Next-Gen nV-part to be Cell-based?

[akira888]

ever heared of the SM3.0 when its spec where laid down there was no hardware to support it, after that nVIDIA designed the GF6 line by those spec.

It typically takes around 2.5-3.5 years to design, implement, test, fabricate and ship a high-end ASIC of the complexity that modern {V|G}PUs exhibit. Therefore we can assume that the chip that become NV40 began its gestation around late 2001 or early 2002. The shader model 3.0 spec was released IIRC in early 2003 (or was it late 2002?).

I doubt MS designed SM3.0 themselves then imposed it on the IHVs. Things just don't work that way; if they did ATI/NV would revolt.

 

[V3]

Unless NV planning to integrate Power into their GPU, I don't think it will be cell base

 

[Pete]

Sorry to correct some historical errors but...

NV1 (Diamond Edge) wasn't related in any form to a SEGA Saturn.

I've had a PS1 and a early DC graphics chip on a card though. I've still got a Megadrive in a PC in the atic.
You can also get a 3DO and a CDI on a card.

I should be the one apologizing, not you. I always thought the fact that it had Virtua Fighter and controller ports meant it was a Saturn on a card. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Titanio]

Regarding the cross-license agreement between nV and Sony, it’s possible that nV will use Cell technology in the next part. nV has already signed such an agreement with IBM, the main owner of Cell’s IPs.

Don't know if this has been answered directly already or not, but NVidia has explicitly stated that their next-gen PC GPU will not be cell-based. Who knows beyond that, but for their next-gen part, this case is closed..

"Although we cannot comment on technical details, I can tell you that the GPU is a custom version of NVIDIA's next generation GPU, which is not Cell based."

edit:

I asked him to clarify if he meant both Nvidia's next-gen GPU and the PS3 GPU would not be cell-based and he replied:

"I can just comment on NVIDIA's next generation GPU which is not cell based."