Digital Foundry: next-gen PlayStation and Xbox to use AMD's 8-core CPU and Radeon HD

[cytg111]

No it makes a difference in this case because that means getting 60fps has little to do with overhead which was the entire point (you even quoted that).

If you switch resolution down to 720p, it'll run at 60fps easily on the desktops running Windows with 10x the graphical power easily too.

I understand what you're saying, but dont get it, I come nowhere close to a factor 10 adjusting for resolution .. I think he (carmack) is making a pretty clear point that the console is a much easier target to code for where the PC gets lost in API's, impossible for the programmer to debug .. which of course is the entire point of games running on windows/directx <> games running on consoles. The amount of lowlevel optimizations that can go into console dev is, apparantly, superior to that of a windows box. Take it from the horses mouth.

 

[cytg111]

Article from 2011, are you serious?

He can start with the first 4x or so when Xbox720 gets released.

An "are you serious?"-reply to an article from 2011 ?? Are you serious? All points remain, except for you to read it and understand it

 

[cytg111]

The article explicitly mentions that it'll have an AMD CPU and a discrete AMD GPU, not an APU.

Like I said, it will never happen . I guess we will see.

Maybe im tired, but doesnt the article go like

"Previous rumours have suggested that Orbis runs its CPU cores along with some graphics hardware inside a standalone, custom AMD Fusion core with a separate, discrete GPU. Our sources suggest otherwise - all of these elements are embedded into the same piece of silicon, and we can confirm that the internal codename for the processor is indeed "Liverpool", as was mooted some time ago."

... point being "Our sources suggest otherwise - all of these elements are embedded into the same piece of silicon" ... with jags improved HSA etc its not a stretch is it?

 

[jones377]

Like I said, it will never happen . I guess we will see.

Well, if this is true then Xbox720 v2 or v3 might be an APU, after a few process shrinks

 

[inf64]

I don't know how reliable their source is but shouldn't PS4 have 4C SR or PD "APU" in it? Looks unlikely they would opt for much slower option that is 1.6Ghz 8C Jaguar(Which doesn't exists in any desktop or server roadmap yet and would have to be special custom designed SKU). Sounds pretty fishy to me.

 

[SiliconWars]

It says it's a bespoke solution in the article.

 

[jones377]

I don't know how reliable their source is but shouldn't PS4 have 4C SR or PD "APU" in it? Looks unlikely they would opt for much slower option that is 1.6Ghz 8C Jaguar(Which doesn't exists in any desktop or server roadmap yet and would have to be special custom designed SKU). Sounds pretty fishy to me.

AMD has hinted as much though, that their console chip(s?) will be "semi-customized" whatever that means.

 

[ClockHound]

AMD has hinted as much though, that their console chip(s?) will be "semi-customized" whatever that means.

Usually that means a set of 'Flame' decals and possibly a set of spinners, doesn't it?

 

[Olikan]

9-10 times faster?

More like 6x with near perfect scaling. Just compare the dualcore Brazos with the singlecore Celeron 420. But getting near perfect scaling and gaming. Thats gonna be more than tricky.

well, jaguar is not brazos... it's sse2 performance will almost double

but whatever...6 times faster is really not bad, as long as they save cpu power for a beffy gpu....witch imo, is the whole propose to use a low power cpu

 

[Despoiler]

Are we supposed to get excited about an AMD cpu powering the next gen consoles? They havent been competitive for years against Intel in that dept.

From what I am hearing this round of consoles is going to be a giant dud. And hardly will it advance PC gaming. They are on the lower end of PC specs as the starting point. At least the last consoles(360,PS3) were near the top of the PC specs when introduced.

An AMD APU is powering the PS4 and and AMD GPU will be in the XB720. That is 3/4 of the CPU/GPU console pie. Worldwide that is 140 million units AMD will be in going into based on PS3 and XB360 sales. I'd call those huge wins for AMD.

 

[blackened23]

The graphics are not going to be APU based. It is a mobile GPU chip from what i've read.

If the GPU is indeed the 7970m as rumored, it is going to be pretty awesome. Say what you will about AMD, but the 7970m is a hell of a mobile graphics chip - very good news if true.

7970m reported here:

http://www.shacknews.com/article/77457/report-orbis-ps4-to-use-eight-core-amd-cpu-radeon

 

[Abwx]

The 8 core chip will barely squat 50-60mm2 given
that it s gpu less , should be about 25W...

 

[Fx1]

lol mobile gpu and mobile CPU. This is gona suck

 

[inf64]

lol mobile gpu and mobile CPU. This is gona suck

No.

edit: wow no need for 10 characters .Nice!

