AMD on the PS4: We gave it the hardware Nvidia couldn't

AMD came roaring into GDC 2013 with a vengeance. Not only did the chipmaker introduce its first branded line of dedicated cloud gaming graphics cards - the Radeon Sky Series - we got a taste of what it claims is the world's fastest GPU.
Attendees of a Tuesday night press conference saw the GPU, the Radeon HD 7990, make its first public appearance. Later, a set of 7990s powered EA's 17-minute introductory Battlefield 4 demo on the big screen.

[iGAM3R-VIII]

Well Nvidia got their heads stuck up their a** now. They probably aren't happy at Sony and AMD. Well they should of seen that coming, you can't just bash 2 companies and expect them to not get you back, *sigh* Nvidia.....

[gaffyh]

This is a really great interview, lots of good details regarding the PS4's architecture.

[Army_of_Darkness]

I think everyone realized that except for the hardcore nvidia pc fanboys..
They can trash talk and hate on the ps4 for now, but once it releases and we start seeing what developer can do with it, i will expect a little silence from them and return to their cave...

[gaffyh]

@cayleee - Everyone knows you are a PC fanboy, but I'll reply to one part of your comment anyway. Component manufacturers almost always make a profit on what they are selling, and if anyone thinks that nVidia didn't make a profit from being in the PS3, they are just stupid. It might not have been an obscene profit, but it was a profit nonetheless.

Maybe get your head out of nVidia's ass and look at the situation as a whole and it's pretty clear that the nVidia comments are damage control from their side. There is NO WAY, that they didn't try and get in on the console business this gen. First and foremost they are a BUSINESS, and any money they can make is good for them and their shareholders.

[R6ex]

"We gave it the hardware Nvidia couldn't"

Well, obviously! Nvidia's Project Denver sees the light of day only in late 2014 to early 2015.

[thechosenone]

lol
http://i.imgur.com/EsR0Cay....

[Tr10wn]

@Army_of_Darkness

Everyone knows Nvidia has more quality than Ati is really no secret that Sony went with AMD because it was cheaper for them and for us, while i don't like ATI i like AMD CPU's i hope this deal help them get out of their debts.

[Gaming101]

The problem is, everyone is comparing the traditional x86 architecture of PC's to the PS4, and it's not an apples to apples comparison. The article outlines this rather well with the interview:

"For us, really by looking at that APU that we designed, you can't pull out individual components off it and hold it up and say, 'Yeah, this compares to X or Y.'

"It's that integration of the two, and especially with the amount of shared memory [8GB of GDDR5, 176GB/s raw memory bandwidth] that Sony has chosen to put on that machine, then you're going to be able to do so much more moving and sharing that data that you can address by both sides.

"It's more than just a CPU doing all these amazing calculations and a GPU doing calculations. We are now going to be able to move certain tasks between the two."

Devs, he said, will be able to push the console's capabilities beyond a traditional x86 PC architecture, and multithreading - being able to take advantage of all eight cores - is going "to become a huge deal for a lot of the big blockbuster games."

[rainslacker]

Here's some food for thought, particularly for those saying it's just not worth it for NVidia.

If Nvidia only made a $5 net profit on each chip manufactured(probably low ball figure), then over the life of 80 million consoles(arguably an obtainable sales number) they would have made a profit equal to about 5% of their current worth.

Yeah, so not worth their time. I'm sure investors don't care about a 5% increase in profits. /s

[Nitrox]

rainslacker-

Nvidia didn't technically say it wasn't worth it, they said they looked at the opportunity cost of competing to get into the console market, and the justification wasn't there. That's why they wanted more $$$ than Sony was willing to shell out, to shift the justification to a level they were more happy with.

They're trying to make some major headway in the mobile market right now and didn't want to put various projects on hold to focus on console development. So maybe they looked at it like "Well, we can go for a 5% profit increase going the console route. Or... We can take a gamble on some of our own ideas and possibly see a significantly larger increase."

[rainslacker]

I'm aware. Nvidia isn't one to slouch when it comes to trying to be a major player in any market they have an interest in.

Some people on here were just saying it isn't worth it for Nvidia based on their presumption that consoles don't return enough profit to make it worthwhile. I was just trying to put things in perspective.

Nvidia does make some really good products, and their reputation is really well deserved. That reputation does come at a cost though, and to me, if a comparable experience or tech can be offered cheaper to me then there is no reason to really hold on to brand loyalty.

[IAmLee]

Tomorrows articles:
'Nvidia says PS4 is shit.'

[DeadlyFire]

Well there is a reason why Microsoft turned away from NVIDIA after the Xbox and now Sony is doing the same after PS3.

