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Aside from the fact that the xbox has a hard drive, it has little or no other hardware advantage over the gamecube. And then you have to ask yourself if the hard drive makes it faster or slows it down. although it's commonly accepted that hard drives makes games start up faster, the gamecube's load times are still the best of the two. Does this mean the with a hard(like the one being made by IBM) the gamecube will be even faster than it is now? think about that.
Before we compare hardware, you need to keep one thing in mind, unlike the xbox which uses customized parts, the GC's major components are all made from scratch, each part made to understand the strenghts and weakness of the other parts.
All systems have these in common-
CPU
RAM
Video output
Audio output
CPU:
X-BOX=A modified 733-megahertz (MHz) Intel Pentium III processor with a maximum bus transfer rate of 6.4 gigabytes per second (GBps)
GAMECUBE=powered by a 485-megahertz (MHz) IBM microprocessor, an extension of the IBM PowerPC architecture. It has a maximum bus transfer rate of 2.6 GB per second. The Gekko also features a whopping 256 kilobytes (KB) of level 2 (L2) target=_blank cache memory.
If numbers(MHz) were all that mattered the xbox would be the clear winner. but read this... "Nintendo chose IBM due to the company's advances in copper chip technology. IBM's copper chips run faster than Intel's aluminum Pentium chips at the same clock speed, feature low power consumption, and run much cooler than their aluminum counterparts. The GameCube's 0.18 Microns copper-based 485MHz MPU, dubbed Gekko, is based on IBM's PowerPC architecture and is very similar in design to the architecture found in Apple's G3 line of computers. While real-world benchmark tests can vary application-to-application, PowerPC chips that clock at 400MHz can achieve processing results at least equivalent to an Intel Pentium III line clocked at 700MHz or more." Add that to the fact that the GC features an extra L2 cache memory, and those big numbers dont look so big anymore. Has the doubt begun?
RAM:
64 MB of unified memory, which game developers can allocate to the central processing unit and graphics processing unit as needed
The GameCube has 4 target=_blank0 MB of RAM (24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB of 100-MHz DRAM).
This could be another easy number's game, until you notice that the GC ram is split, you have the 16 MB DRAM which is the same type as is used in the XBOX. Then you have the "24MB of cutting-edge 1T-SRAM for its main memory". I couldn't find any articles that explained how this stacks up, but when someone says cutting edge, you know it not something to be taken for granted. I think we have learned that much from the "cutting edge" IBM microprocessor(Gekko).
Audio output:
A custom 3-D audio processor that supports 256 audio channels and Dolby AC3 encoding
A special 16-bit digital signal processor supports 64 audio channels.
Lets skip the foreplay ok. simply XBOX = Dolby Digital 5.1, GC = Dolby Pro Logic II. For those who are reading this and thinking ::finally he hit a road block::, I'm sorry but this isn't an automatic win either, when you consider the following statements..."Julian Eggebrecht (Factor 5):"Dolby Pro Logic II is a new technology from Dolby Labs which allows us via a proprietary encoder which we developed to have full positional five-channel sound in real-time for Rogue Leader ... This, combined with the fact that DPLII has no latency, no compression, the full frequency range on all five channels, works with existing cables, and is even backwards compatible with stereo and surround equipment makes it the perfect five-channel audio system for games"
"What this means? Given that it is unquestionably admitted digital 5.1 actual surround sound is better, this new simulated technology is quite the impressive alternative and believe me I know. Rogue Leader playing on a Pro Logic II Receiver at the cube clubs was phenomenal to say the least. It is quite hard if almost impossible to tell the difference from true 5.1 and Factor 5's Gamecube specific Pro Logic II has achieved such quality sound with no latency and zero hit to hardware." need i say more? And just in case your not impressed, i have a surprise for you.
"The GameCube hardware may even be "tricked" into producing more voices with Factor 5's MusyX audio tools, but it must be done in software. This places a strain on the hardware that would be alleviated if the feature were to be onboard the DSP. Factor 5 recently announced that it has found a way to produce Dolby Digital sound through the GameCube, but the majority of its early games will support only Dolby Surround Sound at no performance cost."
Is the GC capable of producing 6 channel sound(DD 5.1)? Since i wouldn't like to be qouted on that, i'll leave the answer to you.
Video output:
A custom 250-MHz 3-D graphics processor from Nvidia that can process more than 1 trillion operations per second and produce up to 125 million polygons per second
An ATI 162-MHz graphics chip, called "Flipper," allows the GameCube to produce about 12 million polygons per second.
Oh yeah, i saved this for last bcos we all know this is were it counts the most. And as we have seen numbers (MHz) can be deceiving. So what about these numbers shouldn't we trust?
Exibit #1 - "It should be pointed out that the PlayStation 2 and Xbox figures are theoretical top speeds -- it's unlikely that your system will reach that limit. Nintendo's figure is considered a more realistic number for its console."
Exibit #2 - "Nintendo conservatively estimated the GameCube's polygonal output to be 6 to 12 million polygons per second in complete game environments, but developer leaks have suggested that the real number is more than 20 million polygons per second."
Exibit #3 - "GameCube will utilize S3's 6-to-1 texture compression, which will let texture data be shrunk to one-sixth its original size, with no appreciable hit on the hardware. In addition to the S3 texture compression, the GameCube will be able to display eight simultaneous textures per object, compared with the Xbox's ability to display just four in hardware."
either my eyes are malfunctioning or i'm seeing an advantage of the GC over the xbox, in graphics precessing, who would have though it possible.
Thats it people, i provided the data you draw your own conclusions, even if you were at the begining can you still be 100% certain of the xbox's power over the GC. Even if you still are you cant deny the fact that the race is a lot closer than you originally thought..
