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 Who’s paying your data integration tax? Reducing your data integration tax will get you one step closer to value—let’s start today. By Sandrine Ghosh Jun 05, 2023 4 mins Data Management feature 13 essential skills for accelerating digital transformation IT leaders too often find themselves behind on business-critical transformation efforts due to gaps in the technical, leadership, and business skills necessary to execute and drive change. By Stephanie Overby Jun 05, 2023 12 mins Digital Transformation IT Skills tip 3 things CIOs must do now to accurately hit net-zero targets More than a third of the world’s largest companies are making their net-zero targets public, yet nearly all will fail to hit them if they don’t double the pace of emissions reduction by 2030. This puts leading executives, CIOs in particul By Diana Bersohn and Mauricio Bermudez-Neubauer Jun 05, 2023 5 mins CIO Accenture Emerging Technology case study Merck Life Sciences banks on RPA to streamline regulatory compliance Automated bots assisted in compliance, thereby enabling the company to increase revenue and save precious human hours, freeing up staff for higher-level tasks. By Yashvendra Singh Jun 05, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation Robotic Process Automation 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