Espresso (processor)

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Espresso is the codename for the Wii U’s 32-bit CPU. Designed by IBM for Nintendo, it uses a 45 nm SOI process and is a PowerPC-based microprocessor with three cores, running at about 1.243 GHz. It sits on a single package with AMD’s Latte GPU and a Renesas EEPROM as a multi-chip module (MCM) to save power, speed communication, and reduce size and cost.

The Espresso CPU was made by IBM in East Fishkill, New York, and assembled into the MCM by Renesas in Japan. It was first shown at E3 2011 and released in November 2012. While official details are limited, it is described as a PowerPC-based design similar to the Broadway and Gekko predecessors but with larger caches and multi-core support. It uses embedded DRAM (eDRAM) caches.

Some information about Espresso comes from reverse engineering and unofficial sources, and rumors that it was a POWER7 derivative are not true. Specifications reported by hackers include three cores, a clock around 1.243 GHz, and a cache layout of 2 MB L2 plus two on-die 512 KB caches.

The Wii U, including Espresso, was discontinued on January 31, 2017. Espresso’s place in Nintendo’s lineup is between Broadway (predecessor) and Erista (successor).