[Cueil]

NVidia is the reason that Microsoft had to stop making Xboxes in the first place a probably a reason why you don't have HDD in every console because of BC license for emulating the Nvidia chipset was built into the HDD price... they thought to highly of themselves and AMD has been angling in this direction for a while it was the Xbox that was there first APU... albeit with a different CPU... the original A8 model was AD3870WNGXBOX s/n Microsoft was a important partner in the development and distribution of the first ever APU. Just another example of competition being good for gamers.

[fermcr]

summarizing...

Nvidia had better graphics cards, but was more expensive, since it had to be a GPU from Nvidia and a 3rd party CPU (probably IBM). Nvidia didn't want to budge with their prices, so Sony went with ATI, witch is cheaper with the CPU and GPU all in one. Not as good as the Nvidia (+ 3rd party CPU) solution, but still a good solution and much cheaper.

Sony made a big mistake going with the Cell processor for the PS3, with losses of billions. Now they are going with a much cheaper solution and will most likely make a profit with every PS4 sold from the start.

Microsoft will probably take the same route.

[dcbronco]

It's not about a cheaper solution. Nvidia has Tegra. That's an APU to a certain extent. What the article is mainly talking about is HSA. Nvidia doesn't have that. They are said to be working on it now for Tegra 5.

http://www.theinquirer.net/...

The AMD APU was just a lot better and cheaper than anything Nvidia could offer. They are bitter and scared because AMD is challenging them in every market and that will soon include phones and tablets. And with a better product.

[ijust2good]

We all know deep down Nvidia are hurting big time. It must be a bitch for Nvidia not to have any kind of an attention next gen.

CEO of Nvidia- Jen Huang was on stage during 2005 E3 PS3 reveal bragging about console power, he seemed the most excited person on the stage that time. He always did like the attention. Too bad he wont get any this time around. I guess he tried another way to seek the attention he craved with the project SHIELD. Yep, that will threaten console market lol.

start from 07.00
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Jen will certainly be gutted he wont be attending any E3 this year when next gen consoles gets full reveal.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Because any company that is offering their products and services to another will talk trash about them at the time they're offering.

Logic fails majority of this website.

[S2Killinit]

well to those who think that Nvidia didn't want, or didn't really need the console market, I gotta say, it seems like the way they are responding to it is saying otherwise. I'm actually more of a Nvidia guy than a AMD guy. I don't mind paying a little bit more for that little bit of extra security in knowing I've got a first rate item (not that AMD is bad).But I still gotta say, Nvidia didn't handle this very maturely.

[hellvaguy]

And by "maturely" you do mean independent of their right to their own opinion? You mean they throw in a slight dig at sony for using cheaper parts then they would have used, (which may or may not be fact, again just their opinion), but as a devote sony zealot, the dig cut you deep.

Fanboys of all sides need to stop pretending that they know the "true motivation" of every company out there and that if they speak negatively about their cult company (wii.sony.ms), then obviously they are immature, hurtful, evil or w/e.

[BABY-JEDI]

They should just let the games do the talking, anything else is just a waste of time IMO

[TheLyonKing]

I love a good tit for tat against companies.

[knifefight]

Bruce Less vs. Chuck Norris...

King Kong vs. Godzilla...

Mr. T. vs. Rocky Balboa...

And now, the grandest of all superfights...

NVIDIA VERSUS AMD!!!! :o

popcorn.gif

[rezzah]

Lee.

Edit:

If "Less" was meant to imply Bruce Lee being lesser to Chuck Norris, know that Bruce kicked his ***.

[AJ Hartley]

Theres even a vid of chuck saying theres no comparison at all that bruce would anhilate him.

[Diver]

@rezzah

Bruce Lee action star

Chuck Norris full contact world champion. Bruce asked him to appear in the movie. So basically rigged, fake outcome that would have gone differently in the real world. Something nvidia is learning the hard way.

[specialguest]

Despite the fact that there was a lame movie where King Kong beats Godzilla, Godzilla would've acually crushed King Kong like an ant. Godzilla is the size of a tall building. King Kong climbs buildings and fell to his death.

http://www.geekstir.com/wp-...

[e-p-ayeaH]

no love for Rocky vs Drago?

[Auron]

Bruce Lee killed Chuck Norris watch way of the dragon. Lee is a Legend.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[strickers]

I love Bruce but he never competed. Chuck said he would have done well. He praised him. However , Chuck was 7 times CONSECUTIVE World champ. Don't dismiss him because Bruce made better movies and was more charming .

[Ritsujun]

knifefight vs. gunfight
You lose.

[knifefight]

Ritsujun vs. Ritsurin.

Now we're both 0 and 1.

[mcstorm]

IM glad AMD are making the chip and ide rather AMD make it for all 3 than NVIDIA just because AMD are finding it hard in the market because of Intel and NVIDIA making alto with there processors.

[Sarobi]

I feel ripped apart in this situation, simply because:

1) AMD seems to be a good fit for consoles and they aren't cocky.

