Sony's NGN PS is known to be powered by an AMD x86-64 CPU with graphics based on its Southern Islands architecture, from the older report. We're now hearing that Sony may implement a multi-GPU solution of its own.
custom-version of AMD's A8-3850 4core APU. (based on AMD's K10 Stars architecture, rather than K15 Bulldozer/Piledriver.)
and HD 7670 (HD6670 rebranding based on the 40 nm GPU "Turks")
Turks uses neither GCN nor VLIW4, but the older VLIW5 number-crunching machinery. The most interesting piece of information here is talk of a multi-GPU configuration between this Turks-based GPU, and the GPU that's embedded into the "Llano" APU. We know that the graphics core embedded into AMD A8-3850, the Radeon HD 6550D, can work in tandem with Radeon HD 6670 to yield an AMD Hybrid CrossFireX configuration called "Radeon HD 6690D2". This could be end up being Sony's graphics weapon of choice.
So should this mean that nextgen consoles are going to have MicroStuttering as fully advertised feature?
CFX is a nice feature especially if and when hardware is already available so there's no waste of resources. This time end-user experience (EUXP) during gameplay ain't of any crucial significance it's reather how to build readily available hardware on cheapest process (40nm?) and offer something newer than PS3 that's already 5yrs old (in Q1 2013 will be 6yrs obsolete product)
I think it would be interesting to see where Soy will produce DAMNs IP licenced chips and at what price. TSMC 28nm is highly overpriced and UMC who should have it in H2 2012 could offer some alternative. Or it will be a glofo. It would be grief if they would produce and optimise it for already obsolete 40nm which is 2-3 times cheaper but then it would suck 200W more than DAMNs APU on 32nm SOI that is in production now. It crapptastic for customers which already dont know on what they would waste their money.
But then DAMNs proposal is to respin consoles from 6-7yrs cycle to 3-4yrs and that could be part of this agenda.
I dont think obsoleted VLIW5 engine would be in NGC PS4 as it performs best but just for it's compatibility to build CFX as you mentioned. And we could hail microstuttering feature finally arrives into consoles world.
Would those APU+GPU mean really that there wil be separate GPU in PS4 not as before uni-chip-composite aka. Quasi-SoC?
I doubt the next generation of consoles will be as expensive as this generation's were at launch, so I think that's what MS and Sony are going for. Neither one of them wants to sell their systems at a loss anymore so they're going for reasonable specs, not high end. Plus if Sony (and MS) want to release a new console in 2013, the specs would have been generally decided a while ago, it's just how the process is.
I think thats more like of DAMNs agenda to fertilize their investment in hardware that Sony-MS-DAMN consortium agreed upon rather than that we should see satisfying experience on superior optimized apps/games that will run on those TWO-GEN Obsoleted Hadware when it finally arrives to the market.
Microstuttering now for consoles?
Yep. Finally i might add
I thought it was like how the 5770 got rebranded and such.
