230°

The mystery of the Wii U CPU

For more than a year, IBM's supercomputer Watson repeatedly said the Wii U has a Power7 CPU. But a few weeks ago, anonymous developers told Eurogamer the system has a PowerPC CPU with 3 cores. Then, on September 16th, weeks after Eurogamer's article, Watson repeated the claim that the Wii U's CPU is a Power7 chip. So which is it?

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wiiuonly.com
LX-General-Kaos4645d ago (Edited 4645d ago )

Regardless of who is right, I am happy to have both of them help pave the way for next generation of Elite Nintendo gaming. I dont know too much about specs in full detail, but what I have witnessed from the Nintendo Wii U entertainment so far has been top notch. So whatever CPU that is present within the architecture of the Nintendo Wii U entertainment system is taking care of business in a proper way.

Rated E For Everyone

jaosobno4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

Thx for that obnoxious commercial. You've been either brainwashed (since you sound like a marketing zombie) or you are a Nintendo employee.

dboyman4644d ago

His post sounds like spam...

aznrunner18814644d ago

this is clearly sarcastic lol

2v14644d ago

think hes the representative of the nintendo fanboys

NewZealander4643d ago

damn bro negativity much? he stated his opinion, and a good one at that, nintendo delivered nothing new with the wii, and if the wii u can put that right then thats awesome, this is exactly what the original wii should have been.

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Chris5584644d ago

No matter what nintendo does he will like it even if it's crap

Ju4644d ago

Is that really so hard to understand? Power7 is an architecture. And I doubt the WiiU has a "Power7 Chip" build in, but it might as well be a custom implementation of a Power7 (generation) chip - with what ever core count it is; 3 in that case. No console ever had just a chip popped in; they usually are customized.

Nutsack4645d ago

Most likely the WiiUpgrade has the triple core PowerPC CPU. Pretty much the same as the 360 for easy ports of existing games.

Not that hard to understand really.

WiiUpgrade just gets a cheap upgrade to current gen, thats all.

Real next gen arrives with the announcement of XBOX 8 and PSOrbis at E3 2013.

DivineAssault 4645d ago (Edited 4645d ago )

Oh your asking for it arent u? U cant tell Nintendo fans that wii u isnt real nx gen..Look at Dragon Quest X for wii & wii u.. Still cant tell em.. Unless devs build a game from the ground up on wii u, nothing will show its strength.. So most devs wont waste their time risking resources to make new M rated IPs if it wont sell..

ALLWRONG4644d ago

All I see is "u" and "U" throughout your post.

I think the Wii U will be perfect for U.

DivineAssault 4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

your right.. It will be perfect for me.. Once the software gets put out.. For now, its little more than a 360 clone with DS features.. When the heavy hitting IPs are released, i will get one.. Only if the network is good & PS4 isnt here by then... Why would i buy a system to play games i can get on my PS3? i dont want mario, pikmin, or that zombie game.. Rayman Legends is the only game i would consider buying but itl drop in price & or become multiplat after a while.. Sure wii u will drop in price when the nx gen consoles get here too so its a win win for me

WiiUalpha4644d ago

You don't have to b a Nintendo fan to understand tech and how it would cost Nintendo more money to use an older chip....
Seems you have a hard time comprehending things like that d ivine. Lol it shows when u bring dq10 up as proof. Its a straight port of the Wii. I wont explain it again like others have. If u still cant comprehend the basics there is no hope for you. You really need to educate yourself because u looking stupid doesn't hurt Nintendo and nobody can relay b as dumb as u pretend to be....
Yes only Nintendo fans can understand technology.... you keep telling yourself that... We all consider u a joke on the Nintendo side.. you try too hard to make them look bad even if u have to look dumb doing it.

mcstorm4644d ago

Since when has next gen been about power? Were the psx and N64 different gens because the N64 was a lot more powerful than the psx?

This is Nintendo's Next Generation Console that's why its called next gen not because it is the most powerful console it because its there next version of there console.

Just because a console is more powerful than another dose not make it better it all about the games as it is a Games console and the one thing Nintendo Consoles have never been short of is Quality games.

eferreira4644d ago

n64 was more powerful but since it didn't use Cd's Third party companies thought it was too expensive to produce and had memory limitations.

Nutsack4644d ago

Yup, N64 was more powerful and introduced the first real 3D games on consoles pretty much. That made the N64 a total different gen from PSX.

More power means more stuff that can be done, not only in resolution but also physics and stuff. Just look at what the weak supercharged Gamecube hardware did with the Wii. Only 1st party games that don't demand a lot from the system like Mario are good.

