a change in direction for xbox.
 
rdowns

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
Originally posted by knoxer
People, no one has said anything about the XBox using PowerPC chips, only chips manufactured by IBM. I'm sure the Fishkill plant has enough room to run 'XBox' chips AND PPC's.
Click to expand...


No one except IBM and Microsoft:

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox will ditch its Intel chip in favor of the same kind of chip used in Apple's Macs -- an IBM PowerPC processor -- IBM and Microsoft announced on Monday.


http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,61065,00.html
 
N

nighthawk

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2003
104
0
Originally posted by Snowy_River
They wouldn't need the VPC technology, as they'll be writing the OS directly for the processor. I wouldn't be surprised to learn the MS has had versions of their OSes that run on PPC processors all along, just as Apple has Marklar. Just because they have it doesn't mean they'll use it... ;)
Click to expand...

They had a retail PPC version of Windows NT all the way up to NT 4.0. The problem was that there was so little software written for the PPC version, so few people bought it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom