The Cell processor is the heart of Sony’s PlayStation 3 video game console and truly a key component for Sony and much of the hype around its next generation video game console has been because of the powerful Cell architecture. Cell has not been a source of much happiness for Sony though and we reported a few months ago about the manufacturing yields for the Cell processor being very poor. From each silicon wafer with Cell processors made there were simply too few that survived and was fully functional. Poor yields means poor supply and high manufacturing costs, somwthing PS3 is hardly in need of.
This information was then nothing more than unconfirmed rumors and many claimed that they could not see how there could be so much trouble with the manufacturing this close to the launch of the video game console. Now new information has appeared that basically confirms all the previous rumors. It is namely one of IBM’s semiconductor people that in a interview with ElectronicNews has presented interesting information about the Cell processor’s manufacturing yields, as it is IBM which manufactures the processor.
Tom Reeves claims that it has a yield of very low 10-20% for Cell but that it could be doubled to about 20-40%. Considering how many Cell processor Sony will require for its PS3 console this sounds like a catastrophical figure and the question is if it will affect the availability and price of the video game console.
