Posted on Thursday, March 15 2007 @ 9:00 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
IBM started
manufacturing a more advanced 65nm version of the Cell processor, which is used in the PlayStation 3, for blade computers.
The new Cell Broadband Engine is being manufactured at IBM's factory in East Fishkill, New York, using a 65 nanometer manufacturing process, which is an improvement on the current 90-nanometre process. Typically such a step in process technology results in a chip that is physically smaller and uses less power.
The Cell chip is perhaps best known for its place at the heart of the SonyPlayStation 3 but it's also used in computers produced by IBM.
The first Cell-based computer was launched by IBM in September last year. The BladeCenter QS20 is being promoted to industrial users in the medical imaging, aerospace, defence, digital animation, communications and energy sectors. Early users include the University of Manchester and Fraunhofer Institute.
