Official Xbox 360 Specs Sheet!!!

[NiKeFiDO]

wow, uh....i already own a PC....

i might have to stick with upgrading my computer rather than buying a 360. they are cool though.

 

[Noema]

What concerns me about this generation of consoles is how much they are going to be limited by regular interlaced TV sets. No matter how poweful the hardware is, how the game looks is going to suffer if played on a non-HD TV set. It would be like having a FX-55 SLI dual 6800 ULTRA rig and then playing Doom 3 at 640x480. Since HD TVs are still far from standard, and most peolpe own old interlaced display TV sets, at first glance the difference won't be as great in this generation of consoles as it was in the last one. I hear the XBOX 360 has a VGA output. I hope the other consoles offer a similar option for those of us who don't own a HD TV yet but want to play the games at higher, progressive scan enabled resolutions.

EDIT: Minor spelling mistakes

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: fishmonger12
i think one has to have an hd tv to really experience the (power?) that the graphics processor in this console has. without an hdtv, it'd essentially be like running doom 3 on 640x480 on a 6800 ultra...

and it looks like a lot of expensive stuff in the system for it to be 300$... if i'm not mistaken the last xbox was behind pcs technology wise when it was released, and it costed 300$.

He! We wrote almost the exact same example at almost the same time!

 

[StrangerGuy]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
I'm a gonna mod the shat out of dat badbaoy :evil:

Linux with triple-3.2GHz cores and R500 = Heaven.

 

[Cheesetogo]

When is this thing coming out?

 

[spwango]

I really wonder if this is the beginning of the end for PC gaming. If this delivers on what the specs suggest it can do, is there a point in owning a gaming PC and an XBOX360? The USB ports should enable keyboard and mouse for FPSes, wheels for the racers--I'm seeing less and less incentive in keeping a high end gaming rig running going into next year--if the PS3 really is stronger than this--the PC is no longer a gaming platform.

 

[LikeLinus]

Originally posted by: spwango
I really wonder if this is the beginning of the end for PC gaming. If this delivers on what the specs suggest it can do, is there a point in owning a gaming PC and an XBOX360? The USB ports should enable keyboard and mouse for FPSes, wheels for the racers--I'm seeing less and less incentive in keeping a high end gaming rig running going into next year--if the PS3 really is stronger than this--the PC is no longer a gaming platform.

Let us know when they have a keyboard and mouse that can be used in a FPS. Then we'll talk.

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: Insomniak

Originally posted by: ZimZum
If this retails for $300 Microsoft has to be losing money hand over fist on every unit sold.

I'm sure they couldn't care less - this is Microsoft we're talking about, they have more money than most world governments. At one point they were worth more than RUSSIA.

I dont want to be rude...but this is got to be the stupidest thing i've ever heard. Do you even know how much russia's natural resources are worth alone? Think about it, russia has the most top billionaires in the world under the age of 40. Its nuclear arsenal alone is probably worth more than microsoft. Besides, you cant look at it like that because the gov'ts wealth in russia was redirected among their now richest ppl after the fall of communism. So technically a lot of their gov'ts wealth is now in the hands of the corrupt rich (who also tend to not pay taxes on profits they make).

 

[spwango]

Originally posted by: LikeLinus

Let us know when they have a keyboard and mouse that can be used in a FPS. Then we'll talk.

I'm not exactly excited about this scenario (I'm an FPSer and race sim fan myself)...this has me worried.

 

[Dman877]

I've been 2 boxing for a few years now, one comp for surfing/tv/school and one for gaming/overclocking. Depending on the games, I might just dump my gaming box for a next gen console. Of course I'll miss my keyboard and mouse... and hopefully you can run a console on a monitor easily enough...

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: fierydemise
No matter how much of a beast this thing will be now in 2 years when it starts to become outdated (just my guess) I'll laugh as I drop a new video card and CPU into my computer. That kind of speed for that little money is real bang for your buck but the lack of upgradeability is a real disadvantage.

You will laugh as you spend $300 for a new video card and $200 for a cpu and now you will need a new motherboard for $150 and a new psu $50 oh and don't forget new memory $100.


Tom

 

[Dukemaster]

Originally posted by: fierydemise
No matter how much of a beast this thing will be now in 2 years when it starts to become outdated (just my guess) I'll laugh as I drop a new video card and CPU into my computer. That kind of speed for that little money is real bang for your buck but the lack of upgradeability is a real disadvantage.

I don't think you will still be laughing if you spend a lot of money on your new pc hardware when there are less and less games to play on it. Because that's going to happen trust me. More and more games are already coming out on the consoles first and soon less and less games are coming out for the pc.

