Xbox 360 Microprocessor Screams
International Business Corp. has finally revealed the details regarding the screaming fast microprocessor that powers the much anticipated Xbox 360 video game console.The original Xbox, which was released in 2001, used a microprocessor from Intel Corp., a 733-megaherts Pentium III. All the way back in 2003, the gurus at Microsoft decided to switch to a completely different vendor for the next-generation Xbox, and wisely choose IBM.
The new IBM-built chip boasts three customized PowerPC computing engines, which are able to run two simultaneous tasks each, at amazing clock speeds in excess of 3 gigahertz. Yeah baby!
“Working with IBM gave us the flexibility to design a processor to give game developers the kind of targeted power they need to make great games” Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft VP of Xbox Hardware.
Sounds fast right? It gets better.
The tech heads at IBM also incorporated high-speed connection between the microprocessor and the Xbox 360’s graphics processor, which was developed by ATI Technolgies Inc. Now the graphics hardware will benefit from being able to read directly from what’s stored on the primary processor’s onboard memory.
With a price tag expected to hit $399.99, the Xbox 360 shows every indication of taking video games to the next level. I can’t wait. Can anybody bum me $400?
posted by Bob Narley @ 10:56 AM
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