NEWS - Wednesday, April 27, 2005

NEC Providing Chips For Xbox 360
Another blue-chip supplier joins the ranks as Xbox 360 unveiling looms near Japanese semiconductor giant NEC has announced that it has been tapped to provide embedded DRAM chips for Microsofts next-generation Xbox console, which will be used as part of the graphics solution in the system. The deal sees NEC providing eDRAM "macros" for the Xbox 360, which are described as a vital component in enabling the console to output high-definition visuals, and presumably integrate with the systems ATI-designed graphics chipset. "NEC Electronics cutting-edge embedded DRAM technology plays a vital role in enabling our graphics engines performance," explained Xbox Product Group corporate VP Todd Holmdahl, "while its manufacturing process provides a reliable resource that can deliver the volumes required to support what will be an extremely popular gaming platform." NEC is just the latest in a string of blue-chip suppliers to be announced for the Xbox 360 manufacturing process - with the two highest profile partners, of course, being ATI and IBM. ATI is supplying a next-generation graphics chipset design for the console, while a number of IBMs Power-series processors will lie at the heart of the system.Source: http://www.gameindustry.biz