ps3 cell cpu runs at 4.6 ghz

gamedudex2 · Post by **gamedudex2** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:24 am

Cell Processor to Run at 4.6 Ghz
By: C?sar A. Berardini - "Cesar"
Jan. 24th, 2005 8:52 am
When Sony reveals the technical details of the highly-anticipated advanced microprocessor code-named Cell, they will announce that the new processor will run at 4.6 gigahertz. IBM, Sony and Toshiba will present four technical papers at the International Solid State Circuits Conference to be held next month in San Francisco.

The Cell is a multicore chip comprising a 64-bit Power processor core and multiple synergistic processor cores capable of massive floating point processing. Cell is optimized for compute-intensive workloads and broadband rich media applications, including computer entertainment, movies and other forms of digital content.

Sony plans to use the Cell to power its next generation PlayStation as well as home servers for broadband content and high-definition televisions.

Other highlights of the Cell processor design include:

* Multi-thread, multicore architecture.
* Supports multiple operating systems at the same time.
* Substantial bus bandwidth to/from main memory, as well as companion chips.
* Flexible on-chip I/O (input/output) interface.
* Real-time resource management system for real-time applications.
* On-chip hardware in support of security system for intellectual property protection.
* Implemented in 90 nanometer (nm) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.

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Matt · Post by **Matt** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:30 am

a lot of Pentium 4's run at 3Ghz but it dosen't mean much. It must put out quite a bit of heat, maybe they'll invest in some huge copper heatsinks

Skater_dusto · Post by **Skater_dusto** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:50 am

Hmmm.... thinks back to all of the prerelease ps2 hype... I don't care really care about the specs at all. I'd much rather see the ps3 in action. *waits patiently*

gamedudex2 · Post by **gamedudex2** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:56 am

the cell is power pc based

the xbox 2 has 3 3.5 ghz g5 based chips in it so far thats from the leaked specs last

year

also ibm said that cpu performace in xbox 2 and ps3 wotn differ much

the only secretive console is the nintendo revolution

MrSiggler · Post by **MrSiggler** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:08 pm

*cough*bullshit*cough*

Digital Chaos · Post by **Digital Chaos** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:39 pm

*cough*siggler's right*cough*

Nyarlathotep · Post by **Nyarlathotep** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:41 pm

dude! you're getting a cell!

gamedudex2 · Post by **gamedudex2** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:55 pm

perry · Post by **perry** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:05 pm

I want two cells!

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 3:11 pm

i want a google of cells

FETUS · Post by **FETUS** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 4:58 pm

the only secretive console is the nintendo revolution

When they turn around and finaly admit to being beaten in the console market?

gamedudex2 · Post by **gamedudex2** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 5:12 pm

nintendo has not been beaten as in being a money loser, so at this point nintendo is the mac of the console world

Pyrosurfer · Post by **Pyrosurfer** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:17 pm

This is bullshit. It is not going to have a 4.6ghz 64 bit processor, unless it is coming out in 2010.

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:25 pm

a 4.6 32bit cpu is very possable tho.

DanteJay · Post by **DanteJay** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:56 pm

With the way things are going it looks as if M$ will debut the Xbox next (Or whatever it's going to be called) at least a year before the PS3. I don't see the difference in power ratio changing much more than PS2 did with Dreamcast. All I know is that now its time for Nintendo to do or die. I think if they mess up the next system, they'll have no choice to go 3rd party like Sega did. And Sega was bigger than Nintendo being a part of CRI and all... But with the way things are going right now, the next console war should be more even than this one was. I see Nintendo making quite a few surprises.. good surpirses that is.

And if the whole M$ going cart rumor is true, they better do it right and not like N64... *shudders* Hopefully it's only as a save device like a memory card

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:49 pm

Ah, Sony. Once again showing absolute ignorance of software.

Put simply, this thing (assuming they actually manage to pull it off) has two major problems:

1 - It's going to be a pain to write software for. Think "as hard as a PS2", and multiply that by 1000.
2 - Sitting around doing virtually nothing, because all that theoretical power is absolutely wasted if you can't use it.

That's ignoring all the other problems with it (no MMU, manually managed cache, insane heat output and therefore power consumption)

In most games, what could you possibly be doing that requires lots of independent floating point operations? Rendering, which is handled by separate video hardware. Any maybe movie playback, which certainly would not need that kind of power. Everything else involves smaller numbers of calculations and (more importantly) logic. Neither of which this kind of CPU is at all useful for.

All the floating point units are absolutely worthless for general purpose programming. All they do is run a simple program on a large chunk of data. Maybe for video encoding and decoding, but this thing is going to end up using way too much power (here's a hint - it runs at 85 degrees, and the hottest PC CPUs run at around 65) for that kind of thing, especially when we already have lower power dedicated devices that can do the job quite nicely.

Now, I know what IBM are hoping to get out of this. Look at the architecture of their supercomputers - a series of modules, each consisting of a single control CPU and several (8 to 64, usually) work CPUs which actually do the calculations. Sound familiar? That's exactly the kind of architecture this thing has. And it would be ideally suited for use in supercomputers, which usually spend their time running large numbers of (mostly) independent calculations across a very, very large set of data.

However, games don't do that. They never have and likely never will. So I have no idea what Sony are trying to get out of this. This thing is pretty much useless for games.

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:53 pm

Does anyone see the next console war being a 3 way battle? I think thats just being blind. Nintendo is already dead when it comes to console hardware.

DanteJay · Post by **DanteJay** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:21 pm

Clessy wrote:Does anyone see the next console war being a 3 way battle? I think thats just being blind. Nintendo is already dead when it comes to console hardware.

Nintendo fell shortly behind M$ They have been quoted as saying "The day Nintendo doesn't make games for it's own system, is the day Nintendo doesn't make games at all" I don't believe that, but I do believe they'll give it their best shot before walking away from the console market. You think anyone who believes Nintendo is launching another console system is blind? Even Sega did after the horrible sales Saturn had between 96-97. Saturn was pretty much dead for a year before Dreamcast even came out. Nintendo is finally doing things right now. Have you seen the new Zelda and StarFox?? The creativity of the DS although lacking an Analog stick (Which will somewhat hurt the system in the future believe me).. But for now it's business as always for them. And I for one can't wait for StarFox and Zelda.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:26 pm

Wow, Sony's at it again. Time to pre-order 5 of these babies to sell to the unwitting fools on eBay.

For $1,000 each.

MKE · Post by **MKE** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:28 pm

ninteno's gc is kicking xbox's ass in japan (atleast last time i looked at the numbers wich was a little bit ago, but i cant see them changing that much)....

i see it being a 3 way tie, again.

as long as they make money, there winning.

although nintendo cant go and make money lost back by selling computers, tv's, OS's, office products, etc, etc they do own the handheld market.