Xbox One with DDR4?

[Evleos]

Finally there's DDR4 chips available that, configured to 128 bits, c.f http://fudzilla.com/news/memory/38505-g-skill-shows-ddr4-4266mhz-memory-at-idf-2015, can match the bandwith of the current 256-bits DDR3 configuration used in Xbox One.

When porting the xbone apu to 14nm, is it likely that they also change the memory interface? Fewer chips, layers and watts consumed.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Latency etc is not the same. Its very unlikely they will change memory.

They would also have to modify the chip itself instead of just a plain direct shrink. Meaning extra cost and validation.

If anything they just use DDR3L.

 

[SPBHM]

not the same specs, to the same performance characteristics... it would cause problems...

Xbox 360 from 2005 is still being sold with the same memory configuration (GDDR3 1400)

 

[podspi]

It has nothing to do with costs, etc, it has to do w/ consistency.

The point of consoles is consistency. You know EXACTLY what platform it will be running on, down to the latencies of everything deterministic, and including the idiosyncratic stuff that wasn't supposed to happen in the first place.

Granted, I think they code further from the metal nowadays than they did before... consistency is still important. Hopefully this generation of consoles will be short-lived and a new, entirely backwards compatible generation replaces it. It would be great to have a PS4+ and Xbone+ where the newer games are the same, just higher effect settings. This of course will only work for a time - but it'd extend the life of the older machines while letting us move forward...

 

[Evleos]

Good points guys. I was thinking more in the line of the bandwidth being the same, albeit with slightly better latencies. The target for games would still be the original Xbox One.

 

[Blitzvogel]

In the Xbox 360's case, the engineers who developed the combined CPU+GPU Vejle die forcibly had to build in the same kind of latency into the FSB so the operating environment wouldn't be any different to previous Xbox 360 models.

Versions of the same console with faster processors and better ram would end up just marginalizing the market (just look at the early 90s console market with add-ons and what have you). It works for the PC because it's always been that way and the games are configurable.

 

[Madpacket]

it's more than just matching memory timings, they would also have to implement an on die DDR4 memory controller which would require more R&D with really no benefit.

Edit, nm the OP mentioned interface which I'm guessing refers to a new memory controller.