Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[Love_In_Rio]

If Durango is a monster that can compete with the most powerful PCs in some aspects it must have stacked memory for sure. So, forget about the low bandwith to those precious 8 GBs of RAM. The bus width will be high. ESRAM will have other functions ( fast connection between cpu cores and gpu, etc ). I don´t see it using EDRAM-like framebuffer like in X360.

 

[Cuthalu]

There is no crossfire GPU to pseudo GPU, it isn't even a rumour!

The pseudo GPU probably just refers to some kind of fixed function block/s

Efficiency and subjectibe experience would go through the toilet with traditional crossfire-GPU for graphics, but what about dedicated GPGPU? I recall either Crytek or Epic was pushing for heavy GPGPU-capabilities for next gen consoles in an interview regarding next gen.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I think that has spread from the post you opened about feasible custom hardware across neogaf and so the internet...

I was surprised by a couple of a pro-blitter views in that thread, but it's really just an exploration of ideas. Any or none or all could be in all or none of the consoles for all I know. We need some real source suggesting as much. I was getting the impression a blitter had been mentioned by some source/rumour.

 

[Helmore]

Efficiency and subjectibe experience would go through the toilet with traditional crossfire-GPU for graphics, but what about dedicated GPGPU? I recall either Crytek or Epic was pushing for heavy GPGPU-capabilities for next gen consoles in an interview regarding next gen.

Then I wouldn't aim for a dedicated GPGPU but a single GPU that's very capable for GPGPU. Especially in the sense that it should be able to run both graphics and GPGPU code simultaneously. It doesn't need DP floats of course, but it wouldn't hurt to make it as GPGPU friendly as they can.

 

[upnorthsox]

Is that confirmed??

Echo chamber effect......

 

[rekator]

Echo chamber effect......

So Durango got special secret sauce to enhance Echo Chamber Effect from the Web… Damn MS really master their leaks.

 

[patsu]

I was surprised by a couple of a pro-blitter views in that thread, but it's really just an exploration of ideas. Any or none or all could be in all or none of the consoles for all I know. We need some real source suggesting as much. I was getting the impression a blitter had been mentioned by some source/rumour.

I see it more as a flexible and quick way to copy data between 2 pools of memory. It's all very vague now but I think you can DMA non-consecutive memory locations to an SPU's LocalStore, as a contiguous chunk of memory for processing and then send them back.

 

[upnorthsox]

So Durango got special secret sauce to enhance Echo Chamber Effect from the Web… Damn MS really master their leaks.

They don't need ninja's, they have echo power......

 

[patsu]

I'm simply questioning the blind faith so many people have developed, literally overnight, in rumored custom miracle technologies in Durango. Your blithe "MS has historically good development tools" response does not actually address my long list of questions above. We should be at the beginning of the discussion. We know next to nothing about whether these hardware enhancements exist, what they actually do, how useful they will be in real world scenarios, their cost in terms of programming complexity, their flexibility to be used in different kinds of engines and scenarios, etc, etc, etc.

Many of these ideas already exist in nascent form on PS3 today. They are applied to Cell as tech demoes, HPC projects or shipping games. ^_^

It'd be a shame to let all of 'em die or get buried.

In PS4, Sony seems to switch to a mainstream setup ? It will be interesting to see the difference in architecture and approach by the same teams.

 

[LXFBN]

SuperDAE is going to going to be doing a google hangout and is going to reveal all of the Durango specs.

 

[anexanhume]

SuperDAE is going to going to be doing a google hangout and is going to reveal all of the Durango specs.

Link? He took his twitter account private.

 

[LXFBN]

Link? He took his twitter account private.

He'll post it on his twitter account very soon, I follow him on twitter and will PM you when he posts the link.

 

[mrcorbo]

Naw, just messing around. Just to be a little serious, what is swizzle support in your case? Or are you yanking our chain?

Based on my understanding swizzling, at least in this case, involves taking a set of data and re-ordering it. Practically, the unit he is suggesting would be able to "move" data in memory from where the CPU would be able to access it optimally to where the GPU would be able to access it optimally and visa-versa. The swizzling support would allow it to simultaneously convert the data from a CPU-friendly format to a GPU-friendly format and back again.

 

[Hornet]

SuperDAE is going to going to be doing a google hangout and is going to reveal all of the Durango specs.

Why would he do that? Is he developer? Isn't he under NDA like everyone else?

 

[XpiderMX]

Why would he do that? Is he developer? Isn't he under NDA like everyone else?

SuperDAE (supposedly) has a DevKit.

 

[LXFBN]

SuperDAE (supposedly) has a DevKit.

He has a devkit.

 

[SKYSONY]

DaE has also sais VGleaks is gonna have some new info about Orbis soon.

 

[MrFox]

Do we have any indication that the guy is legit?

 

[Inuhanyou]

All we have, is Eurogamer confirming that the devkit he has is the real one based on their interactions with certain devs who have Durango devkits.

 

[patsu]

Based on my understanding swizzling, at least in this case, involves taking a set of data and re-ordering it. Practically, the unit he is suggesting would be able to "move" data in memory from where the CPU would be able to access it optimally to where the GPU would be able to access it optimally and visa-versa. The swizzling support would allow it to simultaneously convert the data from a CPU-friendly format to a GPU-friendly format and back again.

Yes, or to fit the algorithm. I remember the SPU MLAA implementation makes use of the feature to walk and process frame data with as little overhead as possible. It's part of the DMA controller I think (I can't remember the details anymore 8^) )

As I recall, the 360 GPU has something similar too, tho not DMA based.