IBM preps 64-bit processor

IBM has disclosed plans to produce a 64-bit processor, called Power4, that will make use of copper interconnects and silicon-on-insulator wafers.

The Power4 will integrate two 1GHz processors on a single chip, totaling 170 million transistors. The 64-bit Power4 will become the main processing engine for IBM's servers in 2001. Power4-based AS/400 and RS/6000 servers are due to debut in the second half of 2001.

The processor will have three levels of cache and will be able to move data from L2 cache to the central processing units at speeds up to 100GB per second.

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