Sunday November 8, 2009 8:46 AM AEST

NVIDIA update - 55nm parts ahoy!

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NVIDIA update - 55nm parts ahoy!
By Charlie Demerjian
Dec 4, 2008 | 5 Comments
Tags: Nvidia | 55nm | parts | update
When you see a heat spreader on a part that comes assembled, it is a pretty sure sign something is wrong thermally, it simply is not worth the cost and performance drop otherwise. Make no mistake, the spreader and stiffener combo on the GT200b is a bad bad sign.

Why is the GT200b such a clustered filesystem check? We heard the reason, and it took us a long time to actually believe it, they used the wrong DFM (Design For Manufacturing) tools for making the chip. DFM tools are basically a set of rules from a fab that tell you how to make things on a given process.

These rules can be specific to a single process node, say TSMC 55nm, or they can cover a bunch of them. In this case, the rules basically said what you can or can not do at 65nm in order to have a clean optical shrink to 55nm, and given the upcoming GT216, likely 40nm as well. If you follow them, going from 65nm to 55nm is as simple as flipping a switch.

Nvidia is going to be about 6 months late with flipping a switch, after three jiggles (GT200-B0, -B1 and -B2), it still isn't turning on the requested light, but given the impending 55nm 'launch', it is now at least making sparking sounds.

The real question is, with all the constraints and checks in place, how the heck did Nvidia do such a boneheaded thing? Sources told us that the answer is quite simple, arrogance. Nvidia 'knew better', and no one is going to tell them differently. It seems incredulous unless you know Nvidia, then it makes a lot of sense.

If it is indeed true, they will be chasing GT200 shrink bugs long after the supposed release of the 40nm/GT216. In fact, I doubt they will get it right without a full relayout, something that will not likely happen without severely impacting future product schedules. If you are thinking that this is a mess, you have the right idea.

The funniest part is what is happening to the derivative parts. Normally you get a high end device, and shortly after, a mid-range variant comes out that is half of the previous part, and then a low end SKU that is 1/4 of the big boy. Anyone notice that there are all of zero GT200 spinoffs on the roadmap? The mess has now officially bled over into the humor column.

 
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5 Comments
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
nesquick
Dec 4, 2008 10:15 AM
WTF is Nvidia doing, they should be on 40nm by the time these are expected to be released for comparison ATI has firm plans already in place for this transition not to mention these chips where meant to come out in September.

Nvidia has kind of left me a bit lost for words with some of their decisions lately.
Mademan
Dec 4, 2008 9:28 PM
It's called 'share price'.
Apocrypha
Dec 4, 2008 9:49 PM
Lol, relax nes, it's Charlie "I Hate Everything Green/Anti-Grinch" at the Inquirer. If he said black was the opposite to white I'd check it before I believed him.
nesquick
Dec 4, 2008 10:31 PM
No but what he is saying is true both companies have plans to transition to 40nm next quater see here http://www.guru3d.com/news/ati-nvidia--buy-tsmcs-40nm-process-foundry-service/
Although it will remain to be seen if Nvidia or Ati can pull it off by January~late February
SceptreCore
Dec 5, 2008 12:04 AM
I can't say I understand what is being said here. The guys talks about nVidia using the wrong design tools from TSMC for the chip shrink... yet apparently he says it's as easy as 'flipping a switch'.

nVidia have been in this business for a long time.. I think they know what they are doing, sure they lost sight and weren't prepared for AMD to make such an awesome comeback to the market, but hell, they can't have done something this stupid, to me it doesn't sound possible.
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