2) Despite being a bunch of A$$Hats, I like Nvidia's graphic cards and have owned them for quite sometime.

So yeah.. definitely a big 'Hate-Love' relationship with Nvidia right now

[Dude420]

To your point #2, no they haven't. The GPUs are actually very close to each other in terms of performance, stop over exaggerating. Besides, AMD's GPUs are cheaper in price than Nvidia's anyway, so there's no "ownage" here.

[Dude420]

Sorry i meant point #1, typo

[Sarobi]

Well I'm not saying that either is better or worse than the other, I'm happy that AMD has a hand in the next gen devices. I think Nvidia is just being childish lately with their remarks towards PS4. also I meant that I "own" their graphics cards.

[Dude420]

Gah, I apologize for misinterpreting your post, I just woke up this morning and wasn't thinking clearly. Derp on my end...

[Cueil]

bang-for-buck is where AMD destroys NVidia and it's been this way for the last couple of years... the days of AMD going toe to toe with NVidia is over

[WarThunder]

I used to buy Nvidia cards, but right now i bought AMD HD7850 which is awesome. Cheaper and better than GTX650 and GTX660.

AMD video cards have the best price/performance ratio! Nvidia cards are overpriced.

[Snookies12]

Very true, I'm a happy AMD owner for my PC. :]

[jerethdagryphon]

ive a quad core cpu from amd 8gb ram and 5770 ive still to find somethingi want to play or do thats too taxing

[SAE]

Yep. It's exactly like Sony against Samsung Tv's. I prefer Samsung because they are cheaper and almost as good as sony's Tv's..

In this situation i prefer AMD over Nvidia for being cheaper..

[dcbronco]

Uhmm...when did Sony start making Tvs better than Samsung again. Samsung has been better for years and they are usually a little higher too.

[SAE]

No. In my country sony Tv's are much more expensive and famous for having better performance . Maybe it's different in your countries..

[wishingW3L]

if only AMD's CPUs weren't so bad....

[WarThunder]

AMD FX 8350 is better than any CPU at the price

http://www.youtube.com/watc...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

AMD just like their GPU. It has the best price/performance CPUs!

http://www.cpubenchmark.net...

@birdman, if you want to pay more for nothing, thats your choice and opinion.

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

FX-8350 >:O

First hand experience... It's the best AMD chip to date and it is comparable to intel's mid-range which is great for gaming purposes.

[birdman]

I will still, personally, prefer NVIDIA over AMD just like I prefer Intel over AMD. I think Intel/Nvidia make the best combination in a gaming pc. Not that I have time to keep up with the "latest and greatest". I'm still running a GTX 470 (remains a BEAST) with Sandybridge i7 2770k (stays in BEAST mode 24/7). Still, it only matters what is more compatible with consoles. XBOX 360 has a more powerful GPU (AMD) and PS3 has the more powerful CPU (Intel/IBM/Sony collaboration?). Next gen will be diff't

[Truehellfire]

Is it just me or does nobody remember that when this graphics card cycle came out AMD was priced way above nVidia. Wasn't the 7970 like $550 when it came out, and then nVidia released the 680 at $500 and it performed better and used less power. AMD wasn't the lowest price this time around because they wanted to be, it was because they had to be.

[SkullBlade169]

What, you mean low end tablet computer hardware? :P

Nah, on a serious note, it's probably better this way. If the chips aren't as high end that means they won't be using as much power and producing as much heat. Hopefully there won't be as many PS4 hardware failures as there was PS3 ones.

[wishingW3L]

yeah, despite what people want to believe the PS3's failure rate wasn't nowhere near the scale of the RRoD but it still was pretty high.

Most phat PS3 have died. I don't know a single person with a still functional phat PS3 to be honest. Including myself.

[one2thr]

My 80 gig model "phat" has not let me down yet, and I'm not planning on buying another playstation until PS4 releases...

Sn: I think the phats look better than the slims, can't resist the appearance of touch sensor buttons and that glossy piano black case with the chrome trim :)

[birdman]

I have the coveted 60GB PS3 phat. It runs fine after 5+ years (I bought in late 2007 with some 60GB models left). I've never had but a few issues -- and they were just software glitches (game OCCASIONALLY freezing). FYI, I hear there's some original 360's still going strong after 7+ years. I'm on my 2nd, as is EVERYONE I know. No problems after 2008 redesign though

[jerethdagryphon]

i know 3

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

I've seen a lot more of the skinny models die on people than the phat models. A buddy of mine went through 2 of the slim models and one of the super slims(the cd hatch broke)... He got mad and hasn't bought a console since. The Phat models are a lot sturdier... another friend of mine has a launch PS3 that does BC and he hasn't had any problems with it besides a little bit longer load times.

