Revolutions GPU architecture?

[Guden Oden]

Not sure, but custom needs to be defined and so does PC GPU. One could argue that Xenos is an early R600 PC GPU with custom eDRAM!

Well, considering Rev's GPU is going to be more or less 100% register compatible with Flipper (sans perhaps the Micronix DSP; this could be done in software on a modern CPU), it's going to have to be a custom jobbie. They can't hitch up a PC GPU to Broadway and tack on eDRAM to it and call it Hollywood and then expect it to run GC games.

 

[darkblu]

The G4's had Altivec but not the G3's which IBM label PPC 7xxx and PPC 7xx respectively!

well, not really.

 

[j^aws]

Well, considering Rev's GPU is going to be more or less 100% register compatible with Flipper (sans perhaps the Micronix DSP; this could be done in software on a modern CPU), it's going to have to be a custom jobbie. They can't hitch up a PC GPU to Broadway and tack on eDRAM to it and call it Hollywood and then expect it to run GC games.

Then that would be called Bollywood!

Anyway, "custom" is a subjective term. Like I mentioned in my OP, I suggested it 'could' be the basis for Hollywood. They wouldn't need a 'new' architecture but adapt this architecture for Hollywood and customise it but the fundamentals of the architecture would still be the same but with different CPU and memory interfaces etc.. ATI have 3 major architectures in the works, SM2, SM3 and SM4. I don't expect Hollywood to stray too much from their SM3 architecture...

Regarding the emulation of Flipper, check out the Flipper patent that I linked above, it also describes it's emulation,

...FIG. 18A illustrates an example overall emulation process using a host platform 1201, an emulator component 1303, and a game software executable binary image provided on a storage medium 62. Host 1201 may be a general or special purpose digital computing device such as, for example, a personal computer, a video game console, or any other platform with sufficient computing power. Emulator 1303 may be software and/or hardware that runs on host platform 1201, and provides a real-time conversion of commands, data and other information from storage medium 62 into a form that can be processed by host 1201. For example, emulator 1303 fetches "source" binary-image program instructions intended for execution by system 50 from storage medium 62 and converts these program instructions to a target format that can be executed or otherwise processed by host 1201...

well, not really.

I rest my case! My nomenclature confuzzlement continues! Not sure what to look for there but unless I'm missing something, they still say 7xxx are G4's?

To add to the AIM alliances nomenclature mess, just realised that Altivec is aka VMX, aka Velocity Engine! No wonder the AIM alliance collapsed!

 

[Cornman]

Then that would be called Bollywood!

Anyway, "custom" is a subjective term. Like I mentioned in my OP, I suggested it 'could' be the basis for Hollywood. They wouldn't need a 'new' architecture but adapt this architecture for Hollywood and customise it but the fundamentals of the architecture would still be the same but with different CPU and memory interfaces etc.. ATI have 3 major architectures in the works, SM2, SM3 and SM4. I don't expect Hollywood to stray too much from their SM3 architecture...

Regarding the emulation of Flipper, check out the Flipper patent that I linked above, it also describes it's emulation,





I rest my case! My nomenclature confuzzlement continues! Not sure what to look for there but unless I'm missing something, they still say 7xxx are G4's?

To add to the AIM alliances nomenclature mess, just realised that Altivec is aka VMX, aka Velocity Engine! No wonder the AIM alliance collapsed!

Custom 65nm R520 @ 500Mhz or 600Mhz

 

[V3]

Custom 65nm R520 @ 500Mhz or 600Mhz

What about Flipper with more pipes and optimisation and upgraded memory controller @ 500 MHz ?

 

[mckmas8808]

I think re. resolution they simply are aware than most of the market will be playing on SDTVs, and they can match (or exceed perhaps?) power per pixel of the other machines by catering to that only.

Well isn't that part of the Rev's problem? Could High Def be Nintendo's next-gen miss like online was this current gen? Only time will tell [/announcer voice]

 

[Shifty Geezer]

What about Flipper with more pipes and optimisation and upgraded memory controller @ 500 MHz ?

I imagine that wouldn't work as it'd be lacking features. A 500 MHz GeForce4 with the same pipe configuration as G70 won't be a comparable chip in performance. They'll need HDR at least.

 

[Guden Oden]

Heh, wouldn't it be cool if Rev's GPU *ONLY* ran in floating-point framebuffer mode? No fixed precision support at all? They could save trannies on all that legacy crap and use them to make float support run faster and better, especially if it's geared towards SDTV resolutions. It could use an eDRAM memory area for tiling the full frame in memory like xenos, support AA etc... Mmm. That'd make for some seriously yummy visuals.