 

[blackened23]

lol mobile gpu and mobile CPU. This is gona suck

Are you aware of how fast the 7970m is? It can easily handle demanding games at 1080p. If it is indeed being used in the 720/ps4, it will be pretty great.

Obviously they can't use the greatest desktop chip, the heat and cooling requirements just will not work in a console form factor - quietness and low heat are prime considerations in a console size box. They can't plop a 3930k and GTX 680 in a console. With that being the case, I think the 7970m will be awesome, if true.

 

[ShintaiDK]

More precise it would be a downclocked (-60Mhz) HD7850 desktop part.

But that said, the GPU part would be quite good.

 

[Bryf50]

If the 7970m is true then that is way more GPU power then anyone was expecting from the initial rumors. It wasn't long ago that the word on the street was a pissy little 6670 class gpu. 7970m in a console is going to lead to some jaw dropping visuals and will significantly raise the bar for PC gaming in the future.

As far as the CPU goes we should have learned by now to to be mesmerized by the previous gens 3.2ghz. As the pulled Anand article made it clear years ago the PowerPC cpus were way less than ideal and used because there was no better option.

 

[Yuriman]

I feel the GPU is "adequate" but the use of Jaguar cores concerns me, unless they're going to be offloading a lot more onto the GPU. Many PC titles already out today would crawl on Jaguar, nevermind in 7 years.

 

[Idontcare]

No.

edit: wow no need for 10 characters .Nice!

10? Minimum here is two (enough for an emoticon).

 

[Fx1]

Are you aware of how fast the 7970m is? It can easily handle demanding games at 1080p. If it is indeed being used in the 720/ps4, it will be pretty great.

Obviously they can't use the greatest desktop chip, the heat and cooling requirements just will not work in a console form factor - quietness and low heat are prime considerations in a console size box. They can't plop a 3930k and GTX 680 in a console. With that being the case, I think the 7970m will be awesome, if true.

Dont be stupid.

My PS3 has a 90nm CPU and 7800 GTX GPU inside also based on 90nm That was a desktop class GPU

They could easily put a 7870 or 7950 GPU inside and a mobile i7 with HT 3GB DDR5 and be done with it

 

[jacktesterson]

The Xbox360 for example was a tricore with HT clocked at 3.2Ghz in 2005. (Back then we had X2 and P4D.)

Xbox720 (if this is right) will be an 8 core low performing 1.6Ghz chip in 2014/2015. A product that is awfully slow even by last years standards.

Pretty sure a X2 or P4D is actually more powerful than the PowerPC found in the 360..... at least IPC is

 

[jacktesterson]

Dont be stupid.

My PS3 has a 90nm CPU and 7800 GTX GPU inside also based on 90nm

They could easily put a 7870 or 7950 GPU inside and a mobile i7 with HT 3GB DDR5 and be done with it

It's not needed.

Its a closed system, much more optimized then PC Gaming. Games are designed specifically for the hardware found in the console. It does allow lower end hardware to shine more compared to PC's. Hardware performance out of low end Parts is much greater than it was in 2004/2005.

That being said, Tons of research shows the majority of Console gamers are happy with today graphics.

The gamers that genuinely want major upgrades in Console hardware are PC Gamers. Its a tiny percentage of the market.

Its not happening.

Microsoft and Sony are not going to sell Consoles at a loss again. They need better margins.

 

[Abwx]

Dont be stupid.

My PS3 has a 90nm CPU and 7800 GTX GPU inside also based on 90nm

They could easily put a 7870 or 7950 GPU inside and a mobile i7 with HT 3GB DDR5 and be done with it

This compares favourably to consumption that sailed perilously close to 200W on the original versions of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and should reduce the dangers of another RROD/YLOD debacle

On the OP linked article....

 

[ViRGE]

Thats base clocks, the chip will have Turbo Core.

I wouldn't be so sure. We're talking about a console after all. There's something to be said for having known, deterministic performance, as opposed to the uncertainly turbo would introduce.

 

[Ventanni]

Dont be stupid.

My PS3 has a 90nm CPU and 7800 GTX GPU inside also based on 90nm

They could easily put a 7870 or 7950 GPU inside and a mobile i7 with HT 3GB DDR5 and be done with it

You're right, they could do it. It's been done before.

I don't think the issue here is heat* though, it's pricing. The PS3 sold at a loss for many years before it became profitable, so I'd wager that it's Sony (and Microsoft's) intent to sell these consoles at a profit from the start. An 8-core Jaguar design is going to be small, cheap, and powerful for the price/size.

*Beefier power supplies and heatsinks required for high TDP silicon also add to cost.