I didn't take that as an offence
im not trying to be cold
Aside from the fact that the xbox has a hard drive, it has little or no other hardware advantage over the gamecube. And then you have to ask yourself if the hard drive makes it faster or slows it down. although it's commonly accepted that hard drives makes games start up faster, the gamecube's load times are still the best of the two. Does this mean the with a hard(like the one being made by IBM) the gamecube will be even faster than it is now? think about that.
Before we compare hardware, you need to keep one thing in mind, unlike the xbox which uses customized parts, the GC's major components are all made from scratch, each part made to understand the strenghts and weakness of the other parts.
All systems have these in common-
CPU
RAM
Video output
Audio output
CPU:
X-BOX=A modified 733-megahertz (MHz) Intel Pentium III processor with a maximum bus transfer rate of 6.4 gigabytes per second (GBps)
GAMECUBE=powered by a 485-megahertz (MHz) IBM microprocessor, an extension of the IBM PowerPC architecture. It has a maximum bus transfer rate of 2.6 GB per second. The Gekko also features a whopping 256 kilobytes (KB) of level 2 (L2) target=_blank cache memory.
If numbers(MHz) were all that mattered the xbox would be the clear winner. but read this... "Nintendo chose IBM due to the company's advances in copper chip technology. IBM's copper chips run faster than Intel's aluminum Pentium chips at the same clock speed, feature low power consumption, and run much cooler than their aluminum counterparts. The GameCube's 0.18 Microns copper-based 485MHz MPU, dubbed Gekko, is based on IBM's PowerPC architecture and is very similar in design to the architecture found in Apple's G3 line of computers. While real-world benchmark tests can vary application-to-application, PowerPC chips that clock at 400MHz can achieve processing results at least equivalent to an Intel Pentium III line clocked at 700MHz or more." Add that to the fact that the GC features an extra L2 cache memory, and those big numbers dont look so big anymore. Has the doubt begun?
RAM:
64 MB of unified memory, which game developers can allocate to the central processing unit and graphics processing unit as needed
The GameCube has 4 target=_blank0 MB of RAM (24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB of 100-MHz DRAM).
This could be another easy number's game, until you notice that the GC ram is split, you have the 16 MB DRAM which is the same type as is used in the XBOX. Then you have the "24MB of cutting-edge 1T-SRAM for its main memory". I couldn't find any articles that explained how this stacks up, but when someone says cutting edge, you know it not something to be taken for granted. I think we have learned that much from the "cutting edge" IBM microprocessor(Gekko).
Audio output:
A custom 3-D audio processor that supports 256 audio channels and Dolby AC3 encoding
A special 16-bit digital signal processor supports 64 audio channels.
Lets skip the foreplay ok. simply XBOX = Dolby Digital 5.1, GC = Dolby Pro Logic II. For those who are reading this and thinking ::finally he hit a road block::, I'm sorry but this isn't an automatic win either, when you consider the following statements..."Julian Eggebrecht (Factor 5):"Dolby Pro Logic II is a new technology from Dolby Labs which allows us via a proprietary encoder which we developed to have full positional five-channel sound in real-time for Rogue Leader ... This, combined with the fact that DPLII has no latency, no compression, the full frequency range on all five channels, works with existing cables, and is even backwards compatible with stereo and surround equipment makes it the perfect five-channel audio system for games"
"What this means? Given that it is unquestionably admitted digital 5.1 actual surround sound is better, this new simulated technology is quite the impressive alternative and believe me I know. Rogue Leader playing on a Pro Logic II Receiver at the cube clubs was phenomenal to say the least. It is quite hard if almost impossible to tell the difference from true 5.1 and Factor 5's Gamecube specific Pro Logic II has achieved such quality sound with no latency and zero hit to hardware." need i say more? And just in case your not impressed, i have a surprise for you.
"The GameCube hardware may even be "tricked" into producing more voices with Factor 5's MusyX audio tools, but it must be done in software. This places a strain on the hardware that would be alleviated if the feature were to be onboard the DSP. Factor 5 recently announced that it has found a way to produce Dolby Digital sound through the GameCube, but the majority of its early games will support only Dolby Surround Sound at no performance cost."
Is the GC capable of producing 6 channel sound(DD 5.1)? Since i wouldn't like to be qouted on that, i'll leave the answer to you.
Video output:
A custom 250-MHz 3-D graphics processor from Nvidia that can process more than 1 trillion operations per second and produce up to 125 million polygons per second
An ATI 162-MHz graphics chip, called "Flipper," allows the GameCube to produce about 12 million polygons per second.
Oh yeah, i saved this for last bcos we all know this is were it counts the most. And as we have seen numbers (MHz) can be deceiving. So what about these numbers shouldn't we trust?
Exibit #1 - "It should be pointed out that the PlayStation 2 and Xbox figures are theoretical top speeds -- it's unlikely that your system will reach that limit. Nintendo's figure is considered a more realistic number for its console."
Exibit #2 - "Nintendo conservatively estimated the GameCube's polygonal output to be 6 to 12 million polygons per second in complete game environments, but developer leaks have suggested that the real number is more than 20 million polygons per second."
Exibit #3 - "GameCube will utilize S3's 6-to-1 texture compression, which will let texture data be shrunk to one-sixth its original size, with no appreciable hit on the hardware. In addition to the S3 texture compression, the GameCube will be able to display eight simultaneous textures per object, compared with the Xbox's ability to display just four in hardware."
either my eyes are malfunctioning or i'm seeing an advantage of the GC over the xbox, in graphics precessing, who would have though it possible.
Thats it people, i provided the data you draw your own conclusions, even if you were at the begining can you still be 100% certain of the xbox's power over the GC. Even if you still are you cant deny the fact that the race is a lot closer than you originally thought..