A few 3rd party games were just alright, nothing great. Like Madworld, Xenoblade and Sin&Punishment. But because of the lack of power in the hardware they couldn't bring what new IP's like LittleBigPlanet, Gears of War, Uncharted or The Last of Us brought or will bring.

Lets be fair now, the Wii only brought more rehash of 1st party games, and a lot of hardware sales through sh!tty WiiFit stuff for fat kids and lazy moms. It didn't bring a whole lot new and improved stuff for gamers now did it?

New powerful hardware get developers to try new stuff, can't deny that

stragomccloud4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

You know it actually takes more effort to type "upgrade", than "U", right?

As far as being similar to the 360 though. I guarantee it is a completely different beast.

You know that it actually costs a company more to manufacture older technology right? So, there is no way that this even close to on par with, it probably exceeds those older chip sets immeasurably.

The infrastructure just isn't there anymore, except for specifically manufacturing older 360 and PS3 chipsets.

Though 720/PS4 will definitely be more powerful(coming out at least a year later), the gap probably won't be anything like what people are expecting. Really it won't.

If you want a real hardware jump, get a PC. Oh and expect to pay at least $1000. Not knocking PCs, I am actually a PC gamer first, and a console gamer second.

Pillsbury14644d ago

I have never met anybody that hates Nintendo more then nutsack. He tries way too hard to talk smack about it. I think he secretly has a thing for them.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4644d ago
samtheseed4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

IBM never tweeted it would be a Power7 chip, they said 'the same technology' as Power7 chips, which means it will have some of the same features but isn't a true Power7. A custom chip.

samtheseed4644d ago

Note the use of the word 'Custom'.

https://twitter.com/IBMWats...

They never said it was a Power7 CPU.

DeadlyFire4644d ago

They have actually. But an important thing to note is that you can build Power7 based features onto anything on the PowerPC platform. So indeed it is likely a combination of both.

Which still means WiiU could have up to 12 threads and 3 core CPU at around the same clock rate as a Power7 CPU.

WrAiTh Sp3cTr34644d ago

Are you dense? A "custom" what? A " custom" what? Crayon?

dantesparda4644d ago

Yeah WrAiTh, i think he's dense. This the problem with fanboyism, everyone hears and believes whatever they want to. To me its clear its saying a custom Power7

Ju4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

" So indeed it is likely a combination of both. " both of what? Power7 is an architecture or call it a generation. When IBM made the Cell and 360s Xenon it was based on a G3 design simply for the reason of power consumption.

There were two cpu lines, the 601/602/604/G3/G4 line, and the Power line. Similar designs, but different targets. There never was a G5 (Apple used the term, or it was also called the PPC970 - but that was some sort of hybrid).

The Power series was a pure server chip...while the 60x series was a consumer level desktop chip. When the CELL was designed, the latest server generation was the Power6 but IBM recognized that they could use a lot of the CELL/Xenos tech to merge into future Power chips. The Power7 is the result. Next gen Power6+G3, if you will. A server class CPU with desktop power attribute.

And with every console generation, IBM does custom designs for their customers. Gekko was a G3 design - and so was the Wii CPU (with some extensions). Obviously, for the WiiU goes the same route. Latest IBM generation in a custom chip. Hence Triple core based on Power7. Makes sense, doesn't it?

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herbs4644d ago

Most likely the tri core enhanced Broadway (Espresso) CPU which is probably only slightly better than the Cell, Xenon but much more efficient-reliable. However with the dedicated sound chip and GPGPU taking a huge load off, not to mention double the ram and disc reading speed, it will most definitely run circles around Xbox PS3...

They just have to figure it all out first ;)

wishingW3L4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

you talk like if the GPU on the Wii were a Larrabe or something but is just a normal GPU. GPGPU refers to an implementation and nothing more. And is obvious that the CPU on the Wii U will be weaker than current gen since: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk...

If the rumor about the CPU being a tri-core Broadway is true then logic says that there is no way in hell that it will be a "bit" more powerful than the Cell, in fact, is quite the contrary. Do you even know how many flops the Cell can push? I mean, IBM uses the architecture to make freaking Super Computers for god's sake!

And that's the reason of the GPGPU implementation. Wii U CPU is weak. And using the GPU for CPU tasks will only hinder its performance on the visuals department.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

ChickeyCantor4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

That article isn't saying much. A lower clock speed doesn't mean lower performance. It's far more modern considering the 360/PS3 have CPU's from anno 2005-2006. It's probably more sufficient than the Cell or Xeon.

"in fact, is quite the contrary. Do you even know how many flops the Cell can push?"

