IBM Corp. said a microprocessor custom-built for Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 game console is in production at its East Fishkill, New York, chip factory and at Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. in Singapore.
The processor, which is based on IBM’s 64-bit PowerPC architecture, comes with three cores, or calculating engines, that each run at clock speeds greater than 3GHz, IBM said.
IBM and Microsoft engineers worked together over a two-year period beginning in 2003 to design the three-core processor specifically for high definition gaming and entertainment, the company said.
The chip carries 165 million transistors and is manufactured using a 90-nanometer production technology designed to reduce heat and improve performance, IBM said.
Microsoft plans to launch the Xbox 360 Nov. 22 in the U.S., followed by Europe on Dec. 2 and Japan on Dec. 10. The company will offer two versions in the U.S. and Europe, a basic version for US$300 and a premium edition for $400. It will offer only one version in Japan, for ¥37,900 (US$328).