Cell Processor vs Dual-Processor Apple Power Mac G5

Doesn't this comparison strike anyone else as Silly?

This tech demo was obviously designed for the Cell and NOT for the Dual G5's.

This is totally different architecture, even if the G5 was just as powerful as the Cell ( not saying that it is ), the G5 would obviously be strained to run code that's been desigend to run on a totally different architecture ( Cell ).

I'm sure it's completely possible to construct a tech demo FOR an Athlon X2 processor, and have the cell strain to render the same tech demo.

The entire comparison seems rigged and flawed.

With every demonstration of the Cell, the message they're trying to drive home is "Wow, you've never seen a CPU like this before, it's SO powerful"

So why don't they make something that's TRULY impressive.

Show me an ACTUAL PLAYABLE GAME running on the Cell that can showcase AI, or maybe Physics at a level that makes people go "WoW, I've never seen anything like this before, it's SO powerful."...... that'd be good.
 
BenQ said:
Doesn't this comparison strike anyone else as Silly?

This tech demo was obviously designed for the Cell and NOT for the Dual G5's.

This is totally different architecture, even if the G5 was just as powerful as the Cell ( not saying that it is ), the G5 would obviously be strained to run code that's been desigend to run on a totally different architecture ( Cell ).

I'm sure it's completely possible to construct a tech demo FOR an Athlon X2 processor, and have the cell strain to render the same tech demo.

The entire comparison seems rigged and flawed.

With every demonstration of the Cell, the message they're trying to drive home is "Wow, you've never seen a CPU like this before, it's SO powerful"

So why don't they make something that's TRULY impressive.

Show me an ACTUAL PLAYABLE GAME running on the Cell that can showcase AI, or maybe Physics at a level that makes people go "WoW, I've never seen anything like this before, it's SO powerful."...... that'd be good.
Click to expand...

CES is in 4 days. :)

Anyhow, se the Lots of ducks demo.
 
Edge said:
With CELL's massive bandwidth and floating point power, I see games using height maps much more with this upcoming generation than the last generation. I would be hard pressed to even think how many PS2 games used a height map.
Click to expand...
Lots of PS2 titles used heightfields, its easy to get VU1 to max polygon throughput using a height field. Displacement maps and heightfields are the easiest thing to render and have been used for years.
In fact just about any game with a moderately large outdoor bit will most likely be using a heightfield.
 
BenQ said:
Doesn't this comparison strike anyone else as Silly?
Click to expand...
Not me. Cell is designed to have different strengths over typical existing processors, and this demo was a showcase of how it's better in these fields.

What would be silly is designing a new processor architecture with fantastic throughput, and then only demo it on stuff existing processors can run well. You may as well just use existing processors! The relevance of the demo in real-world terms has been shown in the medical imaging from Mercury Systems, which is using precisely those strengths to good effect.
 
BenQ said:
Doesn't this comparison strike anyone else as Silly?

This tech demo was obviously designed for the Cell and NOT for the Dual G5's.

This is totally different architecture, even if the G5 was just as powerful as the Cell ( not saying that it is ), the G5 would obviously be strained to run code that's been desigend to run on a totally different architecture ( Cell ).
Click to expand...

One might assume a best-effort approach on the G5s..

You really think with a different "code design", the G5s could perform as well as Cell in this app (while producing the exact same frames?)?
 
Edge said:
That matrix might be a bit big for a lot of games interms of memory storage, and 4000x4000 using 16-bit values might be more suitable, taking up 64 MB of memory. If it's a character on the ground type of game, you would need the data points closer togeather, like on the order of 1 meter, so 4000x4000 would give an area of 4 Km by 4 Km. Might even use some pixel shading over points to help hide polygonal edges. A matrix of this size would leave a lot more memory for other game assets, compared to a 8000x8000 matrix.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't the 4Kx4K matrix yield 32 MB of of memory instead of 64?
 
DeanoC said:
Lots of PS2 titles used heightfields, its easy to get VU1 to max polygon throughput using a height field. Displacement maps and heightfields are the easiest thing to render and have been used for years.
In fact just about any game with a moderately large outdoor bit will most likely be using a heightfield.
Click to expand...

I realize it's been used for years on the PC side, but I can't re-call PS2 games that used it, except maybe Mercenaries by Pandemic. Dragon Quest 8 has a huge world, with long draw distances, but it certainly does not use height maps.
 
BenQ said:
Show me an ACTUAL PLAYABLE GAME running on the Cell that can showcase AI, or maybe Physics at a level that makes people go "WoW, I've never seen anything like this before, it's SO powerful."...... that'd be good.
Click to expand...

Bizzare. What do you think game developers are working on for the PS3? You actually expected IBM, the semiconductor manufacturer, to produce a game to "wow" you?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Impressive

BenQ said:
With every demonstration of the Cell, the message they're trying to drive home is "Wow, you've never seen a CPU like this before, it's SO powerful"

So why don't they make something that's TRULY impressive.
Click to expand...

64 Million point surface depiction is impressive even without MSAA, lighting or clouds no? But with everything at 30fps @ 720P on 1 CELL I feel is "TRULY" impressive.
 
Edge said:
I realize it's been used for years on the PC side, but I can't re-call PS2 games that used it, except maybe Mercenaries by Pandemic. Dragon Quest 8 has a huge world, with long draw distances, but it certainly does not use height maps.
Click to expand...
Err How would you know if they are using a height field? A height field is simple a form of data compression. Done well you would never know...

I know for a fact that the Winter Olympic game from a few years ago used it (only cos I've chatted with the programmer) and I expect many others have.
 
BenQ said:
So why don't they make something that's TRULY impressive.

Show me an ACTUAL PLAYABLE GAME running on the Cell that can showcase AI, or maybe Physics at a level that makes people go "WoW, I've never seen anything like this before, it's SO powerful."...... that'd be good.
Click to expand...

Realtime raycasting running at 30 fps with high-definition resolution, MSAA, and texture filtering in a software engine without a GPU....and you're not impressed? What do you want? Some blocks bouncing around in an exaggerated and unrealistic fashion....a bunch of NPCs running through scripted actions?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ban25 said:
Realtime raycasting running at 30 fps with high-definition resolution, MSAA, and texture filtering in a software engine without a GPU....and you're not impressed? What do you want? Some blocks bouncing around in an exaggerated and unrealistic fashion....a bunch of NPCs running through scripted actions?
Click to expand...

Maybe if there were a pic or a vid to go along with this thread I would have some reason to be impressed.
 
Wow...I am getting psyched about this Cell thingy. Seemed like vaporware at first. I hope we get some PCs built out of these procs!
 
-tkf- said:
Ok , i looked at IGN and came up empty..

Again, did anyone see a Video on the net from this?
Click to expand...
They showed a clip of it during the E3 presentation. You can always download or stream that from Gamespot. It was Mt. St. Helens, and might have been somewhere else. They did a procedurally generated terrain demo for the PS2 as well. PEACE.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
partly ot: Apple to use Cell? Cell PCs?
2 3
Replies
49
Views
7K
London Geezer
L
Back
Top