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VGLeaks Durango specs: x64 8-core CPU @1.6GHz, 8GB DDR3 + 32MB ESRAM, 50GB 6x BD...

Why is this MS spec sheet complacent, I saw a demo of what I can only imagine will be the Kinect 2 today and it looked very impressive. If they ship that with the Xbox next it will explain the relatively anemic budget for the hardware, basically I would not call MS out till we know everything about what is being shipped and price.


Primesense demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4VtXvj4X0CE

if that demo is what they have planned for kinect 2.0, sign me the hell up. wow. :eek:
 
This isn't some pie in the sky future tech, the hardware and functionality is already working and for sell right now. That something is the Slingbox 350 (or 500), it's nothing but a little HDMI passthrough box you place between any cable/sat box. It steams any live TV or recording to a webplayer (for your PC/Mac) or an Android/iOS/WinPhone app. Viewing isn't limited to your home network, it works to your 3G/4G mobile, or any other land line broadband connection. Dish Network also has the functionality built into their new Hopper DVR (Cnet's real Best of CES winner). Implementation into a console would just be about bringing the technology mainstream at an effectively lower price point (as it does more than just stream TV content).

Ah okay. My main worry is more bandwidth and what this does to the central computer.
For example, a cable box is for watching stuff. On mine I can watch one programme and record two more (can also record what am watching). I can't do more cause its not capable of that.

If I use this, how does it affect my Xbox at home, would be my main question. Can someone else in the house play it?

I would say this is a backwards step when considering the availability of shows out there that are provided by another business online and not by my own server. Its necessity seems rather questionable.


DVR stuff just seems well represented elsewhere. Its nice 'additional' stuff but if I have a netflix account I can get that on mobile AND on my Xbox. I'm not sure streaming from home makes all that much sense.


Personal feeling is Durango will come with a lot of wee features. I also think you'll be able to plug your cable programmes into a social thing through Xbox. Lots of wee sites do this, but nothing appears with the show. This could work with Surface and just on screen quite well.

Thats my guess for the HDMI In anyway - doing what cable can't, least I hope so. Stuff like that is actually useful.
 

Insane Metal

Gold Member
Cell was double the flops of 360 cpu, while the GPU is not.

FWIW, I am listing the raw peak data here:

PS3
CPU: 230.4 GFLOPS
GPU: 400.4 GFLOPS
Total: 630.8 GFLOPS

360:
CPU: 115.2 GFLOPS
GPU: 240 GFLOPS
Total: 355.2 GFLOPS

The gap is bigger than that of PS4/720.

I guess in real world numbers the RSX would be around 150GF.
 

Avtomat

Member
I think you are showing a very good reason why my interest in MS in the gaming sector is declining...

The term "jump in" is slowly being replaced by "run for the hills"

I think Nintendo has shown us all that there is life outside of the traditional more graphics niche, even Valve is talking about innovative controllers with bio-metric data and VR headsets. I was hoping for more in the graphics department but what about all the new kinds of games and possibly even lower prices that these new consoles with their accessories can bring.
 

Avtomat

Member
That would be the same amount of chips as the launch 360 then.



Oh, they aren't? But they must go with 8 chips max to make an economical motherboard wouldn't they?

One thing I don't understand about the Durango specs, 68GB/S DDR3 would require a 256bit bus or am I mistaken? That seems a bit big given I am sure they will be looking at shrinking the chip size over the life of the console.
 

coldfoot

Banned
Oh, they aren't? But they must go with 8 chips max to make an economical motherboard wouldn't they?
I don't know, that's why I asked :)
It may very well be possible that the launch units would have 16 chips and then a revision would make it 8 when 8gb chips are available in large quantities.
 

THE:MILKMAN

Member
One thing I don't understand about the Durango specs, 68GB/S DDR3 would require a 256bit bus or am I mistaken? That seems a bit big given I am sure they will be looking at shrinking the chip size over the life of the console.

This what I'm beginning to think. A lot of the leaked specs go against what everyone believes is likely possible in consoles.

eg: 256bit bus like you say, 16 RAM chips, GDDR5 RAM etc.

On the one hand you have some shouting "weak specs!" and on the other hand you have the above "impossibilities" for consoles.

Something isn't adding up for me and I don't know why that is.
 

Hindle

Banned
If some of the 3rd party's had recognised thier limitations, then we wouldn't have had games like Vs 13, TLG, Bioshock Infinite, MP 3. Games where development has dragged on for so long.

In reference to dings post.
 
This what I'm beginning to think. A lot of the leaked specs go against what everyone believes is likely possible in consoles.

eg: 256bit bus like you say, 16 RAM chips, GDDR5 RAM etc.

On the one hand you have some shouting "weak specs!" and on the other hand you have the above "impossibilities" for consoles.

Something isn't adding up for me and I don't know why that is.

Well since microsoft/sony is designing these boards from scratch, some areas they can make much better than other. So long as the end product fits in the budget when they manufacture.
 

PaulLFC

Member
Why is this MS spec sheet complacent, I saw a demo of what I can only imagine will be the Kinect 2 today and it looked very impressive. If they ship that with the Xbox next it will explain the relatively anemic budget for the hardware, basically I would not call MS out till we know everything about what is being shipped and price.


Primesense demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4VtXvj4X0CE
While that looks cool, I'm still struggling to see the practical applications of it in gaming. I'm sure it can be used for much more than demoed there, but for the first part (with the projector) anything involving that automatically has a limited target audience, unless the system comes with a projector, which I assume would make the cost prohibitive.

