Predict: The Next Generation Console Tech

[(((interference)))]

You know what's great, a console with a HD 6870 or equivalent would easily be able to run Battlefield 3 at 1080p 60 fps, probably even on Ultra.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-radeon-6870-review

If true they would be missing out on a lot of the hardware profits they've been getting this gen from Kinect. Also contrary to what many here think I don't really think MS ever cared for Kinect to be taken seriously as a platform for core games, I've really only ever thought that they wanted Kinect to be a quick cash in on casuals. I think they'll stick with that strategy next-gen.

Hardly,
Kinect is MS' bet for the future of UI, like the mouse and multitouch before it - it isn't just some gimmick to lure casuals. They definitely take it seriously, as can be seen by Kinect for Windows and the videos like this where they show Kinect's potential for non-gaming applications.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_QLguHvACs

 

[RedVi]

Regarding the GPU in this pictured alpha kit - I'd be leaning heavily towards 6950 over 6870. Why? Newest architecture at the time, closer to GCN than VLIW5. Also, 2GB VRAM is much closer to what final hardware would have - or does the fact that they're using DDR3/4 somewhat negate this factor?

 

[user542745831]

You know what's great, a console with a HD 6870 or equivalent would easily be able to run Battlefield 3 at 1080p 60 fps, probably even on Ultra.

Would you really call something like that "next-gen" at the end of 2013 for example or maybe even later ?

Also:

http://twitter.com/repi/status/118723575183183872

for our demos we use 2x 580s (or 2x 6970s) to run ULTRA at 1080p at almost always over 60+ fps

 

[Rangers]

You know what's great, a console with a HD 6870 or equivalent would easily be able to run Battlefield 3 at 1080p 60 fps, probably even on Ultra.

One thing that keeps sticking in mind is some rumor set included the info something like "The Durango GPU is ok, nothing great. EA has BF3 running at 1080P 30 FPS at high settings already internally".

That was a good while ago.

 

[LXFBN]

You know what's great, a console with a HD 6870 or equivalent would easily be able to run Battlefield 3 at 1080p 60 fps, probably even on Ultra.



Hardly,
Kinect is MS' bet for the future of UI, like the mouse and multitouch before it - it isn't just some gimmick to lure casuals. They definitely take it seriously, as can be seen by Kinect for Windows and the videos like this where they show Kinect's potential for non-gaming applications.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_QLguHvACs

If MS have a heavy focus on Kinect next-gen then they can count me out. One problem MS may have next-gen is that the majority of core gamers may abandon them.

 

[Megadrive1988]

One thing that keeps sticking in mind is some rumor set included the info something like "The Durango GPU is ok, nothing great. EA has BF3 running at 1080P 30 FPS at high settings already internally".

That was a good while ago.

One would think that both Durango and Orbis would be able to chew through Battlefield 3 with ease running 60fps @ 1080p on ultra.

 

[user542745831]

One would think that both Durango and Orbis would be able to chew through Battlefield 3 with ease running 60fps @ 1080p on ultra.

See post #14645:

http://twitter.com/repi/status/118723575183183872

for our demos we use 2x 580s (or 2x 6970s) to run ULTRA at 1080p at almost always over 60+ fps

 

[Blazkowicz]

Didn't that Sweetart guy say that PS4 is APU? Than we got leaked specs sheet which suggested that and BG also confirmed its APU. I mean, that thing would go better with MS philosophy of heavy OS and Kinect, but I would rather CPU+ discrete GPU. 4-6 core Jaguar and big GPU, say ~130W.

Because you could turn discrete GPU totally off and you would have very lite APU managing OS.

You could include a crappy and tiny mobile GPU and switch to that instead. If you want to display video and flying windows cell phone stuff is now up to it.

Why would a big APU with mostly GPU elements be that much hotter than a similarly sized and watted GPU?

Why would a 150 watt APU (>80% GPU) be any hotter than a 150 watt GPU?

It wouldn't, but such GPUs or CPUs (Intel does sell a 150W 8 core Xeon) typically go in at least a micro ATX tower with two or three large fans, including the PSU one and excluding the fans on CPU and/or GPU.

Nothing outlandish but the costs add up. The console may have a "high end amplifier" form factor, like premium HTPC cases, a good enough PSU, fans that may have to be serviced by the user, and the user has to be careful to not obstruct air flow.
Well, if you make it too high end, remember what happened to the 3DO.

PS3 proves me wrong, it's pretty high end, though it just ran loud (also back then, bluray was expensive but now it's cheap enough for nintendo to use it)
Xbox got an annoying failure rate from whatever industrial problem which ended with bad results with the level of heat.

 

[Megadrive1988]

See post #14645:

Opps

 

[user542745831]

Opps

With that:

http://twitter.com/repi/status/118723575183183872

for our demos we use 2x 580s (or 2x 6970s) to run ULTRA at 1080p at almost always over 60+ fps

he appears to be talking about 4xMSAA though, at least by reading another tweet from him:

http://twitter.com/repi/status/59393856118079488

Battlefield 3 trailer (12 min) the way it is meant to be watched: 1080p, 60 fps, 4x MSAA.

