AMD announces its first 65nm chips
AMD today announced its first desktop processors manufactured on the 65-nanometer process, which arrive more than a year after Intel first started selling its 65nm chips. AMD new chips promise better energy efficiency rather than improved performance. The 65nm chips are dual core, feature 1MB of L2 cache, carry the same Athlon 64 X2 name as the company's existing 90nm chips, and will work current socket AM2 motherboards. AMD's new 65nm chips also introduce another first for the company: strained silicon, which stretches the atoms of the silicon in the chips so electrons can travel faster (more on strained silicon here).
There are four chips in the new series (with estimated prices):
- 2.6GHz Athlon 64 X2 5000+ ($301)
- 2.5GHz Athlon 64 X2 4800+ ($271)
- 2.3GHz Athlon 64 X2 4400+ ($214)
- 2.1GHz Athlon 64 X2 4000+ ($169)
AMD states the 65nm chips will be available immediately, but a quick scan of Newegg.com and other sites didn't turn up anything other than the older 90nm parts. Look for system vendors to start selling PCs with the new chips early next year when they release their Vista systems.
Get more details from CNET News.com here. Also, see AMD's press release here.
