Has AMD Already Won Next-Gen Xbox Deal?

[Kornman00]

http://www.edge-online.com/news/has-amd-already-won-next-gen-xbox-deal


California-based semiconductor firm Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has reportedly secured a deal to create the graphics processor for Microsoft’s next Xbox.
Tech site Fudzilla (http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/15936/1/) claims that the platform holder was happy with the Xbox 360's ATI-built Xenos GPU and keen to partner with the firm again for its next console. AMD merged with ATI Technologies in 2006 in a $5.4 billion deal.
The site also suggests that Microsoft initially intended to “refresh” the Xbox platform in 2010, but has now pushed the plan back to 2012. ATI’s new GPU will reportedly allow for Xbox 360 software backwards compatibility.
Graphics chip firm Nvidia has also reportedly (http://www.edge-online.com/news/next-gen-ds-planned-for-late-2010-%E2%80%93-report) won a contract to provide technology for a new Nintendo handheld.

Backwards compatibility is a must. How else will we continue to play our Halos?! Go ATI!

2012 doesn't seem that far away...but it would probably be released in Q3 so it's still a good wait away.

[StankBacon]

xbox-scene was saying the same thing, hopefully..... ATI forever!

[Trulife8342]

I go to a press conference this week for my district for gamestop (manager at a store) one of the major excitements is that they might be showing off early designs for the MS next gen console, ill try and sneak some pics.

[Kalub]

you best nigga or we keel you

[Cojafoji]

I go to a press conference this week for my district for gamestop (manager at a store) one of the major excitements is that they might be showing off early designs for the MS next gen console, ill try and sneak some pics.
Give you cookies and hot coco if you do.

[Shock120]

http://www.edge-online.com/news/has-amd-already-won-next-gen-xbox-deal


Backwards compatibility is a must. How else will we continue to play our Halos?! Go ATI!

2012 doesn't seem that far away...but it would probably be released in Q3 so it's still a good wait away.YAY ATI rules! :allears:
I hope they put in Eyefinity.
and I hope they got better game storage, the 8GB DVDs suck bigtime.

[Warsaw]

How about the CPU? I'm more interested in what they are doing with that. The current CPU is a Cell offshoot, so I want to know if Microsoft will go full-on cell or get a new CPU altogether (undoubtedly from IBM though, since it seems they want to preserve 360 compatibility). Also, interested in how they are working RAM this time, and whether or not they have plans for a portable system.

Fake E: that nVidia deal is supposedly giving Tegra to the next DS platform...don't know if it's current Tegra or Tegra 2 though.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

honestly, I hope that the 360 has at least 2gb ram

[Phopojijo]

How about the CPU? I'm more interested in what they are doing with that. The current CPU is a Cell offshoot, so I want to know if Microsoft will go full-on cell or get a new CPU altogether (undoubtedly from IBM though, since it seems they want to preserve 360 compatibility). Also, interested in how they are working RAM this time, and whether or not they have plans for a portable system.

Fake E: that nVidia deal is supposedly giving Tegra to the next DS platform...don't know if it's current Tegra or Tegra 2 though.1) The cell is very different from the Xbox 360 CPU... actually probably closer represents a mini-and-hard-to-code-for-Larabee welded to a PowerPC G5.

2) Microsoft owns the chip patents for the 360... they can take that stuff to Intel or AMD if they wanted to (But lets face it, they <3 Intel). Besides... it's mostly just 6-thread PPC architecture anyway...

3) There's also a bit of chatter about GPGPU in the next gen of consoles... having game engines that closer resemble Mental Ray's or other software-based renderers (just with all the low-complexity high-parallel stuff executed on the GPU itself) method of drawing than the DirectX or OpenGL games we currently have.

So yeah... <shrugs>

[legionaire45]

From what I remember hearing, Sony and Microsoft were supposedly looking to go x86 with whatever their next gen consoles are. I don't remember where I heard that from.

Considering MS wants to keep backwards compatibility with the 360, I doubt that they will go x86. It may make porting games from the PC over to the console easier, but I think MS doesn't really care too much about that...

For Sony, I suppose it would make a bit more sense since Cell is still a bitch to program for. They'd be breaking backwards compatibility but they probably don't care too much about that either.

[Trulife8342]

Yeah its confirmed they are going to show prototype marketing ads for the next microsoft console, I asked the microsoft rep that came into my store today if the name was going to be stupid like Xbox 720, And he said from what he heard no numbers are involved. So I will definitely sneak a camera in and then get fired since I highly doubt this site could resist leaking photos lol but yes, if these pictures do get released it sure wont be by Trulife8342 at the current IP address that I am currently posting from. Wink Wink.

[Warsaw]

1) The cell is very different from the Xbox 360 CPU... actually probably closer represents a mini-and-hard-to-code-for-Larabee welded to a PowerPC G5.

2) Microsoft owns the chip patents for the 360... they can take that stuff to Intel or AMD if they wanted to (But lets face it, they <3 Intel). Besides... it's mostly just 6-thread PPC architecture anyway...

3) There's also a bit of chatter about GPGPU in the next gen of consoles... having game engines that closer resemble Mental Ray's or other software-based renderers (just with all the low-complexity high-parallel stuff executed on the GPU itself) method of drawing than the DirectX or OpenGL games we currently have.

So yeah... <shrugs>

Except IBM said in an interview with GI that the Xenon was developed along with the Cell using the same technology as a base. They obviously don't operate the same (otherwise the 360 and PS3 would be in the same boat games-wise), but there was a lot of hubub from Sony and Toshiba about the Xenon because IBM had decided to use the Cell tech in its development. So, it isn't a Cell per se, but a kind of specialised derivative.
'_'

[Phopojijo]

Except IBM said in an interview with GI that the Xenon was developed along with the Cell using the same technology as a base. They obviously don't operate the same (otherwise the 360 and PS3 would be in the same boat games-wise), but there was a lot of hubub from Sony and Toshiba about the Xenon because IBM had decided to use the Cell tech in its development. So, it isn't a Cell per se, but a kind of specialised derivative.
'_'And I'm willing to bet that the majority of that "Cell technology" from IBM is the same technology that's in the old Apple PowerPC processors...

What really makes the Cell "different" is the asymmetric "special" processing units. The Xbox has none of that... instead it has 3 cores... with each core capable of cramming two instructions into it. The Cell has 1 core... but likewise can cram two instructions in it...

PC gamers will know that tactic by Intel's name... "Hyperthreading".