http://www.tomshardware.com/20...mos_45_nm_processors_/AMD believes that it can be "competitive" without high-k at this time, but Silcott noted that high-k is an option to be introduced at a later stage of 45 nm production - and "definitely at 32 nm".
This is really not good news because IBM previously reported the power consumption characteristics of their 45nm SOI process without hi-k and without MG for their CELL processor...and power consumption at same processor speed was not reduced as much as one would expect or like.
http://www.realworldtech.com/p...icleID=RWT022508002434Power consumption of the 45 nm CELL processor is less than forty-percent that of the 90 nm CELL processor ? now less than 20 watts.
When I read the power reduction info on IBM's 45nm CELL I was really really really hoping that AMD would be spared because they'd at least have hi-k gate oxide (or so I thought they had previously claimed).
But seeing that they now plan to move to 45nm without hi-k I expect their power consumption reduction over 65nm is not going to be anything to write home about (just as 45nm CELL's isn't).