That's the one!
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Recent PS4 SDK update unlocked 7th CPU core for gaming
- Thread starter DieH@rd
- Start date
That's the one!
ninjablade
Banned
Are people over exaggerating this, will this give games that are cpu heavy like a 3fps boost if it's running at 27fps?
They could have wanted to do more rigid body physics stuff. That tends to run significantly better on the CPU.
Iacobellis
Junior Member
So... is this a drawback of using low-power AMD CPUs? I don't recall the PS3 or 360 ever receiving (or needing) "hardware unlocks", especially only two years into the generation.
The PS3 had some of the reserved RAM unlocked I believe.
I will have to find the link but I believe it was Naughty Dog who requested that when they were working on Uncharted 2.
Iacobellis
Junior Member
The PS3 was only utilizing 256MB in 2006, whereas the 360 was equipped with 512.
It's funny how we received more blockbusters by now with hardware that was supposedly harder to develop for.
Plague Doctor
Member
Came in for a super saiyan gif and was not disappointed.
No, it'll give devs a few extra resources to plan around.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
Pretty sure that has never been the case. PS3 had a split memory pool of 256 MB system RAM + 256 MB graphics RAM while the 360 had a unified pool of 512 MB (like how both current consoles work), but I don't believe a full half of that was ever reserved for the OS on PS3. They did decrease the reserved amount over time though.
NoctisVsStar
Member
Iacobellis
Junior Member
Well, no, I believe the XMB was only needing around 70MB when all was said and done. But I thought the PS3 had access to less? Was it a lack of resources or just poor development on Sony's end?
Like, I remember not even being able to access the XMB in the way beginning, and even then, we were always limited to the text chat parties and text messages.
funking giblet
Member
They could set the cpu affinity for certain threads and get a larger boost than that, it's not just (FPS/6) * 7. If the other cores are shared for various process, sound and AI, one particularly bad rendering thread getting it's own core could speed things up a lot.
3fps boost?
So: 7 cores x 3fps = 21fps?
According to that logic some games are running at 18fps on PS4 at the moment (6 cores x 3fps =18fps).
Does not compute... Brain hurts.
Must...Self-destroy in 3... 2... 1...
gamingbolt
That aligns with eurogamer's source if not being the same(F-MOD themselves) although it being gamingbolt it could just be them reposting eurogamer's article.
That aligns with eurogamer's source if not being the same(F-MOD themselves) although it being gamingbolt it could just be them reposting eurogamer's article.
I wonder if there's only a partial core available currently with some first party devs being able to use the whole thing.
ninjablade
Banned
Ignoring the PR talk, and warrior stuff. I think it would be an interesting read.
byron_hinson
Member
Just guessing here, but it seems reasonable at least in my mind:
Exclusive to 1st party sounds like it really means 1st party are your beta testers. Unlock it for them, let them release a game or two, and see how things like
OS performance
Background music
Party chat
Secondary apps/web browser
Etc. all perform in the real world before opening the flood gates to all developers. In the name of stability of course
Another advantage of doing it this way is that your first party devs can work with middleware devs to start utilizing the extra core (and working out the bugs), and hopefully by the time it's available to all devs, the major middleware software already has support for it and it's an easy upgrade for third party devs.
Just think: boom, one day you suddenly have access to an extra core, and all your middleware and libraries already take advantage of it.
Anyway, I'm no insider, but this seems at least reasonable to assume... I think.
correct!
they didn't
is this maybe the reason why there was no party chat and other fan request on ps3 ?
Why would they if it only helps devs ?
diffusionx
Gold Member
I think the OS on PS3 needed something like 92 megs of main ram and 32 megs of video ram at launch. It partly explains how lousy some early ports were (Double Agent, etc.).
Over time Sony trimmed that down, but they also made it dynamic IIRC, if you wanted feature XYZ the OS needed N megs but it was optional.
I think the 360 OS used only 32 megs from day one.
Just guessing here, but it seems reasonable at least in my mind:
Exclusive to 1st party sounds like it really means 1st party are your beta testers. Unlock it for them, let them release a game or two, and see how things like
OS performance
Background music
Party chat
Secondary apps/web browser
Etc. all perform in the real world before opening the flood gates to all developers. In the name of stability of course
Another advantage of doing it this way is that your first party devs can work with middleware devs to start utilizing the extra core (and working out the bugs), and hopefully by the time it's available to all devs, the major middleware software already has support for it and it's an easy upgrade for third party devs.
Just think: boom, one day you suddenly have access to an extra core, and all your middleware and libraries already take advantage of it.
Anyway, I'm no insider, but this seems at least reasonable to assume... I think.
Web browser etc are foreground OS processes though? Surely they can use more CPU performance when the game is suspended (when you hit the PS button to go to the OS)?
Games aren't suspended when using secondary apps like the browser. I frequently use the browser to look up info on a game/area/task while I'm playing that game, and double tap the PS button to switch between the browser and game.
If they were suspended, this wouldn't work on games like Destiny which cannot be suspended without losing a connection to the Destiny servers. But it does work for Destiny.
snake_eater_raiden
Member
That is a bit of an accusation, don't you think? They have a lot of developer access. I was checking their interview page and they really do have a lot of contacts it seems.
biglittleps
Member
Why does Eurogamer says that its shared resource for gaming (according to their source) instead of full access to gaming? is that not true ?
thelastword
Banned
Ahhhh...I'm sure they'll be the first to use it nonetheless. Good info, thanks for clarifying that the entire core is available... as some were already implying that only part of it was available like the XB1, even Eurogamer guesstimated as such..
biglittleps
Member
Eurogamer did not guess and they have source who confirmed that its shared between OS and Game.
It is. It's just the way they off sometimes with their clickbait and such I have my doubts sometimes.
Slightly off topic - Given both gamingbolt's source and eurogamer's seems to be the same because of both talking about Razor profiling tool I wonder why they choose to be anonymous on one and not the other?
snake_eater_raiden
Member
I think they updated their article and now they have mentioned the name of the developer. Perhaps to defend against questioning their integrity?
inpHilltr8r
Member
Makes more CPU available to games, because more CPU is always good.
Because it's easier to give back, than take from. This way old games don't get broken, and the risk of running out of resources in the OS is reduced.
New games now, old games if / when they get patched.
Dictator93
Member
Thanks for the info. Since I have not seen you post before really, which dev studio are you coming from ?
And if you cannot say that of course, well, so it goes.
Maybe lol but I don't think they needed to do so because it was quite clear it was from FMOD. Still more transparency is good.
Was this SDK update bigger than just unlocking the 7th CPU core? I remember something about opening the hardware to devs in the middle of PS4 life cycle.
stan423321
Member
It depends. Framerate is typically more of GPU thing anyway.