By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
richardhutnik on 27 May 2009
Edit Thread
kaneada said:
richardhutnik said:

 

Processors

  • "Tom" Chip, 26.59 MHz
    • Graphics processing unit (GPU) – 32-bit RISC architecture, 4 KB internal cache, provides wide array of graphic effects
    • Object Processor – 64-bit RISC architecture; programmable; can behave as a variety of graphic architectures
    • Blitter – 64-bit RISC architecture; high speed logic operations, z-buffering and Gouraud shading, with 64-bit internal registers.
    • DRAM controller, 32-bit memory management

Again, it was 64bit the wat the PC-Engine was 16bit.  It had a 64bit processor in it and a 64bit bus.  Of course, most developers coded to the 16bit processor in it, so it was moot.  Number of bits don't mean much either.  The Intellivision was a 16bit system, but compare the 8bit NES to it.  The NES blows it away. 

 

I understand what is going on here.  The real understanding is screaming specs is a joke when it comes to games.

That's where I pulled my info. However when you think about it, that was kind of a bottle neck in performance. If your primary processing can only send 32-bit instructions, having 64-bit accelerators don't matter. Ultimately the system was 32-bit on my understanding of this document. The only real advantage you have there is parallelism as theorectically you could send two 32-bit instructions on that bus, but ultimately that was a weak solution.

As far as whether the system was 64 bit or not is kind of a joke. If the presence of 64-bit anything existing on the board made it a 64-bit system then I could just as easily question that it is 32-bit due to the main CPU. That would be like saying the Gensis was only 8-bit because it used Z80 for sound processing and backward compatibility.The point is that neither statement in this paragraph faithfully represents the systems acutal capability (i.e. the Gensis used a motorolla 68000 CPU for its primary processor which is 16-bit.)

Lastly, I did read all the way through this, so I know it was intended to be satirical and therefore I wasn't actually flaming you for any lack of understanding and I do think I did mention that the systems specs were used a gimmick, so I got your point.

 

The Blitter was a 64bit chip.  It also had a 64bit bus.  It had a 16bit CPU and multiple 32bit chips in there.  It wasn't, as is said, "Well, they took two 32 bit chips and added them up, and it was 64 bit". 

What I believe should be concluded is that "number of bits" means jack, because the Intellivision was a 16bit system.  Doesn't mean it even holds a candle to the NES, for example.  Raw CPU horsepower doesn't count either.  What matters is what the system plays, not all the hype over number of bits, size of storage, how many FLOPS something does, or whatever else.  This is particularly true now. 

So, with the Jaguar, as far as 64 bits go, it is LAME, the way the Intellivision is LAME for 16bits.  The TurboGrafx does a decent job keeping up with the Genesis and SNES, as far as games go, and what the system does, so it belongs in the same class as those two systems.  And yes, it had an 8bit CPU, and 16bit graphics processor.

And with everything overall, it matters that you are having fun.  Angry Videogame Nerd on the Jaguar summed up what matters.  And Tempest 2000 rocks.  Too bad not too many people are interested in a techno remake of the original Tempest.