Cell Processor - 'Dead in the water'

[soniqstylz]

http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/11/23/cel...d-in-the-water/

The PS3?s innovative ?Cell? processor won?t be used in the PS4, according to reports this morning, claiming the chip is ?dead in the water?. Apparently German website Heise Online has quoted IBM?s Vice President of Deep Computing, David Turek, saying the planned successor to the current processor, slated to have two PowerPC processors and 32 SPEs, will not be released. Extrapolated, then, you can summise that the Cell processor line is terminated, with the current PoweXCell 8i the last one off the production line.

The Cell, once stated to be in everything from games consoles to food blenders, was never particular quick at certain tasks, with a 1.4GHz Niagara already running 13 times faster than the 3.2GHz Cell at ?long string pattern matching?, for example.

I did see a seperate article that said no reason Sony can't still commission IBM to build that 32 SPU Cell for PS4, just for now IBM won't be using it on their own. Outside of a possible revision of 8i (which is already at 65nm and much faster than the Cell B.E.), looks like we can kiss BC in the PS4 goodbye.

[Ironman273]

Here's another article on it:

PowerXCell 8i is the last one out

The Cell processor which IBM once flogged as revolutionary is now officially dead in the water. German website Heise Online quoted IBM's VP of Deep Computing, David Turek, that the planned successor to the current PowerXCell-8i processor, slated to have two PowerPC processors and 32 SPEs, will not be released.

Some of the development work will crop up in other projects but effectively this means that Big Blue is terminating its Cell processor line and the PowerXCell 8i the last one out the factory door. Cell was supposed to be IBM's big white hope even if it was slightly slower on most things.

Sun's Niagara at 1.4GHz was more than 13 times faster than the 3.2GHz Cell at long string pattern matching for example. If the working set is tiny, then the 3.2GHz Cell CPU is roughly 50 percent faster than the 1.4GHz Niagara.

The Cell inspired both Intel and AMD to create the Larrabee and Fusion respectively. In other words, one or more general purpose cores fused with a number of stream processing units.

Source: Fudzilla

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

It was probably too complex for it's own good.

Sure, it has power.. But where is the power? :p

[ThehAWKs]

I wonder if the PS4 will have a Larrabee or Sun's Niagara

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

It was probably too complex for it's own good.

Sure, it has power.. But where is the power? :p

On my Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2 discs :p

The only thing I dislike about being mid-generation is the constant rumours about the next hardware and what it will/won't be.

Sony aren't giving off any clear indication about the PS4 and probably won't for a while, the PS3 is only just celebrating it's 3rd birthday.

[_neutrino Veteran]

I honestly hope that the PS4 keeps the same controller design (off topic)

[Noveed]

PS3 has a 10 year life cycle (accroding to sony)... Talk about the PS4 is coming a bit early isnt it?

[Emn1ty]

PS3 has a 10 year life cycle (accroding to sony)... Talk about the PS4 is coming a bit early isnt it?

Not really. Console lifespans overlap usually. So while Sony expects a 10 year life, they may launch the PS4 or in year 7 and announce it in year 5.

[soniqstylz]

No idea how good of a source this is, but:

IBM have not stopped Cell processor development

The cell processor has been a very successful part of the Playstation 3, able to munch through folding@home as well as the latest HD game demands. There have been many rumours around the net today that the followup to the CPU in the PS3 has been basically 'canned'. The story was that the new Cell Processor which featured two PowerPC processors and 32 SPEs will not be released and that possibly the whole range was going to be discontinued.

We managed to get hold of an IBM spokesperson an hour ago and they said that only one CPU development cycle is being 'halted' which is the successor to the current PowerXCell-8i cpu. IBM have said they are planning to work on other CPU's in the Cell Processor 'family' and we would assume that by the time the Playstation 4 hits market that they could very well be involved on some level.

http://www.driverheaven.net/news.php?newsid=344

[Belazor]

I hope that source is correct, I'd very much like to see the PS4's development start off as being easier than the PS3s was at the start.

[random_n]

I honestly hope that the PS4 keeps the same controller design (off topic)

I really don't, as I think the current controller design had its run back in the PS1 days. I endured it for the PS2, and this time it's the number two reason (after Xbox Live) that I never bought a PS3.

On topic, the Cell is a classic case of over-promise and under-deliver. It's not surprising to see it being abandoned, as it really never made sense to build totally custom chip when they could easily take advantage of the billions of dollars that Intel, AMD, and nVidia are continously pouring into building the best chips that do exactly what a gaming machine needs.

The Cell cost Sony time (though BluRay probably didn't help there either), massive R&D cash, and I'm sure it initially cost them game developers too. Good to see they've learned. Hopefully Microsoft can do the same and build a reliable Xbox 720.

[Belazor]

I really don't, as I think the current controller design had its run back in the PS1 days. I endured it for the PS2, and this time it's the number two reason (after Xbox Live) that I never bought a PS3.

On topic, the Cell is a classic case of over-promise and under-deliver. It's not surprising to see it being abandoned, as it really never made sense to build totally custom chip when they could easily take advantage of the billions of dollars that Intel, AMD, and nVidia are continously pouring into building the best chips that do exactly what a gaming machine needs.

The Cell cost Sony time (though BluRay probably didn't help there either), massive R&D cash, and I'm sure it initially cost them game developers too. Good to see they've learned. Hopefully Microsoft can do the same and build a reliable Xbox 720.

Way to miss the 2nd to last post, champ :p

[Ironman273]

All the articles I've seen so far say that Heise.de scored the interview yet their website has no trace of this interview. You'd think they'd have it on their front page. Maybe someone with German knowledge can read through the website, as I just google translated it.

[yxz]

All the articles I've seen so far say that Heise.de scored the interview yet their website has no trace of this interview. You'd think they'd have it on their front page. Maybe someone with German knowledge can read through the website, as I just google translated it.

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/SC0...fen-864497.html

[sn00pie]

I've already enjoyed my PS3 enough to buy a PS4 if it came out in the next year or two...assuming it is radically amazing compared to the PS3 lol

[bob_c_b]

On topic, the Cell is a classic case of over-promise and under-deliver. It's not surprising to see it being abandoned, as it really never made sense to build totally custom chip when they could easily take advantage of the billions of dollars that Intel, AMD, and nVidia are continously pouring into building the best chips that do exactly what a gaming machine needs.

The Cell cost Sony time (though BluRay probably didn't help there either), massive R&D cash, and I'm sure it initially cost them game developers too. Good to see they've learned. Hopefully Microsoft can do the same and build a reliable Xbox 720.

You do realize the 360 is built on a PowerPC platform as well, right? And I'd also blame nVidia's crappy Quincunx anti-aliasing for a lot of the disparity in PS3 ports (see the blurry textures in AC2 for an example). There is nothing wrong with purpose built chips like those used in the PS3 and 360 and I doubt you'll see the next generation of consoles suddenly leap to a more PC like platform (like the one MS jumped away from when they moved to the 360), especially when you see the massive leaps being made in other parts of the PowerPC world. RISC based cores aren't going away anytime soon for consumer devices of this nature.