Fact: Nintendo to release HD console + controllers with built-in screen late 2012

[borowki]

Oh my effing god. I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's hideous! The word that fills my brain is Jaguar...

 

[fehu]

there is some form of tessellation or is the video compression?

 

[-tkf-]

Hmm hot off the presses. A morsel of real oh-so rare tech detail!





http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/ibm-puts-watsons-brains-in-nintendo-wii-u/

Embedded DRAM on the CPU?

Custom chip based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POWER7 Ehmmm

 

[fehu]

Custom chip based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POWER7 Ehmmm

take that AlStrong! XD

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Hmm hot off the presses. A morsel of real oh-so rare tech detail!

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/ibm-puts-watsons-brains-in-nintendo-wii-u/

Embedded DRAM on the CPU?

I'd say it's Engadget being ignorant again and it's a custom CPU-GPU chip with eDRAM for the GPU part.


As for the "Garden" demo in youtube, it was taken straight from the highly compressed video stream that was distributed by E3, it's not a direct HD recording from the console's output.

 

[Teasy]

So Engadget have been told its using a Power7 based CPU. How much more powerful is that in comparison to the cores in Xenon/Cell?

 

[Kaotik]

If it's same as Watson uses, it's Power7 and packs some serious punch, according to poster @ finnish MuroBBS, the Power7 family CPU used by Watson starts from QuadCore @ 2.4GHz, with each core capable of 4 threads, and with 1 core benching at lot higher DP FLOPS than Cell in PS3

 

[AlNom]

If it's same as Watson uses, it's Power7 and packs some serious punch, according to poster @ finnish MuroBBS, the Power7 family CPU used by Watson starts from QuadCore @ 2.4GHz, with each core capable of 4 threads

It'd have to be a custom job. There's only one Power7 die, and that's the full 8 core, 567mm^2 one. 4-core and 6-core variants are just binned (cores disabled).

That said, 4-core, including the accompanying EDRAM is still going to be gigantic. I could see a 2-core variant (+edram). 8 threads is right about where they only need to be anyway.

with 1 core benching at lot higher DP FLOPS than Cell in PS3

lol... irrelevant much?

 

[glw]

It'd have to be a custom job. There's only one Power7 die, and that's the full 8 core, 567mm^2 one. 4-core and 6-core variants are just binned (cores disabled).

Unless someone from IBM says explicitly that it uses the POWER7 core I will find it hard to believe.

A chip derived from the PowerPC A2 seems more probable.

 

[AlNom]

Yeah.

 

[liolio]

Custom chip based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POWER7 Ehmmm

That's proof of nothing, POWER A2 use EDRAM for the L2
IBM is doing a lot of advancement on this front

 

[Rangers]

There's a whole press release at that engadget article I didn't see.

IBM Microprocessors to Power the New Wii U System from Nintendo

ARMONK, N.Y., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it will provide the microprocessors that will serve as the heart of the new Wii U™ system from Nintendo. Unveiled today at the E3 trade show, Nintendo plans for its new console to hit store shelves in 2012.

The all-new, Power-based microprocessor will pack some of IBM's most advanced technology into an energy-saving silicon package that will power Nintendo's brand new entertainment experience for consumers worldwide. IBM's unique embedded DRAM, for example, is capable of feeding the multi-core processor large chunks of data to make for a smooth entertainment experience.

IBM plans to produce millions of chips for Nintendo featuring IBM Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology at 45 nanometers (45 billionths of a meter). The custom-designed chips will be made at IBM's state-of-the-art 300mm semiconductor development and manufacturing facility in East Fishkill, N.Y.

The relationship between IBM and Nintendo dates to May 1999, when IBM was selected to design and manufacture the central microprocessor for the Nintendo GameCube™ system. Since 2006, IBM has shipped more than 90 million chips for Nintendo Wii systems.

"IBM has been a terrific partner for many years. We truly value IBM's commitment to support Nintendo in delivering an entirely new kind of gaming and entertainment experience for consumers around the world," said Genyo Takeda, Senior Managing Director, Integrated Research and Development, at Nintendo Co., Ltd.

"We're very proud to have delivered to Nintendo consistent technology advancements for three generations of entertainment consoles," said Elmer Corbin, director, IBM's custom chip business. "Our relationship with Nintendo underscores our unique position in the industry -- how we work together with clients to help them leverage IBM technology, intellectual property and research to drive innovation into their own core products."

Built on the open, scalable Power Architecture base, IBM custom processors exploit the performance and power advantages of proven silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The inherent advantages of the technology make it a superior choice for performance-driven applications that demand exceptional, power-efficient processing capability – from entertainment consoles to supercomputers.

Definitely shows they will be on 45nm for shipping silicon. I see a bunch of people still yet trying to push the 32nm idea around the web.

 

[function]

Is this for a combined CPU+GPU or just a CPU? That makes it just sound like a CPU...

Doesn't look like we'll be waiting till late 2012 to get our hands on the WiiU.

 

[obonicus]

Is this for a combined CPU+GPU or just a CPU? That makes it just sound like a CPU...

There's talk of EDRAM, though, so wouldn't GPU+CPU be more likely?

 

[mrcorbo]

There's talk of EDRAM, though, so wouldn't GPU+CPU be more likely?

No. Power7 CPUs use EDRAM for their cache.

 

[lilbroK]

Well there is one thing we can be sure of. This new console is going to cost money out the ass.

Though why are we posted relevant information in a thread about rumors? Itsn't someone going to make an official thread?

 

[Rangers]

Also thought this was interesting, not sure how accurate the Wii U dimensions are

Wii (height): 1.5 in
WiiU: (height) 1.8 in
360 S: (height): 3 in

Wii (width): 6.3 in
WiiU: (width) 6.8 in
360 S: (width): 12 in

Wii (length): 8 in
WiiU: (length) 10.5 in
360 S: (length): 10 in

Wii (volume LxWxH): 75.6 in2
WiiU: (volume LxWxH) 128.5 in2
360 S: (volume LxWxH): 360 in2

 

[lilbroK]

Also thought this was interesting, not sure how accurate the Wii U dimensions are

I get this feeling that there are going to be some heat issues. That casing seems to small to allow proper cooling and air circulation.

Any word on the GPU?

 

[liolio]

It's me that trick myself (highly likely) or the nature demo is kind of the same setting as the samourai 3DS /DMP PICA demo?

 

[liolio]

I get this feeling that there are going to be some heat issues. That casing seems to small to allow proper cooling and air circulation.

Any word on the GPU?

Depends on many things, the POWER A2 is highly power efficient.
It depends on the design, clock speed, the gpu if it's an APU, etc.