Rise Technology Co says it’s now offering samples of its mp6-366 and mp6-333 microprocessors to early desktop customers, and expects to move into volume production by the third quarter. The Santa Clara, California-based company, which is concentrating on selling chips to the sub-$1,000 notebook and sub-$600 PC market, said that these products would be followed later this year by higher performance speed grades, as it transitions manufacturing over from its current .25 micron process to .18 micron. Rise is currently selling mp6 chips running at 233 and 266MHz in volume.
Rise products currently use the 100MHz Super 7 bus used by most current low-cost PCs, but it says it will introduce a new desktop product later this year compatible with Intel Corp’s Socket 370 currently used by the Celeron. The current schedule calls for .18 micron 380 and 400MHz samples to be available by the third quarter with volume in Q4. Samples of the first Socket 370 samples, along with a 433MHz mp6, are expected by the fourth quarter, with volume shipments in the same quarter.
For notebook customers, Rise is sampling 2 volt versions of its mp6 and mp6 II processors and plans to be shipping both in .18 micron process later this year. The mp6 II adds 256Kb of on-chip cache, and supports a tri-level architecture that can add up to 2,320Kb of system cache. It says the 2 volt versions use 5% less power than competitive mobile chips. 233 and 266MHz versions are shipping now, with .25 micron 333 and 366MHz versions due next quarter. In Q4, .18 micron mp6 IIs running at 380, 400 and 466MHz are due to ship, with .18 micron 380, 400 and 433MHz mp6 chip for the mini notebook market.
Rise isn’t revealing who its third party is – other than to say it does have a license with Intel Corp. An announcement is expected shortly.
