IBM will begin 90 nm fab Q4

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
In this excellent artichle @ MacCentral_they map out the strides chip makers are taking towards 90 nm technology.



It says:



"Motorola is currently validating its compliers for 90-nanometer chips, and plans to have sample products available in the fourth quarter with volume production expected next year"



and



"IBM is currently sampling 90 nanometer chips using SOI, and plans to ship those chips in the fourth quarter, said Scott Sykes, an IBM spokesman."



What chip is IBM going to produce in their new 90 nm technology starting this winter? I havn't seen any official word on any chip besides 970 witch was said would evolve to 90 nm as soon as possible.



Power5 will start at 130 nm, as will 750GX, processors yet to be delivered AFAIK.



So candidates besides 970+ will be 750VX aka Mojave, but IBM must produce 750GX before that, so we won't see any Mojave this year. There's bound to be some embedded processors on IBM's roadmap, like some yet unheard of evolution of the 440 core. I've seen rumours about a "Aurora" part starting at 800 MHz@90 nm, but nothing other than that.



Then.. Motorola. They'vejust started delivery of chips beeing manufactured using 130 nm technology. If they start sampling chips @ 90 nm Q4 this year we might see volume production next summer, or fall. I reeally have no idea of anything comming from Motorola besides 7457-RM, and their multicore-G4, but I really hope that they have more that that comming. There probably have somthing for their 8xxx and 5xxx-lines.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    Well, to support 970mania . . . the IBM engineer at this past WWDC did say that IBM already had prototypes of the next gen 970. Don't "samples" usually come after prototypes (asking seriously here, chip manufacturing isn't my field)? Also, IBM did say that they were going to agressively transition the 970 from 130nm to 90nm (agressive is usually 2 to 3 quarters, unless we're talking about moto), near when they announced the 970 at MPF '02.



    OTOH, IBM could be making "other" chips at 90nm. "Other" being ASIC type chips etc.



    I have a hunch that the 970 is lurking in this 90nm article somewhere, under wraps . . . of course.
  • Reply 2 of 41
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Henriok

    Then.. Motorola. They'vejust started delivery of chips beeing manufactured using 130 nm technology. If they start sampling chips @ 90 nm Q4 this year we might see volume production next summer, or fall. I reeally have no idea of anything comming from Motorola besides 7457-RM, and their multicore-G4, but I really hope that they have more that that comming. There probably have somthing for their 8xxx and 5xxx-lines.



    Frankly, if they deliver that much I'll be impressed. A multi-core RM G4 would be a decent chip.
  • Reply 3 of 41
    It's entirely possible (if not certain) that the next G5s will run on 0.09-micron designs. That's especially true given that Apple and IBM hope to have 3 GHz G5s by this time next year. A 50% clock speed boost doesn't just come from a few small tweaks.
  • Reply 4 of 41
    I have the feeling that even though my G5 has not shipped yet that we may see the 3.0 at MWSF now that would really raise the eyebrows of the world.



    Remeber when the G4 came out and Steve said people said we were 1 year away from this? I think there are some intresting times ahead. The road map looks really good. IBM is like a huge Tank even if there are large pot holes in the road they have shown in the past they run right over them.



    IBM along with Apple has a major chance to stab at the heart of the beast MS and Intel. I believe IBM wants to become a bigger player in the desktop chip area and of course Apple wants market share. This is a good business partnership to get those goals met.
  • Reply 5 of 41
    Although IBM have both the 750GX and 750VX on their roadmap, I have a dream...



    Due to pressure from Apple based on Moto's failures yet again, IBM skipping the GX generation and moving straight to VX.



    Is there any reason why this couldn't happen? Does the GX offer anything special that would not be entirely encapsulated in the VX designs? It seems that another non-AltiVec G3 has no benefit other than maybe slightly lower cost than the VX.



    Well...one can wish...



    -- Ensoniq
  • Reply 6 of 41
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Elderloc I have the feeling that even though my G5 has not shipped yet that we may see the 3.0 at MWSF now that would really raise the eyebrows of the world.



    WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!



    Do you REALLY think - in light of the fact that all the dual 2GHz G5's currently on order seem to keep getting pushed back - that Apple is going to go from 2 to 3GHz in 6 months?



    An entire GHz in 6 months, when it takes them - in some cases - an entire damn year to go 100MHz?







    Come on, now. I mean, there's "optimism" and "looking ahead" (which I'm all for). Then there's "smoking crack laced with tequila". The latter might be more at play here...







  • Reply 7 of 41
    go to www.macosxrumors.com the answer is there
  • Reply 8 of 41
    smirclesmircle Posts: 1,035member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    go to www.macosxrumors.com the answer is there



    "According to very reliable sources, IBM is planning to push it's PowerPC production process directly to 0.06um by the end of the year."



