Programming the Cell Broadband Engine

With nine processor cores, a single Cell processor chip (called a Cell Broadband Engine or CBE) often performs an order of magnitude more work than a traditional single-core chip at the same clock rate. Cell's parallel configuration and performance are seldom seen in traditional CPU architectures for any market--much less the cost-sensitive consumer electronics business.

The CBE, jointly created by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM, distributes its huge computational capacity over two different kinds of processor cores, so its development environment is quite different from that of comparatively conventional homogeneous multiprocessor architectures. Cell programmers need special facilities to help them harvest such computation resources effectively....

[TheMART]

One small problem. Those cores are nice but then only 2 threads on the main core. What's that compared to 3 processors with 2 threads each which makes 6 threads.

Hear a dev talking about it, very interesting to hear and see

http://www.g4tv.com/pile_pl...

[Shadow Flare]

the link you just pasted just had John Carmack being interviewed. And he said that the ps3 has the best peak performance and theoretically is the most powerful. What he said about developers was very true, about it being harder to program for on the ps3. But at the end of the day, top-end companies WILL develop for the ps3. So no dice

This interview proves:

-PS3 is more powerful than the 360
-And that developers are willing to develop for the ps3

You being a 360 fanboy, i dont know why you posted that link because its more pro-sony than pro-360

[TheMART]

Go watch it again my friend. It has peak power. Peak power is nice on spec sheets, but in reality it comes down to sustainable structural power, which the PSZero GPU lacks.

It has to chop up calculations in small parts to be done by 7 so called cores. Then it only has 2 threads to work with. That compared to 3 cores on 360 CPU with each 2 threads, makes 6 threads you know what this guy is talking about.

If you can say this link is pro sony you have not listened to this guy. He says MS has made the right choices making a well balanced system which overall will perform better then the PSZero. Go watch it again maybe you read it right this time around instead of taking small bits and try to lie like Sony does. Did barbie ken got stuck in your @ss again?

"What's going to matter is what you wind up delivering on the game. And I do think Sony has made a less optimal descision then Microsoft from the perspective of the game developpers."

One processor with dual threads for PSZero he says also. Compared to 360 3 cores 2 threads 6 threads in total. Period.

[Marriot VP]

shadow, just to emphasize he says THEORETICAL, not actual. So it'll be very interesting to see how close the 360 and PS3 end up in overall muscle.

[4me2]

3 cores run can at full speed of 3.2GHz and each core has 2 threads which when used share speed/bandwidth of the core that owns it. It means if game would used all 6 threads and at the same time with same work load then each thread would run with theoretically with speed 1.6Mhz (3.2 div 2 hardware threads). But if only 3 cores used they run at full speed 3.2GMhz

PS3 Cell has one PPE (main core with 2 threads if both used they share speed) and 7 SPE so one can say that there is 8 cores(1 PPE+ 7 SPE=8) that can run full speed 3.2 GHz all the time.

Programming for Cell is more complicated that programming for Power-PC mainly because cell has RISC architecture and is a new technology to the gaming industry and a few have any experience with it.Most difficult thing is to finish your first game/application after that developing another one and another is easier since you build up on the previous work you done.

One more thing programming any multi-threading apps is a pain (especially debuging) and from that point of view neither Power-PC or Cell is EASY to program- they both difficult but Power-PC is easier (NOT EASY) to program than CELL(at least at this time)

[SDS Overfiend]

The Whole processors is Bhuddas.

[super bill]

who gives a sh@t.

[mikeeno7]

Seriously, you guys bother reading this geeky article. Who cares about threads and SPE's and all that crap. Let's all get back to the games, right? I'm starting to think people on this site care more about Microsoft and Sony's company buisness.

[Marty8370]

While the PPE in cell is Dual threaded,each SPE is dual issue and there are 7 SPE's.