-
Hey everyone, staff have documented a list of banned content and subject matter that we feel are not consistent with site values, and don't make sense to host discussion of on Famiboards. This list (and the relevant reasoning per item) is viewable here.
-
Do you have audio editing experience and want to help out with the Famiboards Discussion Club Podcast? If so, we're looking for help and would love to have you on the team! Just let us know in the Podcast Thread if you are interested!
StarTopic Future Nintendo Hardware & Technology Speculation & Discussion |ST| (Read the staff posts before commenting!)
- Thread starter Dakhil
- Start date
D
Deleted member 1324
Guest
Didn’t say and I didn’t want to push. Not asking for more as we have most of the info now anyway from the Nvidia leak. No way I’m asking for clocks and I doubt they’re final at this point anyway.
D
Deleted member 1324
Guest
2B
YoRHa
If that's the case, I'll be pleasantly surprised. Tripling the ram doesn't seem like something Nintendo would do and if they can save just a little bit using 6gb instead, I feel like they'd take it to help keep the overall price down.
ShadowFox08
Paratroopa
Whenever they matched a competitors previous gen console (in power), they had more RAM and/or bandwidth for their console.
Xbox vs Wii
360/PS3 vs Wii U.
I don't think it's improbable that 12GB wouldn't make it. I think it has a decent chance. Somewhere between 8-12 GB for sure. Biggest justifications are to surpass ps4 and xbone performance while having a robust OS that rivals their competitors and make it future proof/easier porting for down ports from PS5/XS games.
More RAM in general for longer video recordings, voice chat, OS features. Basically to match competitor features, or be one step closer (we hope). Perhaps we won't get barebones OS this time, and have 2-3GB of RAM dedicated for OS. 9-10 GB of RAM would be crazy. But it'd better than 8GB of system RAM with a barebones oS using 1GB like switch with limited OS features or 5-6GB for games and 2-3GB for OS like PS4.
No matter what RAM they end up with, I'm thinking 102 GB/s on LPDDR5. Especially if the data leak holds true. So maybe two 6GB 64 bit RAM stick modules if they go with 12GB RAM.
LPDDR5X seems too cutting edge from a cost perspective, since it's just coming out end of year to the best Samsung phones irrc, and it will cost a lot more than LPDDR5. I do think it's a shoe in for the revision 2-3 years down the line though.
if only we knew the node size and type. That's key to the rest of the specs really, since it's controls power draw.
Last edited:
OP
OP
D
Deleted member 887
Guest
Tripling the RAM actually sounds exactly like Nintendo - their MO has often been “last generation clocks, next gen ram”
Big open worlds love more memory, Every time (almost) you see a blood moon on Breath of the Wild it’s because the system is running low on memory and needs to reset the world.
In general, there are lots of cases where you can trade CPU power for Memory. Any computation you might make regularly can get kept in memory and just retrieved every time, cutting down on the amount of work you have to do.
Memory bandwidth is a limiter because you have to stream assets from storage to memory. If you have large amounts of memory without increasing bandwidth, the that just means morw assets you can keep around all the time without having to stream them at all.
One of the particulars of DLSS - in order to get full advantage of it you have to build your games for 4K even if you never natively render at 4K. That includes 4K assets. More ram means more room for 4K assets - more room for decompressed assets which, again, can take load off the CPU
ezidro3
Boo
- Pronouns
- he/him
12GB of RAM along with the assumption that the Drake version of Horizon will be similarly optimized to the one now would probably mean Drake has more RAM available to games than the Series S lol
(albeit less than half as fast since Series S's 8GB RAM speed is 224GB/s)
(albeit less than half as fast since Series S's 8GB RAM speed is 224GB/s)
OP
OP
And more RAM than the Xbox Series S in general, assuming Nintendo's new hardware does have 12 GB of (LPDDR5 or LPDDR5X) RAM, since the Xbox Series S only has 10 GB of GDDR6 RAM (8 GB at 224 GB/s and 2 GB at 56 GB/s).
Look over there
Bob-omb
So what are the odds that 6 GB 64-bit modules actually are the cheapest in mass production for LPDDR5? That is, the 4 GB modules remain stuck in sampling because there weren't enough customers or something (like say, any prospective budget phone maker targeting 4 GB opting to stick with just LPDDR4X instead).
