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Slimebeast on 15 February 2012
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Viper1 said:
Slimebeast said:

I didn't say the Nextbox GPU would literally be based on the 7970 but it will be based on the 7000-series architecture. I use the 7970 as a reference as it's the strongest GPU in the series just like the X1900 was the strongest of the R500 architecture. Also it's easier to communicate by using a specific card that people know the specs of (like the GTX 580s running the Samarithan demo).

The Nextbox will not be as strong as the 7970 because that would mean it's 15. But just like the X360 GPU is around 0.7 x the Radeon X1900, the Nextbox GPU could be 0.7 x the 7970 and the end result is that the Nextbox is 10 times faster than the X360.

Btw, I do not compare consoles or GPUs by comparing FLOPs numbers, I use other parameters.

But even 70% of the HD 7970's power is far too much.   The cost, cooling, bus depth, wattage, etc...unless you want yoru console also serve as a stove top and sound like a leaf blower, that's not going to happen.

And the most powerful R520 card is the X1950 XTX.

I know that 70% of the 7970s power will be difficult to achieve due to power consumption and I acknowledged that earlier in the thread. But I believe there is a chance for that to happen, if:
1. Nextgen Radeon architecture allows more efficient use of power. We often see GPU iterations to demand less power even without an entirely new GPU architecture or a smaller silicon manufacturing process. I don't know all the methods for reaching lower wattage  but I just recall history here.
2. MS are bold and take the risk of having a hot and noicy first generation of Nextbox before the process is mature to go 22nm.

I don't think the price is a huge issue as like I said, the X1900XT cost $500 in early 2006 and yet the X360 that came in Nov 2005 was mainly based on that GPU architecture (again, Im not saying the X360 GPU is as powerful as the X1900XT, Im just using the top-of-the-line cards as a reference), meanwhile the 7970 right now costs $500 while the Nextbox ain't coming out until 1,5 years from now. A stripped 7970 could cost $150 by then (I imagine a custom built GPU slightly slower than the Radeon 7950). Well, price is definitely an issue as MS will want to include Kinect 2.0 and obviously wants a cheap console as possible, but despite its heat problems and losses on hardware early in the gen the X360 has been a big success.

I know there's a lot of "ifs" with my reasoning and I am hoping much but this is also a theroetical discussion on how the next gen could be if MS were to chose the hardcore strategy of the X360, and it all relates to the Samarithan demo which Epic made in hope of getting strong hardware nextgen.

Yes I know the X1950XTX was the strongest in the 1900-series but I recall it came out in 2nd half of 2006 and was a typical mid-gen refresh or face lift, while the X1900 XT (and XTX for that matter) and 7970 are "raw" versions in a new GPU gen.