Xbox One (Durango) Technical hardware investigation

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The extremely light-weight game OS does seem like a very good decision.

What I am concerned about is how well the hypervisor ensures a consistent availability of the CPU, GPU and memory resources. [Memory bandwidth and latency, not quantity.] I am assuming the big bloated OS and apps are still running in the background. Or is that a wrong assumption? I am assuming they are not frozen/suspended as the game runs.

I don't want inconsistent micro-glitch or any stuttering type behavior on my console.

I don't want to dig through forums that tell me which apps to kill before I start by game for the smoothest experience.

But maybe I seriously misunderstand the 3 OS/Hypervisor situation.

Is it a frozen/suspended apps situation? Or it is reserved CPU cores? What about GPU? There isn't a huge amount of GPU to split off and reserve.

My understanding is that the hypervisor OS should be better at guaranteeing resources than an OS like Windows would. So if the option is to run the game in parallel with other apps in Windows, or run the game as its own VM on a hypervisor, I think the latter option is probably better. I don't think the PS360 model of having the console reboot into a small OS every time you start a game is viable anymore. The self-described hardcore may want that, but it would be more limiting in terms of the breadth of the capabilities.
 
My understanding is that the hypervisor OS should be better at guaranteeing resources than an OS like Windows would.

I don't doubt it. But I hope it can guarantee resources *way* better than Windows can.



I don't think the PS360 model of having the console reboot into a small OS every time you start a game is viable anymore.

True. //Warning/Silly Ideas Follow// But I would use a small SoC like RK3188/A4-5000 Kabini/A31 (separate CPU/GPU/Memory resources).

I am not sold (yet) that this is going to be the type of experience expected on a console.

I might be perfectly happy with it in x months, just worried about that particular aspect right now.
 
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Drawbridge
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/drawbridge/default.aspx#LibraryOS

Hardware-based Virtual Machines (VMs) have fundamentally changed computing in data centers and enabled the cloud. VMs offer three compelling qualities:

Secure Isolation: isolating applications so that an ill-behaved application can't compromise other applications or its host.

Persistent Compatibility: allowing host and application to evolve separately. Changes in the host don't break applications.

Execution Continuity: allowing applications to be freed of ties to a specific host computer. A running application isn't tied to the computer on which it was started, but can be moved from computer to computer across space and time within a single run.

Drawbridge combines two ideas from the literature, the picoprocess and the library OS, to provide a new form of computing, which retains the benefits of secure isolation, persistent compatibility, and execution continuity, but with drastically lower resource overheads.

Excellent find. Thank you.
 
I dunno. I think the effort to expand memory and or overclock is maybe wasted. Adding CU's and ROPs would be the hallmark of being more competitive that Xbox fans are looking for.
 
I dunno. I think the effort to expand memory and or overclock is maybe wasted. Adding CU's and ROPs would be the hallmark of being more competitive that Xbox fans are looking for.

Yes but I think it is way too late for adding CU's and ROPs. To start in June with a 5 billion transistor count SoC and add another billion with a July tape-out after 24 hour days and first silicon in August with super hot blitz lots and first characterization in September... ...oh wait you can't ship for Christmas. Besides, 6 billion transistors... ...don't even mention 768. Four months is a nightmare to make major changes to much smaller chips.

Unless they designed and fabricated multiple designs but I don't see that as practical. They announced second, they would not announce the lesser of several possible versions and then back track and switch to another. [I mean multiple designs in the same family. There are suggestions that another design in a different family was fabrication for a cancelled TV project.]

Either it is what it is and the rumors are false or there are some mild up-clock and added memory investigations underway.

In the end it should be a fun generation either way.
 
How did the 12GB rumour even start up again? Was there a source?

I think it started here:


Themrphenix
My source at Microsoft says they are playing with overclocking the GPU at 900 MHz,and ESRAM to 900 mhz.The is talk of upping the memory to 12 gigs of ddr3 leaving 7 gigs for gaming and 5 for OS.The memory upgrade is being discussed because the 3 OS are clunky and taking up a lot of memory to run as smooth as they want it too!

Ah yes, the 12 Gb rumor. Does this mean it's going to be a 4.9 Tflops machine?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=58138440&postcount=1

It seems the latest info has leaked out regarding the Xbox Now! system, and it shows that the specs for Now! are even higher then previous rumors claimed!

We are almost at the big event date of May 21st, when under the big tent that Microsoft has setup, we will learn all about the new Xbox Now! console, and just ahead of that event some more information has leaked out, showing that the specs. are very nice.

* There is now a full 12 gigabytes of high-speed RAM in the new Xbox Now! console, unlike the previous rumors of only 8gb.
* To be precise, there is 4gb GDDR5 on the GPU and 8gb GDDR5 on the 8-Core IBM custom CPU.
* The GPU is the first GCN 2.0 GPU produced and was designed by special team of MS+IBM+AMD.
* Eric from IBM will be a speaker on the 21st. with more info like the fact the GPU specs. are a mindblogging 4.9 TFlops.

And finally Dutch journalist Jan Meijroos said on Twitter his Xbox Now! papers for Tuesday say 'hands on', that will be real slap on the face for Sony, if the Xbox Now! is right there 'available now' to try out within the big tent for everyone to see and hear in real-action!

that rumor is sooooo May 20th, :smile2: it'd be interesting if it were true though.
 
Well we know that's complete hogwash...

How did the 12GB rumour even start up again? Was there a source?

