Power consumption of the Playstation 3′s Cell processor may be reduced by up to 40%, thanks to new technologies developed by IBM and AMD.

IBM and AMD have employed two different techniques which fall into a category known as ‘silicon straining’. Essentially, these techniques allow electrons to travel faster, thereby reducing a chip’s power requirements without sacrificing chip performance.

Incorporating these techniques into the Cell processor could potentially reduce its power requirements by 40%, and may in turn decrease the PS3′s heat output, thus reducing the likelihood of the console overheating.

Xbox 360 users, on the other hand, have already reported problems with the console overheating and consequent system freezes, along with loud fan noise, and the Xbox 360′s power consumption has been measured at a hefty 160 watts.

IBM and AMD have also announced that Cell chips using silicon straining will be manufactured in the latter half of 2006, and that this next generation of chips will use a 65-nanometer process, as opposed to the current 90-nanometer process.

Using a 65-nanometer process will reduce the chip’s surface area, bring the Cell chip one step closer to realizing Sony president Ken Kutaragi’s vision of Cell-powered mobile devices.

Source: CNET news

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