    No- ****ing-way. If IBM deliveres a 60nm 970 this winter, I am going to fellate myself right in front of the whole appleinsider crowd. This is wishful thinking on steroids.
  • Reply 9 of 41
    help me quit crack addiction!
  • Reply 10 of 41
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Smircle



    No-****ing way. If IBM deliveres a 60nm 970 this winter, I am going to fellate myself right in front of the whole appleinsider crowd. This is wishful thinking on steroids.




    It remind me that someone here make this sort of statement but never achieved it
  • Reply 11 of 41
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Smircle

    [B}



    No-****ing-way. If IBM deliveres a 60nm 970 this winter, I am going to fellate myself right in front of the whole appleinsider crowd. This is wishful thinking on steroids. [/B]



    I beleive it was junkyard dog who said something similiar to that once(could be mistaken however), about something and when time came, he didnt do it.
  • Reply 12 of 41
    smirclesmircle Posts: 1,035member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by The General

    I beleive it was junkyard dog who said something similiar to that once(could be mistaken however), about something and when time came, he didnt do it.



    Right, forgot about Dawg

    However, chances are minimal I'll have to make good on *that* promise - 0.06 is just too far away.
  • Reply 13 of 41
    rickagrickag Posts: 1,626member
    If I remember correctly IBM made and Xilinx designed chips will the first processors produced on 0.09µm. I think this was announced some time ago in some press releases.



    I seriously doubt a 0.09µm 970 will appear within the next 6-9months.
  • Reply 14 of 41
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    Folks, if the word is censored by AI filters, don't try and avoid the censor by adding symbols, tags, etc. to post it. Thanks.
  • Reply 15 of 41
    *l++*l++ Posts: 129member
    Even if IBM could deliver 3GHz 970s to Apple by MWSF, Apple would probably pass on it until it would be assured an equal speed-up in an equal time period afterwards. So Apple may go to 2.5GHz then, knowing that it will achieve 3GHz 6 months later. Given a technical reality, this is a marketing decision to show continued and steady progress.



    What I would surmise is that if indeed IBM could create 90nm 970s by then, Apple will take them, clock them slow (=cool) and stuff them in Powerbooks.



    From what we have heard from Apple so far, I would not hold my breath on expecting this to happen so soon.
  • Reply 16 of 41
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates

    WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!



    ...



    Come on, now. I mean, there's "optimism" and "looking ahead" (which I'm all for). Then there's "smoking crack laced with tequila". The latter might be more at play here...











    Well it all depends on what kind of Crack IBM is on...if it's a mild crack and they are really concentrating hard, then we could see large speed increases. however if they just downed a whole bag, then we could see another highly antipated toilet running 100Mhz faster than previous models.



    Apple's previous goals were to get the G5 up to 2.5Ghz before the end of this year, I'd say they mean't by MacWorld in January this might be an option.



    Now, if every employee @ IBM have taken speed and the mild crack at the same time, then the 1Ghz increase could be had. But because Apple smokes weed, high-quality of course, shipping will occur 2 months after that.



    If you relate it all to drugs (disc: that are bad for EVERYONE.)
  • Reply 17 of 41
    frykefryke Posts: 217member
    Steve Jobs and 'that IBM guy' seemed quite positive about 3 GHz in 'Summer 2004'. So let's for a moment assume that they're right and we'll see 3 GHz PowerPC 970 (or 970+, whatever) in mid-2004. 'Normally', we'd see a speed upgrade to the G5s in January at MWSF. Now, with Motorola, this would have meant 100 MHz and 'all-dual'. ;-)



    What I'd _LIKE_ to see: All-dual 1.8, 2.2 and 2.5 GHz machines in January. Surely they'd sell enough of those, even with 3 GHz advertised for Summer, right? And for 2.5 GHz, 90nm processing should be good.



    But not to forget: A 90nm PPC 970 is also quite definitely needed in order to get PowerBooks and iMacs to G5, because of the heat issues.
  • Reply 18 of 41
    But not to forget: A 90nm PPC 970 is also quite definitely needed in order to get PowerBooks and iMacs to G5, because of the heat issues. [/B][/QUOTE]







    Exactly. I think that 90nm G5's in Pbooks and iMacs is more important than a speedbump for the Powermacs. Personally, I think Jobs is being very conservative when he mentions G5 powerbooks by the end of 04. If Jobs said G5 Powerbooks in 4 months, would anyone buy the G4 Powerbooks? They're closer than the estimates they leed us to believe. That's my paranoid conspiracy theory.
  • Reply 19 of 41
    jrcjrc Posts: 817member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Smircle

    "According to very reliable sources, IBM is planning to push it's PowerPC production process directly to 0.06um by the end of the year."



    No- ****ing-way. If IBM deliveres a 60nm 970 this winter, I am going to fellate myself right in front of the whole appleinsider crowd. This is wishful thinking on steroids.




    This is the official "jump the shark" post in an otherwise (t)heretofore mature discussion.
  • Reply 20 of 41
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Yep, the first thing to come off the 90nm line at IBM is Xilinx FPGAs.
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