More X-box Next-gen 720 details leaked

[Hammer_Time]

http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-entert ... 20-details

Xbox World leaks next-gen 720 details

Posted on November 18, 2012 - 09:45 by Trent Nouveau

We already know Microsoft's next-gen Xbox will boast advanced augmented reality capabilities, directional sound and a four-player finger-tracking Kinect (2.0).

However, the editor in chief of Xbox World recently leaked some additional details in honor of the magazine's final issue.



Indeed, according to Dan Dawkins via CVG, the 720 will also feature a Blu-ray drive (finally!), directional audio, a TV output and input, an 'innovative controller' and even AR glasses at an unspecified date after launch.

Although Dawkins didn't disclose final specs, he did note that the current version of the Xbox 720 Durango developer kit was equipped with a CPU loaded with four hardware cores - each divided into four logical cores along with 8GB of RAM.

Dawkins also confirmed that Xbox World had used leaks and industry sources to construct a detailed 3D mock-up of what the publication expected the next-gen Xbox to look like.

"We built ours with the same glossy face and patented VapourMG magnesium alloy Microsoft uses for its Surface tablet, and modelled the silver band after its new 'Wedge' touch keyboard and flexible Arc Touch mouse," he added.

The Xbox 360 - which launched way back in 2005 - is powered by a 3.2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon, 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM clocked at 700 MHz, along with a 500 MHz ATI Xenos (graphics).

Full Xbox 360 specs ( for those who like to compare the old with the new, once the new launches next year ) :

http://xbox.about.com/od/xbox2/a/xbox360specs.htm

Here are the official specs of the Xbox 360.

Hardware Specs:

Custom IBM Power-PC Based CPU

Three symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each
Two hardware threads per core; six hardware threads total
VMX-128 vector unit per core; three total
128 VMX-128 registers per hardware thread
1 MB L2 cache

CPU Game Math Performance

9 billion dot product operations per second

Custom ATI Graphics Processor ( Xenos )

500MHz processor
10 MB of embedded DRAM
48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines
Unified shader architecture

Polygon Performance

500 million triangles per second

Pixel Fill Rate

16 gigasamples per second fill rate using 4x MSAA

Shader Performance

48 billion shader operations per second

Memory

512 MB of GDDR3 RAM
700 MHz of DDR
Unified memory architecture

Memory Bandwidth

22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth
256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM
21.6 GB/s front-side bus
Overall System Floating Point Performance

1 teraflop

Storage

Detachable and upgradeable 20GB hard drive
12x dual-layer DVD-ROM
Memory Unit support starting at 64 MB

I/O

Support for up to four wireless game controllers
Three USB 2.0 ports
Two memory unit slots

Optimized for Online

Instant, out-of-the-box access to Xbox Live features with broadband service, including Xbox Live Marketplace for downloadable content, gamer profile for digital identity, and voice chat to talk to friends while playing games, watching movies, or listening to music
Built-in Ethernet port
Wi-Fi ready: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g
Video camera ready

Digital Media Support

Support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD
Ability to stream media from portable music devices, digital cameras and Windows XP-based PCs
Ability to rip music to the Xbox 360 hard drive
Custom playlists in every game
Built-in Media Center Extender for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Interactive, full-screen 3-D visualizers

High-Definition Game Support

All games supported at 16:9, 720p, and 1080i, anti-aliasing
Standard-definition and high-definition video output supported
Audio

Multi-channel surround sound output
Supports 48KHz 16-bit audio
320 independent decompression channels
32-bit audio processing
Over 256 audio channels

System Orientation

Stands vertically or horizontally
Customizable Face Plates

Interchangeable to personalize the console
Available: Holiday 2005

So far we know the 720 has 8 GB of ram ( 16 times as much as the 360 ), and a Quad Core cpu ( each core having 4 "Logical" cores for total of 16 logical cores )... most likely the cpu is once again made by IBM but awaiting confirmation on that. We know it will have an AMD gpu using their latest GCN architecture , some midrange ATi solution here which should be more than sufficient. This thing is starting to look "killer", I hope they test it properly this time around ( 360 launch disaster ) , and don't price it too high... so far it is looking very exciting though!

[Sauron_Daz]

A CPU core that has 4 logical cores?

[Fuzz]

ya, I was trying to figure that out myself.

