Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[sgolds]

Tiger -

why couldn't they overproduce and stockpile inventory if their 90nm is competetive to intels 65nm...why have a fab idle for 1 1/2 years trying to get 65nm working?

I think that is a bad assumption. Much of the work to get 90nm going at fab 36 is the same as 65nm anyway. You still have to install the full infrastructure and all the machinery, experiment with process and slowly ramp production. You would only get perhaps 6 months extra production by bringing up 90nm lines (because you are starting with a tested design, but it would have to change), and that would further delay 65nm because resources would be diverted from that effort.

Consider that the existing 90nm cores would not implement directly on new equipment. It would require design and process tweaks, generating new cores for this tactical special. It just isn't practical.