[Lord Error]

This comes from xbdestroya, moderator at e-mpire PS3 forum, generally honest and knowledgeable guy who conducts interviews with PS3 developers etc. In other words, I believe he wouldn't write this if devs didn't tell him it's true.

http://forums.e-mpire.com/showpost.p...9&postcount=39

Yes, the Inquirer is trash, but the RSX, pending further news (because it's still subject to change mind you), has been downgraded. I don't expect a big performance decline due to this myself, and I'm sure you'll hear many a dev back me up on that point. PS3 = Cell well before it equals RSX, and indeed, I have a pretty monster Cell interview coming up in the next 24 hours. PS - Incidently, I don't think RSX was downgraded because Sony couldn't reach the speeds onsistently, I think it was downgraded because to get from 500MHz to 550MHz would have required a voltage bump that wasn't worth the added wattage and thermal constraints to the system.

About his sources:
http://forums.e-mpire.com/showpost.p...5&postcount=43

No, I can't [say who they are]. But they are super-reliable and I've known for weeks. I will say this: you will not hear any PS3 devs posting that this news is false. Take that for what it's worth... Please no one PM me about this either, I get enough PMs on a daily basis as it is. Frankkly, it came out at a bad time, but really, really, this is not a big deal. I can't emphasize enough how small this downgrade is in the larger context of things.

I don't know if the devkits that are in devs hands now are the final-final, but apparently the RSX that's in them is clocked at 500MHz (instead of 550). DDR memory attached to it is also apparently clocked at 650Mhz (instead of 700MHz announced long time ago)

On one hand this is allegedly faster than the RSX used in previous devkits (that one AFAIK was 450Mhz), on the other hand if they don't change it for the production model, it's less than announced a year ago.

Cell still remains at 3.2GHz according to him.

[PhatSaqs]

You teh sux0r 2 sae teh PS3 is not going to teh r0x0r! Yew lie, yew 360 luvr. U teh sux! U maek thing up, go die!!!1111one!1!!!1 heheheheh

Vindicated :lol

[drohne]

that's how you sell a $600 console that's meant to hold up for 5 or 6 years: keep downgrading its most critical component. ****ING LAME

[Kleegamefan]

This thread......no good can come of it....

[sugarhigh4242]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running.

its like programmers can use PPC and RSX, and PS3 is pretty similar to PC development. But tap into the SPEs and its a whole different machine.

[Kleegamefan]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running. its like programmers can use PPC and RSX, and PS3 is pretty similar to PC development. But tap into the SPEs and its a whole different machine.

WHAT?

[acidviper]

50mhz ooooooooooooooo. Less ammo for teh EB employee to spray at you.

[StoOgE]

So does this mean 360 has more light sources?

[Dunpeal]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running. its like programmers can use PPC and RSX, and PS3 is pretty similar to PC development. But tap into the SPEs and its a whole different machine.

Where the **** did that came from?

Anyway, its no big deal really.

[Chittagong]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running. its like programmers can use PPC and RSX, and PS3 is pretty similar to PC development. But tap into the SPEs and its a whole different machine.

I said wow

[PantherLotus]

Personally, I think its a shame.

They can't beat the 360 with Blue Ray and Final Fantasy alone in the US.

[Chris Remo]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running.

Um, what?

[BlizzyAzz]

Oh let me write something before it gets locked :lol

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116676

[soul creator]

So does this mean 360 has more light sources?

it means 360 can now process the in-game television episodes better

[drohne]

i'm this close to joining the "sony doesn't care about games" chorus

alas, blu ray's a trainwreck too

[Sweedishrodeo]

:lol :lol :lol

hahaha what a twist!!!

[P90]

that's how you sell a $600 console that's meant to hold up for 5 or 6 years: keep downgrading its most critical component. ****ING LAME

But I thought the CELL was the key and the RSX was just a long for the ride? Maybe my memory is fading?

[Mmmkay]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running. its like programmers can use PPC and RSX, and PS3 is pretty similar to PC development. But tap into the SPEs and its a whole different machine.

Is there a sentence behind this string of buzzwords?