Do you even know how many flops this system can push?
You are riding on assumptions. Stop.

"And that's the reason of the GPGPU implementation. Wii U CPU is weak."

No a GPGPU allows developers to offload some processing to the GPU to actually do more. The Cell was already trying to do something similar for visuals.

You can bet on it that the next PS and Xbox will have a GPGPU. This says nothing about the CPU. It compliments the CPU.
Because why pay for a GPGPU to compensate the "weak" cpu. If they could just have a GPU and put a "stronger" CPU in.

Your logic doesn't add up.

DeadlyFire4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

In theory Cell can push 256 Gflops.

Do you know how many Gflops a typical CPU pushes out? Both Server and otherwise its at 100 at most. Some new ones push out 110. So in that regard its very useful for servers. In the next 5 years 1 Tflop APUs will be the norm. Intel, NVIDIA and AMD all have one coming in the next 1-2 years. IBM's Power8 also is likely to be a candidate for this tech.

WiiU likely pushing 600-1000 Tflop. As the norm for AMD 4800 series is 800-1000 Tflops and that was their aim at first. So if you look at the most modern GPUs on the mobile spread and put them side by side with AMD 4800 series you will find one that has low TDP, and is in that range and matches up right nicely with AMD 4800 series GPUs. I believe AMD 7770M is the most likely candidate. As any GPU can be converted into a GPGPU if it allows for OpenCL. Personaly I am hoping the aim is 800-900 Gflops.

Do you know that Power7 is Cell 2.0 or its parallel. Compare Cell to Power 7. It doesn't shift very significantly to my eyes in power from a tech standpoint. It goes up to 264 Gflops instead of 256 that the Cell utilizes.

Nintendo could easily build a CPU on the PowerPC platform with all of Power7's CPU features. Even at three cores there is potential for 9-12 threads in those three cores. Compared to the 6 threads that current gen consoles use for development. It could mean lower Gflops for the CPU, but you don't see Gflops on the screen for graphics in most cases. In PS3 you do some, but its still not enough for 1080 support in most games. As it requires another layer in the programming that most developers just skip around. So its never really utilized much.

On x86 you never really see Gflops from the CPU really pushing anything. Its the GPU element even in the APUs that push the graphics. In special designs like consoles you can likely see some of that, but the CPU is there to be central to guiding tasks and not graphics assistant in most cases. In WiiU it likely will have 100-200 Gflops at most in the CPU. That is still more than most modern x86 CPUs.

PS3 altogether in theory could output a decent amount of Gflops. Yes true we all know this, but WiiU breaches that and goes further with a much more modern GPU.

There is no need to argue about power versus the Cell as PS4 is coming along too you know and it will outdo the WiiU in that regard, but Nintendo has the newest CPU/Graphics Tech.

Even at its weakest would be 600-700 GFlops which is potentially more than the PS3 can put out. 230 Gflops + 400 = 630 Gflops. Since WiiU already features games with 1080p with 60 fps. Its more likely that the GPU is a bit stronger than that.

WiiU has at minimum a GPGPU with 576 Gflops + 100-200 Gflop PowerPC CPU based on Power7 features. My guess is 136 Gflops for WiiU CPU.

At most though WiiU has 800-1000 Gflop GPGPU + 100-200 Gflop PowerPC CPU based on Power7 features. I honestly believe WiiU has 830-920 Gflop GPU + its CPU, but that is just my theory.

Ju4644d ago

Just a note. You guys know what the "GP" in GPGPU stands for? "General Purpose' as in it can execute general purpose instructions (to some extend). While true, it is used to execute operations on large data sets, eg. pixels, geometry and more (e.g. like NVidia's Physix runs on GPUs). Latest generations are all GPGPU. There is nothing else in the pipeline any more. Compute shaders, right? The WiiU is quite powerful. It will go the same route as any other console. It will take a while until the tech will be put to good use. And ports from current consoles don't help, either. But its a neet little machine, I give Nintendo that.

neogeo4644d ago

I would still be happy if it has the 32mb of embedded EDRAM

it gave 360 a nice boost in games with only 10MBs

Agent_hitman4644d ago

Until this day, Wii U's CPU is still a mystery and Nintendo is keeping it totally classified.

Maybe that company is scared that consumers might reject or refuse to pre-order the console if they found out that inside it's black/white box is a low-end Tri-core IBM lackluster PPC core..

iamnsuperman4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

I think a large majority of people do not have a clue which CPU is better. I for one have no idea about CPUs and quite rankly I (like most consumers) would buy a consoles based on the games/serivce they shown off

Salamander4644d ago (Edited 4644d ago )

"Mommy i dont want a tricore ibm wackwustre PPC core! i wanna pwaystation 4" said little Nutsack shopping with his mother.