 

[Insomniak]

Originally posted by: RussianSensation
I dont want to be rude...but this is got to be the stupidest thing i've ever heard. Do you even know how much russia's natural resources are worth alone? Think about it, russia has the most top billionaires in the world under the age of 40. Its nuclear arsenal alone is probably worth more than microsoft. Besides, you cant look at it like that because the gov'ts wealth in russia was redirected among their now richest ppl after the fall of communism. So technically a lot of their gov'ts wealth is now in the hands of the corrupt rich (who also tend to not pay taxes on profits they make).

lol, I'll look at it however I want.

I distinctly recall a time, I believe it was mid-90s during the economic crash, when several large American corporations were worth more than Russia, but of course it isn't the case any more.

Anyway, it's beside the point - the point being that Microsoft can afford to lose plenty of money on Xbox hardware.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Dukemaster

Originally posted by: fierydemise
No matter how much of a beast this thing will be now in 2 years when it starts to become outdated (just my guess) I'll laugh as I drop a new video card and CPU into my computer. That kind of speed for that little money is real bang for your buck but the lack of upgradeability is a real disadvantage.

I don't think you will still be laughing if you spend a lot of money on your new pc hardware when there are less and less games to play on it. Because that's going to happen trust me. More and more games are already coming out on the consoles first and soon less and less games are coming out for the pc.

Well, the flip side of that is that many people would argue 'quality over quantity' -- many of those console games are pretty poor, and many others (like most annual sports game series) are basically a shinier version of last year's game with a few new gameplay elements.

I will say, though, that there seems to be a lack of innovation in the PC gaming world right now in terms of gameplay. Most of the big releases in the last few years have been sequels (e.g. HL2 and Doom3, EverQuest2), or more refined versions of earlier games (e.g. WoW, SWG, FarCry, upcoming AOE3). I haven't seen anything really groundbreaking in a while in terms of gameplay (obviously, graphics have gotten a lot better). If not reversed, that trend will -- eventually -- kill or greatly diminish PC gaming. At some point the graphics on every platform will be so good that it's no longer a selling point for the PC, and consoles will have the same sort of online connectivity that PCs do. Of course, by that point the whole thing might just sort of morph into a home server/HTPC/game console combo.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Here's what i will argue. PC puts out many GREAT games every year, meanwhile the Xbox put out 5-10 MAX over 3+ years. Put that in your pipe & smoke it.

-Poster's Disclaimer: I am not a fanboy of any system. I owned all 3 systems & sold them to pay for my gaming computer. I won't be buying the new Xbox after the disappointment that was being an Xbox owner for the last 3 years.

 

[Insomniak]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: Dukemaster

Originally posted by: fierydemise
No matter how much of a beast this thing will be now in 2 years when it starts to become outdated (just my guess) I'll laugh as I drop a new video card and CPU into my computer. That kind of speed for that little money is real bang for your buck but the lack of upgradeability is a real disadvantage.

I don't think you will still be laughing if you spend a lot of money on your new pc hardware when there are less and less games to play on it. Because that's going to happen trust me. More and more games are already coming out on the consoles first and soon less and less games are coming out for the pc.

Well, the flip side of that is that many people would argue 'quality over quantity' -- many of those console games are pretty poor, and many others (like most annual sports game series) are basically a shinier version of last year's game with a few new gameplay elements.

I will say, though, that there seems to be a lack of innovation in the PC gaming world right now in terms of gameplay. Most of the big releases in the last few years have been sequels (e.g. HL2 and Doom3, EverQuest2), or more refined versions of earlier games (e.g. WoW, SWG, FarCry, upcoming AOE3). I haven't seen anything really groundbreaking in a while in terms of gameplay (obviously, graphics have gotten a lot better). If not reversed, that trend will -- eventually -- kill or greatly diminish PC gaming. At some point the graphics on every platform will be so good that it's no longer a selling point for the PC, and consoles will have the same sort of online connectivity that PCs do. Of course, by that point the whole thing might just sort of morph into a home server/HTPC/game console combo.

That's actually very much the direction Microsoft is trying to go with the XB360, and I really don't mind.

If they come up with a hub machine that's every bit as good as the PC for games and other stuff, I have no problem switching. Right now, I find that the games I enjoy the most are on the PC - and truth be told, most newer consoles become more and more PC like. Now that we're getting to USB connectivity, support for HD, and surround sound, I think it'll be fully possible to set up a "1-stop-shop" sort of "media hub". I have nothing against such consolidation - in fact, I rather like the idea.

 

[firefaux]

Originally posted by: Dukemaster

I don't think you will still be laughing if you spend a lot of money on your new pc hardware when there are less and less games to play on it. Because that's going to happen trust me. More and more games are already coming out on the consoles first and soon less and less games are coming out for the pc.

where the hell did you come up with that conclusion? thats a load of shull bit. first of all, pc gaming is a huge industry, the video card and mobo industry is practically built on that (since when did you need a geforce 6800 to use powerpoint?) and looking at their financial numbers there is no downward trend in either vid card industry or the game making industry. hell, pc games are the main driving force behind pc hardware industry in general. pc games are even driving the console industry as well. just look at the newest consoles. they're practically pc's. as for games, i have to say most console games beeelow, and the good ones already either came out for the pc first or came out with a pc version.