[Mrbob]

I think the most amazing aspect of this story is that The Inquirer may have actually wrote something factual for once.

[GoldenEye 007]

So does this mean 360 has more light sources?

Damnit. Beaten. Although I was going to go with the PS3 itself having less light sources rather than comparing it to the X360.

[Foil]

This thread......no good can come of it....

[PantherLotus]

Add "thermal constraints" to your list, boys.

[jjasper]

I think the most amazing aspect of this story is that The Inquirer may have actually wrote something factual for once.

Pretty much

Also what kind of difference does 50mhz make? I am no tech head and have no idea.

[Kleegamefan]

I think the most amazing aspect of this story is that The Inquirer may have actually wrote something factual for once.

ONCE is right.....

[meltpotato]

O_O

[Surreal]

My Lord, please help this thread.

This is going to get painful a few pages in.

[GhaleonEB]

seems like RSX is almost a stopgap until devs get their Cell-based engines up and running. its like programmers can use PPC and RSX, and PS3 is pretty similar to PC development. But tap into the SPEs and its a whole different machine.

I...what...*head explodes*

[element]

looks like sony is doing what they can to get the thing to fit into the form factor.

[lollerskates]

Ok so it this the last of the bad news announcements? Sony should announce this themselves, get it all out of the way before TGS.

[newsguy]

Wow, I'm shocked that no one has said "alpha kit?" yet. This isn't the GAF I know

[Lord Error]

i'm this close to joining the "sony doesn't care about games" chorus alas, blu ray's a trainwreck too

That's BS, in my opinion. SCE dev studios have improved immensely over the past years. I've seen some charts where it shows how much their sales have improved, and ratio against other publishers, and I think noone will argue about the improvement of quality of their games.

[Juice]

Can we finally stop locking every thread linking to the Inquirer? They may be shit, but they're not always wrong.

Oh, and I doubt this will have a huge affect on real world performance in PS3 games. It'll be three years before anyone can figure out how to get the PS3 to work efficiently anyway, so anyone who looks at screens at TGS claiming they can "see" the difference is probably out of their spoonyBarding mind.

[HocusPocus]

What speed is the 360 GPU running at? :)

[GhaleonEB]

ONCE is right.....

A stopped clock...

[PantherLotus]

looks like sony is doing what they can to get the thing to fit into the form factor.

I don't understand why they just don't make an external power source like the 360 and the GC?

[DarienA]

Downgradaton Massive Damage?

[jjasper]

What speed is the 360 GPU running at? :)

500mhz i think

[Rice-Eater]

I swear they write this $hit for fun now :lol

[Gek54]

So this explains the texture downgrades?

[NinSoX]

Ahhhnold no like dis newz.

[Shogmaster]

looks like sony is doing what they can to get the thing to fit into the form factor.

PSU... MUST.... BE.... INTERNAL! *collapses* :lol

[momolicious]

10+ page thread agh or lock

[7Th]

In before all hell breaks loose.

Just wanted to be part of this historical thread.

[Beatbox]

looks like sony is doing what they can to get the thing to fit into the form factor.

Or possibly to avoid having thirty different "my PS3 is broken" threads on GAF.

[Ravidrath]

This won't affect development, if that's what people are worried about - the devkits out there have been at 500 Mhz all along.

[GhaleonEB]

looks like sony is doing what they can to get the thing to fit into the form factor.

Could it be a yield issue?

Edit: nevermind, the OP answers this. :lol

[SHARKS BITE KILL SHARKS]

$600 for year old hardware that is constantly being downgraded. Sad.

[Lord Error]

I don't understand why they just don't make an external power source like the 360 and the GC?

Doesn't seem to help X360 much (it's GPU is running at 500MHz clock too, although PS3 GPU might be heating more as it has more logic transistors)

This won't affect development, if that's what people are worried about - the devkits out there have been at 500 Mhz all along.

Or less than that. Game that are running on latest devkits seem to run better than they used on kits before them.

[Busaiku]

*In before the end*

[White Man]

Or possibly to avoid having thirty different "my PS3 is broken" threads on GAF.

Because the PS1 and 2 were such durable machines, amirite.