Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[Kameradschaft]

Report: Next-gen Xbox details at CES, hex-core CPU inside

French site Xboxygen is rumouring that Microsoft is to make some kind of announcement related to the next Xbox at Las Vegas tech show CES in January.

The information, according to the site, comes from a source “very close” to the company.

The story’s also rumouring that the machine is to have a hex-core CPU with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and has been in the works since 2005 – the year Xbox 360 released. AMD is to provide the GPU, according to the piece.
As previously rumoured, Xboxygen says a division called Loop is handling software development on the project, while another team, Infinity, is working on the console itself.

The site has been told to not expect a “huge announcement” with software, but rather “some information on the new console, and some of its capabilities”.

Talk of Microsoft’s next console has gathered pace in the second half of 2011, with chatter beginning in earnest around E3. EA was tipped to have started work on the machine – a story that was quickly denied – with a further two stories pinning a reveal on E3 2012.

Four Microsoft CVs turned up mentions of “Xbox next-gen” in October, with a Develop story later that month claiming Microsoft would show the console for the first time at E3 2013.

CES 2012 runs from January 10-13.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Hex core could be Xenon 2. Xenon's done XB360 very well in cahoots with Xenos. That'd provide full BC and the same programming model to make things easy on devs.

 

[sebbbi]

DDR3 memory sounds a bit fishy, unless they have separate memory for the GPU as well. 2GB of DDR3 for the CPU and another 2GB (of GDDR5?) for the GPU wouldn't be bad at all.

And I wonder does that "Hex Core" mean 6 cores / 6 threads, or 6 cores / 12 threads (SMT), or maybe even 24 threads (four way SMT)?

 

[MarkoIt]

TEN is the entire project, Loop the software, Infinity the hardware?

DDR3 memory sounds a bit fishy, unless they have separate memory for the GPU as well. 2GB of DDR3 for the CPU and another 2GB (of GDDR5?) for the GPU wouldn't be bad at all.

And I wonder does that "Hex Core" mean 6 cores / 6 threads, or 6 cores / 12 threads (SMT), or maybe even 24 threads (four way SMT)?

I hope, and i think it's likely, 6 cores 4-way SMT.. as it's likely an IBM chip, and the first to be on 32nm. Architecture wise, an updated Xenon with few improvement taken from Power 7 architecture (for example 4-way SMT)?

 

[archangelmorph]

24 threads would be...

Interesting, to say the least...

 

[Dominik D]

Loop and Infinity? Seriously? I know E&D management is trying really hard to replicate Apple's corporate culture but this seems a little bit too far.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Well loop and infinity has pretty strong ties to circle (360) as well.

 

[upnorthsox]

DDR3 memory sounds a bit fishy, unless they have separate memory for the GPU as well. 2GB of DDR3 for the CPU and another 2GB (of GDDR5?) for the GPU wouldn't be bad at all.

And I wonder does that "Hex Core" mean 6 cores / 6 threads, or 6 cores / 12 threads (SMT), or maybe even 24 threads (four way SMT)?

Why not have it shared? So then you'd have 2GB of shared GDDR5 core and 2GB of shared ddr3 extended memory. Anything above 2GB is going to be used to keep textures and and large data structures handy, ddr3 should be able to handle that.

 

[upnorthsox]

Well loop and infinity has pretty strong ties to circle (360) as well.

But it's not as fun as the Apple tie in.

Btw, so what would Ten stand for? Microsofts' 10% ownership in Apple?

 

[Dominik D]

@Dr Evil: Sure, but there are tons of other round and/or loopy words out there as well.

@upnorthsox: Tenth anniversary of Xbox? ;]

 

[Prophecy2k]

Why not have it shared? So then you'd have 2GB of shared GDDR5 core and 2GB of shared ddr3 extended memory. Anything above 2GB is going to be used to keep textures and and large data structures handy, ddr3 should be able to handle that.

Would that not affect board complexity? And what kind of interconnects would you have to have to be able to have links between both the CPU and GPU and both RAM pools?

I'd be intrigued to know if this can be done

 

[Prophecy2k]

TEN is the entire project, Loop the software, Infinity the hardware?



I hope, and i think it's likely, 6 cores 4-way SMT.. as it's likely an IBM chip, and the first to be on 32nm. Architecture wise, an updated Xenon with few improvement taken from Power 7 architecture (for example 4-way SMT)?

What if those cores are asymmetric? What if MS is going with an updated Xenon with thre SPUs attached?

 

[liolio]

Still looks to me like "click hunting" coming this time around from a bigger gaming website but still based on the same statement from Xboxygen.
They are other hints about ARM based chips, etc;
At this stage it's pretty clear that MSFT has something in the tube but it's not a surprise at this point. The question is what? I don't bite in the slighest in a dual GPU setup, doesn't make sense in anyway for me, two V-ram? EDRAM linked to 2 GPus, etc.

 

[upnorthsox]

Would that not affect board complexity? And what kind of interconnects would you have to have to be able to have links between both the CPU and GPU and both RAM pools?

I'd be intrigued to know if this can be done

Considering its how we dealt with memory before XP, I think it can be done.

It could all be dealt with in software or at the controller. FlexIO should be able to handle it with few mods.

 

[AzBat]

But it's not as fun as the Apple tie in.

Btw, so what would Ten stand for? Microsofts' 10% ownership in Apple?

LOL, maybe Mac OS X? or ten years since Xbox? No telling.

Tommy McClain

 

[AlNom]

@upnorthsox: Tenth anniversary of Xbox? ;]

That would be today. But I guess you meant Live.

 

[upnorthsox]

LOL, maybe Mac OS X? or ten years since Xbox? No telling.

Tommy McClain

Good ones.

Would they be willing to go all the way and call it the XBox iFinity?

 

[Dominik D]

That would be today. But I guess you meant Live.

Nah, it was the original date they wanted to announce new console but they had to postpone the announcement.

 

[Platon]

X=10, maybe.

Any reason they would not go for unified memory as before?

 

[AzBat]

What if those cores are asymmetric? What if MS is going with an updated Xenon with thre SPUs attached?

Instead of SPUs could you use some auxiliary cores from ARM or AMD?

Tommy McClain