45nm Cell Processor Is Cheaper To Make

IBM and Sony have a smaller version (45nm) of Cell, the processor that is used in the PS3. It’s true that it is probably more energy efficient and less hot, but it is most importantly 34% smaller and cheaper to produce. (Not actual photo)

Shrinking chips is part of the normal lifecycle of any computing device. Eventually, Sony will even make a profit on the hardware sales, just like it did on PS2 consoles, after a while. So you’ll be hearing a lot about energy efficiency, but cheaper production costs is the name of the game in that space.