[rainslacker]

Mine is still going strong. The power button doesn't turn off the system anymore and the fan is louder than before, but other than that it works just as it always has.

[Arai]

Great read and the AMD rep handled the questions professionally...as one should.

[ps3_pwns]

its the hardware we dont deserve but the hardware we need. ps4 amd ftw

[Zha1tan]

I have a GTX 680 and im seriously considering getting an AMD card next time round because their price/performance ratio seems to be holding an advantage over nividia lately. (LOL titan).

I don't fanboy over stupid things like hardware, I go with whoever has the better product and right now that seems to be AMD.

[birdman]

We all have opinions. Mine is simply that AMD cards have more technical glitches. Maybe they've cleaned up their act. Nvidia has always been more reliable for people I know who've built systems. I've always used Nvidia with no hiccups. BTW, the 680 is still a great card. To each his own

[Mariusmssj]

Nvidia provide superior Hardware+Sofware+Support package.
Coding OpenGL with AMD cards is just torture, drivers are super buggy, those who have done this will know what I mean.
I enjoy playing games in 3D which nvidia provides a great package.
And the new Nvidia Experience software makes configuring and managing game settings a breeze as well and always keeping drivers up to date.

It all depends on what you want, AMD does have raw power and best bang per FPS but that's it. It's not a complete package

[Banok]

I upgraded to AMD for the much better price/performance over nvidia.

my AMD card is the noisiest piece of shit tho. and I think AMD still sucks at anti aliasing, which is a huge deal to me.

[chukamachine]

When you look at games, I always looked at the rez I wanted to play at, and chose the gpu that offered slightly over that.

Seriously if you want to compare GPU'S etc. Specs.

There is really only one place.

www.gpureview.com/

Titan 4.5tflops.

7990 6.9tlops.

[Mariusmssj]

I assume you understand that you are comparing a SINGLE GPU card vs a DUAL GPU card?

[hellvaguy]

"Titan 4.5tflops.

7990 6.9tlops"

You compared a dual gpu to a single? You sir, reek of failure and blind fanboyism.

[Agent_hitman]

Hats down for AMD. As a matter of fact I have AMD products and I love it.. Now day 1 for me SONY PS4.

[Dms2012]

I dont understand why Nvidia hasnt just come out with their own console, and no, that tegra 4 pos doesnt count, a full blown console.

[MikeMyers]

Because it takes a lot of investment and the competition is quite fierce. You have companies like Microsoft and Sony who will subsidize their hardware and offset that by charging royalties and selling peripherals. It is quite the investment to create and supply a full blown console. Nvidia can penetrate more of the market by supplying products to smartphones, tablets and PC's.

Nvidia always seems to be slightly ahead of AMD but the prices are higher. You tend to get more value out of AMD products. Microsoft broke off their relationship with Nvidia after the original Xbox but still had to pay Nvidia royalties for backwards compatibility. That's why it wasn't the best on the Xbox 360. They didn't want to pay for all the games to be emulated. Then Sony went with Nvidia for the PS3 and not it looks like they will also be having issues with backwards compatibility for the PS4. Different design and architecture.

People shouldn't read too much into what Nvidia has to say about the PS4. It is their job to compete with AMD and of course they will make it sound like AMD products are inferior.

[Lior]

Look at the nvidia shield its their main priority with terms of console gaming/portable

[husomc]

nvidia can't even get developers to fully support their gfx cards on the pc. so obviously they would have reservations about stepping out into the console space.

[Lone_Man]

yeah right and thats why your share are worth 2 dollars.....sad

[Somebody]

Good for AMD. Don't go reveling as yet though since there's nothing else for Intel and Nvidia to do except to out do AMD, make their even better products. We've seen this see-saw of events before. AMD's Athlon VS Pentium, ATI's Radeon VS Nvidia's Geforce. It took several years but they replied with Intel Core 2 and nvidia's Geforce 8800 GTX.

Now it's ATI's and ARM's turn to shine but we all know Intel and nvidia is cooking up something in their labs.

[ThreshStar]

Oh how I would LOVE to see what these comments would look like if AMD passed on the PS4 and nVidia became their partner.

"ZOMG AMD is sooooooooo stuped!!!!! nVidia is teh best fer grafics!!!! AMD SUX!!!!"

Face it, a lot of these posts are biased with the "they're on my team so they're the best!" mindset. You know, until the NEXT time it's reversed and then all of a sudden "Time to switch jerseys!"

[wishingW3L]

it's kind of sad when you think about it, right?

[DwightOwen]

What's even more sad (or hilarious) is reading all these Sony fanboys comments on CPU and GPU tech, pretending to actually know what they're talking about.

Just sit back, shut up, and play whatever your master Sony deems fit to shovel your way peasants.