"Mommy i wanna pway grown up games wike the big kids pway!" It seems like little Nutsack has something to prove.

neogeo4644d ago

Have a bub because you only have 1 and you can't even reply to me.

Anyway you could be right on your end, but I like to hope it's the opposite and that it's a beast that Nintendo does not want anyone to know about because they know the longer it's a secret then Sony and MS wont try to out due it. I just don't think it's likely.

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470°

Nintendo Switch 2 sales shatters records, most-sold console in 24-hour period

The Nintendo Switch 2 has set a new record by selling over 3 million units within 24 hours, tripling the PlayStation 4’s previous launch day sales.

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tweaktown.com
Jin_Sakai4d ago

Crazy. Switch 2 is going to do very well.

darthv724d ago (Edited 4d ago )

No doubt, but.... the current price is out of the realm of the average parent / kid to buy like the SW1 was. So this launch achievement is from those of us with more disposable income.

The number of SW2 specific titles pales in comparison to the variety of SW1 games that get a performance boost right out of the box on this. And like the SX and PS5 before it, you can bet the majority are going to be using it as a means to better enjoy their existing titles that can benefit.

This may have been quick out of the gate... so was the WiiU. I quite enjoy it for what it is, but am keeping my expectations in check.

GenoPurpel4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

The Switch 2’s price point is great and fine and it’s still cheaper than the current gen of consoles aside from the Series S.

The only place I think they will fall short is their software sales, which also in turn may affect the hardware sales but not significantly. Parents will be fine paying for the system for their kids, but one look at an $80-$90 price tag for a single video game, that is where a lot of people will draw the line. Maybe not so much the people who are in the “willing to pay because I buy deluxe editions anyway” crowd, but for parents specifically, more sacrifices are gonna need to be made in their choices of gifts for their kids.

OtterX4d ago

As a parent of 3 with a very modest income, it was very affordable bc I already had an immense library of games, and the Mario Kart bundle came out to only about €50 more than a standard bundle. Both Zeldas were upgraded w Family Expansion Pass that I already had. Many games were upgraded for free. The only additional game I bought was Fast Fusion for 14.99 which was a great purchase!

Killer2020UK4d ago

People seem to forget that the Switch was $299 at launch which in today's money is roughly $400. That makes the Switch 2 a $50 increase when inflation is taken into account compared to the original.

Yes, people have less spending power on average compared to 2017 (Switch launch year) but this is not the MASSIVE price hike that people are making out Nintendo to be doing.

raWfodog4d ago

“No doubt, but.... the current price is out of the realm of the average parent / kid to buy like the SW1 was. So this launch achievement is from those of us with more disposable income.”

It could also be many people rushing to buy to avoid any possible tariff hikes in the future, but I think it’s still a good sign that many people still want physical consoles. Congrats to Nintendo! I’m not getting one at this time though (unless I get it for a Xmas present for one of my kids).

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1Victor4d ago

Congratulations Nintendo on finding the happy medium between their weak console and their invincible handheld plus learning from Sony and clearly defining the new console from the old unlike their Wii and Wii U just add a higher number simple yet effective 👍👍

victorMaje4d ago

Are people that keen on $90 games?
Is it true some remasters will also be $90?

DankSinatra4d ago

Tell me you don't research without telling me you don't research.

victorMaje4d ago

Nope. I didn’t research, I don’t own any Nintendo consoles and I had read on here something about $90 games on switch 2, so I guess it’s good now, people can calm down. Have a nice day :)

1nsomniac4d ago

I bought the Switch 2 I won’t be buying games at MK prices. I don’t ever pay over £45 for my games. Even my Nintendo switch exclusives I never paid more than £33 for.

franwex4d ago

I think the typo you put was meant to be $80.
Anyway, the answer to those questions seem to be yes.

victorMaje4d ago

Looks like I’ve been enlightened about the amount. Happy to see it’s not $90.

Sgt_Slaughter2d ago

Don't get your news from clickbait TikTokers/YouTubers, only go to the source (Nintendo) or reliable new outlets like IGN.

No game is $90 on the Switch 2, and they will never go there. Most games will be under $80, too.

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gold_drake4d ago

cool
wasnt expecting it not to sell well

Profchaos4d ago

Its crazy that it's both the highest selling console on day 1 and people can walk into a store and buy it with no pre order

Ashunderfire864d ago

Yup while I was waiting in line from Best Buy for Switch 2, like I did for Switch 1 back in 2017, every waiting 12am was going to get a Switch 2! I was in the no preorder line too!

