Cell CPU as the next thing?

[Iggy]

2GB DDR or DDR2 (less for older AmigaOne and SAM boards, 1GB or so)
 
Console designs are not ment to be much expanded.

 
Not fair Vox, I easn't refering to NG PPC system.
My own MorphOS system has 1.5 GB.
 
But I actually gree with you that 256MB is too little.
At one time, IBM was open to tthe idea of selling the Cell to third parties (which could have brought us a board with more memory).
 
However, these days it would be difficult to get them to qualify that application and approve sales.

[vox]

Not fair Vox, I easn't refering to NG PPC system.
My own MorphOS system has 1.5 GB.
 
But I actually gree with you that 256MB is too little.
At one time, IBM was open to tthe idea of selling the Cell to third parties (which could have brought us a board with more memory).
 
However, these days it would be difficult to get them to qualify that application and approve sales.

I stand a lot can be achieved with what is percieved today as old (0,2 or 0,5GB RAM)

More detailed specs reveal: 256K SRAM per SPE + 256MB sys RAM and 256MB VRAM. I do agree this is the serious flaw in SPS3 design, but again just see what is achieved with such low specs (e.g. Civ V just as example of more demanding app on PC)

CPU: Cell Processor

PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS
GPU: RSX @550MHz

1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines
Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)

Memory:

256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

[Iggy]

I stand a lot can be achieved with what is percieved today as old (0,2 or 0,5GB RAM)
 
More detailed specs reveal: 256K SRAM per SPE + 256MB sys RAM and 256MB VRAM. I do agree this is the serious flaw in SPS3 design, but again just see what is achieved with such low specs (e.g. Civ V just as example of more demanding app on PC)
 
CPU: Cell Processor
 
PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS
GPU: RSX @550MHz
 
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines
Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)
 
Memory:
 
256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

I'd forgotten about the XDR memory.
I doubt Sony will use that in the future.

[danbeaver]

Folks, granted this is a "hardware" issue, but does it really pertain to the Amiga?

As in, "Amiga Hardware Issues amd Discussion"

[vox]

Folks, granted this is a "hardware" issue, but does it really pertain to the Amiga?

As in, "Amiga Hardware Issues amd Discussion"

It is 32 bit compatibile PowerPC CPU, a possible target for current 32bit PPC AmigaOS

[danbeaver]

Right! And was established earlier, no one is going to write a useful compiler. Plus the only changes in the past 20 years is better support for a 20 year old processor design (PPC), with Ultimate PPC still in development and using the same PPC design. Cell computing needs to reach the mainstream somewhere else before anyone would ever attempt it on the Amiga.

Ergo, this topic belongs in just, "Hardware Related Discussion."

[vox]

Right! And was established earlier, no one is going to write a useful compiler. Plus the only changes in the past 20 years is better support for a 20 year old processor design (PPC), with Ultimate PPC still in development and using the same PPC design. Cell computing needs to reach the mainstream somewhere else before anyone would ever attempt it on the Amiga.

Ergo, this topic belongs in just, "Hardware Related Discussion."

True, as long as the CPU isnt supported by AmigaOs.
Cell computing is mainstream with PS3, a lot of games were made for it.
Strangely for CPU that used to drive supercomputers.

Sadly, like with PA Semi, it seems we will never see advanced designs.

And I assume Cell is way better then PA Semi in many aspects (I am no hardware guru, simply as more modern design)

Is this what you were looking for?
http://www.bsc.es/computer-sciences/programming-models/linux-cell/cell-be-sdks/sdk-31/cell-be-components/gnu-toolchain

[danbeaver]

The Playstation is a "Play Station," with no higher expectation to replace a desktop computer; many only consider the Amiga as the same thing -- so go for it!

Those supercomputers run one Program: weather forecasting, atomic bomb simulations, DNA analysis, car crash results, and chess. They also could not replace a desktop computer.

If you can not tell the difference except by vague analogy, then this subtopic in the forum could include tuning you '68 Camaro's to use unleaded gas; it is hardware and you can carry an Amiga in it

[Iggy]

From the statements made by Trevor and Varisys, I think its fair to say that the next processor supported by AOS4.1 will be a Freescale Qorlq model (possibly something with the e6500 core).
 