[saint_seya]

DwightOwen: whats more sad its knowing people like you, that its so insecure of a console that needs to try and do something to feel more secure about expending so much money in a video card, that will be outperformed in less than 6 months, to then again, buy another card and repeat the same trend over and over.
We will be having fun playing in the same console and loling at people like u.. that only uses this so powerfull pcs to post nonsense in comment sections of ps4.. guess ps4 its more important in your life that u want to realize.

I love my pc, and i play more often than my ps3 lately because league of legends.. but that dont make me be a troll talking of how much better graphics on my rig are compared to ps3, i can enjoy both, i could enjoy a 360/wii u if a friend let me use it #im not a big fun of the exclusives in those consoles thats why i dont own one#, but that doesnt mean it doesnt have good games.
Theres so much retarded people, that instead of having fun what they got, they need to bash other just because they feel insecure. Play in pc, ps3, 360, wii, wii u, vita, 3ds, android, ios.. it doesnt matter, enjoy what u play, and let others enjoy their games.
If u join a section tagged with the name of a console u dont own, u dont pretend to own, DONT TROLL, if u want to comment, at least try to do it WITH SOME LOGIC.-

[rainslacker]

@Dwight

If I'm not mistaken isn't the 720 rumored to be going with AMD as well? If so what does Sony have to do with the decision to go with AMD for next gen have to do with anything?

Maybe the Sony people are commenting because it's a discussion about the PS4?

Quite honestly, it sounds like Sony found a good solution to shovel our way in terms of price vs. performance. Hopefully MS can do the same. If your referring to PC being better, then why is that pertinent to the discussion about the PS4? More so, I know there are just as many PC gamers who know just as little about the hardware they wax poetically on about.

[millzy102]

not really, you can give me the most powerful pc money can buy and ill still play Nintendo and Sony over it, I don't give 2 shits about power or specs I only care about games, that's why I'm still happy playing ps1, n64 and old sega games, because there fun. pc gamers need to understand a lot of people don't care about gaming on pc, but on the other side of the coin people are delusional thinking ps4 outclasses high end pc's in specs and a lot of the ps4 resources will be kept for game streaming/ recording, multitasking and other background os operation, so the whole system won't be dedicated to game prosessing.

[cayleee]

"that's why I'm still happy playing ps1, n64 and old sega games, because there fun"

You do realise PC can play all those games via emulation lol. Good luck maintaining old boxes just to keep BC.

[Amigaengine]

Nothing beats owning the old hardware. Just plug and play, no hardware config, no downloading of illegal torrents etc.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

If you think gaming on PC is only about graphics...I don't even know what to say.

[MuhammadJA]

Doesn't change the fact that nVidia is better than AMD. Sony wanted a cheap product, that's why they chose AMD. You get what you pay for.

[e-p-ayeaH]

plus AMD graphic capabilities are better to run modern games.

[wishingW3L]

AMD CPUs are really bad but their GPUs are on par with Nvidia's and in many instances even superior.

[thecurseddevil]

amd are now officially trolling nvidia,first they got their gpu in all the major 8th gen consoles and now this...

[TXIDarkAvenger]

I highly disagree. Nvidia is proven to perform much better than AMD BUT Nvidia GPUs are more expensive hence why a lot of PC builders go for AMD. So Nvidia could of given better hardware but again Sony doesn't want the console to be expensive so no deal.

[Bowzabub]

Nvidia can't give us God of Wars, Uncharted, Killzones, Little Big Planets, Last of Us, etc...

[hduce]

Actually Nvidia did give us those games. Last time I checked all of those games are on the PS3 and the PS3 uses a Nvidia graphics card.

[Bowzabub]

Not this time around.. The point is I'll be going with the games not the gfx.

[ginsunuva]

I love paraphrasing quotes for headlines.

[Loki86]

AMD really pulled a coup here, by taking over the entire console market they opened the door to have the best compatibility with PC games next gen.

[gamernova]

It would be awesome if they could just stick a titan inside a ps4. It would be forever until new consoles were needed. Sure it would be expensive but sacrifices must be made for gaming lol

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

With that mentality why don't you just build that rig. :p

[gamernova]

Well I would because I am a PC gamer but console gamers usually do not want to deal with it. Haha Can you imagine if Sony had the power of the titan and the power of its exclusives? I know it is not possible but man, that would just be pretty damn cool haha Titans for everyone :D

[Dark_king]

Sorry but their are far cheaper an better solutions then the titan.Given they are duel gpu's but still cheaper with better performance.

[ACEMANWISE]

Will the PS4 benefit from the easier development process? It's quite a good question to ask oneself. For it has many good answers to ponder.

The PS3 was harder to develop for, this much is true. It was a powerful piece of machinery in it's time. So the discovery of new potential was slow yet groundbreaking. It was a process of discovery that spanned 5 years...a journey that both developer and gamer traveled on.

