Xbox 540 coming in 2009?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
It is said that the first batch of 65 nm GPUs for the popular Microsoft Xbox 360 are rolling of the production line and that the Xbox 360 consoles using the 65 nm technology is expected to start shipping this August, but what is more important are the rumors of a new refreshed Xbox 360 which is expected to hit in the fall of 2009.
The Xbox 540 will be using the Valhalla processor chip and is believed to be of a system on a chip design which will allow the gaming console to fit into a very slim case. This Xbox 360 is expected to ship with 65 nm package known as the Jasper platform this August and you the consumer will not notice the refresh, well that is unless MS decide to put a what is much needed a Blu-ray drive into the Xbox 360.
There is no obvious confirmation on this but are Asustek subsidiary Pegatron going to manufacture the normal and regular Xbox 360 or units with an integrated Blu-ray drive, this is something to ponder the mind. We do know that Celestica, Pegatron and Wistron will be pretty busy bunnies trying to push out millions of refreshed Xbox 360 consoles.
TSMC are planning on producing the Valhalla chip which will be a dramatic change and of course a visible one at that in where it will be the foundation of the mid-cycle refresh of the Xbox 360 and of course why it is called the Xbox 2.5 or the Xbox 540’ (360+180) in the fall of 2009. We think that TSMC will opt to use a 45 nm process for this Multi-Chip-Module package (CPU+GPU+eDRAM).
