For the first time, reasonably detailed specifications of what is claimed to be the graphics processing unit for Microsoft Corp.’s next-generation Xbox have emerged on the web. The specs published by VGleaks web-site confirm that the GPU is based on AMD’s current graphics core next (GCN) architecture with some additional hardware and functionality. Unfortunately, the data does not reveal any special capabilities of the GPU.
As expected, the new Xbox GPU is heavily based on GCN and therefore has similar topology. The chip has 12 SCs (SIMD clusters) with 4 SIMDs (that feature 16 ALUs/stream processors as well as 256 vector general purpose registers (VGPRs), and 512 scalar general purpose registers (SGPRs).) and its own L1 cache, LSM (local shared memory), and scheduler. The SIMD instruction set is extensive, and supports 32-bit and 64-bit integer and float data types. It is believed that the capabilities of SIMDs and ALUs are similar to those of GCN. The chip also features 48 texture modules and 4 render back ends. With 768 stream processors on chip, the GPU should provide peak computer performance similar to AMD Radeon HD 7770 (Pitcairn).
According to the leaked data, the GPU of the code-named Durango system will fully support modern graphics capabilities, including full-scene antialiasing with 2x, 4x and 8x levels. While currently the talks indicate that both traditional multi-sample AA as well as compressed AA (coverage sample AA, surface sample AA) methods are supported, it is unlikely that bandwidth-hungry MSAA will actually be used by game developers.
The new GPU will also be equipped with 32MB of embedded SRAM (ESRAM) with 102.4Gb/s throughput and low-latency, which should speed up numerous memory-intensive operations as peak bandwidth of main memory is 68GB/s amid relatively high latency. The chip has special Move units that will move data between main and embedded memory.
Quite surprisingly, but the graphics solution for the Xbox Next has rather powerful general-purpose compute capabilities as well as robust caching system. In addition to dedicated 64KB LSM, 16KB L1 per SC, the chip will feature 512KB of L2 split into four domains.
Given the fact that the leaked data about the Durango GPU is pretty detailed, there is a high probability that it is indeed correct to a certain degree.
Microsoft did not comment on the news-story.
Tags: Xbox, Durango, Loop, Xbox Next, Microsoft, Pitcairn
Comments currently:
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Discussion started: 02/06/13 12:41:19 AM
Latest comment: 02/08/13 09:39:47 AM
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Sounds good-enough for 1080p/30fps in the current pc landscape (say comparable to the pc version of bf3 with everything turned on and 4x AA). It's kind of depressing they don't seem to be looking to raise the bar a little, more-so seemingly happy for us to remain stagnant.
More and more it seems like
wii u: ~720p/30
xbox: 1080p/30
ps4: >1080p/30 (~/< 1080p/60)
If so, that says to me xbox will likely be the standard, ps4 will either have better visuals or perhaps higher frame rates (just as we see currently with consoles titles at 30hz and their pc ports at 60hz), and the wii u, if included in a cross-platform launch, may have to likely sacrifice quality to get to 720p/30, if the title not engineered to scale in such a way.
If these rumors end up being true, it seems less like competition and more 'pick your poison' with each probably differentiated by price.
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Posted by: turtle
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Date: 02/06/13 12:41:19 AM]
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Don't even bother mentioning Wii U. Almost no developer wants to program for it, especially when the CPU is worse than the CPUs in current consoles.
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Posted by: mmstick
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Date: 02/06/13 03:03:38 AM]
True-enough, no doubt AAA titles will not flow heavily from outside Nintendo with such a gap. If they did scale from 720p30->1080p60, obviously the xbox would get screwed, obviously less-so if they do 1080p30->1080p60. I don't doubt the majority will do as happens currently, and just use the difference in power to have slightly better visuals on the playstation.
Just sayin'...that looks to be how it stacks up, more-or-less.
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Posted by: turtle
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Date: 02/06/13 03:41:13 AM]
As we speak, there is a Japanese monk on the top of Mount Fuji programming a Wii U game for tweenage girls involving plush toy-like characters with overly large heads that must be directed through a bondage dungeon to collect and eat boiled lollies before their energy levels get too low and they're cornered and punished. Who needs Halo?
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Posted by: linuxlowdown
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Date: 02/06/13 03:57:10 AM]
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Will it lack a Start button and run tablet games full screen? Kidding. I'm glad MS chose AMD over Nvidia. Pity they're not dropping in an AMD APU like Playstation. They must have got a better deal on a CPU somewhere else because the hardware side of things is so cut throat. But then MS got it wrong with the Xbox 360 when they went with Toshiba's HD-DVD standard instead of Blu-ray.
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Posted by: linuxlowdown
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Date: 02/06/13 03:35:46 AM]
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7770 equivalent?! This is not launched yet, and the GPU is already pure crap. Except 1080p and higher res textures, I don't see the future consoles pushing graphics and gameplay further than currently is...Sadly.
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Posted by: TAViX
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Date: 02/06/13 03:53:16 AM]
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~HD7770 for Xbox 720, HD7850 level for PS4, far better than the originally rumored specs of HD6670/7670 or only using A10-5800K APU (and no dedicated GPU, relying on the gimped HD7660D).
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Posted by: BestJinjo
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Date: 02/07/13 12:04:51 PM]
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Whatever the processing power of new consoles GPU, at least it supports DX11. By that way PC gamers at least get native DX11 games.Some relief.....
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Posted by: tks
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Date: 02/06/13 09:30:10 AM]
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"102.4Gb/s throughput and low-latency"
GB/s!
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Posted by: bluvg
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Date: 02/06/13 09:55:50 AM]
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The real # that matters is 68 GB/sec memory bandwidth shared with DDR3 of main system memory.
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Posted by: BestJinjo
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Date: 02/07/13 12:05:34 PM]
Right, I was just pointing out the "GB/s instead of "Gb/s". 102.4 Gb/s would not be impressive!
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Posted by: bluvg
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Date: 02/08/13 09:39:47 AM]
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