Monday, June 12th 2017

Xbox One X Hardware Specs Give Gaming Desktops a Run for their Money

Microsoft Sunday dropped its mic with the most powerful game console on paper, the Xbox One X, formerly codenamed "Project Scorpio." The bottom-line of this console is that it enables 4K Ultra HD gaming at 60 Hz. Something like this requires you to spend at least $1,200 on a gaming desktop right now. Unlike a Windows 10 PC that's been put together by various pieces of hardware, the Xbox One X is built on a closed ecosystem that's tightly controlled by Microsoft, with heavily optimized software, and a lot of secret sauce the company won't talk about. The console still puts up some mighty impressive hardware specs on paper.

To begin with, at the heart of the Xbox One X is a semi-custom SoC Microsoft co-developed with AMD, built on TSMC's 16 nm FinFET node (the same one NVIDIA builds its "Pascal" GPUs on). This chip features a GPU with almost quadruple the single-precision floating point compute power as the one which drives the Xbox One. It features 40 Graphics CoreNext (GCN) compute units (2,560 stream processors) based on one of the later versions of GCN (likely "Polaris"). The GPU is clocked at 1172 MHz. The other big component of the SoC is an eight-core CPU based on an unnamed micro-architecture evolved from "Jaguar" rather than "Bulldozer" or even "Zen." The eight cores are arranged in two quad-core units of four cores, each; with 4 MB of L2 cache. The CPU is clocked at 2.30 GHz.
The third major component of the Xbox One X SoC is the 384-bit wide GDDR5 memory controller, wired to 12 GB of memory. This memory is used both as system- and graphics-memory, and is the most ideal implementation of AMD's hUMA (heterogeneous unified memory architecture), where there's no visible partition between the system and graphics memory on the physical memory, and depending on the usage scenario, any amount of memory can be used by the CPU and GPU components. Developers are still forced to build their games under the assumption that the system only has 8 GB of memory; so that the remaining 4 GB is used as a kind of "guarantee" that 4K UHD @60 Hz runs smoothly. The total memory bandwidth available is a staggering 326 GB/s.

The SoC features an integrated audio CODEC with 7.1-channel output over HDMI, with support for Dolby Atmos, and HRTF, a new audio format Microsoft developed for the Hololens, which is optimized for VR.

A 1 TB 2.5-inch SATA hard drive comes standard on the Xbox One X. You can swap this drive out for larger HDDs, or faster SATA SSDs. You can also plug in external storage devices over the console's USB 3.0 ports. The console's operating system resides on a smaller eMMC chip that isn't accessible to end-users. The 1 TB HDD is used to store games you've downloaded from your online library à la Steam.

Microsoft switched from bulky external power bricks to internal PSUs with the Xbox One S, and the trend carries forward with the Xbox One X. Powering the whole thing is a 275W internal power-supply. A large fan-heatsink cools the SoC and GDDR5 memory chips.
Source: Eurogamer.net
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132 Comments on Xbox One X Hardware Specs Give Gaming Desktops a Run for their Money

#1
RejZoR
Sure consoles are cheaper for what they can output in a narrow timeframe. But can Xbox One X run games from console just 1 generation back? It can't. Meaning if you want to still play those games, you need to keep it. Where with PC, yes, you pay more at first, but you gain parts of the costs by re-selling components and using 1 system to play games from today all the way back to the 80's. Consoles are cheaper just very short term. In the long run, they are actually even more expensive because games for them are far more expensive than on PC. Because they need to siphon in all the costs they lost at selling console itself that cheap.
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#2
Jermelescu
RejZoRSure consoles are cheaper for what they can output in a narrow timeframe. But can Xbox One X run games from console just 1 generation back? It can't. Meaning if you want to still play those games, you need to keep it. Where with PC, yes, you pay more at first, but you gain parts of the costs by re-selling components and using 1 system to play games from today all the way back to the 80's. Consoles are cheaper just very short term. In the long run, they are actually even more expensive because games for them are far more expensive than on PC. Because they need to siphon in all the costs they lost at selling console itself that cheap.
Isn't backwards compatibility available on this one, too?
If it's enabled, there are quite a few good ol' games it can run.
Posted on Reply
#3
Raevenlord
News Editor
RejZoRSure consoles are cheaper for what they can output in a narrow timeframe. But can Xbox One X run games from console just 1 generation back? It can't. Meaning if you want to still play those games, you need to keep it. Where with PC, yes, you pay more at first, but you gain parts of the costs by re-selling components and using 1 system to play games from today all the way back to the 80's. Consoles are cheaper just very short term. In the long run, they are actually even more expensive because games for them are far more expensive than on PC. Because they need to siphon in all the costs they lost at selling console itself that cheap.
Actually, the Xbox One X Can play games from the Xbox 360 (Backwards compatibility program which has now more than 300 titles on offer). And it will soon have backwards compatibility support for original Xbox games as well.

