PS3 specs, facts, speculations and rumours !

That cellfactor trailer was awesome, although I much prefer to play FPS games on PC.

[BizioEE]

Ageia & CELL !

"In CPU and GPU, data has locality. But in physics not, as it has to do random access to many objects. Data structures are totally different" says Nadeem Mohammad, who moved from a GPU vendor to AGEIA.

Still PPU has large internal memory in itself. It has various internal memories instead of cache, and has the organization that does explicit and programmable transfer between internal and external memories.

The patent explains memories such as dual-bank Inter-Engine Memory (IEM) connected to VPU, multi-purpose Scratch Pad Memory (SPM), DME Instruction Memory (DIM) which does instruction queuing, and so on. Hedge suggested that those memories in the patent are in the actual implementation by saying "they are probably included" in PPU.

Among those memories IEM is used in the way that looks like traditional data cache. According to the patent, DME loads a data set required for operation of processing units into IEM explicitly. Unlike cache memory, low-latency access is possible in IEM and apparently it could implement a large number of I/O ports. As the result, it could achieve huge internal memory bandwidth.

"One of the important factors in a physics architecture is it requires huge on-chip memory bandwidth. Our PPU has 2Tb(Tera-bit)/sec on-chip memory bandwidth," says Hedge.

In short, removing complicated cache control made it possible that PPU has L2-cache size internal memory with L1-cache latency and huge bandwidth, and it\'s suitable for physics algorithm according to them.

Cell-like Global Structure of PPU

By the abstract of the PPU architecture, you\'ll immediately notice the commonality with Cell. Both of them are parallel processors with huge floating point processing units, have no cache hierarchy, and manage inter-memory data transfer by software programs.

If you replace PPU Control Engine (PCE), the RISC core in PPU, with PPE(Power Processor Element), the PowerPC core in Cell, and Vector Processing Engine (VPE), PPU\'s data processing engine, with SPE(Synergistic Processor Element), Cell\'s data processor, they almost correspond with each other.

In both the architectures one RISC core does global control and many vector data processors does data processing in parallel. As for the affinity in the architectures Hedge said:

"If you look at the very high level they are very alike. Both of them are huge parallel engines, have floating point processing units, and control each internal memory. But the difference is also big. For example, Cell does internal data transfer by a ring bus (so it has limited bandwidth). On the other hand, our architecture has far higher (internal data) bandwidth.

But it\'s also true that Cell is relatively suitable architecture for physics processing. In PS3, the GPU is "GeForce 7900+" architecture, but it has Cell. So in PS3 it can do physics on a PPU-like architecture (Cell), not in GPU."

Looking at the PPU architecture like this, you can imagine AGEIA has a relatively good affinity in PS3 library development.

The current transistor count of PPU is 125M and manufactured at 0.13um process of TSMC. For the chip size it\'s GeForce FX 5800(NV30) class and the process is the same, the die size is about 182mm and it\'s a bit smaller than NV30. It won\'t be far from the reality if you assume you have NV30 for physics.

By comparing it with GPU you can imagine the configuration of VPU too. In the 120M class GPU it has 6-12 programmable shaders. Unlike GPU, PPU doesn\'t do texture handling etc, it should have simpler processing units. Then it\'s estimated that the current AGEIA PPU have 16 VPUs at most.

http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2006/0407/kaigai259.htm

It\'s very very interesting

Developer Airtight has posted a vacancy for a AGEIA PhysX coder to make stuff like in the listed videos, in their upcoming PS3 game.

The vids show cool stuff. Definately looks like conceivable ingame graphics.

http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/821/821912/vids_1.html

[BizioEE]

PS3 is really shaping as a monster in both graphics and physics capabilities...now developers have to push the hardware and show their talent...hope to see a lot of stuff at this E3

oh c\'mon bio, those mercury systems benchmarks weren\'t real world.  it says "estimated" and "simulated"

/partypooper

There are already realtime physics demo\'s on the net which enable you to pull apart a virtual cow with your mouse ; and it looks creepy real.

MotorStorm is already a game which\'ll feature \'mild\' implementation of gameplay through physics ; kicking up dirt which alters the terrain which can be a means to best the other race competitors.

