65 nm GPU for Xbox 360 'Jasper' due in August

The latest update to Microsoft's Xbox 360 not only gives the console a 65 nm CPU, but a similarly-profiled GPU, enabling the whole unit to consume less power, and therefore run cooler and more quietly.

As most fans of the console -- certainly those who eagerly awaited the release of Halo 3 -- know, any Xbox 360 manufactured after August 2007 has what is known as the "Falcon" chipset: a 65 nm CPU coupled with a 90 nm GPU. The "Jasper" evolution of the 360 is expected to come to market at the end of this summer, with a GPU also sporting a 65 nm profile, and the "Valhalla" model with a 45 nm CPU is expected in Fall 2009.

The 65 nm Xenon microprocessors are packaged and tested by IBM, and both the graphics chips and the northbridge (memory controller hub) components are made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which are then packaged and tested by ASE. Nanya Technology Corp. manufactures the chip connection ("flip chip") substrate.

Inventory of those 90 nm "Falcon" motherboards made by IBM and Chartered Semiconductor in the first quarter of this year have reportedly been depleted, necessitating production of the upgrade.