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Posted: **2006-05-05 05:41pm**

Source: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31443

Cell yields 'horrible', sources claim

Aimed a little too high

By Charlie Demerjian: Thursday 04 May 2006, 07:32

SOURCES CLAIM that yields of the Cell microprocessor for the Playstation 3 are not good. A process mole tells us that the Cell yields are far enough below par that the amounts of good dies off the test wafers are "horrible".
The problem is that IBM and Sony designed the chip for some very aggressive process technologies that did not materialise in the way the fab boys were expecting. Because of this, we are told Sony is scrambling to get yields up before it has to make them for real, a fast approaching deadline.

Does this surprise anyone?

Posted: **2006-05-05 05:48pm**

No, no it doesn’t...

Posted: **2006-05-05 06:16pm**

The PS3s will initially use 90nm Cell chips, so this stuff about "aggressive process technologies" is bullshit.

Inquirer is marginally more credible than Weekly World News, and has near-illiterate writers.

Posted: **2006-05-05 06:35pm**

I find stories where an unnamed informant describes something with worthless language like 'horrible' useless. Sure, the Cell is a white elephant, etc etc...

Posted: **2006-05-05 06:57pm**

If this was true, it's not particularly surprising. Cell is a completely new way of computing, which means that the transition (if there is one) will be very bumpy.

Posted: **2006-05-05 10:22pm**

Definately waiting for a 2nd gen PS3 here, especially after all the problems with launch era PS2s.