While slower, this out of order processor would have more MIPS then a Cell (and Freescale has re-introduced AltiVec instructions).
 
Now, as to the age of the PPC design, its not a long in the tooth as ARM or X86 (and look how well they are doing).
 
And it is compatible with the latest generation of AmigaOS.
 
So, yeah, its an Amiga hardware topic.

[danbeaver]

Good luck running 89 octane in your Camaro!

[vox]

The Playstation is a "Play Station," with no higher expectation to replace a desktop computer; many only consider the Amiga as the same thing -- so go for it!

Those supercomputers run one Program: weather forecasting, atomic bomb simulations, DNA analysis, car crash results, and chess. They also could not replace a desktop computer.

If you can not tell the difference except by vague analogy, then this subtopic in the forum could include tuning you '68 Camaro's to use unleaded gas; it is hardware and you can carry an Amiga in it

Agreed on points made, but don‚t forget there is a lightweight multitasking OSs such as Linux, AOS 4 or MorphOS and AROS that can ran on that HW.

I would be eager to say its just other way around; running something not demanding on something realativly new and most powerful to that one.

PS3 was a dream in no HW days.

Now, yes, some newer design might be used.

Console is a locked console, but those few that could be hacked to be desktops have proven to be quite capable.

[freqmax]

To me, CPU that can run HTML5 broswer, 720 dpi video and other daily productivity apps and good OS is enough for 90% of people.

The point is being able to do something that makes people be amazed what the platform can do. Competing in the bread-and-butter swamp is better done by others. I think the Amiga as a concept in make the most performance for a low price which is set high enough to still make things possible. Thinking of it, it was the custom chips that made the Amiga .. OMG! the straightforward layout of the m68k just made it even better.

[Hammer]

How did this old thread get dug up again?
 
To heck with the Cell (or its PS4 replacement).
 
How do we get WiiU processors?

Rumored PS4 uses "AMD Liverpool APU" i.e. AMD Steamroller based CPUs + AMD Radeon HD 7850 (16 Compute Units) level GCN.

AMD Kaveri APU has quad-core AMD Steamroller based CPUs + AMD Radeon HD 7750 (8 Compute Units) level GCN.

Note that the APU is AMD's "CELL" solution.

[Hammer]

I stand a lot can be achieved with what is percieved today as old (0,2 or 0,5GB RAM)

More detailed specs reveal: 256K SRAM per SPE + 256MB sys RAM and 256MB VRAM. I do agree this is the serious flaw in SPS3 design, but again just see what is achieved with such low specs (e.g. Civ V just as example of more demanding app on PC)

CPU: Cell Processor

PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS
GPU: RSX @550MHz

1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines
Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)

Memory:

256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

"1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance" includes fix function GPU functions in the NVIDIA RSX(Geforce 7(G70) based GPU) e.g. hardware texture filtering, hardware z-cull and 'etc'.

Most of  "1.8 TFLOPs" can not be use for SGEMM type benchmarks and can't be compared to FLOPs used for programmable shaders/stream processors.

Note that 3D Labs WildCat VP760 has programmable 200 GFLOPs and it was destroyed by NVIDIA Geforce 6800. My point, designing GPU is not just gluing math processors processors together.

[Hammer]

True, as long as the CPU isnt supported by AmigaOs.
Cell computing is mainstream with PS3, a lot of games were made for it.
Strangely for CPU that used to drive supercomputers.

Sadly, like with PA Semi, it seems we will never see advanced designs.

And I assume Cell is way better then PA Semi in many aspects (I am no hardware guru, simply as more modern design)

Is this what you were looking for?
http://www.bsc.es/computer-sciences/programming-models/linux-cell/cell-be-sdks/sdk-31/cell-be-components/gnu-toolchain

Most HPCs(supercomputers) are powered by X86-64 CPUs.

[Iggy]

Rumored PS4 uses "AMD Liverpool APU" i.e. AMD Steamroller based CPUs + AMD Radeon HD 7850 (16 Compute Units) level GCN.
 
AMD Kaveri APU has quad-core AMD Steamroller based CPUs + AMD Radeon HD 7750 (8 Compute Units) level GCN.
 
Note that the APU is AMD's "CELL" solution.

Rumored...but not necessarily true.