IBM's New XBox 360 CPU - It's Way Fast

Today, IBM unveiled the new CPU it designed for the upcoming MIcrosoft game console - the XBox 360.

"The CPU comprises three 64-bit PowerPC cores, each running at 3.2GHz, "the highest core speed" ever achieved by this technology, according to Jeff Brown, IBM's chief engineer for the Microsoft CPU Project. Able to support two simultaneous threads, the processor was designed with the key goal of being able to support the high sustained bandwidth required by the game console. Brown said the processor should be able to hit a peak bandwidth of 21.6G bps."

This is much more power than has previously been available to PowerPC processors, the fastest of which (as used in a desktop computer) have been the dual-core 2.5 GHz chips used in the Apple G5. Interestingly, Microsoft had been running demos of the new 360 system using Apple hardware.

One wonders why it only took IBM eight months to come up with this chip for Microsoft, while it seemed uninterested in improving chip speed and performance for Apple's Macintosh computers. Or perhaps one doesn't, as there will likely be millions and millions of these consoles sold starting November 22nd. Profit is a great motivator. The chips will be made at IBM's Fishkill, NY plant and also by Singapore-based Chartered Semiconductor.

I just played the 360 at my local wal-mart the other day. It's fast...damn fast.

hold up, you can already play it? When'd that happen?

I don't believe that... And of all places, Wal-Mart?

Yeah...considering that they just made the announcement about the chip they are using I find it hard to believe that there is a working demo anywhere outside game developers and magazine editors offices. Certainly not some Wal-Mart.

Huh, ive known about the Xenos chip for quite some time now, actually a few months. I think this is just IBM's own "unveiling" not in any connecton to the plethora of unofficial sound bites from game developers.

Probaly the lack of interest to improve Mac chip speed is probaly because Apple's about to jump ship and go wth Intel for their new chips.

Xbox 360 at walmart (http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/news/49289.shtml)

Well how about that... Sorry for doubting you.

Anyone know how much these will cost? If they're too much I'll just have to take my old xbox to college.

Actually the lack of interest in making a better chip for Apple is what caused them to jump ship for Intel. Jobs never wanted to deal with Intel but was forced to because IBM was dragging ass and Apple, known for outperforming the PC, was starting to suffer badly because of it.

Anyone know how much these will cost? If they're too much I'll just have to take my old xbox to college.

Gamespot.com says the retail price will be $699.99. Ridiculous I know. I wonder how much the PS3 will be.

EDIT: Wait, sorry, my bad. I just talked to my roommate, a major xbox buff, and he says the system, two controllers, and a game will be 300 bucks, not really a bad price actually. The 2000 bucks package is EVERYTHING the xbox is releasing, the system, two controllers, and everything else. It's called the Omega Bundle.

There's five different bundles being released.Check it out here. (http://www.gamestop.com/gs/360/360.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1&)

Huh, ive known about the Xenos chip for quite some time now, actually a few months. I think this is just IBM's own "unveiling" not in any connecton to the plethora of unofficial sound bites from game developers.

Xenos is actually the graphics chip that was designed by ATI, not the core CPU.

"A name that has long since been mentioned in relation to the graphics behind Xenon (the development name for XBOX 360) is R500. Although this name has appeared from various sources, the actual development name ATI uses for Xenon's graphics is "C1", whilst the more "PR friendly" codename that has surfaced is "Xenos". ATI are probably fairly keen not to use the R500 name as this draws parallels with their upcoming series of PC graphics processors starting with R520, however R520 and Xenos are very distinct parts. R520's aim is obviously designed to meet the needs of the PC space and have Shader Model 3.0 capabilities as this is currently the highest DirectX API specification available on the PC, and as such these new parts still have their lineage derived from the R300 core, with discrete Vertex and Pixel Shaders; Xenos, on the other hand, is a custom design specifically built to address the needs and unique characteristics of the game console. ATI had a clean slate with which to design on and no specified API to target. These factors have led to the Unified Shader design, something which ATI have prototyped and tested prior to its eventual implementation (with the rumoured R400 development?), with capabilities that don't fall within any corresponding API specification. Whilst ostensibly Xenos has been hailed as a Shader Model 3.0 part, its capabilities don't fall directly inline with it and exceed it in some areas giving this more than a whiff of WGF2.0 (Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0 - the new name for DirectX Next / DirectX 10) about it.

The Xenos graphics processor is not a single element, but actually consists of two distinct elements: the graphics core (shader core) and the eDRAM module. The shader core is a 90nm chip manufactured by TSMC and is currently slated to run at 500MHz*, whilst the eDRAM module is another 90nm chip, manufactured by NEC and runs at 500MHz* as well. These two chips both exist side by side, together on a single package, ensuring a fast interlink between the two. The main graphics chip, the parent core, could be considered as a "shader core" as this is one of its primary tasks. The eDRAM module is a separate, daughter chip which contains the elements for reading and writing color, z and stencil and performing all of the alpha blending and z and stencil ops, including the FSAA logic. We'll explore the capabilities and operations of both these chips in greater detail throughout the article."

Hat Tip: Beyond3D

Yeah, I figured the shit was gonna be crazy when I read a HowStuffWorks.com article on it a while back. I believe it was on Stuffo, but I can't remeber now. Anyjew, it's just another console for the fad-jumpers. PC will always own all.

Yeah...considering that they just made the announcement about the chip they are using I find it hard to believe that there is a working demo anywhere outside game developers and magazine editors offices. Certainly not some Wal-Mart.

Well come to New Tampa, Florida. Its at the walmart 5 mins. from my house.