Best route towards the creation of a low-cost/low-power console?

[Fargo]

This is my first post here

I'm thinking of a new low-cost TV game console and would like to hear from the community here about the possible chipset/SoC that would go inside.

I planned to use i.MX31, but dropped it because it needs an additional TV module and only has powerVR MBX Lite. Then I thought of OMAP3430, but could not find which powerVR SGX chipset it uses. I have not looked at what Intel, VIA, nVidia, and AMD can provide. So, what do you think?

 

[Blackraven]

A shift to Solid State Drives for primary storage by next decade (after 2010) would really help in bringing power consumption down to record levels.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

You'd need to include some criteria. What sort of price? What sort of profit per unit? What sort of performance? What are the key features and what resolution would you be aiming for? All that jazz!

 

[Fargo]

You'd need to include some criteria. What sort of price? What sort of profit per unit? What sort of performance? What are the key features and what resolution would you be aiming for? All that jazz!

The finished product must not cost more than $50±5. Anything that perform better than PSX is acceptable.

 

[Fargo]

I just need to add that the $50 is cost of material, not the retail price!

 

[one]

A shift to Solid State Drives for primary storage by next decade (after 2010) would really help in bringing power consumption down to record levels.

You mean Wii with its 512MB flash storage today?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That's not the primary storage - the DVD drive is. I think Blackraven is suggesting an optical, motorised storage can be done away with (download titles only?) to drop the power consumption.

 

[mister slim]

For Fargo's project cartridges might be feasible.

 

[Fargo]

Ok, what about the main thing, the chipset

 

[Strange]

Ok, what about the main thing, the chipset

You might want to look into the $100 laptop they are making to send to third world countries.

Hand cranked! You can't get greener than that

 

[Rainbow Man]

A shift to Solid State Drives for primary storage by next decade (after 2010) would really help in bringing power consumption down to record levels.

Surely you must be joking.

A 2.5" HDD draws very little power. Certainly in the low single-digit watt range.

Almost unnoticeable in fact in a beast like the PS3 - which dissipates at least 240W in some situations (running folding@home) and maybe more in others - and hardly so in the only slightly less hungry 360 (at least when talking about the 90 nanometer custom chips variety, which is vastly in majority right now).

Peace.

 

[Lazy8s]

SGX530 is supposed to be the first mobile SGX core available, so it's probably the SGX in the OMAP3430.

High-end OMAPs tend to cost around $15 in volume.

 

[Fargo]

SGX530 is supposed to be the first mobile SGX core available, so it's probably the SGX in the OMAP3430.

High-end OMAPs tend to cost around $15 in volume.

The problem with TI is that they don't respond to any request from small companies! If you are not Nokia, Sony, etc. then you are out of luck with TI

 

[Lazy8s]

Assuming Menlow uses SGX (probably SGX535), it should be ideal with the benefit of its 45nm process technology; Intel will probably make it accessible for use to companies of all sizes.

Being able to also make the hardware platform mobile and have x86 compatibility are other bonuses.

 

[Fargo]

Sure, Menlow is one of the candidates. But as I'm not making a "mobile" console, so, other chipsets may work as well.

 

[rekator]

Look at Via…

 

[Simon F]

This is my first post here

I'm thinking of a new low-cost TV game console and would like to hear from the community here about the possible chipset/SoC that would go inside.

I planned to use i.MX31, but dropped it because it needs an additional TV module and only has powerVR MBX Lite. Then I thought of OMAP3430, but could not find which powerVR SGX chipset it uses. I have not looked at what Intel, VIA, nVidia, and AMD can provide. So, what do you think?

There is a very nice MBX variant that one of the Japanese partners have produced (probably Renesas) . If you are representing a company maybe that might be an option.

 

[Fargo]

Renesas solution uses SuperH CPU, which I have no experience with. Anyone here knows how is that CPU when compared to ARM?

 

[Lazy8s]

Most of the mobile chips of the MBX generation don't clock their graphics processors much higher than 50-MHz. The automotive and amusement solutions can clock them twice to three times as high, but they also charge somewhat more for those chips.

The ideal MBX solution might be the SH3707 from Renesas. It clocks the MBX+VGP at 150-MHz.

Renesas appeared to possibly design that SoC specifically for Sega Sammy and their Aurora platform... I'm not sure. If it's not available to other customers through Renesas, Sega Sammy had indicated that they might be sublicensing the solution, too.

 

[Simon F]

Renesas solution uses SuperH CPU, which I have no experience with. Anyone here knows how is that CPU when compared to ARM?

I believe it's a newer spin of the CPU that was in Dreamcast.