Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, a contract chip maker in Singapore, has begun shipments of 64-bit processors made for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), the companies said Thursday.The first AMD processors made by Chartered hit the market in June, just ahead of previously announced plans to ship them during the second half of this year.The two companies did not specify which processors are being produced by Chartered, other than to say that they are 64-bit chips made using a 90-nanometer process.This number, measured in millionths of a meter, refers to the size of the smallest feature that can be created on a silicon chip. Smaller is better, as this generally brings a reduction in power consumption, a boost in performance and a reduction in unit manufacturing costs. Chartered has been preparing to produce 64-bit processors for AMD since late 2004, when the two companies signed a manufacturing agreement. As part of that agreement, AMD transferred some of its manufacturing know-how to Chartered.AMD runs its own chip factories and relies on Chartered to supply “flex capacity.” The goal is to allow AMD’s own factories to operate at maximum capacity throughout the year, while Chartered’s output can be modified to handle fluctuations in demand caused by factors like seasonality. The two companies will extend their cooperation over the next year, with plans to begin producing chips with a 65-nanometer process during the middle of 2007.In addition to AMD processors, Chartered has a deal to produce a PowerPC processor for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 game console. These chips will be produced using a 65-nanometer process and will begin shipping during the first quarter of next year, the company said in April.-Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service (Beijing Bureau)Related Link: Intel Conroe Desktop Chip to Launch July 27Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Catchpoint Systems, Inc. Gain full visibility across the Internet Stack with IPM (Internet Performance Monitoring) Today’s IT systems have more points of failure than ever before. Internet Performance Monitoring provides visibility over external networks and services to mitigate outages. By Neal Weinberg Dec 01, 2023 3 mins IT Operations brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers can save money during periods of economic uncertainty Now is the time to overcome the challenges of perimeter-based architectures and reduce costs with zero trust. By Zscaler Dec 01, 2023 4 mins Security feature LexisNexis rises to the generative AI challenge With generative AI, the legal information services giant faces its most formidable disruptor yet. That’s why CTO Jeff Reihl is embracing and enhancing the technology swiftly to keep in front of the competition. By Paula Rooney Dec 01, 2023 6 mins Generative AI Digital Transformation Cloud Computing feature 10 business intelligence certifications and certificates to advance your BI career From BI analysts and BI developers to BI architects and BI directors, business intelligence pros are in high demand. Here are the certifications and certificates that can give your career an edge. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 01, 2023 8 mins Certifications Business Intelligence IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe