Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[onQ]

As I stated before, I heard rumors that the PS4 would be using 4D stacking. It was from a really reliable source. He said Sony would stay with IBM, but everyone here is claiming AMD so I just accepted that.

I was researching 4D stacking however, and guess what turned up:
http://www.google.com/patents/US20110170266

It appears that the 4D stacking method is patented by IBM. In that case, I think we can expect the PS4 to carry IBM hardware, maybe alongside AMD GPU's, and 4D stacking as well

edit: OMG :-0


looks like we have a winner.
I am betting my 360 that PS4 will be 2GB, 4D stacked, Cell2

I remember you or someone else saying something like this but I thought it was just a joke so I just ignored it.

 

[Persistantthug]

Not really, Cell may have been difficult to programme but it was a damn impressive piece of hardware that I think really did pay off.

On balance it might not have been the best mix of hardware for a 2006 console but I certainly don't think IBM did Sony poorly in its design.

No,
I'm talking about the part where IBM secretly went behind Sony's back, and basically gave Microsoft the PPU.....basically.

XBOX 360's Xenon is based off of the Cell Processor....at least in part.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Imminent derail with mod intervention.

 

[Ruskie]

No,
I'm talking about the part where IBM secretly went behind Sony's back, and basically gave Microsoft the PPU.....basically.

XBOX 360's Xenon is based off of the Cell Processor....at least in part.

IBM designed PPU before even beginning working on Cell, they could have done whatever they wanted with their design. Can we stop with this? Its obvious that there is no Cell2 in PS4. AMD is suplying 4 core CPU and its a done deal.

 

[BRiT]

As I stated before, I heard rumors that the PS4 would be using 4D stacking. It was from a really reliable source. He said Sony would stay with IBM, but everyone here is claiming AMD so I just accepted that.

I was researching 4D stacking however, and guess what turned up:
http://www.google.com/patents/US20110170266

It appears that the 4D stacking method is patented by IBM. In that case, I think we can expect the PS4 to carry IBM hardware, maybe alongside AMD GPU's, and 4D stacking as well

edit: OMG :-0

looks like we have a winner.
I am betting my 360 that PS4 will be 2GB, 4D stacked, Cell2

How about you bet your membership at B3D instead?

 

[tunafish]

I am betting my 360 that PS4 will be 2GB, 4D stacked, Cell2

If you actually want to put money on the line, I'm willing to take the other end of that bet. It's not going to be Cell2, because there is no Cell2. If IBM suddenly came out of the woodworks with a direct line successor to cell, it would literally be the best kept secret in the history of cpu design. It would not even be enough for them to have chosen not to talk about it -- the comings and goings of their key people with the skill and experience with designing such tech are relatively closely scrutinized by people with interest in the industry. The company would have to have told actual, direct lies to mask the existence of the design project.

None of it makes any sense, especially given that they have nothing whatsoever to gain from such secrecy.

Face it already, Cell is dead. Good riddance.

 

[Brad Grenz]

Don't talk him out of it before he accepts the bet!

 

[onQ]

I still can't tell if he is serious or not, & if he is I would like to know who his reliable source is & when did he get this information?

 

[Proelite]

I am willing to ban bet that Antawn will lose the ban bet.

 

[bgassassin]

I believe the 1+ TFLOP GPU story comes from the rumors regarding the 720 having a 6000 series GPU. If the final GPU is a 8000 series, this number might be higher, isn´t it?.

It came from the person I got the Xbox info from. Ruskie posted my comments a page or so ago.

A 6670 (from the IGN rumor) is not close to that.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

edit: OMG :-0

55. The device of claim 46 wherein said micro-channels comprising a cooling channel comprises a plurality of cooling channels having a square square shaped cross section or tunnel shaped cross-section, said cooling channels being stacked on-top of one another or staggered, the inside of said cooling channels being coated with a material comprising a coating to reduce fluid resistance and increase wear resistance inside of said cooling channels.

"...a square square shaped cross-section or tunnel shaped cross section." Umm, a tunnel has some other geometric cross-section and isn't a shape to itself, as many a primary school child knows. Patent lawyers really have got the easiest, stupidest job in the world.

Imminent derail with mod intervention.

This thread reminds me of Move's Tumble stacking boxes. It's getting bigger and bigger and less stable. It's spent a couple of pages leaning towards rumourmonger-debate and I thought it was going to topple, but it's straightened up a little with some reference to chips and stacking. The OP is flat as a pancake under the weight of all these other posts!

