Problems with Cell

[Fleeboi]

While I was checking out a topic on gamespot, someone posted this article dated today regarding problems with manufacturing the Cell.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3295

If this turns out to be true, then not only will we see a possible delay with the PS3, but also the possiblity of alot of PS3's dying if only 7 cores are working to begin with, which is much more serious than the classic DRE's. It's also supposedly costing Sony a bomb aswell, as only 10%-20% of the manufactured cell's can actually be usable for the PS3.

[Superbean]

Sony are digging them selfs a deeper hole everyday. Playstation is on its last legs now i think, alot of people just play xboxs/360 now.

Sony's PS3 are going to ruin them in the console market.

[Blaze Lord]

Er. I'm pretty sure the PS3 uses 7 of the 8 cores for the game. That 8th core is reserved for the OS stuff. (Dashboard and Guide to us Xboxians.)

[Fleeboi]

Er. I'm pretty sure the PS3 uses 7 of the 8 cores for the game. That 8th core is reserved for the OS stuff. (Dashboard and Guide to us Xboxians.)

But in the article it also said that Sony will be using Cell's that only have 7 of the 8 cores working, this means that not only may it result in a perfermance downgrade (which is yet to be debated) but if any 1 of the remaining 7 cores blow, the PS3 is rendered useless, so the 3% buggy systems of the 360 that caused alot of bad press, could be even worse for Sony.

[Raide]

The idea was supposed to be that the 8th Cell is redundant and only works if one of the other 7 goes down. Kinda like a backup processor but the only problem is, why should a chip blow? I would be gutted if a chip in my console broke and a spare was ready. If one chip goes and is so poorly designed that it can break, what stops the other chips breaking and where does that leave us then?

Sony's biggest problem currently is finding enough Cell's to work in their consoles and because they have chosen a more complicated build for their next console, it is only increasing the chance of something going wrong. I am dreading to see the returns of this console come x-mas :(

[Dcontrol]

Fleeboi you have just ruined little boys christmas dreams all over the world yet again ;) Good find (Y) I knew you'd do an informative post one day :) :p

[Blaze Lord]

But in the article it also said that Sony will be using Cell's that only have 7 of the 8 cores working, this means that not only may it result in a perfermance downgrade (which is yet to be debated) but if any 1 of the remaining 7 cores blow, the PS3 is rendered useless, so the 3% buggy systems of the 360 that caused alot of bad press, could be even worse for Sony.

My point was that the article says: "Reeves says that the PlayStation 3 requires at least seven of the eight cores operational." That is incorrect. Games need seven of the eight cores. The PS3 as a whole needs all 8 cores. If Sony's gonna let consoles slide with only 7 operational, they've already fracked it.

[ian_tycoon]

I don't see the point of 8 cores, afterall PC is still happily on 2 cores.

I'm sure they'll sort it out okay, expect some early teething problems, so prob best leave the launch consoles to the PS3 maniacs that will buy it whatever to see if they're all okay.

[Blaze Lord]

Because they aren't full CPU cores. 'Core' in this case is actually a misnomer. A (PS3) Cell processor has one main core and eight mini cores. We're really talking about the mini-cores, the SPEs. Synergistic Processing Element. And, when you talk about an SPE, you almost always mean the SPU. Unit, instead of Element. The element has the processor Unit and some memory controllers.

[Fleeboi]

My point was that the article says: "Reeves says that the PlayStation 3 requires at least seven of the eight cores operational." That is incorrect. Games need seven of the eight cores. The PS3 as a whole needs all 8 cores. If Sony's gonna let consoles slide with only 7 operational, they've already fracked it.

Ahhh, I see what you mean, in that case Sony can't surely be thinking of throwing 7 working cores in PS3's, there's already rumours going around that it's downgraded from 3.2GHz to a 2.8GHz.

[xXDuBzXx]

PS3 is going to suck ass man, but I can't say I'm not getting one =)

[Uriel Septim]

well if this is true when the ps3 is releases they may be haveing more faulty consoles than xbox 360, and if they do delay again just gives microsft more of the console market.

[ian_tycoon]

Because they aren't full CPU cores. 'Core' in this case is actually a misnomer. A (PS3) Cell processor has one main core and eight mini cores. We're really talking about the mini-cores, the SPEs. Synergistic Processing Element. And, when you talk about an SPE, you almost always mean the SPU. Unit, instead of Element. The element has the processor Unit and some memory controllers.
I think I see, what about the 360. Does it have full CPU cores?

[Blaze Lord]

Yup. 3 symmetrical ones.

[ian_tycoon]

So the it has 8 that has 3 thing is a load of tosh.

[Blaze Lord]

Correct. Pretty much the whole PS3 thing is tosh.