JustBeingReal said:
With their latest technology they're even efficient enough for a decent 480p handheld at 5 watts, it can of course scale up for higher resolutions. Tegra's X1 is weak in the CPU department, I know you have some obsession with PowerVR, but it's not proven technology for a console. AMD/ATI have been providing the GPU for Nintendo since Gamecube, sticking with AMD does make sense from a compatibility point of view.
Carrizo is definitely efficient enough to put Wii U level graphical quality natively at 480p in a handheld, a reduction in resolution is all that would be needed and every other graphical feature and frame rate could be equalled. The whole console version could be whatever spec Nintendo wanted within their given power/wattage demands, be it a straight up copy of Carrizo or multiples slapped together onto one die. As for HBM the whole point is that it offers both a big frame buffer and performance on the bandwidth side, you don't want to try and cram all of your data into a small cache if you don't have too, Nintendo would be better off going with a single unified memory pool, forget the Wii U or XB1 style memory layout. A single 4GB pool of HBM could mimic the demands of Wii U's memory set-up easily.
Nintendo only went with high speed caches in the past because that's what was available, going wide on a big pool of storage has always been the goal, because it's the most flexible system and you don't have any limitations, latency is vastly reduced because the chips are stacked, allowing for faster access to your chosen area of data. If possible a system with all HBM would be the most logical next step, if needed carry on using DDR3 or 4 for system memory and use HBM as your VRAM cache like a PC does. I'm not sure about the handheld side of things for memory, but it would definitelty make sense to use all HBM if it's available in the quantities Nintendo needs. |
It would have to work in a handheld. I mean it's easy to say "well they can get PS4 level performance in a console now" ... but, lol, I don't really see that taking Nintendo anywhere in and of itself. The handheld can't just be an after thought here, business wise it is actually the lead hardware variant if they do unify without a doubt.
If they can use all HBM, great, but I don't think they can put that much HBM into a handheld. But I'm wondering if they could use a small pool of it integrated onto the GPU. By the way, the 3DS even uses embedded RAM, so Nintendo is obsessed with fast RAM caches.
I think Mullins/Beema tech might be more likely the basis of Nintendo's processor tech than Carrizo if you have to account for the portable. It can't just be a thing of "lets just slap something together for the handheld and call it a day".
Truth be told I don't think the NX console will do very well. The PS4 is going to dominate the general console market (as it exists now) likely well into 2019, and just making a system equal to or slightly better than the PS4 by fall 2016 isn't going to impress anyone but Nintendo fans. In other words, the handheld has to carry the mail here, that's why it's vital to the NX concept that it be at least decent hardware wise IMO.
Tegra X1 is weak in the CPU department, ok, but is there a reason why AMD couldn't give them a portable GPU as powerful as that but with a better CPU?
I just don't think you can have a console have PS4 quality graphics and then the portable is some thing that barely runs PS3/360 engines at 640x480, that's not really any different from where Nintendo is at today and would not help change their current business situation.
