IBM Producing 65nm Chips?

[MacRumors]

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.

[LimeLite]

Maybe then we'll get them in the PowerBooks!

[pimentoLoaf]

Five (count 'em, 5) gigahertz desktops by Jan 2005, perchance?

[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.

[Stoffel]

I don't bother the xbox2 but hey! do you think that the g5 can make it into the powerbooks before fall 2004?

[LimeLite]

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.

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.

[Grimace]

That would be weird if an Xbox could top a G5.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Game cubes use the power Pc.

[crees!]

Originally posted by pimentoLoaf
Five (count 'em, 5) gigahertz desktops by Jan 2005, perchance?

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]

Originally posted by Dont Hurt Me
Game cubes use the power Pc.

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 f'ing small (so no dvd movies) but it reminds me of ye ol powermac cube in a way

[Dont Hurt Me]

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. Great move for Apple.

[MacsRgr8]

he he.. wouldn't it be gr8 if XBox 2 games were playable on a G5?

<can't imagine M$ ever tolerating that... but we can dream>

[warcraftmaster]

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 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 (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

[ITR 81]

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.

If they do that then they would have to develop DirectX for it then??

[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.

[ClimbingTheLog]

65nm isn't really a rumor, it's a pretty well known fact. The 90nm chips you're seeing today are from a fab designed for 90/65/45nm parts (the fab can be upgraded over time.)

Lessee... here's a link:
http://www.eweek.com/print_article/0...a=45921,00.asp

[jwhitnah]

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]

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.

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]

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]

Originally posted by carletonmusic
That would be weird if an Xbox could top a G5.

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]

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.

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]

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]

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.

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]

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.

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

[nighthawk]

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...

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.