Yet it prevented many games from reaching their full potential. It prevented many games from even starting.

Now, looking at the percentage of great games vs. the available one must ask if the restriction may have discouraged the less serious or less motivated developer. Could it be that the difficulty of the PS3 resulted in less games released while raising the quality game percentage?

While we know that Sony carried the majority of "push" for their hardware, it may be logical to assume that the difficulty acted as a filter, of some sort, to weed out the less desirable releases. Plus it allowed the progress to be subtle throughout the lifecycle...instead of mastering the potential within a year or two.

The PS4 has shifted it's focus from power to convienance. This is the realm directly related to Microsoft. It's a different game they are playing this generation and I hope it's a good one.

It is this strategy that cut the PS3's life cycle short...not because of the PS3 but because of the 360 and Wii. Both have blown their potential way too fast and caused a downward spiral of interest leaving the PS3 in the spotlight.

As predicted the PS3 has hit it's stride in the marathon race...only to be cut short by the sprinters' need for the next race. It's ashame really because the PS3 still has 3 years of life left. To me, the PS4 seems somewhat sudden, yet welcome, in an age where speed and popularity take precidence over quality and patience.

[BrianC6234]

I wouldn't say the PS4 is less powerful. The processor is very powerful. Sony just listened to developers this time and made a console they wanted. With the PS3 it was a bunch of Sony and IBM engineers making what was the most powerful console at the time. But not thinking about how difficult it would be to develop on. Sony did give developers lots of good tools to work with after a while. That's the big difference with the PS4 though. This time they get all the help from the start.

[BrianC6234]

Great comeback by AMD. Nvidia is just crying because nobody wanted them for the next generation. They'd love to be supplying graphics chips to Sony and Microsoft.

[TemplarDante]

FINALLY AMD RETALIATES!
use them tiger teeth AMD, I got your back dawg.
My chi, mad focused yo!
Suck on that, ENVidia :)
Bitter you dont have business from
Sony
Msft and
Nintendo, sucka!

[joeorc]

PS4 will have many launch titles; Trying to replicate PS3 SPU Runtime System – Cerny

Sony has been pushing the fact that the PS4 is incredibly simple to develop for.

The console will be receiving many many titles at launch from first and third-party developers. One of the main reasons for this compared to the PS3 is that it is easier to create a game on the PS4.

Mark Cerny, lead architect of the system, revealed a lot of information to the Japanese press (translated via GAF), and we have some details of that now.

“This will also lead to the main difference with the PS3 era,” he said. “The main difference is, we will have many titles for launch. Because game development is easier, there shouldn’t be a barrier as there had been previously.

“PS3 had the image that it was difficult to develop for. Even the PS2 wasn’t that easy. PS4 has a PC CPU and a GPU that’s been enhanced from a PC so the game lineup should become very rich.”

He also revealed that they are trying to replicate the SPU Runtime System of the PS3. If you remember the SPUs were able to do little tasks very efficiently and at lightning speed, reducing the load off the GPU. Since the PS4 doesn’t have the Cell processor, there needs to be a different way achieve the same effect. Cerny explains how they are trying to accomplish this.

“We’re trying to replicate the SPU Runtime System (SPURS) of the PS3 by heavily customizing the cache and bus,” he said. ”SPURS is designed to virtualize and independently manage SPU resources. For the PS4 hardware, the GPU can also be used in an analogous manner as x86-64 to use resources at various levels.

“This idea has 8 pipes and each pipe(?) has 8 computation queues. Each queue can execute things such as physics computation middle ware, and other proprietorially designed workflows. This, while simultaneously handling graphics processing.”

He also mentioned that developers probably won’t be using this functionality early on in the PS4′s lifecycle but later on this could become an extremely important function.

The PS4 will be launched this holiday season and more information will be released at E3. Most developers reacted positively at PS4 specs, and majority of them praised the 8GB GDDR5 RAM of the system.

http://www.gamechup.com/ps4...

[FlyingFoxy]

I personally like AMD GPU's, it's too bad they still have issues with Crossfire because 7870's in Xfire completely obliterate that overpriced card Titan and are quite a bit cheaper to buy both cards to boot.

Hurry up and work on fixes for microstuttering already.. some of us actually WANT to own 2 GPU's even at 1080P to ensure over 60FPS constant, or better yet 120FPS more like it.

[kung-fu-grip]

Sony probably did Nvidia a favor.