Personally, I think this is how PS3 will distinguish itself from XB360 ; physics gameplay at lower framerate drop \'cost\'.

The emphasis of discussion has been way too much on solely, console GPU\'s.

I think physics play this generation will be much more groundbreaking and interesting than anything the revmote can offer or online play will see. Truly CHANGING the way a game plays while doing it will be the good thing about 2-3 years into this generation on the more innovative games. Not just Geo-Mod like Red Alert, but changing stuff like the Motorstorm dirt getting kicked up (and actually obscuring the vision of the driver and putting lowered parts and holes in the terrain, etc.) will be awesome to work around in several genres that I have been thinking about.

There are already realtime physics demo\'s on the net which enable you to pull apart a virtual cow with your mouse ; and it looks creepy real.

MotorStorm is already a game which\'ll feature \'mild\' implementation of gameplay through physics ; kicking up dirt which alters the terrain which can be a means to best the other race competitors.

Personally, I think this is how PS3 will distinguish itself from XB360 ; physics gameplay at lower framerate drop \'cost\'.

The emphasis of discussion has been way too much on solely, console GPU\'s.

Where can I get it? I d like to try that demo.

Btw the videos you posted are very impressive.

[BizioEE]

Sony Corporation has adopted Synopsys\' alternating aperture phase-shift mask (AA-PSM) technology to enhance manufacturability of its advanced logic chips that includes the ramp of the ‘Cell\' microprocessor that will be used in the PS3 gaming console.
"Our ability to support Sony\'s industry-leading production ramp of their advanced process nodes demonstrates our PSM technology\'s continued value in a production environment," said Anantha Sethuraman, vice president of marketing for DFM, Synopsys. "This validates Synopsys\' leadership position in providing a comprehensive DFM solution for high-yield designs."

The Cell chip is currently being ramped at Sony\'s 300mm fab in Japan on a 65nm process. A worldwide launch of the new gaming console has been delayed until November 2006, though not due to any microprocessor issues. Synopsys highlighted that the use of its AA-PSM technology is designed to improve yields at leading edge nodes.

http://www.fabtech.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1423&Itemid=2

Hope PS3 Cell will get the 65nm process...Sony could reduce costs...

If they can by such means, they should.

Since it\'ll be region free, I also perceive that as an argument
for a worldwide release, including PAL.

This is great news just from the heat stand point. Smaller chips less heat problems. It should bode well for early adopters

New pics PS3 dev kit.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/705/705349p1.html

[BizioEE]

I think it\'s what they were already using at GDC...

...can\'t wait...E3 is coming...

[BizioEE]

"Cell is 35x Faster Than G5," IBM Participates in Grid Computing Expo

At the ongoing "Grid World 2006" event, an expo on grid computing technologies, IBM Japan, Ltd. has presented the "Cell Broadband Engine (BE)," its microprocessor jointly developed with IBM Corp., the Sony Group and Toshiba Corp. The company demonstrated the Cell\'s performance comparisons with Apple Computer Inc.\'s "Apple PowerMac G5" microprocessor for PCs and sample applications including the Cell mounted on a blade server board.

Including floating point calculation, IBM Japan demonstrated the Cell\'s 3D video rendering speed in comparison with the G5 and showed the Cell\'s processing is about 35 times faster than the 2 GHz dual-core G5. The company also displayed a sample of its blade server to be released in the third quarter of 2006, featuring the Cell BE on its blade, although it is currently under discussion whether it will launch this blade server as a standard model for general users. "To draw the Cell\'s ability as much as possible, we need ingenuities for programming as well. At the current state, we are considering releasing the product for specific users," said a company spokesperson. The specific users are, for example, venders of servers to deliver broadband contents, medical equipment manufacturers handling high-resolution images, and meteorologic and academic experts who wish to implement large-scale science-technologic calculations.

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20060515/117070/?ST=english

just a nice reading...hope dev will take advantage of it as early as possible...
...and some are already doing ...

Until they don\'t see the fruits of those things (when it comes to game) ppl will remain sceptic.

I mean.. i can already almost place a huge bet on some print game magazines to be very negative on their PS3 future outlook. I know those mags all too well.