My friend manage to get 4 Switch 2s at his GameStop store, that was lowkey not busy at all. Got them all for himself and his family. Super easy to get a Switch 2 over PS5.

Profchaos4d ago

The struggle to get a ps5 was real had mates wait over 2 years for stock i got lucky and got it day 1 but still

Ashunderfire864d ago

I know and I also struggled getting a preorder for the PS5, when Walmart, Best Buy among other retailers open their preorders a day early before most of us realize it. I got my PS5 launch day thanks to YouTube Live Streamer Jake Randell. He helps people get preorders and launch consoles.

Neonridr3d ago

the PS5 also released during a global pandemic.

Ashunderfire863d ago

It’s funny how I got disagrees for speaking the truth for what I experienced getting the Switch 2. Nintendo had more copies of Switch 2 than Sony for the PS5.

Don’t be butthurt about this very fact. People on here disagreeing with crazy reasons lol

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hiawa234d ago

Doesn't that mean Nintendo made sure they had plenty of stock available at retail.

Profchaos4d ago

Yeah it's nice to see they prepped for it

adamwparker4d ago

Yeah, I remember reading an article over two years ago with Nintendo stating that they were going to do all that they could to make sure their next console didn't have the PS5/XBox reseller swiping /no stock fiasco happen to them.

Looks like they made sure production met demand. Refreshing to see that the reseller thing didn't trend and I hope a lot of people who bought multiple units for the sole reason to resell then at $1000 are now stuck with them.

jznrpg4d ago

It also means there isn’t a chip shortage when PS5/Xbox came out during pandemic

gold_drake4d ago

to be where fair, we had a current gen come out during covid ha

repsahj4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I remembered I tried 7 pre-order events during the PS5 launch. I gave up and ended up buying 1 from a scalper. But now, I already secured 1 pre-order Switch 2 unit in my country very easy and without problems.

Neonridr3d ago

kudos to Nintendo for ensuring a healthy amount of stock.

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Terry_B4d ago

Unlike the Switch 2 , the Playstation 4 was not sold on the same day in most regions.

4d ago
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80°

Nintendo Has Confirmed It Will Be Attending GamesCom 2025

Company skipped last year's event.

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nintendolife.com
Obscure_Observer24d ago

Not surprising at all.

I mean, they´ll be releasing a new console in a few weeks.

repsahj22d ago

I hope they show new Switch 2 exclusive games.

130°

Nintendo Predicts to Sell 15 Million Switch 2 by March 2026; Switch Has Sold 152.12 Million Units

Nintendo has announced its financial results for the full fiscal year, alongside an update to Nintendo Switch shipments and more data, including a prediction for Switch 2 hardware and software.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
gold_drake35d ago

well, the switch 2 has two holidays in the us, thanksgiving and Christmas.

so id say its fairly possible. the rest of the world will also grab them

Abriael35d ago

Yeah doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility as long as they have enough supply.

Si-Fly35d ago

Do people buy each other games consoles for Thanksgiving? I’m in Europe and always assumed it was just Christmas where gifts were exchanged.

Skate-AK35d ago

I don't think it's so much Thanksgiving, but that Black Friday is the day after.

darthv7235d ago (Edited 35d ago )

That time is often referred to as the start of the Xmas shopping season. For the last few years, retailers would do 'black Friday' deals at various times throughout the year. While many still prefer to start their shopping in the mid to late November, others will just buy when they feel the time (and prices) are right for them.

gold_drake34d ago

i guess its more black friday, should have been more clear ha

GotGame81834d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Thanksgiving kicks off the Christmas Holiday.

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35d ago
Agent7535d ago

Switch and Switch are a different kettle of fish. A sell out at launch by the diehards, strong sales, then the non diehards will be put off by the £75 ($99) games, including the stupid download cards which are topping £65 ($85). Not rocket science to work out how the Switch 2 is going to pan out. The PS5 has sold well, but games at £70, sales have been low. As game sales drop, prices will rise. Sony could knock out all their games for £40 and still make a killing selling more games. There's no denying that a gaming crash is looming.

Rancegamerx35d ago

I agree, I don't see the Switch 2 selling anywhere near the numbers that these predictions suggest or what the general buzz is implying. While the initial sales will likely be strong, driven by diehard fans, I anticipate a gradual decline. It may not drop off immediately, but over time, sales will inevitably taper.

PRIMORDUS35d ago

Not paying for something that's not worth more than the price it was advertised, which is $449 - $499.

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