[smashcrashbash]

Yawn.It annoying how people drone on about Nvidia and AMD. One person had to get the contract and someone else had to walk away,Nvidia walked away for what ever reason whether it was because Sony thought their stuff was too expensive or they thought Sony wasn't offering enough money. What is the big deal? No matter who was left trolls, naysayers and haters would have something to say against it. Both companies probably have their pros and cons about their chips and Sony took one of them over the other.Why is this such a big deal? What are you trying to prove? That Sony is so poor that they had to turn to AMD? From what I have been hearing AMD is not exactly a bad choice or anything.Why are people jumping to Nvidia's side? Why couldn't it just be that they price their stuff too high and Sony refused to pay and it had nothing to do with quality? People are so hellbent on trying to prove the PS4 is no good.Why? Are you jealous that it was announced first or that your dumb theories about there isn't going to be a PS4 didn't come true.Why must everything be a fight?

[Ol_G]

Insulting AMD hardware would directly insult Nintendo and Micosoft's hardware they all use the same brand but Nvidia is known for building quality hardware but with a bit higher price.
Sony wanted hardware for a certain price and Nvidia said no too low thats what they stated themselves the article is on the net if you google .
It's not the other way around they didn't offer Sony hardware for a price they did a bid it was too low and they probably didn't wanna/couldn't go any higher.
I think thats why everyone keeps bringing it up nevertheless it's pointless Nvidia isn't supporting any console this generation so they have nothing to say anymore

[Ol_G]

funny to hear this while at first the news was that nvidia wasn't willing to deliver for the price they offered now amd says they didn't look at nvidia and went straight to them looks like one of them is lying and seeing ps3 used nvidia i dont think they wouldn't ask them to do business

[smashcrashbash]

Or Sony didn't look at Nvidia at all and they said that they refused the offer to save face. I doubt Nvidia would tell everyone that they got passed over completely

[Ol_G]

yeah i honestly don't believe that Nvidia makes what arguably are the best videocards and Sony always wants the best but that comes with a price and i think they expected to get a better deal but didn't get it .
Why would Nvidia try to save face if this isn't putting them in a worse state in any way if there's anyone trying to save face its AMD who seems like a second choice now

[Forklift]

Sony Defense Force: Assemble!

[Soldierone]

I used to be a big NVidia supporter till all this started. Back when I was a PC gamer I always used AMD, but it was due to it being cheaper for me. I always "preferred" NVidia till lately. AMD out pacing them and then NVidia throwing a fit made me lose interest in them almost entirely....

Honestly, Sony didn't pick you, get over it.... you can't sit there and literally call two companies crap and not expect them to retaliate.... you put the ball in AMD's court, and they chucked it back at your face. lmao

[FlyingFoxy]

AMD have good cards for the money, their Xfire and dual card solutions leave a lot to be desired.

Microstuttering is a big problem, i don't know why AMD won't fix it because it would put sales of cards through the roof and put them in a better position than Nvidia for price & speed.

The obvious answer is greed, apparently you can have 3 cards run together and it minimizes microsutter issues.. so maybe they are thinking why should be fix it when we can force people to buy 3 cards or a dual card and 1 single card.? or not, who knows.. but it's been an issue since Sli & Xfire have existed, all these years and STILL no solution. What a joke.

[Soldierone]

I believe the Xfire cards are the ones I used when I did PC gaming. They were rather nice to use.

[Modestmex]

Nvidia for life!!

[Rageanitus]

once again console fanboys are soooooo one sided.

If we look for the past 4 -5 years NVIDIA combined with Intel chips are far superior than what AMD has to offer. Just look at all the benchmarks follks.

But it is true tat AMD offered a cheaper solution and a decent perfomance because they make both processors and video cards.

Having said that its funny how all the praise is going towards AMD..... ppl have to realize that POWERFUL gpu's and CPU's still require alot of space for cooling. Hence the console version is based off a laptop derivative of the gpu and CPU.

[smashcrashbash]

What is really funny is watching people rage about the PS4 because it is getting so much attention and developers like it.First it was 'There will never be a PS4' then 'PS4 is only a rumor' and then 'PS4 doesn't actually exist.And now that you can't use those anymore now it is nitpicking every detail about it.Next will be attacking the launch games and the sales, oh wait no I forgot attacking the price no matter how reasonable it sounds.Gamers are funny.It's fun to see them foam at the mouth hoping and praying they will be right and the PS4 will suck now that it exists.And people say Nintendo gets the most hate.Sony would have gotten hate no matter who they choose.Nvidia didn't work for them to well so they are going with someone else this time and poor gamers are taking it personally and wailing.'Why didn't you chose Nvidia oh why.Don't you know that is the chip I love.Sony you evil demons.How dare you! Nvidia is superior'. Yawn.Boring.Can we just play some games now?

[profgerbik]

"There will never be a PS4' then 'PS4 is only a rumor' and then 'PS4 doesn't actually exist"

My entire time on this site I have never once heard anyone ever say this.

