Playstation 3 (PS3) hardware overview
For once, not all about PS3 games, but about the console itself.
We take PS3 tech specs directly from Sony and will of course update them when they do. The first part of this article details the basic specification, and the second part, for those of you who aren’t too familiar with CPU speeds and gigabit interfaces, we’ve provided an explanation of what these cryptic acronyms actually do!
CPU
cell processor
3.2 GHz PowerPC based core
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7x SPE at 3.2GHz
7x128b 128 SIMD GPR
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy
total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS
GPU
RSX at 550MHz
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2ch
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines
Dream
Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell Based Processing)
Memory
256 MB of 3.2 GHz XDR main RAM 256 MB of 700 MHz GDDR3 VRAM
System Bandwidth
Main RAM 25.6GB/s
VRAM 22.4GB/s
RSX 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
SBSystem floating point performance
2 TFLOPS
Storage
20 GB hard drive or 60 GB hard drive
IS
Front USB x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick Standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1
Communication
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (in x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Controller
Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB2.0 (wired)
WiFi (PSP)
Network (over IP)
AV out
Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI: HDMI output x 2
Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital Audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1
disk media
CD PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (side of audio) , DualDisc (DVD side)
DVD: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW
Blu-ray Disc: PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE
Ok, for those, like most, who aren’t sure what all this babble means, here’s the dummies guide with all the tech specs. Enjoy:
CPU
The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the brain of a computer or machine. Its main job is to translate instructions and process data from programs that launch it. In other words, you click a button, the CPU interprets that to mean kick the bad guy in the head, and as a result, the favorite character executes a sublime roundhouse kick. Almost all CPUs today have a microprocessor at their heart, dramatically increasing performance over previous methods. The PS3 CPU is designed exclusively for the console, so it’s not extremely scalable, but packs a punch for your PS3 gaming needs.
GPU
GPU or Graphics Pro, no Go on, wait, I can’t imagine what that will be. I understand! Graphics processing unit! It is the father behind visuals on console and is extremely powerful with graphics manipulation and rendering as it is a dedicated piece of hardware. As well as delivering stunning PlayStation 3 graphics, it also takes some of the load off the CPU, allowing your brain to do what it does best.
Dream
The PS3 will have Dolby 5.1CH speakers, compatible with quality home theater systems. In short, when you hear a few rounds coming out of a semi-auto behind you, Japan hasn’t invaded, it’s the game.
Memory
Did you ever forget where you put that damn memory card? Well, the PS3 tries not to. Memory on the PS3 console is important, it never forgets where you collected your last bounty, the villains you killed or the puzzles you solved. The more memory, the better. When information is stored in memory, it is much faster for the system to retrieve that information, instead of reading it from the hard drive, otherwise it will crash and skip less.
System Bandwidth
It is a somewhat speculative term, which is difficult or almost impossible to prove. It’s a complex assumption, involving the ability of certain elements to communicate with each other, how fast they do it, how many resources they use. If you want more information, try an evening course in quantum computing.
System floating point performance
System floating point performance is an indicator of computer or console performance, especially when floating point calculations are heavily used. The PS3 has 2 TFLOPS (obviously), which equates to 1012 FLOPS (naturally). In layman’s terms, the console can perform advanced calculations pretty quickly.
Storage
Everyone loves plenty of storage space. For the car, home, or office, sometimes you just can’t get enough. PlayStation 3 also likes space, it has a lot of data and information to store, when you need to remember things permanently, or memory can’t cope. With 20 GB or 60 GB of hard drive space, you have enough room to swing 10 cats on a string.
IS
I/O, I/O, let’s get to work. I/O (Input/Output) is the speed and type of devices the PS3 reads or writes from. As you can see, there are a few devices that you can connect to the console.
Communication
Communication is the key to success, and this PlayStation model has taken a leap from its predecessor, and is now connected to the information superhighway, or the Internet as we say. Online multiplayer gaming is now a thing of the present with the sleek new PS3
Controller
Controllers basically control (yes, they control) how the different components communicate and interact with each other. In general, this applies to peripherals (not on board). Something exciting.
AV out
AV output is the method of displaying the output, the images you see when you run GTA frantically. You could have the best GPU, but without any mechanism to channel it to your display, you’re screwed.
disk media
Obviously what kind of discs your PlayStation 3 can read. There are quite a few supported formats, so take a look.
And that’s all folks, be sure to check out PS3 Cheats for all your PlayStation 3 tips, tricks, info and tricks…
