PlayStation 3 switching to 65nm technology

The PlayStation 3 is already using some 65nm manufacturing, says Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai. The technology has actually been used in the PS3's Cell processor since the last holiday season, Hirai confirms, and the full switch from 90 to 65nm should be complete by the fall, when the RSX graphics processor will make the leap. Manufacturing of new RSX chips has already begun, but the company is waiting until later this year to install them.

65nm technology offers several advantages. The first is price, as it costs less to build a chip, which may sometimes result in a less expensive product. Manufacturers can also reduce the overall size of a device, as boards shrink along with the circuitry. It finally results in lower power consumption, and correspondingly less heat, a factor which has caused many of Microsoft's Xbox 360s to fail.

Filed under: gaming, gadgets
Other story tags: sony, PS3, Xbox 360, Cell