PS3 Question

[Googer]

I am considering the purchase of a PS3 for folding at home, Linux server, and blue-ray use but have they resolved the issues surrounding the dead cores in the Cell processor yet or is Sony shipping out PS3's with a few dead cores like analysts had speculated they would do? I think DailyTech had the report on this a while back. If I buy a 60GB will I get a Cell processor with only a fraction of the cores viable? Or is Sony/IBM dumping those bad dies and only putting 100% funtional Cell processors in to shipping playstation 3s?

 

[Shadowknight]

I'm interested in this... links to info about the dead cores?

 

[Googer]

Found the article...

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

The Cell processor is so complex that IBM even accepts chips that have only four out of the eight cores working. Not all cores end up functional says Reeves. In regards to why the yields are so low, Reeves says "[defects becomes a bigger problem the bigger the chip is. With chips that are one-by-one and silicon germanium, we can get yields of 95 percent. With a chip like the Cell processor, you?re lucky to get 10 or 20 percent. If you put logic redundancy on it, you can double that." According to Reeves, Sony will be using Cell processors whether they have all cores functional or not. Reeves says that the PlayStation 3 requires at least seven of the eight cores operational.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Shadowknight
I'm interested in this... links to info about the dead cores?

The processors are still funtional and useable, but the "CELL BBE" will lack 100% of it's computing potential.

 

[Queasy]

Yes, this is old news. The PS3 was designed with 7 cores in mind to improve the yield on the Cell processor.

 

[Googer]

I realize that the news is not new, but I have yet to hear of any updates about this, is sony shipping out PS3's with less than 7 cores and how will I know if I have one with 8 fully functional cores? Do the 20GB units have 7 or fewer cores while 60GB gets the 8 core royal treatment?

 

[Googer]

Point number two you should consider getting one soon before Sony considers cutting the Emotion Engine from North American PS3s. It's already happened to the UK/European Shipments.... Is the US next?

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6454

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Googer
I realize that the news is not new, but I have yet to hear of any updates about this, is sony shipping out PS3's with less than 7 cores and how will I know if I have one with 8 fully functional cores? Do the 20GB units have 7 or fewer cores while 60GB gets the 8 core royal treatment?

Both the 60 and the 20 use 7 cores. That it is the most it is designed to use.

I haven't heard anything about people complaining about PS3s with less than 7. With all the focus on the PS3 and as many times as they been torn apart by tech heads, we'd have heard something by now.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Googer
I realize that the news is not new, but I have yet to hear of any updates about this, is sony shipping out PS3's with less than 7 cores and how will I know if I have one with 8 fully functional cores? Do the 20GB units have 7 or fewer cores while 60GB gets the 8 core royal treatment?

Both the 60 and the 20 use 7 cores. That it is the most it is designed to use.

I haven't heard anything about people complaining about PS3s with less than 7. With all the focus on the PS3 and as many times as they been torn apart by tech heads, we'd have heard something by now.

But I suspect that Folding At Home and a few Linux applications may benefit from the extra core if it's present. Also it's nice to know it's there in case you need it or one of your 7 essential cores fails, the eighth will give you a backup.

 

[Googer]

Does anyone else have any other comments? All insight is appreciated like personal experiences, uses, and creative ideas for a PS3 is appreciated.

 

[NanoStuff]

You mean the "My AI is dumb as a sticky piece of ****** because my Cell processor is incapable of performing logical operations" problem?

Nope, not yet.