X-Box 2 ... Project 'Xeon' processor is being developed by IBM.
The automatic assumption is that it will be a PowerPC; this assumption is totally unfounded.
One thing the rumour mongers seem to always forget is that
IBM PowerPC runs on Motorola Encode, where-as the Xeon is using Windows 5.x Kernel using DirectX10 (as Microsoft have openly annonced already) which uses Intel Encode.
For those who don't have a clue what that means, ... basically
lets say you have the number 268,000 (random number).
On an intel machine would be . 0100 0001 0110 1110 0000
On a motorola machine would be 0000 0111 0110 1000 0010
Hense why the ATI R300 (Radeon 9700) was renamed the 'Flipper' for the GameCube.
It would just take FAR too much time and effort to recode DirectX and Windows just for this one machine. Microsoft are a professional business, and they do what will cost them the least to make them the most.
From what little the Beta community has on the Xeon right now (which includes the prelimary PDK) it appears they're using an x86-64 MultiProcessor based. The current setup actually appears that it will have an Opteron inside it, specially considering they've given the RAM Throughput at 1600MHz/s.
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No not all of the current consoles are 128Bit... infact only the Playstation2 is.
GameCube runs on a PPC 630 64Bit / 128Bit Graphics
X-Box runs on an Intel Alpha III 32Bit / 256Bit Graphics
currently they're all totally different systems to;
XB - Intel Encode
GC - Motorola Encode
PS2- Risc Encode
These systems currently could not actually be further apart from each other; which makes them a bitch to develop multi-platform for.
Sony is again keep back compatibility, Microsoft are going for pure power and Nintendo for pure gaming needs.
Anyone who has all three console (as i have) will notice that each one is very definately aimed at a particular kind of gamer.
Sony is aimed at casual gamers, which like pick-up and play titles.
Microsoft at serious gamers, who want pure online experience with overly realistic title (in other words PC gamers).
Nintendo are aimed at social gamers, those who prefer to play thier games with a bunch of mates around a widescreen.
The games produced very obviously show this; and now that the novelty of the X-Box is gone, Nintendo have really started to pick up.
It isn't just the lower price that has done it, but the fact that the GameCube is finally getting decent titles; which are showing that it is capable of graphics very close to the X-Box.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles & James Bond : All or Nothing, quite frankly show what this machie is capable of pushing in the right hands.
Athlon64 FX-51 | 1.5Gb DDR2 PC3400 | GeForce FX 5900 Ultra 56.60 | DirectX9.1 SDK | Audigy2 | Windows XP 64-Bit