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PS3 Chip Trials Set To Begin

Posted by simoniker on from the teeny-tiny-power dept.

Thanks to GamePro for their news story regarding Toshiba and Sony's imminent trial production of semiconductor chips that will be the precursor to the Cell chip that's expected to be used in the PlayStation 3. According to the article, "...the trial production of sample chips using the 65-nanometer (one nanometer is a billionth of a meter) technology will begin in 2004... [but] commercial production is not expected to begin until the first half of Toshiba's 2005 fiscal year, which is from April to 2005." Gamesindustry.biz notes that this is "...just about in time to supply components for Sony's PlayStation 3 launch at the end of 2005, if that is indeed the plan."

24 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Chip Trials? Already? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 3, Funny

    I didn't even know that the chip modders and hackers had already been arrested yet. Talk about swift justice!

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    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  2. Will this beat the Gamecube? by BTWR · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was under the assumption that Nintendo's plan was to be the first of the next generation of consoles (nintendo5, xbox2, ps3). If the PS3 truly ships for fall/holiday 2005, would this be the first of the 3?

  3. The rush is still a bit off by August_zero · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Maybe, this is pretty early in the game. Nintendo's hype machine wouldn't want to start talking too much now while they are still trying to sell gamecubes.

    The PS2 on the other hand is already in virtually any home that is going to buy a console of this generation. Talking about thier future plans isn't going to hurt their growth because they don't have nearly as much to do anymore. MS will likely stay tight-lipped regarding the X-box2 until we get closer to the launch dates as well. I would imagine all 3 of the big players are testing/well into designing something right now.

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    On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
  4. Prototype since '01 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Used to work at Sony. I know they had a working PS3 in 2001 in the US. Very well could be launched by 2005, but I wouldn't have faith in the hardware since it's definitely rushed.

    1. Re:Prototype since '01 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny
      He's lying!

      I used to work at Sony, and I can state as irrefutable, unequivocable fact that Sony has had a working PS3 since Q4 1993! Furthermore, the prototype was carved entirely from hand-tempered Camembert, supports 43 controllers, and features a built-in trebuchet detector!

      It's gone rancid now, though, so don't get your hopes up for an on-time release...

  5. Great News by BackwardEngineer · · Score: 1

    ...for Sony shareholders

    Hopefully the trials will be successful enough that they will push the schedule up to date if they can.

    Of course, I'd rather see some technical demos of what future games might look like.

  6. That's funny... by GaimeGuy · · Score: 2, Informative

    I seem to recall Sony stating a few months ago that production of Cell was going quite slowly, and wouldn't be ready until late 2006 and/or 2007. Now it's already back to 2005? Frankly, I don't trust anything Sony says. After they touted the Ps2 as being more powerful than a supercomputer, and after they announce the PSX, the "ultimate" entertainment center, with specs, only to cut a bunch of features without reducing price just before launch.

  7. Did you all ever wonder.... by JFMulder · · Score: 1

    .... what would happen if for some reason the PS3 CELL technology didn't scale at all or the processor wasn't nearly as fast in practice as it was on paper. What would happen then? Sony is trying something really special with the CELL technology, but what if it doesn't deliver? This could Jeopardize all Sony's efforts in the PS3.

  8. Am I the only one... by Teppy · · Score: 1

    who's not chomping at the bit for the next generation of consoles? For the last round I couldn't wait to get my hands on the GameCube, PS2, and XBox. In fact, I bought each one within a few days of release.

    But this generation seems to push as many pixels as needed for pretty much all games. Games look great these days. Sound hardware has been where it needs to be since the previous generation. Networking is functional.

    So what's left? HDTV support would be nice - that will soak up a bit more more pixel-pushing power. Wireless controllers by default? (Playing games on a huge front projection TV from my couch is gaming nirvana.) I can get this now though - doesn't seem to justify a whole new system.

    Gameplay innovation anyone??

    1. Re:Am I the only one... by MBraynard · · Score: 2, Funny
      (Playing games on a huge front projection TV from my couch is gaming nirvana.)

      No, screen burn is not nirvana.

    2. Re:Am I the only one... by MBraynard · · Score: 1
      My setup is nicer. And there is no chance of burnin. Also, he doesn't even say he HAS a projection TV.

      And if you or he he was smart, you would know that projection TVs look like crap.

    3. Re:Am I the only one... by geekboy2k · · Score: 1

      We want better - trust me. I just purchased a HDTV (480p, 1080i) and, while it is great playing at 480p you really see the poor quality of the textures. The only game I played in 1080i was Enter the Matrix and, while it had its own problems, you realize that current game systems are really not yet capable of HD content. I would love to see all next-gen game systems support 720p /1080i (using HDMI/DVI) out of the box. How many PC's today would support full features at 1080x1920 and 60fps? Not many I would hazard. (Time to buy that DVI/HD converter for my Radeon and see 8*)

  9. Thanks for the clarification! by 1arkhaine · · Score: 1
    "...the trial production of sample chips using the 65-nanometer (one nanometer is a billionth of a meter)

    Wow, great, now I can easily imagine that in my mind! A billionth of a meter...it's all so simple now!

