AMD starts churning chips from Chartered

CHIP FIRM AMD said it has started churning X64 microprocessors out of its foundry partner Chartered Semi in Singapore.

The first shipments from Chartered are chipments using 90 nanometre tech - AMD hasn't started churning chips from its own fab in Dresden at 65 nanometres yet.

The 90 nanometre chips use Chartered Semi's Fab Seven, which make chips using 12-inch wafers.

AMD didn't say how many chips Chartered was churning and the fact it's fabbing them doesn't mean it's run out of factory space at its Dresden facility.

It's a backup plan to ensure it's got enough capacity but it certainly marks a move away from Jerry Sanders III "only real men have fabs" philosophy to "real men have some fabs and we're fabless too". µ