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Xbox 2 Architecture Documented, Almost 2004-Launched?
An anonymous reader writes "Over at Xbit Labs, they seem to have new information on the Xbox 2 hardware specs, evidently originating from China, although the date and veracity of the document can't be confirmed. Noteworthy is the inclusion of (3) 3.5GHz CPUs [some say a 3-core CPU?], only 10 MB of dedicated graphics memory, and the undecided comments on whether the hard drive is 'built in'. The high speed bus to the GPU and the small amount of video memory point directly at Microsoft's upcoming DirectX Next, which will supposedly feature virtual graphics memory." Elsewhere, Gamaroo writes "Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that Microsoft originally wanted to release Xbox 2 for Christmas 2004. However, the new system has since slipped from schedule, but the piece claims Microsoft hopes to release the new console in mid-2005, to get ' a full year's head-start on Sony's PS3, and possibly even more'."
Pshaw. Not that they won't exist, but at what prices?
:D
Unless they are *severely* stripped G5s, I wouldn't expect much past 2.5GHz in these things.
Why? Because price, because complexity, because benefits! Now if these aren't 64bit CPUs, but 3 32bit PPC+VMX from IBM... okay, and that would be perfect for IBM to pop into iBooks as well
GPL Deconstructed
THe headstart means nothing without a completely killer app. The dreamcast beat sony by a year and it was twelves months of people saying "I'll wait and see what sony comes out with" not because they couldn't afford more than one system over the year, but because there was no killer that every one had to have (Halo, MGS, Zelda, etc).
:)
What either MS or Nintendo have to do is come out with there systems with some very nice launch or near launch games, and heavily push a good line up. thats the only chance they have in the next round.
Of course I didn't own any of the current gen systems till I got a GameCube back in december, so I really am not the best to comment on console systems
Now, I know MS has been eating a loss, but the things that are being talked about for this thing are ridiculous.
They are not going to put 3 3.5ghz G5s in there. Not unless they want it to be the size of a tower to fit stuff in there to cool it.
The things people believe these days are really amusing.
--Moo.
3 3.5 Ghz Chips.
This wouldn't even fit right in a mid-tower. On top of that...how the hell are you going to cool this? And what unheard of power supply are you going to have in this?
Furthermore...even pricing these at say what a present day Intel 2.8Ghz chip costs...that's like freaking $900 of CPU right there. You honestly don't think someone isn't going to figure out how to bust that puppy open strip out the CPUs and start using them for other non X-Box purposes if you sell the console at $300-$400?
This doesn't even get into the 65nm manufacturing, and all, nor for that matter the fact that there still isn't any software for the damn thing. It sounds like Microsoft was like, "Well, if everyone bought the "leaked" doc about not having a hard drive, maybe they'll buy this "leaked" doc about these insane specs for the X-box and get all hyped about it.
This is a bunch of crap. I'll be shocked if the machine has *1* 3.5Ghz 65nm chip in it.
Netjak.com independent reviews of domestic & import video ga
You will win the battle by offering an experience on your console that is highly desirable and can't be played anywhere else. Next-gen hardware is just a way to hedge your bets in that area.
It's been said before, and it'll be said until they come up with a catchier phrase- it's software that drives this thing.
Every target market teenager I know who bought a PS2 to play GTA III doesn't know the hardware difference between the PS2 and the Xbox any more than they know who the President is.
Bleeding edge hardware doesn't guarantee that one-in-a-million type software experience, but if these specs are true I certainly wouldn't bet against Microsoft pulling one out.
My bold, ridiculous prediction: Live enabled Halo 3 on Xbox 2 will make the competitive FPS more popular than NASCAR and the NFL put together. Of course, I could be wrong...
The other great thing about more CPU is the NON-GRAPHICS stuff you can do. You can dynamically generate large and complex landscapes, skys, etc. using fractals or other methods. You can have more enemies on screen (think a swarm of hundreds of bees, where each bee has it's own AI, they are not just a clump), or smarter enemies (like in a game like MGS the enemies would only spot you if they would be able to in real life, not just a "guess" at what they could see). You can do per-polygon hit-detection (perfectly accurate shots, no more near misses as hits or vice versa). You can do more advanced AI to better simulate people or animals or whatever. True dynamic 3D sound positioning or use text-to-speech software to give each character an individual and unique voice.
All of that is ignoring how you could use the better CPU power for voice commands or video (ala the eyeToy but better). For games, you can never* have too much CPU, becasue if it's there people will always find new and better ways of using it to make a game better.
*) Sure, Tetris can't really benefit from more CPU (maybe in 2 player), but for most all games more CPU can improve things in some ways.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
Couple bullets for the speculative monkeys...
;)
- It's *likely* not 3 CPUs but one CPU with 3 cores (each with it's own L1 cache).
- at 65 nanometers the cpu will cost less to manufacture than even the current 180nm XBOX CPU. (assuming the transistor count is less than 3x)
- 3.5 GHz is a conservative speed for a 65 nanometer CPU. It will still require active cooling (i.e. a fan on the heatsink) but it should be able to run RELATIVELY cool at that speed if the 65nm process tech is good. Note that intel will be running 65nm chips at 5+ Ghz in the same timeframe (2005).