[Hammer_Time]

https://www-01.ibm.com/chips/techlib/te ... 06006098C1

http://www-03.ibm.com/technology/logic/powerpc.html

Infuse added intelligence in smarter wired and wireless products with the IBM PowerPC family of microprocessors. Built on IBM Power Architecture technology, PowerPC processors are designed to deliver high performance, power efficiency and excellent value across a range of consumer, IT and networking and storage applications.
The IBM PowerPC 4xx series of embedded microprocessor cores can help you tune system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs to meet design priorities, whether those priorities are performance-driven, power-optimized or a balance of both. The flexibility and scalability provided by the Power Architecture instruction set mean that you can optimize your investments in resources, tools and software as design goals evolve.
With its newest suite of PowerPC cores, the PowerPC 470 series, IBM delivers a solution that offers power-optimized performance for multicore embedded applications. The combination of a 32 bit processor, 128 bit wide PLB6 bus, and a 64 bit floating-point unit is designed to maximize performance while keeping power consumption in check. Programmable options offer run-time power reduction for additional power benefits.
For maximum design flexibility, other members of the IBM PowerPC 4xx series are geared for high performance, power-efficient single core embedded applications.

Explore IBM PowerPC processor solutions:

Integrate licensable PowerPC 4xx cores to enhance custom logic or specialty foundry system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs. These cores are available as hard cores (fixed layout) or soft cores (fully synthesizable).

Simplify integration and reuse of processor, system, and peripheral cores in standard product and custom SoC designs with the IBM CoreConnect bus architecture.

https://www-01.ibm.com/chips/techlib/te ... edded_Core

PowerPC 460S Embedded Core
Related links: PowerPC Cores
As a synthesizable core the 460S provides the flexibility of fabrication in multiple foundries. The 460S core allows the SoC designer to select the size cache and Processor Local Bus (PLB) version necessary to optimize single processor and cache coherent multi-processor SoC designs. The 460S design flexibility and scalability will meet the performance and power demands of today’s communications, consumer electronics and storage embedded applications.
The 460S contains a dual-issue, superscalar, pipelined processing unit. The core includes memory management, cache control, timers and debug facilities. Interfaces for custom co-processors and floating point functions are provided, along with separate instruction and data cache array interfaces which can be configured to various sizes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconduc ... perty_core

Types of IP cores

The IP core can be described as being for chip design what a library is for computer programming or a discrete integrated circuit component is for printed circuit board design.

Soft cores

IP cores are typically offered as synthesizable RTL. Synthesizable cores are delivered in a hardware description language such as Verilog or VHDL. These are analogous to high level languages such as C in the field of computer programming. IP cores delivered to chip makers as RTL permit chip designers to modify designs (at the functional level), though many IP vendors offer no warranty or support for modified designs.
IP cores are also sometimes offered as generic gate-level netlists. The netlist is a boolean-algebra representation of the IP's logical function implemented as generic gates or process specific standard cells. An IP core implemented as generic gates is portable to any process technology. A gate-level netlist is analogous to an assembly-code listing in the field of computer programming. A netlist gives the IP core vendor reasonable protection against reverse engineering.
Both netlist and synthesizable cores are called "soft cores", as both allow a synthesis, placement and route (SPR) design flow.

Hard cores

Hard cores, by the nature of their low-level representation, offer better predictability of chip performance in terms of timing performance and area.
Analog and mixed-signal logic are generally defined as a lower-level, physical description. Hence, analog IP (SerDes, PLLs, DAC, ADC, PHYs, etc.) are provided to chip makers in transistor-layout format (such as GDSII.) Digital IP cores are sometimes offered in layout format, as well.
Such cores, whether analog or digital, are called "hard cores" (or hard macros), because the core's application function cannot be meaningfully modified by chip designers. Transistor layouts must obey the target foundry's process design rules, and hence, hard cores delivered for one foundry's process cannot be easily ported to a different process or foundry. Merchant foundry operators (such as IBM, Fujitsu, Samsung, TI, etc.) offer a variety of hard-macro IP functions built for their own foundry process, helping to ensure customer lock-in.

EDIT:

Still confused about "soft or synthesizable cores"?? Me too!! It appears that the new IBM Powerpc cpu in the Xbox Next/720 will be a quad core, but those four cores can be "reconfigured" by using Hardware Description Language such as Verilog as quoted above ) to adjust the core to the workload needs... need a core optimized for audio? No problem - run the Verilog routine for "audio core", need a core optimized for physics? No problem - run the Verilog routine for "physics optimized core" etc etc...at least that is how I see it working... guess we will find out the deets once the thing actually launches and we get full in-depth reviews on it...

