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nanotimes News in Brief

10-09 :: September 2010

Chips // zEnterprise – World‘s Fastest Computer Chip From IBM

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BM (NYSE: IBM) announced details of the world‘s fastest computer chip – the micropro-

cessor in a new version of the IBM mainframe that began shipping to customers on Sept. 10.

The z196 processor is a four-core chip that contains 1.4 billion transistors on a 512-square millimeter (mm) surface. The chip was designed by IBM engi- neers in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and was manufactured using IBM‘s 45nm SOI processor technology in the company‘s 300mm fab in East Fishkill, N.Y. There were also major contributions to the z196 proces- sor development from IBM labs in USA, Germany, Israel and India. The mainframe processor makes use of IBM‘s patented embedded DRAM (eDRAM) technology, which allows IBM to place dense DRAM

caches, or components, on the same chips as high- speed microprocessors, resulting in improved perfor- mance. This new IBM microprocessor technology has new software to optimize performance of data-heavy workloads. The new system offers 60% more capacity than its predecessor, the System z10, and uses about the same amount of electricity.

Image top: IBM zEnterprise System Mainframe: World‘s Fastest Microprocessors – IBM technician Asia Dent, Poughkeepsie, tests the world‘s fastest microprocessor, made in New York and shipping to clients on Sept. 10. The heart of IBM‘s new zEnterprise System mainframes, the new chip helps deliver world-record speed (5.2 GHz) as the world‘s transactions and data continue to grow. The new technology is the result of an investment of more than $1.5 billion in IBM research and development. © PRNews/IBM

http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/hardware/zenterprise/