A developer kit isn’t a console

Michael Cromwell of PCGMedia Writes " Let me get this out of the way first: I’m not a technician, and I’m not a computer expert. There are those far better equipped than I to delve into the numbers and names of complicated chips, but I have my doubts over the way developer kits have been portrayed (somewhat) accidentally as “the components of the next generation of consoles.” Kotaku got hands of a 90 page document from renowned leaky tap ‘SuperDae’, from which they listed the “specifications” for a PS4 developer kit."

[ziggurcat]

thank god someone gets it.

[DeadlyFire]

I disagree. 26nm has never existed. Kaveri is at 28nm process.

As for the roadmap. AMD has more than one roadmap. APU roadmap is all this article showcases. AMD Server and AMD desktop roadmaps are also possible. Power series was often a server CPU. If Sony and Microsoft are aiming for high compute range CPU it might be based off a server CPU chip.

While the main point is valid a Development kit is not a console. Its meant to be a programmable scaled up version of the console hardware. Cores likely will match up core to core. RAM will not. Even in the final development kit. Type of cores will be the same from the final kit to the console likely depending on the power. Still the Dev. kit will have more than a typical retail unit.

One thing many people overlook is that Context switching patent Sony filled. They have no plans for 2013 release of their console if true. AMD's products implement that in 2014 with CPU to GPU context switching. This rumor roadmap road could be longer than some expect. :P
http://www.anandtech.com/sh...

[Riderz1337]

No, it's a developer kit. Hence it's name "Developer Kit".

[hazardman]

Exactly, but its also a preview of what will be in or comparable to, in the retail unit.

[Ju]

Yes, but, e.g. a HDD means squad because a final console can as well sell without HDD at all. A devkit will require some sort of re-writeable media or do people believe devs burn DVDs to test their games? Or load the OS? Or patch/flash the dev kit every other second? And yet, people argue about HDD size in the dev kits...

[nukeitall]

Actually it is not necessarily comparable at all. The hardware is intended to "mimic" the retail unit, which even the manufacturer don't know what it will look like for sure.

That means the system will likely have off the shelf parts that are likely more powerful than the retail unit. A good example of this is in two instances:

a) the RAM is twice the retail unit (well supposedly), because some of it is being used for Windows

b) some of this custom technology isn't available, so they emulate it by for instance having a full blown CPU with no regard to the power draw that the console would have

So the straight answer is, there is too much variation in the final build from dev kit and it isn't just the hardware that makes up the build, but also the software that puts limits in place to mimic the actual hardware.

So you need to know both software and hardware, to really know!

It is still fun to speculate! :D

[ps3vita4life]

And a dog isn't a cat.

[BitbyDeath]

OMG, you just turned my world upside-down

[Gillonz]

It's sad that an article has to be made about this.

[ZoyosJD]

@"journalist"...if you see this...

Admitting your not a technician or computer expert then going on to speculate on unknown hardware makes no sense, particularly when you don't even know whats in currently released hardware.

The Wii U doesn't use an APU.

Nonetheless, having a chat with a tech expert before posting an article about tech would be a good idea.

Leaked "specs" are too vague for a 90 pg doc, so I call fake on that.

While your theoretical APU and GPU are ballpark for whats expected, they are just that. No home run here. It's just as bad as those guys asking about 2 Ethernet ports, but at least they are asking rather than writing articles.

[3GenGames]

The WiiU has to have an APU somewhere. I'd be surprised if it wasn't on an external decoding area, on top of that. But it doesn't mean it's dedicated, the CPU will be the APU if there's no dedicated one to it. So it does have an APU, just not a hardware one.

[ZoyosJD]

An APU (Accelerated Processing UNIT) is a defined hardware element as set forth by AMD "as a processing device which integrates a CPU and an OpenCL compatible GPU on the SAME die". This is not the case with the Wii U.

Read my post here. It applies to you as well if your wrongly informing others of the Wii U hardware.

http://forums.n4g.com/fb.as...

Go ahead and check yourself. There is an MCM, but no APU.

http://www.anandtech.com/sh...

http://www.extremetech.com/...

"If the smaller die is actually the CPU, it means that Nintendo, for all its praise of AMD and IBM’s knowledge of CPU+GPU integration, chose to keep the two packages separate. There’s no APU to be seen here, alas."

[CatXFlash]

Awesome! superb post its time for us to accept that we know nothing as of yet and will simply have to wait to see the games running and for SONY and Microsoft to talk to us about what the machines will be able to do.

[delboy]

Stopped reading after, I’m not a technician, and I’m not a computer expert.

[blackbirdi]

i can only agree with him !

[2pacalypsenow]

I think we are just thirsty for news on the Next gen consoles that we make every bit of Rumor a Fact

[gamernova]

If console gamers are to get these awesome specs I'm really excited for you guys. This is coming from a pc gamer.