It it possible for MS to add more cache?

[Karma Police]

I know that 1MB on the Xenon can be a retsrictor when all cores are working, so is it possible that MS might add another 1MB for 2MB total?

All things are final, so to speak, but now that they've had some time to stare at it, adding cache doesn't seem that hard to do, right?

 

[3roxor]

yes it's possible.

 

[Megadrive1988]

probably not at this late stage of the development cycle - the design of Xbox 360 is totally locked down now. it's being geared up for mass production. If MS wanted to have more L2 cache, that decision would've had to have been made in 2004, or very early 2005 at the latest. I am just guessing that adding L2 cache is not as easy as adding more main memory, because it involves changes to the CPU chip itself. Yes it is *possible* but extremely unlikely

 

[Asher]

It will not happen, it's too late.

 

[Karma Police]

Good replies. Well, I was hopin'..

 

[jvd]

Onlything that can change at this point is clock speed

 

[Karma Police]

I hear that the Xenos might change speed, but I haven't heard of the CPUs changing speeds.

As a matter of fact, I thought it was a stretch for IBM to get the CPUs to 3.2Ghz, is that right?

 

[jvd]

I dunno what yields are like so I can't really comment . But at this point its the only thing they can change i believe at this time .

IT depends on yields and thermal output . They may be able to go up a few hundred mhz . mabye 3.4 or 3.5 if yields are really good

 

[cthellis42]

Yes, I'd like a $50 rebate with each purcha... Oh, you said cache.

Nevermind.



At any rate, I wouldn't say "possible" as WAY too much is "possible." "Feasable," however, or "worth it for them..." Different questions with different concerns.

 

[pipo]

They may be able to go up a few hundred mhz . mabye 3.4 or 3.5 if yields are really good

Wasn't 3.5 the figure they were originally shooting for?

 

[hey69]

it was already 3.2ghz threecore powercpu planned since i heard about it in october 2003

 

[PC-Engine]

MS adds more cash all the time...

 

[cthellis42]

MS adds more cash all the time...

Joke's already been made, sorry. Get to the back of the line!

 

[jvd]

IT could very well be that ms was playing it safe so it wouldn't get negative press if it had to lower the clock speeds .

I would think on a chip between the p4 and p4 dual chip in size , they should be able to reach 3.5ghz . Doesn't seem that farfetched and on the gpu side , ati has hit 540mhz on a bigger process with a bigger chip before , so i could see 550 possible .

However it really depends on the yields and how cheap ms wants the console

 

[gurgi]

I hear that the Xenos might change speed, but I haven't heard of the CPUs changing speeds.

As a matter of fact, I thought it was a stretch for IBM to get the CPUs to 3.2Ghz, is that right?

The only way to go is up? Depending on yields, isn't it possible to go down as well?

 

[McHuj]

Changing the cache size would be difficult, but would it be as difficult to increase the cache to memory read speeds? Decreasing the cycle penalty on cache misses would mitigate some of the potential cache size problems.

Just asking.

 

[3roxor]

The only way to go is up? Depending on yields, isn't it possible to go down as well?

Yes but people here don't want to think about that.

 

[jvd]

The only way to go is up? Depending on yields, isn't it possible to go down as well?

Yes but people here don't want to think about that.

Its not so much that . Its the fact that ms got alot of crap for doing it before , So it makes one think they were more rational with clock speeds .

I think thats more beliveable than ms making the same mistake twice

 

[cthellis42]

Its not so much that . Its the fact that ms got alot of crap for doing it before , So it makes one think they were more rational with clock speeds .

You are, however, vastly overestimating the impact of those who gave them "alot of crap," which amounts primarily to a Slashdot article or two, haranguing in various message board debates at sites like here across the years, and perhaps a few stray comments in gaming periodicals that are quickly forgotten. (And on occasion as negative PR comments from competitors who generally feed the exact same community that read Slashdot, post on gaming boards...)

On the whole, I don't think that's even a blip on their radar. I expect their business plans were pushed foward much like any business plan of theirs is (in this case filtered through other companies as well, since it's not an internal MS project), and I doubt a minute was spent saying "wait guys, we'd best be careful or Vince will get pissy at us again!"

See how silly it sounds when you phase it like that?