[smashcrashbash]

You don't come to N4G much at all do you.One person in particular greenpowerz was trying as hard as he could to convince people that the PS4 didn't actually exist.And others were convinced that Sony was in such bad financial trouble that they would never make a PS4 and would be bankrupt long before that.You really don't know much about the nonsense people say on this site. I am not even sure why I still both to comment on it. N4G is about 75% only with a few people holding it together.The hate for the PS4 has already started and it hasn't even been announced properly.

[profgerbik]

"Devs, he said, will be able to push the console's capabilities beyond a traditional x86 PC architecture, and multithreading - being able to take advantage of all eight cores - is going "to become a huge deal for a lot of the big blockbuster games."

See that is some next generation talk right there. That is what I like to hear, that is exactly what defines a new generation of gaming to me, not a new generation of consoles..

I love Nvidia but what they have been doing, they should be ashamed of. If you have faith that your products are truly the best, there is literally no reason to ever bring it up or compare with others because you know your devices speak for themselves.

[TBONEJF]

Why are we still talking bout NVIDIA btchin bout how expensive the PS4 costing them too much money? THey have their PROJECT SHIELD handheld console. GET OVER IT WHINNERS

[ATi_Elite]

So much is being made about Nvidia not being in Next Gen consoles but what people FAIL to realize is NVIDIA makes a ton of cash selling Tegra chips that AMD who is so far behind Intel in the CPU department and Intel/Nvidia/Qualcomm in the mobile department that it HAD NO CHOICE but to be the sole chip maker for Next Gen consoles or operate in the RED again.

Nvidia will sell 3 Tegra chips for every Next Gen console sold cause Cell phones and Mobile devices sell way more than consoles.

Nvidia just doesn't care and YES Nvidia is cocky cause they see the consoles as just welfare for AMD who just can't compete with Intel/Nvidia/Qualcomm unless it's GPU related.

Besides Nvidia has the GRID and a whole host of other things going on. So yeh expect Nvidia to downplay anything AMD related cause...........

Nvidia is MAD that AMD HD 7000 beat the crap outta GTX600 series

[forum67]

I am Batman !

[taquito]

amd definately offers super cheap, crappy hardware nvidia saw no profit in!

hey amd.....why is your stock six times lower than nvidias if you are capable of delivering "what nvidia couldn't"?

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

why is nvidia STOMPING you into the ground??

why are your best 2012 cpu's still behind intel cpu's from 2010

because you are a second tier tech company with garbage drivers and inferior products

no wonder your sucking from the console teat......your right where you belong!

[annus]

Pretty much this. AMD have always been the cheaper version for hardware. Saying that Nvidia couldn't make the tech is just ridiculous. Maybe they should look over the Nvidia Titan again before they talk crap, but I guess that's just how you play the market, and AMD are clearly trying to go the route of console praise.

[Metfanant]

except you (and all the nvidia/pc nuthuggers) have misunderstood the entire quote...

he didn't say nvidia flat out could not make the tech...what he said was that AMD has provided Sony with something nvidia could not...right now...

does nvidia currently manufacture a low power consumption, low heat cpu/gpu on a single die with the capabilities of pumping out next gen graphics and keeping costs relatively low?...

NO they do not...meaning AMD has provided Sony with something nvidia CAN'T...

sure nvidia manufactures titan...which costs $1000...but is titan a low heat, low power cpu/gpu combo that fits Sony's hardware design, while keeping costs down??...NOPE!

it SHOULD be more powerful than a console GPU...considering said console will probably cost in the ~$500 range as a complete unit...

AMD is not arguing that fact...they are simply giving you the truth...Sony was looking for something that nvidia simply does not produce...

this is not rocket science people...there is so much nuthugging on both sides of this argument its incredible...so much so that basic reading comprehension has become impossible..

[newgroundsguru]

Its going to be a power house!

[smashcrashbash]

@ Metfanant. You can't blame some of them.The bitterness over Sony's PS4 has many people here jumping at every single article about it.The mere mention that the PS4 has any merit by anyone sends PC and Microsoft fanboys into spasms. It's pitiful.

[Silly gameAr]

Never did care what Nvidia or their fanboys said. I'm just waiting for the PS4 to drop.

[Ulf]

Here's my take:

AMD wanted a way to produce enough chips to justify a transition to 20nm fab tech, so they could compete with Intel.

Hence, they made a sweet deal with Sony, and maybe other folks, where they don't profit much in the beginning, assuming that 20nm tech will bring them into the black, down the road.

nVidia, OTOH, since they do not also have a stake in the CPU market (outside of mobile) like AMD does, or own part of a chip fab company which is looking to move to 20nm tech like AMD does, perhaps is looking more towards profit from the get-go. They said no.

IMO, AMD made the right decision. nVidia... I dunno. I guess they made a decent decision for themselves. It won't hurt them to wait for 20nm tech to become cheaper, but then... well they lose out on the console market for the whole gen. I guess they are hoping Ouya (Tegra 3) really takes off?