Xbox 360 tech a decade old - Xenon System Diagram leaked April 2004

[Megadrive1988]

I recall the diagram being called fake by some of the press and individuals.


GameSpot Rumor Control
April 30, 2004

RUMOR #2: A technical diagram of the Xbox Next has been leaked.

Source: Chinese hardware site GZeasy.com.

The official story: "Microsoft does not comment on rumor and speculation"--Microsoft auto-response.

What we heard: Early this week, GZeasy.com posted a primitive block diagram of "Xenon," Microsoft's not so secret code name for its next-gen console. Since the diagram bore the name of Michael Dougherty, head of the Xbox Advanced Technology Group, many Xbox-watchers eager for inside information thought the schematic was legitimate. The device pictured did jibe with the Xbox Next that tech reporter Dean Takahashi described in a February San Jose Mercury News article--it will feature 256MB of main memory and three 3.5GHz CPUs sharing a 1MB L2 cache. While this seemed plausible to some, several experts interviewed by Gamesindustry.biz cast doubt on the schematic. "The diagram looks to me like it reflects the available information about Xbox 2 rather than being a sensible set of information to put on a document for developers," said one. Experts contacted by GameSpot found the fact that the diagram labels the inclusion of a hard drive as "not decided" particularly suspect.

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus. While it's likely the Xbox Next will contain some of the features in the diagram, it's unlikely the schematic itself is authentic.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rumor-control-son-of-dreamcast-and-xbox-next-specs/1100-6095043/


IGN:

Xbox 2 Details Revealed
APRIL 27, 2004

Chinese website GZeasy revealed an alleged blueprint of Xbox 2, labeled Xenon System Block Diagram, earlier today. The diagram is believed to be the basic concept for the next Xbox, which is either codenamed Xenon or will, in fact, be called Xenon. Though some aspects of Xenon may change slightly over the next year, the diagram is believed to be a close representation of Xbox 2.

Michael Dougherty, head of Xbox Advanced Technology Group, has his name attached to the document, though that doesn't make it any more legitimate. However, the diagram was confirmed as the real deal by a developer close to Microsoft. "We were very surprised to see that leaked," a source, who wished to remain anonymous, told us this morning. "I'm sure Microsoft is freaking out because this is the same stuff [developers] have now."

Other sources have claimed that the document is not real and claim it is a fake. The main point of contention is that the document doesn't state what type of RAM will be used, something that's quite important for development considerations. A Microsoft representative stated, "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation" -- but Microsoft's legal department requested that IGN does not reprint the schematic on its websites. While most signs suggest that the document is authentic and of high importance, note that it is also possible the leaked blueprint is an older document never meant for the public eye and that the current architecture of Xbox 2 is quite different.

What does the fancy diagram that Microsoft doesn't want you to see mean? Though it doesn't offer cold hard facts as to what "Xenon" will be capable of in terms of full processing power, one thing is clear -- this baby will be quite powerful.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/27/xbox-2-details-revealed


Certainly was not fake, even though the clockspeed of the CPU ended up a bit lower and the amount of RAM went from 256MB to 512MB that didn't discredit the leak in retrospect once Xbox 360 specs were finalized and known to everyone in 2005.

I think it's certainly more difficult to pin down how old PS3 tech is because it was in development in various forms and stages before the first Xbox was on the market. Aside from CELL, the Nvidia GPU was a fairly late development, Nvidia doing the GPU was announced in late 2004. It's more or less, roughly the same timeframe as the 360 even though PS3 launched a year later.


Most of you here have read the following books years ago, but for those that have not and are interested in how the last gen consoles were developed, I highly suggest these two:

 

[Grall]

True... Very much not-fake. It kinda boggles my mind these things occurred so long ago now. Almost feels like another lifetime.

 

[Megadrive1988]

All I remember the day I saw that is, thinking to myself, 50/50 it's fake/legit.

 

[loekf]

Specially the book written by the guy at IBM on the development of the cell cpu and the derivative they made for Microsoft by re-using the PowerPC core with some extra stuff without telling both companies is epic.

I can imagine the same happened at AMD.... can't wait until someone writes a book on the Xbox One and PS4 from the insider's perspective.

 

[McHuj]

I remember discussing that with another engineer at work who was extremely adamant that no one in their right mind would design a 3 core CPU.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Oh how I wish they'd created a similar high spec on the current generation. Two chips would've been very nice.

 

[XpiderMX]

I remember a similar diagram from 2004.

EDIT: http://tweakers.net/nieuws/32143/technische-details-microsoft-xbox-2-mogelijk-uitgelekt.html

 

[Cyan]

All I remember the day I saw that is, thinking to myself, 50/50 it's fake/legit.

I remember discussing that with another engineer at work who was extremely adamant that no one in their right mind would design a 3 core CPU.

Unlike MegaDrive1988 I don't remember that slide or a similar one, by that matter, since I hadn't a regular internet connection back then and had to go to internet cafes to share my thoughts with people on the net and stuff like that.

But I can understand your workmate, I didn't think back then that a console in 2005 could be so powerful (on paper) at that price.

I was shocked when they final specs were confirmed and they showed a 3.2GHz CPU plus 512MB of RAM.

Probably the piece of hardware that made me the most proud when I purchased it --but again, I didn't know much about hardware then.