18th May 2005, 9:09 AM
(This post was last modified: 18th May 2005, 9:20 AM by Dark Jaguar.)
Here's a few more details to make it clear.
On a PC, there are a lot of redundant components due to certain limitations. For example, the current AGI slots, even with their transfer rates as high as they are now, are still limited compaired to the speed of onboard RAM. This is a weakness that is being eliminated by simply trying to boost the transfer rate of that port. Another thing they are doing is including "VRAM". Video RAM which is actually directly ON the video card, allowing it the fast access it needs. On the other hand, a system like the Gamecube or the XBox doesn't need to adhere to PC standards of expandability and hardware compatibility. Even a laptop, usually a full construct, has these limitations built into it because it needs to be designed exactly like a PC in the sense of similar machine code and such, for compatibility.
To make it clear what they do there to save a lot of money, they don't need specific VRAM. They can have a DIRECT supply of RAM that can be used by any part of the systen just as quickly. The video processing is right there, much more a "part" of the process. Consoles do this sort of thing all the time actually. Since they don't need any sort of compatibility with current operating systems or available hardware, they can take many different routes in the design that prevents redundancy and eliminates data bottlenecks.
A PC is limited because at the end of the day, the programs already available for it still need to work on new hardware without being completely recoded. Now, PCs are taking a drastic step. There is a new port being designed that pretty much ALL components will be using, from RAM to hard drives to a sound card. This will not only have massive transfer rates, it'll be MUCH more "in" the system, that is it won't be something accessed outside the system but rather more of an internal... thnicka... Not sure how to put that, but thnicka wasn't right...
Anyway, one last thing. Yes there's a list of things all computers need, but here's what a gaming machine doesn't need. It doens't need special coding in the processor for handling spreadsheets. It doesn't need any sort of special coding to speed up downloads (well, actually in this new gen, that may actually become the case). It generally doesn't need any sort of processing tricks that are only good for businesses. They can also out and out reduce costs by not putting as much power in there. I have a gig of memory in my computer, one gig. That's all well and good for Windows. For a game though, well as far as an operating systems, the ones they have now are very limited and just plain aren't using much, if any, RAM when the game is running. Also, no antivirus, no other stuff. Since the hardware is so specifically designed for the game, very little RAM need be taken up. So, that's how a console in general can operate on equal footing with a certain PC setup only with a LOT less RAM. So, they just out and out don't put in stuff they don't actually need.
On a PC, there are a lot of redundant components due to certain limitations. For example, the current AGI slots, even with their transfer rates as high as they are now, are still limited compaired to the speed of onboard RAM. This is a weakness that is being eliminated by simply trying to boost the transfer rate of that port. Another thing they are doing is including "VRAM". Video RAM which is actually directly ON the video card, allowing it the fast access it needs. On the other hand, a system like the Gamecube or the XBox doesn't need to adhere to PC standards of expandability and hardware compatibility. Even a laptop, usually a full construct, has these limitations built into it because it needs to be designed exactly like a PC in the sense of similar machine code and such, for compatibility.
To make it clear what they do there to save a lot of money, they don't need specific VRAM. They can have a DIRECT supply of RAM that can be used by any part of the systen just as quickly. The video processing is right there, much more a "part" of the process. Consoles do this sort of thing all the time actually. Since they don't need any sort of compatibility with current operating systems or available hardware, they can take many different routes in the design that prevents redundancy and eliminates data bottlenecks.
A PC is limited because at the end of the day, the programs already available for it still need to work on new hardware without being completely recoded. Now, PCs are taking a drastic step. There is a new port being designed that pretty much ALL components will be using, from RAM to hard drives to a sound card. This will not only have massive transfer rates, it'll be MUCH more "in" the system, that is it won't be something accessed outside the system but rather more of an internal... thnicka... Not sure how to put that, but thnicka wasn't right...
Anyway, one last thing. Yes there's a list of things all computers need, but here's what a gaming machine doesn't need. It doens't need special coding in the processor for handling spreadsheets. It doesn't need any sort of special coding to speed up downloads (well, actually in this new gen, that may actually become the case). It generally doesn't need any sort of processing tricks that are only good for businesses. They can also out and out reduce costs by not putting as much power in there. I have a gig of memory in my computer, one gig. That's all well and good for Windows. For a game though, well as far as an operating systems, the ones they have now are very limited and just plain aren't using much, if any, RAM when the game is running. Also, no antivirus, no other stuff. Since the hardware is so specifically designed for the game, very little RAM need be taken up. So, that's how a console in general can operate on equal footing with a certain PC setup only with a LOT less RAM. So, they just out and out don't put in stuff they don't actually need.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)