Grampa Simpson
Banned
And the Wii U's GPU isn't descended from Flipper in any meaningful way, anyway.
And the Wii U's GPU isn't descended from Flipper in any meaningful way, anyway.
So looking forward to the tear down.
I was being intentionally a bit of a debbie downer, but six years from now, I fully expect to be playing a new Nintendo system that runs on newer tech with a GPU that will still run GC specific instructions (I assume that N64 is completely emulated at this point, but the TEV pipeline will probably live two generations past Wii in hardware) a CPU that will either run PowerPC instructions or will be easy to integrate a conversion layer into ( 1 to 1 conversions on most instructions ) and a shared RAM pool with a couple of relatively small auxiliary pools for things like GPU framebuffer and such.
I was being intentionally a bit of a debbie downer, but six years from now, I fully expect to be playing a new Nintendo system that runs on newer tech with a GPU that will still run GC specific instructions (I assume that N64 is completely emulated at this point, but the TEV pipeline will probably live two generations past Wii in hardware) a CPU that will either run PowerPC instructions or will be easy to integrate a conversion layer into ( 1 to 1 conversions on most instructions ) and a shared RAM pool with a couple of relatively small auxiliary pools for things like GPU framebuffer and such.
Well, if they do go the "traditional" route, then I do see them sticking with IBM and AMD, but that's not much fun to speculate about, is it?
I was being intentionally a bit of a debbie downer, but six years from now, I fully expect to be playing a new Nintendo system that runs on newer tech with a GPU that will still run GC specific instructions (I assume that N64 is completely emulated at this point, but the TEV pipeline will probably live two generations past Wii in hardware) a CPU that will either run PowerPC instructions or will be easy to integrate a conversion layer into ( 1 to 1 conversions on most instructions ) and a shared RAM pool with a couple of relatively small auxiliary pools for things like GPU framebuffer and such.
You could speculate as to whether AMD will be around in six years![]()
Each Nintendo system usually only supports the system before in hardware. So I doubt the system after WiiU will include any hardware Wii support.
Uh...no. People who think Nintendo just made an oversized DS are missing the point of what Nintendo wants to do with Wii U.
Unless of course wii u games use the hardware for something
I seems like they're going to provide the graphics IP for every console next gen (and some of the CPU's), why wouldn't they be around?
Well, the success of their CPU division is more the issue. Besides, Nintendo, Sony and MS can continue fabbing AMD-designed components regardless of whether AMD actually exists anymore.
But the fact that they've secured 3 huge contracts over the next 6-10 years is hardly the prelude to going out of business is it.
Sidenote: someone should make a game called Devil's Advocate.
http://www.freeonlinegames.com/game/devils-advocate
Except it should play like Phoenix Wright, but with demons.
What? No. I know it's super convenient that he's leaving shortly before the Wii U specs are revealed and that recent rumours have pegged him as likely making it up all along but I swear that this is just a coincidence and it is nothing like the time that GAF poster misled GAF about the Wii specs back in 2006 and saying that it was near an Xbox 360, the people saying that he is are just jealous haters. We LOVE you BG!
Strangely enough, the two specs that are easiest to discern from a tear-down (RAM quantity and optical drive speed) are also the only two hard numbers Nintendo have released.
You could speculate as to whether AMD will be around in six years![]()
if we get naked die shots (including no heat spreader), which at least anandtech should give us, we can then probably roughly determine die size either by matching it to known motherboard components, or in the anand case they'll probably measure it themselves. since i think we know or can guesstimate the process node, this can give us some rough ideas of the power of those chips. there may be other clues as well. perhaps someone will go "oh, that looks like an r700 cause of x y and z"
smart people unlike myself will probably be able to figure out some stuff about the memory buses and stuff too by the traces and whatnot.
what we wont get is clocks and functional units, we need someone with hardware knowledge to tell us that. but we'll still learn things.
only Japanese version available now and no particular information about the spec
but there are some pics that some of you may have interest
Iwata asks: Nintendo Wii U vol. 1
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/interview/hardware/vol1/
English one is here: http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wiiu/console/0/0
only Japanese version available now and no particular information about the spec
but there are some hardware pics that some of you may have interest
Iwata asks: Nintendo Wii U vol. 1
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/interview/hardware/vol1/
English one is here: http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wiiu/console/0/0
Gemüsepizza;43068881 said:This looks very disappointing. Tiny CPU, tiny GPU, tiny heatsink and tiny fan. But it's no surprise when you look at that case.
That's interesting...I came home at the right time. May not have specs, but those are definitely interesting pics, thanks.
Never considered the CPU and GPU being in an MCM together. That explains some things as like eDRAM access for the CPU.
Adding my thanks.
That's interesting...
Wow, I just realized how tiny that CPU is, it looks like something on an Iphone.
The GameCube. A lot smaller than the PS2, more powerful and $100 cheaper.
Gemüsepizza;43069306 said:And what is your point, to what are you comparing the Wii U?
Gemüsepizza;43069306 said:And what is your point, to what are you comparing the Wii U?
His point is that size is not necessarily indicative of power.
Gemüsepizza;43069306 said:And what is your point, to what are you comparing the Wii U?
Are you guys serious about the "tiny" cpu. Go grab a a pc cpu and take off the big metal heat spreader on top.
what he's saying is "Don't judge power by it's size." Gekko was quite literally the size of the tophalf of your thumb (well, at least MY thumb) and it could actually beat out the Pentium III that was in the original XBOX and Sony's Emotion Engine (which actually had a massively inflated theoretical peak performance, kinda like something else *cough cough CELL*) which were both MUCH larger and used more power (untill the PS2 slim).
after looking at some more photos, I've ntoced taht the RAM is physically separated into two 1GB dies. Interesting...
His point is that size is not necessarily indicative of power.
Even smaller
What would make them split it in 2?