IBM announced today that it has shipped 10 million Gekko processors
for Nintendo GameCube. Gekko, a customized 485 MhZ PowerPC processor
based on IBM's .18 micron copper wire technology, is the result of a $1
billion multi-year contract between Nintendo and IBM. Satoru Iwata, President
of Nintendo Co. Ltd. commented, "We are pleased to continue our
long-standing affiliation with IBM. With the ability to push to even
higher performance and integration levels, IBM's technology combined
with Nintendo's innovation offers our customers a unique gaming
experience that they have come to expect."
IBM Press Release:
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IBM Ships 10 Millionth GameCube Processor to Nintendo
"IBM today announced it has delivered 10 million PowerPC
processors to Nintendo for its award-winning Nintendo Gamecube
system.
The 10 millionth chip was manufactured at IBM's high-volume
manufacturing facility in Burlington, VT, where copper-based
processors have been manufactured and shipped to customers since
1998.
"As customers like Nintendo develop increasingly sophisticated
systems, the complexity of the chips that power them grows
dramatically," said Michel Mayer, general manager, IBM
Microelectronics. "We have the technology, design expertise and
manufacturing experience necessary to develop and deliver customized
solutions for our customers."
IBM manufactures the central processor using IBM's industry-leading
0.18-micron copper technology. The chip, dubbed the
"Gekko" processor, is an extension of the IBM PowerPC
architecture. It's designed to be more powerful than those found in
any other current home video game entertainment system, providing
players with dramatically better graphics and more realistic action.
"We are pleased to continue our long-standing affiliation with
IBM," said Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo. "With the
ability to push to even higher performance and integration levels,
IBM's technology combined with Nintendo's innovation offers our
customers a unique gaming experience that they have come to
expect."
The milestone underscores the growing use of PowerPC in applications
that demand a combination of unique functions and exceptional
performance.
The IBM processor leverages IBM's experience with complex system
designs and incorporates enhancements specifically required by
Nintendo. These include functions specifically designed to
accelerate games processing and more efficient data bandwidth
management between the processor and the game system's primary
graphics chip. With IBM's advanced copper processor powering the
Nintendo system, developers can create game designs featuring a
degree of realism, emotional connection, fantasy or interaction
they've always imagined.
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