IBM Says It's Lucky to Get 10% to 20% Yields on Cell Processor

[Law]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3295

interesting.

[dawtcalm]

The Cell processor is so complex that IBM even accepts chips that have only four out of the eight cores working. Not all cores end up functional says Reeves....

When asked what would happen if a 7-core PlayStation 3 ends up losing another core during operation, Reeves stated that the user would simply send the unit back for replacement. Unfortunately, this only applies if the console is still under warranty -- if it isn't, the console is dead.
Can anything else go wrong with the PS3, will they bump the date again with all the BluRay issues!??

[Jotun]

oh yeah, I am definetely going to play the sit and wait game as far as the PS3 is concerned.

[tsehou]

The article says the PS3 uses 7 SPE's. The yield rates of 10 to 20% are for 8 SPE's. Thus, for 7 SPE's it is about 30 to 40%, says that right in the article. So it's not as bad as it sounds.

[Law]

The article says the PS3 uses 7 SPE's. The yield rates of 10 to 20% are for 8 SPE's. Thus, for 7 SPE's it is about 30 to 40%, says that right in the article. So it's not as bad as it sounds.


"With a chip like the Cell processor, you’re lucky to get 10 or 20 percent."

Key word is there is "Lucky" They are LUCKY to get 10 to 20 percent yeilds.
Many of their chips are having 6 or less cores working and the article even mentioned the possibility of one blowing while operational. And if that happened then your nice 600 or 700 hundred dollar maching is dead.

[batkinson001]

YAY! go $ony...

hey is the 360 affected by this only so many cores working per processor thing??

I know its not cell but is the brain of the 360 also working while partially brain-dead?

[tsehou]

A lot of the computer processors you buy are partially braindead.

The celeron is a good example where Intel can sell off Pentium parts where not all the cache is working. They just disable those parts and sell it to you as a Celeron.

[Law]

YAY! go $ony...

hey is the 360 affected by this only so many cores working per processor thing??

I know its not cell but is the brain of the 360 also working while partially brain-dead?

No 360 isnt affected by that.
you have a 360 right? get chromehounds, we need people in our squad.

[batkinson001]

No 360 isnt affected by that.
you have a 360 right? get chromehounds, we need people in our squad.


It wont be till this week or the next, money issues at present prevent me from getting this godly game.