Intel Makes 45nm Chip

dolphinlover writes "Intel announced today that it created its first microchip using the 45 nanometer manufacturing process that it says will go into its processors in the second half of 2007. Intel said that this development provides it with a 'considerable lead over our competitors in the 45-nanometer generation'."

Comments

Jobs's strategy?

[vijayiyer]

Perhaps this what Steve Jobs referred to when he talked about the efficiency of future chips in Intel's roadmap?

Re:I must need glasses

[msauve]

When I first read the headline I thought it said a 45mm chip, which is considerably less impressive.

Not really. Creating a >2000 mm^2 chip without any flaws, with the expectation of being able to eventually make a profit on them in the consumer market, would be quite an accomplishment. Such a large die area would not only result in low yields, but present serious obstacles in power consumption and heat dissipation.

For comparison, the Pentium IV 600 series has a 135 mm^2 die area. If I'm not mistaken, yields fall exponentially, so no only would they be able to produce only 6% as many chips on a wafer, but could also expect a greatly lower number of working ones from the total.

Re:What about AMDs 45nm???

[taskforce]

I think you'll find that it was 65nm which AMD were readying for production, which Intel have been using since last year. Yet AMD Desktop cores at 90nm with SOI still manage to outperform, underconsume power, and underemmit heat compared to their counterparts.

It just goes to show that design does play a part in making a chip, and not trying to cram as many transistors as one can onto a die.

Ok, can we just put more empty space in now?

[fwitness]

Seriously? Can't I have a chip that runs relatively fast, does everything a modern computer is used for, sans games, and I *don't* have to water-cool? Something like what the VIA Epia series does, but with Intel's backing?

Is it just me, or is web-browsing and document writing fast enough? It seems like 99% of the time these days I just want something smaller and quieter. If I want pretty shiny games, I'll play them on my xbox390 or sumsuch. Sure you can make bunches of chips for gamers, but give me a slimline chip and I, like many others would flock to it.

I'm writing this on my 733Mhz laptop, bought for college way back when, and my typing fingers really don't recognize the lack of dual cores.