Console BOM Analysis (Bill of Materials)

fehu

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Historically on average how much was spent in percentage on just memory chips for others consoles?

This much...

Code:
Console    BOM($)   CPU+GPU   RAM   Storage   Core
XB360        525      47%     12%     14%      73%
PS3          639      23%      4%     24%      51%
Wii U        227      18%      3%     10%      30%
XBox One     457      24%     13%     15%      52%
PS4          372      27%     24%     17%      68%
 
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Historically on average how much was spent in percentage on just memory chips for others consoles?
It changed a lot because of the ram prices fluctuations. While other cost reduction were probably more stable.

8GB GDDR5
2013: $88
2016: $52
2017: $68
2019: guessing back to 2016's level $52?

From that, the PS4 ram would be hovering around 20% of the BOM.

Ps4pro oscillated between 15% and 20%.

XB1X would have launched around $102 for the ram on a bom close to $499 , so 20% again.

XB1 ddr3 was $60/$471 so 13% but we should count the esram (+10$ of the main die) , and that bom includes kinect, $70/$371. Realistically between 15% and 20%.

Xb360 was $65/$525 12%

PS3 was maybe $80/800 so 10%, but it cost reduced so much just a year later (cell yield, blue lazer, removed ps2 chip) and was around 15%.

Anyway 15% to 20% looks like a good range for next gen, depending on whether ram continues to drop this year.
 
It changed a lot because of the ram prices fluctuations. While other cost reduction were probably more stable.

Manufacturers aren't paying the fluctuating street prices, when you have a multi-million multi-year manufacturing requirement you agree prices for stretches of time akin to a fixed interest rate mortgage. On a per contract basis, sometimes the suppliers make a profit, sometimes they eat the cost - this is where the biggest fluctuations in street price occur.
 
Manufacturers aren't paying the fluctuating street prices, when you have a multi-million multi-year manufacturing requirement you agree prices for stretches of time akin to a fixed interest rate mortgage. On a per contract basis, sometimes the suppliers make a profit, sometimes they eat the cost - this is where the biggest fluctuations in street price occur.
Of course but it still follows the market trends, the contract prices are negociated based on expected long term trends. And we had a multi-years massive bump because fabs take years to build (and supply was also artificially constrained for fun and profit).
 
I will try with APU die cost. There was gpu die cost estimation from years ago placing wafer cost of mid range, lets say 300-400mm2 at 35$ (65nm node) and 50$ (on 40nm ).

https://hardforum.com/threads/manufacturing-costs-of-video-cards.1740275/#post-1039527295

Then lets pick more recent estimate with 7nm projections ( notice how it follows, give or take, above estimations from past).


cost-projections.jpg





That would put cost of 7nm 350mm die at 110-130$. (little rebate cause big contract, production one year later after node start, not so high clocks requirement)
 
Okay, to start the ball rolling, and results can be collated into the OP when more are in, here's PS3's breakdown...

https://electronics360.globalspec.c...l-release-hardware-analysis-60gb20gb-teardown

Total BOM Costs (Direct Materials Only) ~$639

GPU : 13%
CPU : 10%
CPU+GPU : 23%
RAM : 4%
Storage : 24%
- ODD : 17%
- HDD : 7%
BOM : $639, major components 51%



And here's XB1 and PS4 : https://technology.ihs.com/467389/m...es-in-below-retail-price-ihs-teardown-reveals

Xbox One
CPU+GPU : 24%
RAM : 13%
Storage : 15%
- ODD : 7%
- HDD : 8%
BOM : $457, major components 52%

PS4
CPU+GPU : 27%
RAM : 24%
Storage : 17%
- ODD : 8%
- HDD : 10%
BOM : $372, major components 68%
 
We already see a pattern, the higher the major component percentage, the higher the user base.
 
We already see a pattern, the higher the major component percentage, the higher the user base.

Do we have any data for portables like Nintendo DS line?
 
The RSX assembly contains 256MB of gddr3, so that value should be moved from one column to the other.
Using the 360 bom as a reference for gddr3 price.
 
Anyone have numbers for the PS2, GC and OG Xbox? The OG Xbox must have been extremely expensive for MS, seeing they went with an not too shabby Intel CPU, high-end nvidia GPU, loads of ram (for the time), a standard build in HDD, build in networking, the hardware Soundstorm 5.1 decoder, and standard 3.5'' DVD drive? Its MB was Nforce based also. The casing was rather big too. Damn MS must have had some losses there.

GC cheapest of the three i assume.
 
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