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Mmmfishtacos on 02 September 2013
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Zappykins said:
Mmmfishtacos said:

What where did you get that from? 

Cerny says the PS4's custom silicon incorporates not only the CPU and GPU, but also a "large number of other units." The chip has a dedicated audio unit to perform processing for voice chat and multiple audio streams. It also has a hardware block designed explicitly for zlib decompression. The main processor is backed by a secondary chip that enables an ultra-low-power mode for background downloading. In that mode, the CPU and GPU shut down, leaving only the auxiliary chip, system memory, networking, and storage active.

http://techreport.com/news/24725/ps4-architect-discusses-console-custom-amd-processor

Well, to answer your first question - from the Sony PS4 reveal.  I did watch it and did pay attention.  What they announced that day is a decent chip, but still significantly smaller then what Microsoft is showing.

The secondary lower power mode is that is not the same thing as co-processors.  It's good that it can go to low power mode.  But they didn't want to get into the same problems as will the cell - i.e. cumbersome to program.  It was a concern of mine that Xbox has made the same mistake. It looks like Microsoft is keeping the co-processors and programing as part of their DirectX and OS systems, so the developers do not need to concern themselves with them.

I hope it's true the PS4 have an easy to program co-processors for sound and other things..  But why are there reports that they are asking people to use the GPU for sound processing? Plus, they don't have the same resources physically according to Sony's own statements.  There just isn't and much extra stuff on the chip.

Also, from the article you sent: "All the focus on general-purpose GPU computing suggests the console's CPU component is relatively weak, which isn't a big surprise."

Sony and Microsoft went about the next gen system in different ways.  Microsoft enhanced the CPU as part of their strategy.

Both Cpu are relatively weak. Even with MS upgrades. I paid attention at the reveal too, and I have no idea what you're talking about. It's right there in the article. The secondary chip will process sound and voice chat.