- lastly the dude going on about the virtual graphics memory... I don't know how you figured that had something to do with broadband, but it doesn't. It's a feature of DirectX 10.
This document looks reasonable, albeit old... because MS has likely known their harddisk plan for many months... so if it was a recent doc... it would have finalized the HD info.
Between the super powerful CPU and wicked fast graphics courtesy of ATI's custom R500... both the Xenon and the PS3 will be close enough in technology and performance people should really be choosing the system based on the games. (Cause god knows the price will be the same)
GrandTrain
HDTV will be a big, big factor.
The prices are coming down fast. Personally, I wish every game played at 1080i- but unfortunately, only a handful (4 I believe) play at that resolution.
I want to see my HDTV do something other than 480p- so the next console better be able to push that resolution, without any problems.
Also, I want everything to load faster, and load bigger. I don't want a 30 second load everytime I use an elevator in Deus Ex: Invisible War.
I want graphics that rival a PC, and not just on day one of the console's release, but after year two would be nice too. The original Xbox was actually a real screamer compared to a lot of PCs when it came out but has since been eclipsed about 4 times over.
Throwing what seems like wayyyy too much hardware at it now, will pay off in the future. Of course, that is always the way it is with every 'computer'.
And if they want to release it a year ahead of Sony, they'll need to attempt parity with Sony's machine that will benefit from the technology being a year older/cheaper.
No reason to lie.
No, in fact quite the opposite -- Xenon is the offical codename (keep in mind, *codename*, not the real name, just as xbox was codenamed "Project Midway" and the Gamecube was codenamed "Dolphin")
and on the other side, the XboxNext name is a rumor. completely unconfirmed and pulled out of some reporter's ass.
Newsie, Moderator, www.tauniverse.com
I fully expect the XBox 2 will be on-par with midrange PC games of the same time.
I remember when the XBox itself was announced, sporting the new DX8 compliant predecessor to the GF3. Way in advance of the GF2 boards that were in the top of the range PC's.
By the time the XBox hit the shelves, however, the top of the line PC's were all using GF3 Ti500's which were significantly faster than the XBox's embedded solution.
In parallel, the XBox 2, in it's unannounced form, is shaping up to be faster than the current PC's on the market. When it's on shelves, it will be just behind the pack as usual.
What I'm more interested in is the much less predictable Sony Cell processor(s). Unfortunately all we've had from Sony about these is the magical cancer curing properties from the marketing department. 10 times faster than a contemporary desktop CPU, was it?
The Cell will make or break Sony. And in order to break Sony, it just has to be that little bit slower or more awkward than the XBox's processing solution.
I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
This stuff is so outlandish I'm inclined to believe there's a javascript random rumor generator floating around the web that kicks in for the month preceding E3. It almost always begins with some kind of information from a Japanese developer or, in this case, a "Chinese BBS." It's the classic beginning to an urban legend. It's Asian, so it holds an air of reputability. At the same time, fewer people can just start researching this like we collectively did with the "Infinium Urban Legend." They have a picture, and in a community that orgasms a Doom III screenshot every three months, visuals are everything. Plus, people can comment on it and sound like they know what the hell they're talking about, as if they themselves worked on the machine.
Just to get this out the way so we don't take up anymore of Slashdot's not-so-precious bandwidth: Microsoft will announce that the Xbox2 will be released this year, will have a clock speed of 16ghz, and will be supported by ATI, IBM, and McDonald's. It will both have a hard drive, and not have a hard drive. Not only that, but they will be releasing Halo 1.5 within weeks following E3, and Halo 2 will be pushed back to the Xbox 2. Also, Microsoft will buying at least three major developers, not the least of which are Bioware, Valve, Blizzard, and Sega. And Nintendo. And maybe Sony. And probably Microsoft, if they're feeling particularly moody. These are all true, because a Thai website (Http://www.thaixxxmassage.com) posted it a few days ago after Bill Gates stopped by. Actually, it was Bill Gates' gardner. Or at least his friend. Relative of. The friend. Who lives in Thailand.
I don't get why everyone thinks this diagram is so outlandish... are your expectations that low?
It's a 3 core CPU... big deal... 65 nanometer tech is almost exactly 1/3 the size of the current Xbox cpu's tech... and they decided the real estate is best spent by having 3 cores.
Secondly, why are you up in arms over 3.5GHz? The fastest intel cpus will be much faster than that at launch time... just like how they were faster than current 733MHz Xbox cpu when it launched.
~256MB of main RAM is expected, and ~10MB of embedded Video RAM is expected too, hell they have embedded ram in the GameCube. Not 10MB of it, but that's what's required for an anti-aliased HDTV frame.
I tend to think the document is real only because everything *IS* so achievable. I don't know... maybe I'm missing something but that design looks do-able, elegant and fast... I'd expect nothing less from the combined efforts of IBM and Microsoft.
2005 will be an interesting year.
GrandTrain