The second demo shows tech that could be good if implemented well, but it would seem that either the games would need to be packed with objects to use with Kinect, increasing the cost of the games, or it would have to use "anything" and be able to process random household objects.

It'll be interesting to see gaming-related demos though if they do decide to unveil Kinect 2 with the console.
 

THE:MILKMAN

Member
Well microsoft would be buying these chips before any consumer can.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. I know it likely that Microsoft will get the chips early in any case, but had a quick look at Microns site.

DDR3 2133 8gb isn't even sampling yet.....at least for consumers.
 
I guess we'll have to wait and see. I know it likely that Microsoft will get the chips early in any case, but had a quick look at Microns site.

DDR3 2133 8gb isn't even sampling yet.....at least for consumers.

Yea Im not sure about the speeds. Seems like using 2133 ram would make it harder to fit into the time frame needed for 8Gb chips. Who knows. But 16 chips on the first version of the console then redesigned with 8 chips is plausible.
 
At the end of the day we are moving from dx9 to dx11, It's still going to be a nice jump, and for guys like myself there's still PC. I'm just glad we are moving from the ancient 512mb memory constraint.
 

Cartman86

Banned
Ah okay. My main worry is more bandwidth and what this does to the central computer.
For example, a cable box is for watching stuff. On mine I can watch one programme and record two more (can also record what am watching). I can't do more cause its not capable of that.

If I use this, how does it affect my Xbox at home, would be my main question. Can someone else in the house play it?

I would say this is a backwards step when considering the availability of shows out there that are provided by another business online and not by my own server. Its necessity seems rather questionable.


DVR stuff just seems well represented elsewhere. Its nice 'additional' stuff but if I have a netflix account I can get that on mobile AND on my Xbox. I'm not sure streaming from home makes all that much sense.


Personal feeling is Durango will come with a lot of wee features. I also think you'll be able to plug your cable programmes into a social thing through Xbox. Lots of wee sites do this, but nothing appears with the show. This could work with Surface and just on screen quite well.

Thats my guess for the HDMI In anyway - doing what cable can't, least I hope so. Stuff like that is actually useful.

This is one of the main questions for me. Is this console going to multitask in that way or will you still need more than one Xbox if you want to have two people doing different things at the same time. There is no way you can play two games at the same time but maybe watch a video?
 

THE:MILKMAN

Member
Yea Im not sure about the speeds. Seems like using 2133 ram would make it harder to fit into the time frame needed for 8Gb chips. Who knows. But 16 chips on the first version of the console then redesigned with 8 chips is plausible.

Yes not really a problem to do physically, sure. But one almost universally agreed upon (at least what I've read at Gaf) is 16 chips will not happen on consoles due to cost/board complexity.

But it would explain the weaker than expected specs for some.
 

AzaK

Member
Same CPU and similar type of GPU.

Digital Foundry is in trouble. Unless people care about minute differences.

They do because most PS3 and 360 third party games were essentially identical and people poured over them with a fine toothed comb.
 
Yes not really a problem to do physically, sure. But one almost universally agreed upon (at least what I've read at Gaf) is 16 chips will not happen on consoles due to cost/board complexity.

But it would explain the weaker than expected specs for some.

Im not sure where people would say such a thing because you can buy a stick of 16x 4Gb ram for $40.
 
The question remains is how weak are these new consoles.

In the end, does it matter? Those who want to play certain exclusives will buy a console, those who want power/IQ will go PC, so it should be business as usual. Barring a major disruption from Valve or maybe Apple, I don't think the consoles' admittedly weak hardware will matter all that much. Assuming that their power levels are similar of course.
 

heyf00L

Member
Why is this MS spec sheet complacent, I saw a demo of what I can only imagine will be the Kinect 2 today and it looked very impressive. If they ship that with the Xbox next it will explain the relatively anemic budget for the hardware, basically I would not call MS out till we know everything about what is being shipped and price.


Primesense demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4VtXvj4X0CE

The Kinect 1 could do that if you could hook up a projector in your room like that. Is MS going to give us a $300 projector with the Durango?
 

THE:MILKMAN

Member
It wouldn't matter unless the motherboard is too small.

I don't know if I'm explaining well enough. If someone can explain/articulate better why 16 RAM chips is a no-no for lots of reasons in a console, please chip in.

Just for the record, I'm not saying 16 chips won't happen.
 

coldfoot

Banned
I don't know if I'm explaining well enough. If someone can explain/articulate better why 16 RAM chips is a no-no for lots of reasons in a console, please chip in.

Just for the record, I'm not saying 16 chips won't happen.

Only reason is increased cost and motherboard complexity. You'd have to mount 8 per side.
 
What's also interesting is that there were people who thought Microsoft was dropping the ball with the 360 as well. That was a part of the reason Ed Fries left, he didn't feel like they were pushing for the best hardware anymore (here's a video interview where he talks about it; by the way, I forgot how good Kikizo used to be in that regard, they have a fantastic archive of interviews).

EDIT: I think some of you might also find these very interesting: Robbie Bach and J Allard interviewed about the 360 launch and the future of the Xbox, and Kaz Hirai's interview from 2006.

Damn. From that video, Ed Fries just sounds like the perfect guy to lead a games division. But yeah, I mean, apparently MS overall was pretty loose with the original xbox and then they started tightening it up.

I kinda feel bad for Ed Fries now, the guy was all about games. Guy "found" Halo.
 
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