HOW PS3 process more than 256MB?? I don´t understand.

[Jo21]

errorrrr said:

i think the basic thing you are misunderstanding that RAM =/= speed, CPU's process power = speed. In a traditional computer, having more RAM will "help" speed is because instead of using your Hard Drive as "RAM" (which you probably dont' notice, but it's there as Virtual Memory), you have RAM that are specifically designed to store randomly accessed piece of information. Those information are dumped once your computer shuts off.

RAM works similar to HDD in terms of memory, but the difference is, that stuff in your RAM sticks are much easier and A LOT faster to be accessed, while HDD have a mechanical bottleneck to it (Spinning of the actual disk) as well as an interface bottleneck. The bigger the RAM, the more information that can be stored in location that can be accessed quickly.

Now, with the cell structure, it doesn't work like that, as of the details I am not sure. But I am guessing that instead of having to store those bits and pieces in RAM like traditional computer, the cell's 6 SPE (available to game developers) can processed the information real time instead of having the stuff store in a certain location and they chose to use 256mb of XDR type ram instead of GDDR3 type rams which are found on X360 and Wiis

If you know the XDR and GDDR3, you'll first notice that XDR's focus on speed, and I think that's what the PS3's main focus when building the machine... It's to process information quickly, and not relying on the old formula of dumping pre-rendered textures into ram... this obviously help with FREQUENT and RAPID rendering as opposed to statics.

 

thank you! =D