Xbox Next to be powered by three 64-bit IBM chips, ATI R500
Posted on 02/02/04 16:09 by Dennis                             
Xbox Next to be powered by three 64-bit IBM chips, ATI R500
Quakester2000 and GristyMcFisty both used our news submit to tell us that two websites, San Jose Mercury News and TeamXbox, have revealed that Microsoft's Xbox 2 console, the Xbox Next, will be powered by three IBM PowerPC G5-class 64-bit processors. The graphics of the Xbox Next will be driven by an ATI R500 graphics chip, which will support version 10 of DirectX:

The next-gen Xbox will boast three PowerPC 976 chips, each based on IBM's Power 5 architecture and fabbed at 65nm. That Power 5 connection means each will offer simultaneous multi-threading technology, allowing them to process two program instruction streams at the same time.

With three CPUs in the box, and an alleged two cores per die, that means the console has the equivalent of 12 processors inside - a lot of processing horsepower, if the console and chip specs. are to be believed.

Alongside them will be an ATI R500 graphics chip, apparently. It will support DirectX 10, which will also provide the graphics API for the next major version of Windows, 'Longhorn'.

The R500 die contains its own frame buffer embedded DRAM, which, it's claimed, will yield HDTV picture resolution with full-screen anti-aliasing. Backing that will be 256MB of SDRAM.

If these specifications are to be believed, the Xbox Next will be one awesome console. For now we can only speculate about the Xbox Next. We'll have to wait and see what its specs will really be.

Source: The Register

Reactions
Discuss this article with your fellow community members! We appreciate your valuable input, but please keep the reaction policy in mind and make sure your reaction is constructive.
By DoMiN8ToR, Mon 2 Feb 2004 16:11
  • reply
DoMiN8ToRI wonder on what they will release the games? On a DVD or something similair or something even harder to backup?
By G@M3FR3@K, Mon 2 Feb 2004 16:13
  • reply
G@M3FR3@KI hope for MS that they are harder to back-up than the games for the Xbox 1... Wink
By thcz, Mon 2 Feb 2004 17:15
  • reply
Is it just me or the PowerPC chips really are used on Macs ?devil
By Alien_X, Mon 2 Feb 2004 18:01
  • reply
its not just you, which is why ms have started preliminary xbox 2 development on g5s
By Dee-ehn, Mon 2 Feb 2004 19:20
  • reply
Dee-ehnI would not be wondered if they will be using some kind of proprietary format, just like Nintendo does? Why? This makes it hard to copy! The only problem they'll have is the compatibility with the DVD video standard. They ofcouse could make such a system, but it'd be quite costly.... Ah we'll see. For now I'm happy with my C64...
By Nuke001, Mon 2 Feb 2004 20:22
  • reply
Imagine how much the system is going to cost!!!!... If an intel chip cost around $250 for their latest one think about this one... Ugh on top of that the ATI R5 if the Radeon 9800xt is like $500.. Anyways, M$ will bank money on this one or loose big time when the PS3 comes out. M$ dependant on current technology while Sony thinks ahead by 1 step further. ... I wonder what Nintendo new console will look like? Stick Out Tongue
By Nuke001, Mon 2 Feb 2004 20:23
  • reply
ABove thread the number are $250 and $500 so no flaming about being free and stuff..
By Nuke001, Mon 2 Feb 2004 20:24
  • reply
Damnit, its two hundred and five hundred.. my fives aren't showing up for some reason. Frown
By G@M3FR3@K, Mon 2 Feb 2004 22:12
  • reply
G@M3FR3@KIt's a stupid bug.. When you want to include a $-sign followed by a number you have to add a space in between like so $ 200 and $ 500.
By zendal, Tue 3 Feb 2004 02:02
  • reply
All the processing power in CPU and GPU and they are going ot back with only 256Mb SDRAM instead of 1Gb of DDR2RAM. Remember the cpu and gpu share memory
By Hypnosis4U2NV, Tue 3 Feb 2004 07:54
  • reply
Hypnosis4U2NVMy thoughts exactly.. 256Mb is not quite cutting edge..
By Golga, Tue 3 Feb 2004 11:19
  • reply
its spose to be a console Dreamcast did quite fine with 16 megs besides no games now even come close to using 512 megs. sounds like its gonna be another overpriced boat anchor.
By Robo, Tue 3 Feb 2004 12:50
  • reply
This is a console, things aren't the same. The current XBox has 64MB RAM.
By Rhelic, Tue 3 Feb 2004 21:41
  • reply
256mb is ALOT for a console, and MS has already announced that if PS3 will have 512mb, so won't they. Also there is going to be no HD in Xbox2 unless PS3 has one. Sounds like MS is playing "catch up" with Sony, feature wise. OBviously power wise, this system is going to play PS3 away. I highily suspect you will be able to play Xbox1 games as all this power gives lots of headway to emulate Xbox1.
By goindeep, Wed 18 Feb 2004 00:07
  • reply
what happened to nVidia?

Name: Email:



Your comment:

Receive notification on new comments?