IBM, Sony, and Toshiba today revealed the first technical details of the "Cell" processor that will be used as the main processor for the Playstation 3 console:

Specifically, the companies confirmed that Cell is a multicore chip comprising a 64-bit Power processor core and multiple synergistic processor cores capable of massive floating point processing. Cell is optimized for compute-intensive workloads and broadband rich media applications, including computer entertainment, movies and other forms of digital content.

Other highlights of the Cell processor design include:

-- Multi-thread, multicore architecture.

-- Supports multiple operating systems.

-- Substantial bus bandwidth to/from main memory, as well as companion chips.

-- Flexible on-chip I/O (input/output) interface.

-- Real-time resource management system for real-time applications.

-- On-chip hardware in support of security system for intellectual property protection.

-- Implemented in 90 nanometer (nm) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.

Additionally, Cell uses custom circuit design to increase overall performance, while supporting precise processor clock control to enable power savings.
Another press release announcing that the first workstation prototype using the Cell processor has been created with claims that one rack of a Cell-processor-based workstation will reach a performance of 16 teraflops or trillions of floating point calculations per second. The first pilot production of Cell chips will start in the first half of 2005.