Computers & Processors:

Analysts Say IBM's Power Architecture Gained Ground in 2001

In a difficult year, IBM capitalized on its Power processor architecture, gaining ground on a number of fronts, according to two independent industry analyst reports.

Cahners In-Stat MicroDesign Resources, www.mdronline.com, a firm that provides research and analysis for the microprocessor industry, has given IBM's Power4 processor its Microprocessor Report Analysts' Choice Award for Best Workstation/Server Processor of 2001.

"Considering all the server technology introduced in 2001 -- and also considering system scalability, bandwidth, chip-level multiprocessing, fault-tolerance and performance -- it is impossible to ignore the accomplishments of the IBM Power4 architecture," said analyst Kevin Krewell of MicroDesign Resources. "The scores lead all other server processors by a significant margin," he said.

The IBM Power4, designed by IBM Server Group and manufactured by the IBM Microelectronics Division at its Burlington, Vt. chip-making facility, is the processor that drives the much-hearlded IBM eServer p690, also known as the Regatta server line, now gaining ground in the Unix server space. Following a five-year development, IBM's Power4 microprocessor comprises a "server on a chip," with two 1GHz-plus processor and a high-bandwidth system switch.

Another report -- by Andrew Allison, a well-known computer industry consultant -- said IBM contributed strongly to growing the overall volume of PowerPC chips sold last year, an accomplishment he called "an exception to the rule" for the market in 2001. Allison noted that IBM's agreement to sell PowerPC chips to Nintendo turned out to be a winning combination contributing to this growth. Nintendo's GameCube launched worldwide last year to rave reviews and higher-than-expected sales. With the IBM PowerPC architecture as its foundation, the processor inside the entertainment system is extremely powerful and versatile, supporting vivid graphics and realistic action. "It was a significant year for the PowerPC architecture," Allison wrote.

Advances in IBM's copper wiring technology helped make it so. IBM shipped over 40 million copper devices last year, many of them in PowerPC products. This record volume of chips supported storage products, servers, network processors, personal computer products, specialty memory products such as SRAM and custom logic, in addition to microprocessors such as the Power4.

Beyond IBM Power4 and the custom-made Nintendo processor, there were several other important PowerPC-related advances last year, among them:

• the embedded IBM PowerPC 405 for use on the IBM PowerNP NP4GS3 Network Processor, plus two additional related processors for networking applications, known as the NPe405L and NPe405H;
• PowerPC 750FX: IBM's 1 GHz PowerPC microprocessor, the fastest and newest addition to IBM's 7xx PowerPC microprocessor family;
• and the PowerPC 405LP, IBM's first low-power, scalable, embedded microprocessor for today's Internet-enabled world.

About IBM Microelectronics

IBM Microelectronics is a key contributor to IBM's role as the world's premier information technology supplier. IBM Microelectronics develops, manufactures and markets state-of-the-art semiconductor technologies, products, packaging and services. Its superior integrated solutions can be found in many of the world's best-known electronic brands. For more information, especially on the IBM PowerPC family, visit www.ibm.com/chips.

The IBM PowerPC 405LP. High of Performance, low on Power Consumption.

The highly integrated system-on-chip includes unique circuitry to conserve power by shutting off portions when not in use, improving power efficiency in both active and standby modes.