?

And at least according to the following review for example:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5699/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-review/13

it rather looks like as if using FXAA for example instead of 4xMSAA would make quite a big difference in terms of performance?

 

[Acert93]

Why me? I'm just an audio guy. I don't get much input into future products

Because (a) you appreciate good food, (2) you were kind enough to invite me down to test out Kinect, (iii) you're the only MS person I know online who I can toss out such bait for, (quatro) you are within driving distance, (•) and importantly, knowing what a swell guy you are, when they did ask for your one little line of input

Spoiler

more audio!!

you spoke up and said to The Steve, "I know this guy, Acert93, who really wants to, "Jump In--Again!" (TM) but we need a killer GPU in this puppy. If he buys an Xbox 3 he will infuence [strike]forums[/strike] social networks around the world to get the Xbox 3. Make him happy, 2TFLOPs +, and we win!" **poof** Ok, that last bit was a dream but the other 4 points all count.

Spoiler

Ok, the real reason is I could poke around your house and snap pictures to post online of your dev kit muwahaaha!

Of course anything below a balance 2TFLOPs GPU gets you a mail in rebate for a fish sandwich at a fast food joint I am sure the Advanced Tech guys will conceed that a cheese cake and grilled salmon for bkillian is well worth the extra hardware... right? (If you guys go over 3TFLOPs I will personally deliver 5 homemade cheese cakes to a Redmond office of you choosing.) Cheese cake for Teraflops -- you heard it here first folks! I wonder how long it takes to get this throw down into a signature?

 

[(((interference)))]

See post #14645:

Yeah, but that's probably because they're being overcautious and don't want a single dropped frame OR they want to render at 120fps and downsample to 60fps improving quality.

Fact is, a GPU at least as good as the HD6870 in closed box console architecture should have no problem running BF3 at 1080p on Ultra settings at least at a perceptual 60 FPS.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-radeon-6870-review

One thing that keeps sticking in mind is some rumor set included the info something like "The Durango GPU is ok, nothing great. EA has BF3 running at 1080P 30 FPS at high settings already internally".

That was a good while ago.

Who said that? Does it predate the leaked dev kit? Or is it someone just continuing in the same vein of bgassassin's 1+TF GPU (which might have been what was in the kit at one point before the upgrade to the current GPUs seen in the leak)

 

[Proelite]

Because (a) you appreciate good food, (2) you were kind enough to invite me down to test out Kinect, (iii) you're the only MS person I know online who I can toss out such bait for, (quatro) you are within driving distance, (•) and importantly, knowing what a swell guy you are, when they did ask for your one little line of input

Spoiler

more audio!!

you spoke up and said to The Steve, "I know this guy, Acert93, who really wants to, "Jump In--Again!" (TM) but we need a killer GPU in this puppy. If he buys an Xbox 3 he will infuence [strike]forums[/strike] social networks around the world to get the Xbox 3. Make him happy, 2TFLOPs +, and we win!" **poof** Ok, that last bit was a dream but the other 4 points all count.

Spoiler

Ok, the real reason is I could poke around your house and snap pictures to post online of your dev kit muwahaaha!

Of course anything below a balance 2TFLOPs GPU gets you a mail in rebate for a fish sandwich at a fast food joint I am sure the Advanced Tech guys will conceed that a cheese cake and grilled salmon for bkillian is well worth the extra hardware... right? (If you guys go over 3TFLOPs I will personally deliver 5 homemade cheese cakes to a Redmond office of you choosing.) Cheese cake for Teraflops -- you heard it here first folks! I wonder how long it takes to get this throw down into a signature?

Bookmarked.

 

[Acert93]

Didn't your location say New Jersey yesterday?

EDIT: You sure want to see Killian get his cheesecake and salmon dinner

 

[Rangers]

If MS have a heavy focus on Kinect next-gen then they can count me out. One problem MS may have next-gen is that the majority of core gamers may abandon them.

They will abandon them if durango isn't powerful enough, otherwise they will not.

 

[Proelite]

Didn't your location say New Jersey yesterday?

EDIT: You sure want to see Killian get his cheesecake and salmon dinner

I haven't updated in 2 month.

Some men just want to see the world burn.

 

[bgassassin]

I figured I would post this here as well. Based on those rumored specs the 8870 would have 28 CUs (7950 has 28 CUs) and the 8850 would have 24 CUs (7870 has 20 CUs). They used the Boost Clock to get the SP TFLOP numbers.

 

[AzBat]

I haven't updated in 2 month.

Some men just want to see the world burn.

You're in Gotham City! +1 cred for using a Batman movie quote.

Tommy McClain

 

[LightHeaven]

Any chance Ms is using Haswell on Durango? It seems Intel made a pretty huge deal about Haswell's improved architecture and how it would enable voice and face recognition aswell depth tracking using hardware acceleration and thus low cpu usage and power consumption... Seemed perfect for Kinect, specially if it means they can improve the precision of the camera and still doesn't take much performance from the games...

 

[steviep]

You can already count that rumour out based on the fact that they say Kinect isn't packed into every box