Sony comments on CELL & PS3

[sonycowboy]

http://news.inq7.net/infotech/index.php?index=1&story_id=28673

Meanwhile, Nanako Kato, official spokeswoman of the Sony Computer Entertainment headquarters in Japan, was careful to cut through the hype created by the Cell Chip announcement.

“The details of Cell announced at ISSCC are based on the full specs of the chip. Cell is the broadband processor used for a wide number of applications, and will be optimized according to the needs of each application,â€￾ she told INQ7.net.

Asked to comment on how powerful a Cell processor the PS3 will be able to accommodate, she replied: “The performance of Cell announced at this time may not equal the performance of SCE’s next-generation computer entertainment system. At this point in time, it is too premature to discuss our next system. We will announce the details in due course.â€￾

This seems to open up the possibility (which we've already heard) that Sony's PS3 "may not equal the performance" of the "full spec" CELL processor. You could take this either way, but it certainly seems to imply the possibility of it being less than the "full specs" of the CELL. Of course, with optimizations, the modified CELL is the PS3 could be more appropriate to that application than the standard CELL implementation shown at ISSCC.

 

[Qroach]

Hi Sonycowboy, I did't know you started posting in this forum. Anyway glad to have you

 

[Sonic]

That doesn't seem to detract form the power of PS3, only saying that the current CELL chip may not be as pwoerful as the version going into PS3.

 

[AzBat]

That doesn't seem to detract form the power of PS3, only saying that the current CELL chip may not be as pwoerful as the version going into PS3.

Or it could be more powerful than the PS3 CPU. They word it could be read both ways. In other words, the PS3 CPU does not equal "ISSCC Cell".

Tommy McClain

 

[nAo]

it seems to me PS3 CPU will be less powerful than ISSCC CPU..

 

[GwymWeepa]

It wouldn't surprise me if Sony tries their best to actually put the most powerful possible iteration of Cell into the ps3, even if they have to lose money in the long run, so that they can stifle the competition and be alone in the living room come generation after next.

 

[one]

In other words, the PS3 CPU does not equal "ISSCC Cell".

Why do you think so

 

[a688]

In other words, the PS3 CPU does not equal "ISSCC Cell".

Why do you think so

Did you bother reading the article?

 

[Joe DeFuria]

What were Deadmeat's predictions on PS3 cell chip flop ratings again?

 

[one]

In other words, the PS3 CPU does not equal "ISSCC Cell".

Why do you think so

Did you bother reading the article?

You know, why isn't the PS3, to which most of the Cell processor produced in forthcoming years will be implemented, an application that requires the full spec? The PS3 version of the Cell may be lower than the ISSCC one, or equal to.

 

[V3]

What were Deadmeat's predictions on PS3 cell chip flop ratings again?

I think he went something like main memory bandwidth/sizeof(float), or something similar.

 

[Sonic]

After rereading it I detract my statement. That can be taken both ways, just depends on how we want to look at the quote. So yes it could be less powerful or more, depending on the wya it is being read. A mistake on my part...

 

[AzBat]

You know, why isn't the PS3, to which most of the Cell processor produced in forthcoming years will be implemented, an application that requires the full spec? The PS3 version of the Cell may be lower than the ISSCC one, or equal to.

Or it could be faster. Read the quote again...

The performance of Cell announced at this time may not equal the performance of SCE’s next-generation computer entertainment system.

If the PS3 CPU equaled the ISSCC CPU, then you could say they were the same processor. But they're trying to warn that they may not be equal. One could be faster than the other. Exactly which one is which is not said.

Tommy McClain

 

[Mythos]

Plus there is a slant on the way the writer wants you to think...

" And while no one is seriously thinking that the PS3 will be powered by a 4GHz processor, the announcement has fueled even more rumors, and speculation that the PS3 will be the most powerful next-generation console."

He is already biased and is not reporting on a neutral position on what may be in the PS3.

 

[V3]

She said 'may not', so there are a chance its the same too, as well as less or more

This most likely a bad translation.

 

[Paul]

Could happen, though I *very* much doubt it... But I'm open for anything. Time will tell no doubt.

 

[AzBat]

What were Deadmeat's predictions on PS3 cell chip flop ratings again?

From the searches I did it seemed he had all kinds of predictions, but one he tried to stay with was 1 PE(65nm) at 2GHz and 128 GFLOPS.

Tommy McClain

 

[one]

Or it could be faster. Read the quote again...

How can it be faster? If the spokeswoman only refers to the SPE configuration, then it can have higher clock speed, but I doubt it. By 'full spec', I assume it refers to the 8SPE @ 4GHz spec. To make the PS3 ''faster", you have to put multiple Cell chips, and personally I'm not inclined to think it's viable.

 

[AzBat]

Or it could be faster. Read the quote again...

How can it be faster? If the spokeswoman only refers to the SPE configuration, then it can have higher clock speed, but I doubt it. By 'full spec', I assume it refers to the 8SPE @ 4GHz spec. To make the PS3 ''faster", you have to put multiple Cell chips, and personally I'm not inclined to think it's viable.

If the yields are good and they're adventurous I could see it being faster just by virtue of an increased clock rate. But IMHO, I don't see the clock being faster than 4GHz. Time will tell.

Tommy McClain

 

[AzBat]

Could happen, though I *very* much doubt it... But I'm open for anything. Time will tell no doubt.

Paul,

You make me smile.

There's no way to tell exactly what you meant by that reply. What are you referencing to "could happen"?

Kinda interesting that your comments of late are really terse. Under NDA?

Tommy McClain