 

[Eug]

Yes, just to repeat what others have said, THIS CHIP IS NOT BASED OFF THE G5. The G5's core is much faster per clock.

Originally posted by: sharad
Does anyone know how the IBM CPU in XBOX 360 compares with other CPUs, like Pentium or Athlon64?

The reason I ask is for that price it could make a nice entry level PC.

VERY hard to say. I'm pulling numbers outta my @ss but...

A few people have been guesstimating that a single 3.2 GHz core with optimal code might be as fast as say a G5 1.6 or something like that. And a G5 1.6 is about as fast a P4 2.something. With non-optimal code, that single 3.2 GHz PowerPC core might just suck though.

So, if the game developers program for it well, it could be like a triple-core P4 2.something.

I just wonder what this "128 VMX-128 registers" means.

 

[minofifa]

the processing power and graphics look incredible but sound is still sampled at 48 khz and at a bit depth of 16 bits? i wonder why they didn't bump it up to 24 bit and 192 khz? a lot of computer soundcards so 24 bit no prob and many can handle sampling at 192 khz.

afterall, isn't DVD audio 192 khz?

maybe games wouldn't benefit from such overkill, but i think i could tell the difference, especially with voice recordings.

 

[Eug]

24-bit audio would be a total waste of time in a console.

 

[NoToRiOuS1]

Originally posted by: MrControversial
$299

Think razors and razor blades.

I thought it was 399...are you sure about the price?

 

[ZimZum]

Originally posted by: minofifa
the processing power and graphics look incredible but sound is still sampled at 48 khz and at a bit depth of 16 bits? i wonder why they didn't bump it up to 24 bit and 192 khz? a lot of computer soundcards so 24 bit no prob and many can handle sampling at 192 khz.

afterall, isn't DVD audio 192 khz?

maybe games wouldn't benefit from such overkill, but i think i could tell the difference, especially with voice recordings.

No, only the high resolution auidio formats (DVD-Audio and SACD) go that high. And they take up plenty of disk space to do it.

Standard multi channel audio tracks are:

Dolby Digital - 48khz , 16 - 20 bit

DTS - 48-96khz, 16- 24 bit

 

[minofifa]

Originally posted by: ZimZum

Originally posted by: minofifa
the processing power and graphics look incredible but sound is still sampled at 48 khz and at a bit depth of 16 bits? i wonder why they didn't bump it up to 24 bit and 192 khz? a lot of computer soundcards so 24 bit no prob and many can handle sampling at 192 khz.

afterall, isn't DVD audio 192 khz?

maybe games wouldn't benefit from such overkill, but i think i could tell the difference, especially with voice recordings.

No, only the high resolution auidio formats (DVD-Audio and SACD) go that high. And they take up plenty of disk space to do it.

Standard multi channel audio tracks are:

Dolby Digital - 48khz , 16 - 20 bit

DTS - 48-96khz, 16- 24 bit

ahh yes, that drawback crossed my mind as well. it would take up a lot of space on the media. as far as 24 bit being a waste of time, it probably isn't too practical right now but the quality is noticable.

 

[ZimZum]

Originally posted by: firefaux

Originally posted by: Dukemaster

I don't think you will still be laughing if you spend a lot of money on your new pc hardware when there are less and less games to play on it. Because that's going to happen trust me. More and more games are already coming out on the consoles first and soon less and less games are coming out for the pc.

where the hell did you come up with that conclusion? thats a load of shull bit. first of all, pc gaming is a huge industry, the video card and mobo industry is practically built on that (since when did you need a geforce 6800 to use powerpoint?) and looking at their financial numbers there is no downward trend in either vid card industry or the game making industry. hell, pc games are the main driving force behind pc hardware industry in general. pc games are even driving the console industry as well. just look at the newest consoles. they're practically pc's. as for games, i have to say most console games beeelow, and the good ones already either came out for the pc first or came out with a pc version.

The list of game genres that you can clearly state the PC as being superior in (FPS, RTS and maybe RPG) is getting narrower and narrower. All of the other genres are dominated by the consoles. Platformers, Racing, Sports, fighting, action etc. Its going to become increasingly harder to justify spending upwards of $2000 on a top flight gaming rig when you can arguably have a better all around gaming experience on a console. And for less than 1/5th of the cost of the PC.

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: StrangerGuy

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
I'm a gonna mod the shat out of dat badbaoy :evil:

Linux with triple-3.2GHz cores and R500 = Heaven.

Just make sure you don't want to go online & game (x-box live)... Even with the free silver package it checks for modding and locks you out if you have