I heard it from eastmen and another person who has a dev source.

It's not confirmed though, they are apparently seeking feedback from devs on the amount of RAM and other stuff.
 
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Do you know if the VM can effectively control the various "variable" CPU load effects that are sometimes seen when gaming on Windows XP/Vista/7/8?
There are no shared CPU resources. The game gets 100% of it's allocation of cores, with no OS overhead on any of those cores. The only shared bit is the L2 cache on the cores that share the same module as the OS cores. Developers are advised to not run code on those cores that relies on predictable cache behavior. The OS's effects on memory bandwidth should be negligible, especially during full-screen and docked game play. If you full screen an app, the game gets resources taken away from it, but since it should be paused, and isn't rendering to screen at that point, it shouldn't matter.
 
How did the 12GB rumour even start up again? Was there a source?

We started speculating hypothetically back in march after Sony's reveal, hypothetical spec bumps that could make the One more competitive on paper. At this late date i seriously doubt any bump is being considered, clocks and all, all parts are being stockpiled and are heavy in final validation. If it was then that decision was made many months ago and has been kept pretty hush. But like 99% of One spec increases rumors this too will probably pass.
 
We started speculating hypothetically back in march after Sony's reveal, hypothetical spec bumps that could make the One more competitive on paper. At this late date i seriously doubt any bump is being considered, clocks and all, all parts are being stockpiled and are heavy in final validation. If it was then that decision was made many months ago and has been kept pretty hush. But like 99% of One spec increases rumors this too will probably pass.

Problem is the point they decided the new specs is often several weeks/months before it leaks, assuming it leaks at all.
 
Albert Panello posted again (actually on 7/1, I just hadn't seen it). Thought it might be worth putting here, clearing up his other post to some degree.

http://67.227.255.239/forum/showpost.php?p=67515701&postcount=973

I can try and provide as much clarity as I can on things I’ve said. I’ve posed in a couple other threads that I don’t like to speak for other people in the org.

@artist - I don’t know when the final specs will be released, or I would share. I honestly don’t know the plan there.

Just to restate my response earlier – if you read the article, the point I was trying (poorly) to make is that until both consoles are actually done and shipping, and people can pull them apart and see what’s inside, nobody knows the truth. There are some SUPER smart folks here in these forums and I’m continually impressed by the technical ability of some of the members here. When I said “people don’t know what they are talking about” – it was in reference to the fact that the guys actually building the boxes are the only ones who know all the facts. It was never a commentary on the technical aptitude of the community.

Just like the debate between 360 and PS3, both systems will be *extremely* capable.

I wish I could comment on every rumor that gets posted but I can’t. People seem to think I work in PR but I’m actually in the engineering team.

Again, thanks to those who read the article and my follow-up and commented. It’s going to be an interesting few months before launch.
 
Entirely possible someone is just messing with us.

Especially after the latest paste bin post a few minutes ago in the non-hardware Xbox One news/rumors thread.

I was sort of thinking that, though i'm particularly neutral on the memory rumors being too far fetched and the posters involved; since the purpose of this thread is to be open to speculation.

If it was merely wishful thinking, don't you think we could do better than a measly 75 mhz upclock and more slow RAM, lol...

To counter some of the wishful thinking, On the same day of the downplaying of specs, on digital foundry's site they did speak with the engineers who talked about an 88% theoretical increase for memory. it seems they weren't adjusting speeds to small increments. they weren't afraid to let their experiments expand so this gives plenty of reason why they could be letting their engineers toy with other stuff as well, to a similar scale.

so who knows how far down the rabbit hole may be with the engineers, and what tests they're conducting.
 
I was told to correct my post earlier by my insider!The extra 5 gigs are reserved,but that does not mean that all extra 2 gigs are for the OS!

I apologize I miss spoke on that!
 
I was told to correct my post earlier by my insider!The extra 5 gigs are reserved,but that does not mean that all extra 2 gigs are for the OS!

I apologize I miss spoke on that!

So...

help me do the math here.

Original spec: 8GB - 5GB/3GB split

your first post was: 12GB - 7GB/5GB split

what's the math now?
 
I think they are saying that the 12GB dev kit was a PC (Some thing like 8 Core Sandybridge-E, 7970 GPU, 2x4GB DDR3 + 2x2GB DDR3. Not sure, just what I read and some interpolation).

Could someone clarify? Was/is there a dev kit like the Wired photos with the actual SoC and 12GB? Like the 360 dev kit with 1GB and Xenon/Xenos, not Power Mac.

Now perhaps they end up with 16x4G modules and 16x2G modules on the other side of the board. Maybe they already have it, and it is in the dev kit. Maybe the LED and threaded SMA connectors in the Wired photos is a dev kit not production version. Maybe if you unscrew that motherboard and look at the other side there are land patterns for 16 more memory modules already. But 32 memory modules total :oops:

Maybe they already thought about this and did it. Perhaps that Wired photo is the 2nd gen dev kit with alpha LED, 2x threaded SMA and 4 more GB of DDR3 soldered on the other side of the board where we can't see it.

So when the panic broke out the engineers said: "Ok, build with the dev kit BOM minus the alpha LEDs, minus the two threaded SMAs and change the clock multiplier to X. Time for lunch."

Imagine they launch with those alpha or beta kits finally with that monster Intel CPU and discrete graphics card!. In this fantasy realm could it even be possible legally to say AMD we don´t want that APU anymore?.
 
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