ARM's Cell processor, is Nintendo behind this thing???

[DeadmeatGA]

http://www.arm.com/news/NEC2010
A multicore ARM11? With NEC? What could have driven ARM to build such a thing? Assuming 2 Ghz, a quad-core version could deliver upto 64 GFLOPS, which is 1/4th of the number expected from EE3, but far cheaper if one was to justify its existence.

 

[Vince]

"Justify it's existence"... huh?

Hey Tag, when are you going to expand that sig of yours to contain more human lows?

 

[Panajev2001a]

Taking multiple chip cores on the same die and including SMT/CMP CELL computing makes not.
--Master Yoda

Thsi is not ARM's CELL, Deadmeat and qualify the FLOPS rate for EE 3 as "mostly Deadmeat's prediction" as I know where you are going...

256 GFLOPS peak, not going to sustain even 40 GFLOPS rendering 3D graphics bah what a waste of silicon for a chip few times more powerful than EE 1.

I can certainly see you typing that.

 

[Vince]

Taking multiple chip cores on the same die and including SMT/CMP CELL computing makes not.

Um, nice try. Yoda never ever said that.

 

[Li Mu Bai]

http://www.arm.com/news/NEC2010
A multicore ARM11? With NEC? What could have driven ARM to build such a thing? Assuming 2 Ghz, a quad-core version could deliver upto 64 GFLOPS, which is 1/4th of the number expected from EE3, but far cheaper if one was to justify its existence.

The number acheivable by the EE3 is still in question, but I agree this is indeed interesting news. Your speculation may very well be correct.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Taking multiple chip cores on the same die and including SMT/CMP CELL computing makes not.

Um, nice try. Yoda never ever said that.

Ok, the exact quote was:

"Simple multiple chip cores on the same die with SMT/CMP, CELL computing becomes not...uhm-uh !"

--Master Yoda





Which translated to English means that having multiple cores and SMT does not make CELL computing as there is more to CELL computing than just that.

I agree Li mu Bai that this might be relevant to GCN 2.

 

[ShinHoshi]

I find this performance miserable for what EE3 seems to promise (even if DGA is right and it only reaches 256 GFLOPS). Even for a GPU based system, next gen this is not going to be very impressive, IMO.
Perhaps, this is not targeted to GCN2 but to another system from the same company.

 

[Citan]

Taking multiple chip cores on the same die and including SMT/CMP CELL computing makes not.

Um, nice try. Yoda never ever said that.

Not yet but if he says it in the next movie Lucas will have redeemed himself in my eyes.

 

[nondescript]

It's too early to be predicting chips or whether it will be in N5, since they just announced strategic cooperation. But it's interesting that they're signing on to the SMP architecture.

Pretty much the same stuff, but from PRnewswire:
http://www.eetimes.com/pressreleases/prnewswire/106227

Way to go NEC/ARM...trying another approach. May the best architecture win.

OT: Is ARM owned by Intel?

 

[Li Mu Bai]

I find this performance miserable for what EE3 seems to promise (even if DGA is right and it only reaches 256 GFLOPS). Even for a GPU based system, next gen this is not going to be very impressive, IMO.
Perhaps, this is not targeted to GCN2 but to another system from the same company.

Perhaps based upon the same chip architecture, but not meeting those identical technical specifications. A much more likely scenario, but again this is a Gpu based system. Although I would expect it to much beefier, but it doesn't have to match the PS3's extreme parallelism to compete.

 

[Crazyace]

Hi DM,

If I recall correctly, the ARM vector float units are actually scalar fpus with serial vectorisation - so a quad core unit at 2GHZ would probaly peak at 16GFlops.

( It's still a good unit, as otherwise the cpu becomes transfer starved )

 

[chaphack]

Re: Hi DM,

If I recall correctly, the ARM vector float units are actually scalar fpus with serial vectorisation - so a quad core unit at 2GHZ would probaly peak at 16GFlops.

( It's still a good unit, as otherwise the cpu becomes transfer starved )

Yeay how about GBA2!

That would teach PSP some FLOPS. I guess Nintendo might have wisened up after looking at the threat of PSP. No more low cost low performance parts.

Heya, is it possible of GBA2 and GCN2 to share similar architecture? NEC + ARM + ATI.

 

[Li Mu Bai]

10.5GFLOPS chaphack, but I agree w/you on any system being at an unparalled technical level. All systems will have both their strengths & weaknesses, as they do currently.

 

[PC-Engine]

I also agree that this could hint to the cpu for GBA2. Notice they mention high-volume products such as home and automotive multimedia applications, and mobile handsets . It would really put the cpu in PSP to shame.

 

[Megadrive1988]

wild prediction:

NEC will team up with Hitachi and perhaps Fujitsu for a multi processor Cell-like CPU.

Nintendo will use a derivative of it in GameCube's sucessor. it'll push at least 256 GFLOPs

 

[nondescript]

Yeay how about GBA2!

Yeah, a SMP ARM chip for GBA2 makes sense. Good call chaphack. (Could you stop with the floppy-flop comments please? I think people would take you more seriously that way...)

If this is for GBA2, they will have some power issues to contend with ... your average ARM-based Pocket PC can't run very long. Of course, Sony has the same problem to deal with.

 

[chaphack]

Yeay how about GBA2!

Yeah, a SMP ARM chip for GBA2 makes sense. Good call chaphack. (Could you stop with the floppy-flop comments please? I think people would take you more seriously that way...)

dun ask me, THEY think it is possible.

"This agreement between the two companies underlines NEC Electronics' strategy to promote the multiprocessor core-based products, based on the high-performance, low-power ARM11â„¢ microarchitecture for NEC Electronics' next-generation, high-volume products such as home and automotive multimedia applications, and mobile handsets."

Doesnt PSP have a multicore + embedded innards?

ARM CPU are common place in many mobile hardware, espeically cellular phones.

 

[maskrider]

ARM CPU are common place in many mobile hardware, espeically cellular phones.

GBA is ARM based.

 

[Tagrineth]

Hey Tag, when are you going to expand that sig of yours to contain more human lows?

1. I don't find this topic silly.

2. I haven't had the lows in a long time, I stopped when I tried to add a fourth and noticed there was no more space for all the code.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Uhm, a 2 GHz quad core chip in GBA 2 ?

I see that it would make happy some of the people here that said that faster than GB handhelds have come and gone, that performance is not what really matter, that they prefet another 2D GB, that Nintendo would always point on battery life and lower cost of the GB line...

Then you hear about a 2 GHz quad core CPU and you are creaming your pants over it...

Nintendo could release a GCNP based handheld and compete with PSP, so I do not see this hurry in investing for this kind of technology for GBA 2.

A 2 GHz, quad core chip does not scream to me low power consumption.

If what Crazyace is true, 16 GFLOPS at 2 GHz would mean that around 300 MHz you would get around 2.6 GFLOPS which is the same FLOPS rate as the PSP's SOC ( you still have to build the GPU as PSP has a T&L engine in its GPU, in more than one way PSP looks like GCN's twin ).