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[NetRyder]

"Keep in mind that all of this information is based off of alpha development kits and current projections for the final hardware. Everything is subject to change."

The Guts of the Next Box

# CPU - Xenon's CPU has three 3.0 GHz PowerPC cores. Each core is capable of two instructions per cycle and has an L1 cache with 32 KB for data and 32 KB for instructions. The three cores share 1 MB of L2 cache. Alpha 2 developer kits currently have two cores instead of three.

# GPU - Xenon's GPU is a generation beyond the ATI X800. Its clock speed is 500 MHz and it supports Shader 3.0. Developers are currently working with an alpha 2 GPU. Beta GPU units are expected by May and the final GPU is slated for a summer release. The final GPU will be more powerful than anything on the market today; in game terms, it would handle a game like Half-Life 2 with ease.

# System Memory - Xenon will have 256 MB of system RAM. Keep in mind that this number should not be equated to typical PC RAM. The Xbox has 64 MB of system RAM and is a very capable machine.

# Optical Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon will not use Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Games will come on dual-layer DVD-9 discs. While the media is the same as that of the current Xbox, the usable space on each disc is up to 7 GB. The drive is slated to run at 12X.

# Memory Units - Xenon will use 64 MB to 1,024 MB memory cards. 8 MB is reserved for system use, leaving a 56 MB to 1,016 MB for user data.

# Hard Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon's hard drive is optional. 2 GB of the drive will be used as game cache. The final drive size is still being determined.

# Camera - Xenon will have a USB 2.0 camera. It's capable of 1.2 megapixel still shots and VGA video. Photos can be used in-game and for gamer profiles. The camera can also be used for video chat. It's unknown if the Xenon camera will allow for EyeToy-like gameplay. Developers are currently using a simulated camera driver.

# Sound Chip - Xenon does not have an audio chip in the traditional sense. Decompression is handled by hardware, while the rest of the chores are handled by software. DirectSound3D has been dropped in favor of X3DAudio. The former was deemed too inflexible.

Source: GameSpy

Holy crap, that's powerful!

[~bk]

Dayum... awesome!

[the_music_man]

dank

[Grandmaster]

*drools*

Wow, what a freaking powerful machine. I think the old argument of PCs being more powerful than consoles shall be a moot point very soon. Especially considering many people think the PS3 will be more powerful than Xbox 2!

The inclusion of the camera is an interesting move, should be fun to use that. As expected by many, this will not ship with a HD as a standard, which is a damn shame I think. Hopefully people like me won't have to pay too much more for a hard drive.

There some other interesting tidbits mentioned in the article:

Microsoft is requiring developers to make all Xenon titles Live enabled. One of the key reasons for this will be revealed in the second part of this story.

I don't know what that could possibly mean, but hopefully it'll be something very cool.

Developers are being instructed to plan their games for high-definition. The baseline is 720p at 1280x720 for gameplay and video clips, 16:9 aspect ratio, 5.1 Surround Sound, and anti-aliasing. These features are the current minimum requirement.

Time to invest in a HD TV then Please release this Christmas

[~bk]

Isn't PS3 supposed to be 5.0GHz?

[Kush]

lets wait to see the specs on the ps3

[zeke_mo]

Originally Posted by Grandmaster

I don't know what that could possibly mean, but hopefully it'll be something very cool.

So MS can make money off of live.....

[NetRyder]

Originally Posted by zeke_mo

So MS can make money off of live.....

I was just talking to Grandmaster a few minutes ago, and I think most of us can agree that LIVE is definitely one of the most fun parts of the Xbox. Whether or not MS makes more money (and I'm sure they will), I think it's great that they're making it a necessary part of the system.

[zeke_mo]

I think Sony has the right idea with free online play(after modem). I just cant come to pay for a game then pay for it more just to play it online.

Xbox live is fun tho

[~bk]

Xbox LIVE is very fun, but I don't like certain things about it. One of them being that you have to 'pay' for some downloads. I remember when I went to Downloadable Contents for Project Gotham Racing 2, I was getting charged about $8.99CAD for one download.

I mean, they're being greedy now. I just hope they don't do this with Halo 2.

[Grandmaster]

Originally Posted by zeke_mo

So MS can make money off of live.....

Because you know, that's what a business does? Make a profit?

Anyway, paying for LIVE is definitely worth it. You are not paying just for a single game. A single $50 fee for a whole year, or $4.99 per month. For any game that plays online.

You get what you pay for. Sony's online system is no where near as awesome as Xbox LIVE. Not even close. Do a bit of research

edit: In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony came up with their own version of a centralized gaming service like LIVE. It's the only way they can compete with MS in terms of online gaming.

[Xie]

Sounds interesting and powerful, but it also sounds a bit pricey. I will be amazed if MS releases this monster for under $300. I think Sony is going to be in the same boat as console gaming is all about numbers these days.

/me pets his Intellivision [still best console to date]

[ElementalDragon]

still won't buy a MS console. Why spend $300 or so on a console when i have a beefy PC that can do everything the X-Box can do and more? Basically all X-Boxes are is a featureless PC. or.... should i say Featureless MAC, since it's using PowerPC cores? Either way it's pointless. Rather wait to see what Nintendo's gonna be cooking up. Everyone always says they hate Microsoft and/or their products, yet everyone seems to LOVE X-Box. never seen a game lag on my GameCube at all, let alone as bad as some X-Box games do. Typical Microsoft. they make a product that can't handle the crap that get's run on it.

[vivid_vibe]

Sound like some nice specs. Personally I can't wait for the specs to be released for the PS3. I'm sure it will be comparable to the Xenon. Not only that, but it will use Blue-Ray discs as the primary media.

[NetRyder]

Originally Posted by ElementalDragon

still won't buy a MS console. Why spend $300 or so on a console when i have a beefy PC that can do everything the X-Box can do and more? Basically all X-Boxes are is a featureless PC. or.... should i say Featureless MAC, since it's using PowerPC cores? Either way it's pointless. Rather wait to see what Nintendo's gonna be cooking up. Everyone always says they hate Microsoft and/or their products, yet everyone seems to LOVE X-Box. never seen a game lag on my GameCube at all, let alone as bad as some X-Box games do. Typical Microsoft. they make a product that can't handle the crap that get's run on it.

[ElementalDragon]

0.o what's that supposed to mean, NetRyder?

[NetRyder]

Troll:
A dumbass who makes idiotic posts in message boards newsgroups for the sole purpose of pissing people off, often lacking in intelligence. Sometimes compared to people who pass you by on the sidewalk then grab you in inappropriate places.

UrbanDictionary.com

[Henyman]

Great specs it looks like

i dont see why the xbox 2 doesn't ship with like a 5GB drive.....with an upgrade availible.


also i play Live all the time, though it is mainly due to halo2

[Electronic Punk]

I think they should beef up the RAM just for the ooh factor.

[Dublex]

Well I would have gone for a "Danger! potholes ahead" sign as a sight gag instead of the troll sign

If consoles are going to start being at current PC specs or above current PC specs it might actually be worth getting one. the XB2 looks like a nice rig.