2. New 90nm Process Core Advances

The ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 is the first graphics processor to launch from the desktop Radeon X1000 series. It contains everything that the desktop R530 has, including its 90 nm fabrication. The Mobility Radeon X1600 GPU is comprised of 157 million transistors, using TSMC's latest 90 nm process, which is fundamental to the X1000 technology. It produces smaller transistors, which can be packed into a tighter space while running faster than those created with earlier TSMC 110 nm processes.

The 90 nm process allows a number of features to be incorporated into the design to achieve maximize clock speeds while minimizing heat buildup and power consumption. With these advances in miniaturization, a host of new problems surface; these challenge manufacturers to create advancements in processing techniques to overcome them.

In recent years, advancements such as copper interconnects and low-k dielectrics have provided lower internal resistance and better insulation between the transistor's interconnects. But despite these improvements, there are still issues when moving from an older generation process to a newer one.