Transmeta launches 90nm Efficeon processor

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Santa Clara (CA) - The Efficeon TM 8800 is Transmeta's first chip which is manufacturer in 90nm and the industry's first low-power processor to include NX-technology to prevent buffer overflow attacks on a computer system.

Transmeta said that it has begun this month with "limited production shipments" of its second generation Efficeon processor TM8800. The new chip is manufactured in a 90nm CMOS semiconductor technology. Transmeta also increased the maximum clock speed of the product. While the previous 86xx generation topped out at 1.1 GHz, the 8800 offers 1.6 GHz.

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According to Transmeta, the 90nm production process allowed the company to reduce power consumption "for a given clock frequency" 8800 processor compared to the prior generation 130nm Efficeon TM8600 processor. In addition, 90nm technology reduced die size and ultimately reduces manufacturing costs, Transmeta said.

Transmeta's processors remain a rare sight in American and European markets and are primarily used by manufacturers for users in Asia Pacific. However, Transmeta is still trying to find its way into other markets to increase its sales. In 2002, the company had hoped that Tablet PCs might be that opportunity, but turned out to be a niche market so far. Most recently, a new potential might be created by high-density cluster systems, as announced by Orion Multisystems. The start-up plans to offer 12 and 96-node clusters for the desktop using 1.6 GHz Efficeon processors in the next few weeks.

Wolfgang Gruener
Wolfgang Gruener
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