Dark Cloud
Warpstar Knight
Spring 2023 still is good to hear
OP
OP
There's always a possibility that Micron's LPDDR5 catalog isn't 100% up to date if Samsung's LPDDR5 catalog, SK Hynix's LPDDR5 catalog, and Intel's LPDDR5 validation results are anything to go by.
In fact, the only LPDDR5 module in Samsung's catalog has a density of 48 Gb (6 GB), but with the max I/O rate capped at 5500 MT/s.
carbonaxiom
Piranha Plant
If this source is legitimate, and is the same one that said this system is not much stronger than the PS4 even after DLSS, then this post gives a lot of insight into what their usual opinions of console development are. I've spoken to a few video game developers who normally work on PC but occasionally help with porting over games to consoles, and their opinions of it usually go something like, "Man, making stuff for the really limited hardware in this console stinks."
In other words, this person is likely heavily understating what this new device can do, because they're looking at it as how limited it is vs. the hardware specs they usually work with. For anyone used to working with consoles/mobile, 12GB is pretty good, if not outright impressive given its form factor.
No hardware this fiscal year because the new hardware will kickstart the next fiscal year alongside Zelda.
It has been my opinion for a while and I stick with it.
I expect an April launch.
Indeed. Before the leak, we were here thinking 1024 or 1280 was the max
ShaunSwitch
Moblin
Before the leak I was team 768 cores max. The leak totally blew my expectations out of the water. If we get 8 CPU cores at 1.7ghz or above in addition to what we know and the 12GB RAM it's going to be a very capable little machine and I can't wait.
KeijiKG
Moblin
C'mon man. Horizon?
A PlayStation IP?
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- He/Him
ARM is a much smaller and more efficient CPU architecture, so it can even be on a larger node and potentially be a smaller device.
Spork4000
Tektite
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That's very true, but if I'm not mistaken RDNA2 tends to be more efficient than Ampere. Of course the clocks could just be really low in handheld mode, but I'd hope not. Either way, Drake will benefit from native ports, so lack of overhead will help it punch above the hotter, heavier PC handhelds.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah assuming Drake is on 8nm I personally assume it'll have extremely low clocks in handheld mode. I don't know if it's possible to do BC with GPU clocks lower than the base Switch but if it is I wouldn't even be shocked by that.
But if it's 7 or 5nm then yeah it'll be a bit of a beast. Even 8nm with super low clocks will be a very impressive leap with 12SMs and A78s, not to mention 3x the RAM.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I dunno if I'd say reliable but I think his posts are at least worth entertaining since he's talked about these connections for a long time pretty consistently.
Yeah I know that, but its still not to be taken seriously as long as he doesnt verify it in any way.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Just file it away in your brain as "this could potentially be true but we have no proof" like I do.
D
Deleted member 1324
Guest
D
Deleted member 1324
Guest
No disrespect taken. I don’t take this stuff seriously to be quite honest with you. If I wanted to I could have gotten an ego boost or some quick cash by making a twitter account or YouTube videos not posting on a niche Nintendo forum. The info I have was extremely valuable to the right people. I initially thought of giving it all to Mr Drake but I know how he feels about the abuse insiders get from people and then his name being click baited to hell and back.
The person I had dinner with last night is changing careers to work for himself in a completely different industry due to crunch. He hates the modern industry with a passion. I think this is mainly why they told me so much.
So that’s that. We have the Nvidia leak along with what I got out of him. It’s a lot more than we knew about Wii U or original Switch haha.
LoneRanger
Paratroopa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
If I were Nintendo and its true this device is as capable as its commented, it would be a very smart movement to push hard to get Rockstar titles, RDR2 port and day 1 GTA6 + having COD 2023/Warzone 2 on console launch year (FY2023/24).
They have absolute control on japanese market with their IPs.
But on the west they have a very rough battle as Sony and Microsoft are both strong there. Nintendo focusing on getting mayor west IPs would be the best for them.
Switch brand is very strong so a $450/$500 device with the promise of getting all mayor third party support will still be a very successful machine.