( I modified the paragraph above to remove "dynamically", I think that the cores are configured to each customer's specific needs , such as Microsoft in this case... IBM sells them a quad core cpu, then either Microsoft or IBM ( or cooperation of both ) uses the Verilog HDL language to customize the four "logical" cores in each physical cpu core for the specific needs of Microsoft, to cover all the bases - audio, physics, regular game threads, kinect processing, etc. ) We will find out more about this the closer the launch date gets ( next Christmas ).

[Silver]

Industry analysts and sources close to Microsoft estimate a holiday 2013 release for the next Xbox. In regards to the official announcement of the Xbox 720, Microsoft stated, "For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360-and it's the best year ever for Xbox 360."

Bah it's 1 year away
I guess Microsoft is leaking info now because its only 10 days away for the next Nintendo lauch with the 'Wii U'. I don't really get nintendos naming. But I will get the new console game, havn't had a Nintendo console since Super Nintendo (16-bit). I miss mario

[Fuzz]

10 days away? I got my Wii U last night!

[Silver]

10 days away? I got my Wii U last night!

The site I was to order from says 2012-11-30, so Im guessing this is the Swedish release date

[Fuzz]

Ah yes, European release is probably later. Be prepared to not play for an hour or 2 when you get it. My mandatory update took 45 min, but some people reported much longer. Did you order the deluxe set?

[Hammer_Time]

10 days away? I got my Wii U last night!

( that is Fuzz playing on his new Wii U! )

[Silver]

Ah yes, European release is probably later. Be prepared to not play for an hour or 2 when you get it. My mandatory update took 45 min, but some people reported much longer. Did you order the deluxe set?

Havn't ordered yet, but ive got New Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Allstars and no Wii.
So will have to order one, I guess im going for the deluxe black set with Marioland

And probably a couple of *old style* controllers + 2 nunchucks I guess.
and not to forget Super Mario Wii-U.

Im going to get Mario overload

[Fuzz]

Nintendo land is pretty good, from the little bit I got to play. Make sure you get Wii controllers with motion plus built it. I think all the new ones have that. There are very few games that need 2 nunchucks, so you can always wait on that extra.

The deluxe set is worth it for the bonus game and the tablet charging cradle.

/managed to derail this from a Microsoft thread too a Nintendo one! Woohoo!

[Silver]

hehe yeah good not too much of Nintendo in these forums

I had the Nintendo 8-bit & 16-bit consoles
still have a complete collection of every issue of swedish 'Nintendo Magazinet' (1990-1994).
It probably have more sentimental value than collector value thought ^^

[Fuzz]

Ya, the only console I missed was the N64, and the only portable was the Original gameboy series. I too used to have Nintendo Power mag, but those are long gone.

[Hammer_Time]

Glad you are liking your new U and it is working good for you... thanks for the deets!

[Sauron_Daz]

/managed to derail this from a Microsoft thread too a Nintendo one! Woohoo!

[Sauron_Daz]

hehe yeah good not too much of Nintendo in these forums

I had the Nintendo 8-bit & 16-bit consoles
still have a complete collection of every issue of swedish 'Nintendo Magazinet' (1990-1994).
It probably have more sentimental value than collector value thought ^^

Maybe they will be valuable for your great-grand children..

[Sauron_Daz]

Ya, the only console I missed was the N64, and the only portable was the Original gameboy series. I too used to have Nintendo Power mag, but those are long gone.

When I look back I think I had the best of times playing on the original NES.

[Silver]

When I look back I think I had the best of times playing on the original NES.

I wonder are there any NES/SNES like *classic* controllers thats can be used with the Wii U ??
preferably made by Nintendo. would be nice to play Super Mario Allstars with original controllers

All I found so far was some 8-bit looking ones for the PC.. and some limited edition 16-bit one sold only through club nintendo for members only.. not sure if it exists anymore either. Was a member of 'Nintendo Videospelsklubb' wich I guess is/was the Swedish version of Club Nintendo.. tried to register to Club Nintendo UK but it failed to recognize the serial on my 3DS XL.... maybe ill look in the attic for an 8-bit nintendo serial

[Fuzz]

there are these:


http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ee14/

I think there is a NES one 2.

I just use one of these:


for snes games, and the Wii controller sideways for NES games. I'm not sure you remember, but the old NES brick was hella uncomfortable after long gaming sessions.

[Silver]

Fuzz thanks for the Wii classic controller didn't know that one existed