Granted, it's a software, emulated solution, but the truth is, you can play those games, and, like a pc, they usually have improvements to frame rate and guaranteed upscaling capabilities, which is always nice.
Posted on Reply
#4
EzioAs
RejZoRSure consoles are cheaper for what they can output in a narrow timeframe. But can Xbox One X run games from console just 1 generation back? It can't..
I may misunderstood your rhetorical question but the Xbox One X (and Xbox One and Xbox One S) can play hundreds of Xbox 360 titles (the list is still growing) and at the E3 briefing, MS announce that they will also be able to play original Xbox games. That's incredibly great value right there and it's the major thing that really tempts me to consider the new console.
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#5
londiste
The bottom-line of this console is that it enables 4K Ultra HD gaming at 60 Hz. Something like this requires you to spend at least $1,200 on a gaming desktop right now.
bullshit.
give gaming desktops run for their money - bullshit.

cpu still based on jaguar is in the league of intel atom and amd bobcat or whatever these were sold as. netbook-level performance. any desktop cpu is faster than that. gpu is midrange polaris, rx480-ish performance if not lower.

yeah, (lower) midrange will be given a run for their money, anything higher than that is still in a league of its own.
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#6
Jermelescu
londistebullshit.
give gaming desktops run for their money - bullshit.

cpu still based on jaguar is in the league of intel atom and amd bobcat or whatever these were sold as. netbook-level performance. any desktop cpu is faster than that. gpu is midrange polaris, rx480-ish performance if not lower.

yeah, (lower) midrange will be given a run for their money, anything higher than that is still in a league of its own.
I don't think you know how great console optimization can be.
Posted on Reply
#7
brian111
londistebullshit.
give gaming desktops run for their money - bullshit.

cpu still based on jaguar is in the league of intel atom and amd bobcat or whatever these were sold as. netbook-level performance. any desktop cpu is faster than that. gpu is midrange polaris, rx480-ish performance if not lower.

yeah, (lower) midrange will be given a run for their money, anything higher than that is still in a league of its own.
The cpu is nothing special but you are certainly selling it short by claiming netbook level.
Posted on Reply
#8
RejZoR
RaevenlordActually, the Xbox One X Can play games from the Xbox 360 (Backwards compatibility program which has now more than 300 titles on offer). And it will soon have backwards compatibility support for original Xbox games as well.

Granted, it's a software, emulated solution, but the truth is, you can play those games, and, like a pc, they usually have improvements to frame rate and guaranteed upscaling capabilities, which is always nice.
I bet it won't have the game I'd want to play. Never had such issues on PC. And if it really didn't work in any way out of the box, I just hacked it myself and it worked. And if you're more of a PlayStation fan, you're again stuck with stuff like special versions that can run old ones like the fat PS3 that had PS2 guts inside. But later dropped it with PS3 only gear. It's just too fiddly. Besides, I absolutely hate playing FPS games with gamepad. It's like trying to drive a car with joystick. It's just idiotic.
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#9
EzioAs
RejZoRI bet it won't have the game I'd want to play.
Why don't you check and see for yourself? www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/backward-compatibility
RejZoRBesides, I absolutely hate playing FPS games with gamepad. It's like trying to drive a car with joystick. It's just idiotic.
So, millions of people are just idiots for using a device you dislike? Got it.
Posted on Reply
#11
Unregistered
EzioAsWhy don't you check and see for yourself? www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/backward-compatibility