    DISCLAIMER: Yes, that was a joke, people

  10. Where is Nintendo based? by thirty2bit · · Score: 1

    Nintendo is a Japanese company. It's no wonder that the new console would be available in Japan first. I thought Japan was more into the console thing rather than PC games anyway.

    The games that never become available in the USA-- one might wonder if they don't meet the parent company's sales expectations, or perhaps don't fit the US markets.

    1. Re:Where is Nintendo based? by orthancstone · · Score: 1

      Well, I believe the parent was talking about Sony, BUT...

      All Nintendo related products in the states are dictated by Nintendo of America. NOA is pretty much its own company and can make its own decision...obviously, since it is more sensible, it typically takes lots of advice from the Japanese company though.

  11. This also means Xbox2 will be out in 2005, too by MBraynard · · Score: 1

    In earlier /. stories, I know there was a definite intention by MSFT to beat PS3 to the punch. They know that's a big part of them losing the battle in this generation - being late to the party albeit with better technology.

  12. oh, really? by Goldsmith · · Score: 1

    the ENTIRE computer industry is having a hell of a time getting this technology working, and Sony is already marketing it?

    Intel has said it will be able to start making 65 nanometer transistors commercially IN 2005, and most people in industry think they're nuts.

    Personally, I think they should skip down to around 5 or 10 and just go with diffuse E-beam lithography.

    This whole Cell chip thing is all hype, they're going to do what they usually do and downgrade the specs at the last minute very, very quietly.

    1. Re:oh, really? by rsmith-mac · · Score: 1

      I have to agree with the Parent here. Intel hasn't even managed to ramp up the 90nm process to reasonable levels yet, with adiquate results for commercial chips not coming until Q1 2004(which will be the Prescott launch). This will be a hair more than 2 years after the launch of the 130nm Northwood P4, which isn't even Intel's first 130nm chip(that honor belongs to the low voltage P3 for laptops).

      65nm is going to be even harder than the 130nm or 90nm processes, taking longer than either of those, pushing Intel's 65nm products in to at least Q1 2006, if not later. And this is the arena where Intel is king: no one can mass produce a chip on a new process faster than they can, meaning that Sony's best hope isn't even Q1, it's at least Q2 2006. Sony's either going to have to: wait for 65nm to mature, eat the cost on a fully featured 90nm version(if the chip can even be made on that scale), or downgrade something to make 90nm reasonable; a 2005 Cell is out of the question.

    2. Re:oh, really? by cybergrue · · Score: 1

      Read the article guys.
      Sony is going to start TRIAL runs on the production line in March. Last I heard, they were still aiming for a late 2005 or early 2006 launch date. This gives them lots of time to work the gremlims out of the system.

  13. Re:Just In Time... by Drathos · · Score: 1

    Um.. GT4 is scheduled to come out next April.

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    End of line..
  14. Re:Consoles or computers? by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 1

    I don't know about you, but I've already got plans on using a derivative of IBM PowerPC technology on my desktop, and I already have PowerPC technology in my computers, and there's none of this 'closed computing that Microsoft, HP, and other companies' here.

    But me, I've been using Macs for two years and I'm looking forward to getting a G5 of some flavor in the next year.

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    GPL Deconstructed
  15. Re:Consoles or computers? by paradesign · · Score: 1

    youve never heard of apple computer have you? or is this a joke?

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    I want 2D games back.
  16. Re:Correction by AnyNoMouse · · Score: 1
    Yeah yeah, how about a U.S. launch date? While the Japanese get all the games and systems first, the U.S. gets systems and games late with some games NEVER coming out here. Sure it'll make its way here, EVENTUALLY, but as an American GAMER I'm not exactly jumping with joy.

    If it bothers you that much, perhaps you should buy a US console instead of a Foreign one. The X-Box came out in the US before it was launched in Japan. Heh... for that matter, so did all of the Atari systems :-P

    Otherwise, maybe you shouldn't tout your "American Gamer" line so loudly.

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    -Redundancy Man strikes again!
  17. I don't think this is Cell they're sampling by grahamwest · · Score: 1

    The article uses the phrase "system LSI". To me that implies this chip is actually a support chip, for example a DMA and memory controller. It would make sense to test the fab process with something smaller than a full CPU. Besides, they haven't announced that Cell has taped out and since they did that for the PS2 EE and GS I would expect a similar announcement before sampling begins.

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    Graham