Rumor: PlayStation 4 (PS4) Orbis Processing Specs Uncovered

63w ago - Previously we covered rumors that AMD is building the PlayStation 4 graphics tech, Sony may ditch the Cell processor and the PS4 being codenamed Orbis, and now IGN reports that the next-generation system will sport AMD's A8-3850 APU and HD 7670 GPU.

To quote via IGN.com (linked above): The PlayStation 4, reportedly codenamed Orbis, may utilize custom chips based on AMD's A8-3850 APU and Radeon HD 7670 GPU, sources have told IGN, offering the combined performance of both integrated and discrete graphics processors.

According to the official product specs, the A8-3850 packs a quad-core 2.9GHz processor with an integrated graphics chip. The APU will work in tandem with the system's dedicated GPU, the HD 7670, a DirectX 11-enabled card clocked to 1GHz with up to 1GB of dedicated VRAM.

The HD 7670 is a rebranded version of last year's HD 6670, sporting identical specs across the board. If you recall, the HD 6670 is the same card that we reported will be used in the Xbox 720. The implication, of course, is that the two systems will effectively go toe-to-toe as far as discrete graphics are concerned.

By current standards, the HD 6670 is an entry-level processor with a price of about $74.99. Benchmark tests place framerate performance for taxing titles games like Metro 2033 and Crysis 2 set to high settings at a resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p) with average framerates of just over 30 frames-per-second.

The chip also supports HDMI1.4a output, which is necessary for the system's rumored 4k output. Naturally, a comparably lightweight operating system and console-optimized games will likely improve performance, but the PS4's real edge could come from the secondary GPU provided by the APU.

Onboard the A8-3850 is an HD 6550D, which makes the APU capable of running games at baseline specs and lower resolutions without the help of a discrete GPU. When the APU is paired with the HD 7670, however, Sony will be able to utilize an asymmetrical CrossFire configuration to share the load of realtime graphics processing.

Our sources caution that while current plans for the device make use of the the chipsets mentioned, it is possible that changes could be made prior to the system's launch.

With publishers rumored to have already begun development for the system and the system slated for a 2013 release, additional details are sure to emerge over the next few months.

Update: For further clarification, the chips being used in the PlayStation 4 are based on the off-the-shelf parts detailed above and are being custom tooled for the console. Exact specs may vary.

Finally, from the alleged PS4 spec sheet below with additional details in the Sony Project Orbis PDF:

• CPU: 22nm Cell Broadband Engine X Processor @3.2 GHz with 16PPEs and 128 SPEs
  
• GPU: 22nm Custom Nvidia/SCEI 'Quantum Leap' GPU @2GHz - based on a GK104 x2 Kepler Architecture
  
• Memory: 10GB XDR2 + 10GB GDDR6
  
• Storage Capacity: Included 250GB/320GB Model depending (Upgradable)
  
• Operating System: Sony Aether GUI
  
• Maximum Video Resolution: 2160p 2D and 1080p 3D
  
• Maximum Audio: 11.1
  
• Media Formats: PS4 Game Disc, PS3 Game Disc, PS2 Game Disc, PS1 Game Disc, HD Blu-Ray Disc, DVD, CD and Digital Distribution
  
• Controller Input: DUALSHOCK 4, DUALSHOCK 3, PS Iris, PS Vita, PS Omni, PS Certified Xperia, Sony Tablet, PS Move, PS Eye, Sixaxis, Remote Controller, USB Controllers, Keyboard and Mouse
  
• Connectivity: USB 3.0, HDMI 1.4, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Ethernet, PS Vita Memory Cards, MMC/SD/SDHC/SDXC and XQD Memory Cards support
  

Updated alleged PS4 specifications:

• AMD Fusion APU - Codenamed 'Liverpool'
  
• AMD x86 Quad Core at 3.2 GHz
  
• ATI r10xx (3rd generation) GFLOPS at 800 MHz and 1843 - Codename "Tahiti"
  
• 2 GB RAM
  
• Blu-ray
  
• HDMI 1.4 - 1080p output
  
• 320 GB + HDD
  
• 16 GB Flash Memory
  

It's said that developers urge Sony to upgrade the RAM - 2GB seem quite a bit few.

Finally, from VGLeaks.com comes the alleged first full PS4 specs below, to quote:

In exclusive we have the detailed first specs (not final) for PS4, most likely first alpha kits sent to developers:

TLDR SPECS

CPU

• 4 core (2 core pairs) 3.2 GHz AMD x86 (Steamroller)
  
• aggregate, 10x PS3 PPU performance
  
• 512 KByte L2 per core pair
  
• 64 bit pointers
  

GPU

• AMD R10x series GPU @ 800 MHz (Tahiti)
  
• aggregate 10x RSX performance, 1.84 TFlops
  
• DX” 11.5″
  
• cheap branching
  
• 18 compute units, focus on fine grained compute & tessellation
  

MEMORY:

• 2 GByte UMA, pushing for 4 GByte
  
• 192 GByte/ sec non-coherent access for e.g. GPU
  
• 12 GByte/ sec coherent access for CPU
  
• >50% longer memory latency for CPU/ GPU compared to PC!!!
  
• DXT is lowest bpp texture compression format
  

MEDIA:

• 50 GByte BD drive
  
• PCAV, between 3.3 and 8x BD, most likely clamped to 6x
  
• automatic background caching to HDD
  
• HDD SKU with at least 380 GByte
  
• downloadable games
  

EXTRA HARDWARE:

• video encoder/ decoder
  
• audio processing unit, ~200 concurrent MP3 streams
  
• HW zlib decompressor
  

Our source claims that the final specs should be 10x powerful than PS3, due to this info has got 10 months. Here is also some spec information on the upcoming XBox system (XBox Quort) alias XBox 720:

• 8 Kerne AMD64
  
• Grafik DirectX 11.x
  
• 8 GB Ram (Dev Kit 12 GB Ram)
  
• Blu-ray 50 Medien