The TNT2-A is essentially identical in design to the TNT2 that we all know and love, except that it uses a .22 micron fab as opposed to the original TNT2's .25 micron fab. The advantages of a .22 micron fab are many. First, .22 micron chips take up less space, so more chips can be made on the same wafer at the same time. When you can make more chips at the same time each chip costs less to make, so the cost of making a TNT2-A is lower than the cost of making a TNT2 because of the smaller .22 fab. Second, .22 micron chips have narrower and shorter circuitry, which lowers overall resistance in the chip, which means less heat.
Less heat means better over clocking speeds are attainable.
So the average .22 micron TNT2-A should theoretically be able to clock faster than the average .25 micron TNT2. Lower costs and faster speeds make the TNT2-A and its smaller die size a good thing. Copyright 2001 INT Media Group, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.