Intel Corp (INTC)

[Elmer Phud]

That assumes you're getting any 3000+ off the line. If you are optimizing your line for speed, instead of hitting within the process window, then there's a certain point that the Yields fall off drastically. If you are already pusing your Process way past it's designed Process Parameters, as I suspect AMD has been doing for awhile, then you will eventually end up with no yield at all. I bet there are some pretty miserable P.E.'s at AMD.

With AMD's process sweetspot likely producing material too slow to sell, their only choice has been to run on the ragged edge. Witness the remarkably low output of their fab compared to it's potential with a die the size of Athlon. Also as we reported a year ago, their use of .13u transistors left them virtually no headroom, which is exactly what we predicted and exactly what came to pass. So AMD may be able to babysit their fab lines and make a couple of highspeed samples but they clearly can't manufacture them.

EP