 

[Grall]

The OP is flat as a pancake under the weight of all these other posts!

You don't say! Btw if anyone else notices, or thinks about these things, but the previous page was numerically symmetrical; 5-3-1... (Anyhow, that's A LOT of posts! Crikey.)

 

[SKYSONY]

It would be interesting to know how the rumored dev kit specs having an 8 core GPU, 7000 series GP and 8 Gb of RAM have to do with those developers who apparently said Durango was like 2 PC together.

Quite confusing the rumors about the Xbox 3.

 

[antwan]

Cell1 was never the bottleneck. Cell2 could just be a slightly improved version and still be competitive in a 2013 launch, as long as it doesn't have to compensate for the RSX this time around. 2GB would be enough as long as the OS/PSN footprint is kept to a minimum.

Mod: Off-topic derailment about Sony's software strategy removed.

 

[itsmydamnation]

it wasn't a bottleneck because the other guy had the same cores. if the other guy goes with 4-8 X86 cores with a total 4-8 256bit FPU'a then it will be a massive bottleneck.

Cell has no future IBM and Sony know this, take the hint.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

There's a whole thread on Cell, so a discussion doesn't need to be held here. Those who want to believe an as-yet-unannounced Cell 2 has been secretly in development and will appear in PS4 are free to express their predictions here.

If we're honest, all the ideas have been aired now. There's very little ground to cover until we get a meaty rumour. And at that point it isn't hardware prediction but hardware-observation.

 

[cteam]

To remember again especially with xbox next

As early as April-May 2011 we heard EA already devkit
http://www.develop-online.net/news/37618/Develop-source-New-Xbox-console-on-desks-at-EA

The successor to the Xbox 360 console is on desks at an unnamed Electronic Arts studio, Develop understands.

The new hardware, sent to EA last month, is a very early build with no casing – it is in fact being stored inside a PC shell.

And weeks a go we have a picture of supposed to be a durango devkit
and many dont believe it because it is like a PC.

And other insider tell us they already got dev kit as early as 3 years a go

So the IGN rumor 6-8x i thnik linked to early devkit, as early as 2-3 years a go
no wonder there is constant rumor that MS already 6 years into nextgen R/D.

 

[Arwin]

There's a whole thread on Cell, so a discussion doesn't need to be held here. Those who want to believe an as-yet-unannounced Cell 2 has been secretly in development and will appear in PS4 are free to express their predictions here.

If we're honest, all the ideas have been aired now. There's very little ground to cover until we get a meaty rumour. And at that point it isn't hardware prediction but hardware-observation.

Maybe a good time to do some on-record voting?

 

[Acert93]

Oh there is plenty of room left for predictions. We only think we know who won the GPU contracts but we have no certainty on the CPUs, memory technology and architecture, or peripheral technologies (controllers, cameras, storage) or core services.

 

[onQ]

Oh there is plenty of room left for predictions. We only think we know who won the GPU contracts but we have no certainty on the CPUs, memory technology and architecture, or peripheral technologies (controllers, cameras, storage) or core services.

here is a few ideas on the Memory Technology sent to me by Jeff_rigby on gaf today

If you are serious about speculating on PS4 memory then look at these two cites:

Memory in Game Console SOCs page 23.

Micron Stockholder meeting August 2011:

Graphics and consumer. Fair to say, a little bit of a slowdown here, specifically in the DTV segment. I'll speak more about what's happening in game consoles as well. A pretty good push for more memory coming up in the Game Console segment as a level of redesigns. We'll start to hit it over the next couple of years.

And talking about consumer again here. I thought it'd be beneficial to show you across a couple of key applications how this looks in terms of megabyte per system. On the left, what we have are game consoles. This is a space that's been pretty flat for a number of years in terms of the average shipped density per system. That's going to be changing here pretty quickly. I think everyone realizes that these systems are somewhat clumpy in their development. The next generation of system is under development now and that because of 3D and some of the bandwidth requirements, drives the megabyte per console up fairly quickly. So we're anticipating some good growth here.

We've worked with a number of these vendors specifically on both custom and semi-custom solutions in that space.

Micron makes memory for AMD as does Hynix.

Product list of Hynix

GDDR5
2Gb x32/x16 7.0Gbps Game console, Desktop, Notebook, Workstation, HPC
1Gb x32/x16 6.0Gbps

So game console(s) are going to use GDDR5 (which one and how much).