Yokemate of Keyboards
Posts: 4977 from 2009/1/28
From: Delaware, USA
Quote:
Andreas_Wolf wrote:
I forgot to answer that yesterday:
> AMD and Intel may actually be the first to introduce processors with
> decent on die GPUs (but it hasn't happened yet, all current processors
> offering this feature have horrible GPU performance).
jcmarcos wrote something interesting regarding Xenon 1.5 weeks ago:
"The new version, jsut on sale now, has a new chip with the CPU, the GPU (!) and the RAM (!!!) all stacked in the same component!"
https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7186&forum=11#74248
Wkipedia:
"Introduced in the Xbox 360 S was the XCGPU where Microsoft have integrated the Xenon CPU, the Xenos GPU and eDRAM in the same package."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon_(processor)#XCGPU
"...the XCGPU, an integrated CPU/GPU/eDRAM chip using a 45 nm fabrication process."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360#Xbox_360_S
Unfortunately, that chip is only available for Microsoft.
Are you sure of any of this information, Andreas? At 65nm we were dealing with separate components. I haven't seen a tear-down of the newest XBOX360, but one chip would combine three different components.
Since the system has to operate the same as older XBOX360s this can't offer any architectural advantages, only lower cost of production.
That doesn't really strike me as an advantage to the user (unless Microsoft wants to pass on some of the savings). Its a little like Intel giving the latest Atoms an on die memory controller, but not changing the design to take advantage of it being on-die. There's no performance increase.
In a situation like that, I'd rather have separate components so I don't complicate or limit upgrade ability.
"Never attribute to malice what can more readily explained by incompetence"