So, millions of people are just idiots for using a device you dislike? Got it.
And if he still wants to moan, keyboard and mouse compatibility is coming soon and there are a few ways to use pc peripherals right now.
#12
EzioAs
TheGuruStudIdiots for gimping themselves and having the game autoaim for them. Worthless slobs.
Well, not everyone plays game competitively or aggressively. Besides, you can get pretty good with a controller if you spent enough time with it.
Posted on Reply
#13
erixx
^I have never managed to walk, drive or race other than looking drunken with a controller.
Posted on Reply
#14
R0H1T
Wait, so all this time everyone in the PCMR were dissing the consoles for being underpowered, to say the least, but now they've got something extremely powerful & yet some are still b**** :rolleyes:

I bet MS is just about selling these for profit, that's one heck of an HTPC killer provided it doesn't die off randomly due to overheating, like some consoles in the past.
Posted on Reply
#15
TheGuruStud
Hugh MungusAnd if he still wants to moan, keyboard and mouse compatibility is coming soon and there are a few ways to use pc peripherals right now.
But the games will all disallow it. They don't want crying 10 yr olds by the millions.

I know the PS4 supports KB/mouse, but you'll never be able to use it.
Posted on Reply
#16
chaosmassive
hold on, 2560 Stream Processor?
maxed out Polaris GPU is 2304 SP
so what gives?

and "two quad-core units of four cores, each; with 4 MB of L2 cache" smell like ryzen uarch to me...
is this ryzen based APU will looks like?
Posted on Reply
#17
Unregistered
chaosmassivehold on, 2560 Stream Processor?
maxed out Polaris GPU is 2304 SP
so what gives?

and "two quad-core units of four cores, each; with 4 MB of L2 cache" smell like ryzen uarch to me...
is this ryzen based APU will looks like?
Custom gpu and cpu. Maybe a few ryzen features, but not ryzen and custom polaris.
#18
R0H1T
chaosmassivehold on, 2560 Stream Processor?
maxed out Polaris GPU is 2304 SP
so what gives?

and "two quad-core units of four cores, each; with 4 MB of L2 cache" smell like ryzen uarch to me...
is this ryzen based APU will looks like?
A relatively small but real possibility, considering MS has as yet not disclosed what's actually inside the custom SoC.
Posted on Reply
#19
Liviu Cojocaru
Looks like a nice equipped console, I bet this will sell big numbers.
Posted on Reply
#20
qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
Consoles giving PCs a run for their money sounds like an oxymoron lol. At least it raises the bar for game quality and if we're lucky, might just help to bring down hardware prices a bit, especially graphics cards. Not holding my breath though.

Also, I've got a PS4 Pro and can tell you that it doesn't shame myself compared to my gaming PC. Main limitations are the framerate of 60fps tops at 1080p and a lack of detail compared to the PC at times. Given this, I can see how this new Xbox will give PCs a run for their money and that's good for gamers of both platforms.
Posted on Reply
#21
uSDev
"Give Gaming Desktops a Run for their Money" MEME/10 - Buzzfeed.
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#22
Readlight
EzioAsWhy don't you check and see for yourself? www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/backward-compatibility



So, millions of people are just idiots for using a device you dislike? Got it.
Stupid shit Battlefield 4 whit gamepad on shit Playsation 4 for mor than 300 euro purchased, we sold it.
And now some fat men by latest games try them and sold to others and plays basketbol on cheap tv
Posted on Reply
#23
MustSeeMelons
OK, seems nice and dandy, but what about the games? My Xbox is still just a Forza box..
Posted on Reply
#24
T4C Fantasy
CPU & GPU DB Maintainer
erixx^I have never managed to walk, drive or race other than looking drunken with a controller.
In ff14 bard with controller can out dps easilly a mouse and keyboard
Posted on Reply
#25
T4C Fantasy
CPU & GPU DB Maintainer
Hugh MungusCustom gpu and cpu. Maybe a few ryzen features, but not ryzen and custom polaris.
Cut down vega
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