IBM wins the CPU contract for the Microsoft's X-BOX 2.

[Hammer]

Microsoft Corp. and IBM Corp.'s Technology Group announced today (Nov. 3) that the next- generation Xbox electronic game console will use a yet-to-be-designated IBM processor. IBM's chip will replace Intel Corp.'s Pentium III processor now in the current Xbox version.

Refer to
EE Times Link
EBNS Link

Comments: The type of CPU may not be as important with MS’s dotNET strategy. Amiga and Mac markets may have some serious competition in the PowerPC arena. IF X-BOX’s X86 legacy is important, we also know IBM is a partner of AMD and it’s not the first time that IBM licensed an X86 CPU e.g. Cyrix series CPUs.  

[downix]

This is *not* an announcement that IBM *is* providing the CPU silicon.  This is a cross-licensing agreement announcement only.

Don't count your eggs before they are hatched.  These same licenses, I would note, are utilized by AMD in their x86-64 chips, and could note a shift from Intel to AMD just as readily as a shift from Intel to IBM.  Knowing Microsoft, they are playing these three off of each other to drive the price down.

[KennyR]

It may well be that modern x86 chips are too hot and power hungry for console boxes. But I'm jumping to conclusions. If consoles did jump to PPC it would be great news for AmigaONE and Pegasos boards.

[mikeymike]

The type of CPU may not be as important with MS’s dotNET strategy.

Erm, what?  Does someone need to read up on .NET? :-)

MS and IBM.  Can history repeat itself in some fashion? :-)

[Methuselas]

Erm, what? Does someone need to read up on .NET? :-)

MS and IBM. Can history repeat itself in some fashion? :-)

Yeah Mikey,

Maybe IBM will 'ripoff' MS and kill their market...I remember those wars.. :-P

[dammy]

Poster: KennyR Date: 2003/11/3 18:17:39

It may well be that modern x86 chips are too hot and power hungry for console boxes. But I'm jumping to conclusions. If consoles did jump to PPC it would be great news for AmigaONE and Pegasos boards.

Modern PPC (970) is just as hot as x86 CPUs.  The last PPC that could get away with using a heat sink and no CPU fan, was what, the G3 600MHz?  That's not going to be enough horsepower for the XBox.  Besides, imagine trying to port M$ to PPC for the XBox to run on.  Not pretty.

Dammy

[toRus]

Modern PPC (970) is just as hot as x86 CPUs. The last PPC that could get away with using a heat sink and no CPU fan, was what, the G3 600MHz?

It depends for the system. New PPC7457 can be used without a fan in a properly aired system.

[KennyR]

And what was the last x86 CPU that could run without a large (more than 3cm^2) cooler and fan? 266 MHz Pentium 2?

Heat and power are the only real advantages PPC have over x86 chips. What other reason for switching? Ok, I'm jumping to conclusions again: nobody said it was a PPC chip. But do IBM have any chips close to being as powerful as the PPC range? I don't know of any x86-compatible ones since Cyrix, and that died at the 300MHz or so along with the P2.

[AmigaMac]

t may well be that modern x86 chips are too hot and power hungry for console boxes. But I'm jumping to conclusions. If consoles did jump to PPC it would be great news for AmigaONE and Pegasos boards.

Well the Nintendo Game Cube already uses a PowerPC chip and Sony with Toshiba and IBM are currently developing a future PowerPC chip for the PS3.  I guess Microsoft must have seen something nice about the PowerPC.  Of course add the x86 future with Intel being questionable, seems to make it seem more realistic.

[fx]

From slashdot:

EE Times reports further details on Microsoft's use of IBM chips in its next generation Xbox game and consumer electronics devices, dealing a blow to Intel and providing a much needed boost for IBM's lossmaking chip business." An analyst claims that "IBM is likely to modify its most advanced G5 PowerPC silicon, which is being used in Apple Computer's fastest Macintosh desktops, for the embedded market, reducing the cache and cutting power consumption", and further comments: "This is likely to heat things up at Intel, but it is competition that is healthy for the industry. It's ironic that IBM, with its roots in the computer industry, doesn't supply the processors for the main portion of the personal computer industry. Intel does."

[bhoggett]

@KennyR

[quote}I don't know of any x86-compatible ones since Cyrix, and that died at the 300MHz or so along with the P2.[/quote]
What about the C3s?

You know, the ones they use in the VIA EPIA boards like the ones sold by the Mini-ITX store.

[dammy]

Poster: KennyR Date: 2003/11/3 19:21:23

And what was the last x86 CPU that could run without a large (more than 3cm^2) cooler and fan? 266 MHz Pentium 2?

Latest Pentium, would be the Pentium 4-Mobile at 2 GHz, think it averages about two watts.  IIRC, you can find a fair number of x86 low power (7-12 watts) from Intel, AMD, andTransmeta.  My point is, laptops are driving the need for low power, fast CPUs.  PPCs are not the only beast in the low power catagory.

Dammy

[PastAmigaOwner]

Modern PPC (970) is just as hot as x86 CPUs. The last PPC that could get away with using a heat sink and no CPU fan, was what, the G3 600MHz? That's not going to be enough horsepower for the XBox. Besides, imagine trying to port M$ to PPC for the XBox to run on. Not pretty.

Not true.  Apple has produced several G4 based Macs, including the cube, that do not need anything other than a heat sink to cool.  Even the 1.33Ghz G4 in the latest PowerBooks does not require continual fan cooling.

[logicalheart]

Oooh, I think you hit the nail on the head with that one.  Microsoft always has alterior motives, and playing their vendors off of each other would be typical.  Who knows what they have up their sleeve.  Oh, and if anyone thinks PPC runs as hot as x86 CPUs,  I've got A burnt Celeron and Athlon that I'll sell you for cheap.

[Waccoon]

@PastAmigaOwner:  All the Macs I've taken apart have HUGE heatsinks, though.  The G3 I used to have at work has a heatsink about 18 square inches, with a 120mm case fan blowing on it.  That's one advantage of being able to build custom cases.  The G5 Mac also has a case fan in front of each CPU heatsink.  That's hardly passive cooling.  Maybe Apple is really pushing these processors to their limit?

I also heard the Cube had overheating problems, because the video chip gets too hot and thus affects the CPU.  It doesn't matter to the end user what the problem is.