Behold, CELL specs!!!! (I think it is..)

[Josh378]

http://www.blachford.info/computer/Cells/Cell0.html

The Cell Processor
This is a 9 core processor, one of these cores is something similar to a PowerPC G5 and acts as a controller. The remaining 8 cores are called APUs and these are very high performance vector processors. Each APU contains it's own block of high speed RAM and is capable of 32 GigaFlops (32bit). The APUs are independent processors and can act alone or can be set up to process a stream of data with different APUs working on different stages. This ability to act as a "stream processor" gives access to the full processing power of a Cell which is more than 10 times higher than even the fastest desktop processors.

In addition to the raw processing power the Cell includes a high performance multi-channel memory subsystem and a number of high speed interconnects for connecting to other Cells or I/O devices.

Distributing Processing
Cells are specifically designed to work together, while they can be directly connected via the high speed interconnects they can also be connected in other ways or distributed over a network. The Cells are not gaming or computer specific, they can be in anything from PDAs to TVs and all can be used to effectively act as a single system. The infrastructure for this is built into each Cell as they operate on "Software Cells" which contain routing information as well as programs and data.

Parallel programming is usually complex but in this case the OS will look at the resources it has and distribute tasks accordingly, this process does not involve re-programming. If you want more processing power you simply add more Cells, you do not need to replace the existing ones as the new Cells will augment the existing ones.

Overall the Cell architecture is an architecture for distributed, parallel processing using very powerful computational engines developed using a highly aggressive design strategy. These devices shall be produced in vast numbers so they will provide vast processing resources at a low cost."

If this is true...wow...

-Josh378

 

[jvd]

8apus at 32gflops like this says is only 256 gflops . Which is what deadmeat claimed .

 

[Josh378]

I don't think there were any more claims than each APU at 32 gigaflps...I mean each APU with 32 gigaflops is already a beast on their own....but 8 of them working togeather...wow..and the article said that there should be 4 CELLs inside PS3....

-Josh378

 

[Alejux]

This whole thing is one rumor over the other.

What you described there was a PE, which is composed of one PU and 8 APU's. Nobody knows for sure how many PE's the CELL chip in the PS3 will have. It is rumored that the PS3 will have a BE (Broadcast Engine). The BE is a Sony patented configuration of the CELL chip containing 4 PE's, totalling 32 APU's, which given the math, adds up to 1 teraflop/s. Maybe it's just a coincidence that this speed coincides with what Kutaragi said the PS3 would be able to perform. Or not.

 

[GwymWeepa]

This whole thing is one rumor over the other.

What you described there was a PE, which is composed of one PU and 8 APU's. Nobody knows for sure how many PE's the CELL chip in the PS3 will have. It is rumored that the PS3 will have a BE (Broadcast Engine). The BE is a Sony patented configuration of the CELL chip containing 4 PE's, totalling 32 APU's, which given the math, adds up to 1 teraflop/s. Maybe it's just a coincidence that this speed coincides with what Kutaragi said the PS3 would be able to perform. Or not.

If true that's just disgusting power...I swear I'd ask Kutaragi's hand in marriage.

 

[Alejux]

This whole thing is one rumor over the other.

What you described there was a PE, which is composed of one PU and 8 APU's. Nobody knows for sure how many PE's the CELL chip in the PS3 will have. It is rumored that the PS3 will have a BE (Broadcast Engine). The BE is a Sony patented configuration of the CELL chip containing 4 PE's, totalling 32 APU's, which given the math, adds up to 1 teraflop/s. Maybe it's just a coincidence that this speed coincides with what Kutaragi said the PS3 would be able to perform. Or not.

If true that's just disgusting power...I swear I'd ask Kutaragi's hand in marriage.

Well...don't buy the ring yet. Kutaragi has been known to exagerate "a bit".

 

[GwymWeepa]

This whole thing is one rumor over the other.

What you described there was a PE, which is composed of one PU and 8 APU's. Nobody knows for sure how many PE's the CELL chip in the PS3 will have. It is rumored that the PS3 will have a BE (Broadcast Engine). The BE is a Sony patented configuration of the CELL chip containing 4 PE's, totalling 32 APU's, which given the math, adds up to 1 teraflop/s. Maybe it's just a coincidence that this speed coincides with what Kutaragi said the PS3 would be able to perform. Or not.

If true that's just disgusting power...I swear I'd ask Kutaragi's hand in marriage.

Well...don't buy the ring yet. Kutaragi has been known to exagerate "a bit".

Oh, I know that...he's safe for now.

 

[Brimstone]

After looking at the article, I think it's just a person speculating.

 

[Megadrive1988]

Isn't this just the same info from the patent that we've known about for roughly 2 years now?

each APU being 32 Gflops performance is what was expected.


an 8 APU Processing Element having 256 Gflops is also what was expected / stated in the patent.

this does not discribe the actual implementation of Playstation3's CPU

 

[MrSingh]

1:8

Believe it.

 

[Acert93]

The 1:8 setup has been discussed a lot here. I am not a CELL expert at all, but I know some of the more well informed have discussed that exact configuration here before. Could this article be speculation based on what has been reported here based off the patents?

There is no doubt that CELL, and the PS3, will be performance monsters. I think the same could be said for Xenon. What gets me excited is (a) Sony brought nVidia onboard which should make the creation process easier and (b) Microsofts XNA initiative (and the fact they chose ATi and are sticking to the well known DirectX platform). We are taking insane amounts of power in the new consoles--the hurdle is going to be harnessing it in a cost effective method.

 

[PC-Engine]

Edited by moderator



Stop trolling. This is your third warning

 

[Jacob]

Isn't this just the same info from the patent that we've known about for roughly 2 years now?

I have managed to decipher the patent and...

Just reflecting what the patent says.

8apus at 32gflops like this says is only 256 gflops . Which is what deadmeat claimed .

256...

128...

72...

64...

32...

4...

1...

0.5...


Whatever the actual performance of the PS3 ends up being, it doesn't change the fact that he's a joke character and there're hundreds of threads on numerous forums to prove it.

AFAIK, 256 Gflops and 1-2 PEs are the numbers that most people on this forum have been expecting for some time (a year? more?).

 

[speng]

This thread needs to be locked.

Why? It's a well thought out article on CELL, using the patent and computer science.

Some of his theories and assumptions could be right. We'll know soon enough.


Speng.

 

[RichardCypher101]

This is very intriguing information. I feel this thread holds enough merit to stay open. Good find.

-Rich

 

[SedentaryJourney]

It seems like recapitulation of the same patents and speculation to me; but hey, if the other threads are too overgrown for their own good, this one suffices.

 

[aaaaa00]

Mostly old information, some bad speculation, and largely an anti-Wintel fanboy rant.

Nothing that hasn't been said here 100x over.

 

[V3]

The remaining 8 cores are called APUs

In the press release about Cell they got a new name for them, so I assumed this are speculated from the patent, and not new info. But the patent is still a pretty good base for now.

 

[Inane_Dork]

Why? It's a well thought out article on CELL...

Did you read this page? Some of the more ignorant CELL prophesies I've ever read. I don't see how it was well thought out. It looks more like what has been said hundreds of times plus some really off-base speculation about the future.

 

[Megadrive1988]

thank GOD that both ISSCC and 'PS3 Premier' are only a few weeks/months away. they should both put an end to at least some of the speculation that's been going on for 2 years (cell patents) and actually...over 5 years (Sony's first comments on PS3)..... ....