They have absolute control on japanese market with their IPs.
But on the west they have a very rough battle as Sony and Microsoft are both strong there. Nintendo focusing on getting mayor west IPs would be the best for them.
Switch brand is very strong so a $450/$500 device with the promise of getting all mayor third party support will still be a very successful machine.
Ok interesting.
Could you summarize in a quick way what he did tell you (just release time frame)?
Sol
Moblin
I must have missed something - didn't the Nvidia leak have Drake with 8 GB of RAM?
Is that true for GPUs though?
Indirectly it is, because the cpu uses less space and electricity, leaving more for gpus. But that's it I believe.
Hosermess
Koopa
Blue Monty
Inkling
- Pronouns
- he/him
Nintendo is also the biggest publisher by a lot in the West when it comes to software sales, the difference is that in Japan they have over 50% of software markets share which is just absurd to the point TPC sells more software than any 3rd party company all companies struggle if the bar of success is Nintendo state in Japan.
OP
OP
I think a battery life of 2.5 - 6.5 hours is absolutely achieveable with Samsung's 8N process node.
But I think a battery life of 4.5 - 9 hours can be achieved more easily with Samsung's 5LPE process node or more advanced, or TSMC's N6 process node or more advanced.
Thugstas
Bob-omb
Both scenarios are positive for gamers
Sol
Moblin
Hmmmm.
I'm still not sure how to process the specs of this new system in the context of the economy and Nintendo's unwavering desire to make a significant amount of profit on each piece of hardware sold.
I mean we're now talking about a handheld system with:
- A custom Ampere GPU with 12 SMs, ~1500 CUDA cores, along with DLSS and RT
- Octa-core CPU with A78 cores
- OLED panel
- 12 GB of RAM
- Presumably some increase in I/O
I mean, yeah....that's a beast of a system. And it almost sounds too good to be true. And honestly, it does seem too good to be true when one considers the following:
- Inflation and the current state of the global economy.
- Nintendo's stance on making a solid profit off of each console and not taking a loss or even breaking even.
- Nintendo is still selling a Tegra X1 system for $350
So when one considers the specs of the system, along with the aforementioned points....we're looking at like a $500+ system here. I really can't see any way in which the above rumored specs with the current state of the economy come in cheaper than $500.
So one of two things seem to be true here - either the Nvidia leak was just some random prototype for testing purposes or internal use, which the next system is not based on. Or....the next Switch will be at least $500.
ShadowFox08
Paratroopa
Ps4 pro like performance in handheld with DLSS doesn't make much sense to me since PS4 Pro boosted were mostly about resolution bumps to 1440p, correct me if I'm wrong someone.?Only occasionally did it address framerate.
But anyway if he says it's ps4 performance in handheld, perhaps he means likely that performance on a 720p screen? So I'm guessing handheld mode is around 1 TFLOP at the highest. Maybe 700-800 gflops. Obviously not counting architecture improvements. Docked mode, 2.5x of that. 1.8-2.5 TFLOPs docked, not counting DLSS.
Sounds like 8nm samsung. But if that's the case, why use a 12 SMs model with low clockspeeds? It feels like a waste of silicon and money. Why not go with the highest Orion NX variant with lesser cores that can perform up to 2 TFLOPs instead, and can reach 25 watts max (doesn't include taking out unnecessarily a.i. stuff)? of course this is under the assumption it runs 2 TFLOPs max.
If they ran at the same clockspeeds as switch handheld and docked, docked would be more like 1.6 TFLOPs. Assuming 1000 cuda cores.
Again, just entertaining 8nm Samsung and how it doesn't make sense with 12 SMs.
Last edited:
Blue Monty
Inkling
- Pronouns
- he/him
Nintendo has always been fine with small margins, there is no need for the profit to be big because almost all their profits come from software sells and their cut they get from 3rd party sales. What matters for Nintendo when it comes to hardware is to get in the hands of as many people as possible (even in the same household) while not losing any money, a profit margin too big would go against this idea due pricing themselves out of certain audiences.
Codename_Steam
Cappy
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Do we know anything about the I/O system for Drake?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No. There has been no reliable information on anything but the GPU at the moment.
Last edited:
