Aquaman and The Black Knight: What to expect in the next Nintendo/Nvidia chip!

@techhog89: oh i know its not linear. I don't know if it's going to be 2GHz of course. thats just an example.

But the point is that game developers prefer fewer faster cores over many slower cores (though many faster cores is best of all :) ). fewer faster cores may generate more heat and use more energy but it would just mean a bigger battery and better cooling would be needed. Probably not that much bigger and better either.

The clocks for the CPU and GPU on the switch were chosen for battery life and noise. The cooling system in the switch is more than capable of cooling the tegra X1 running flat out (Just checked a DF video on it: CPU and GPU clocks maxed in a hacked switch had the SOC running at 64c.). The fan would just need to spin more. Managing the heat was never a problem for the switch.

in terms of the cost to the BOM of making the switch 2, the SOC would be a bit cheaper but the battery and cooling would need to be a little bit better. no major change.

So if you are designing a portable gaming system and your choices are (for example) 4 cores at 2GHz sustained clocks or 8 cores at 1GHz sustained clocks then going with the first configuration is correct.

Both of which are an issue in a space-limited device like the Switch. They can't just make it bigger or louder to accommodate. Battery life is Nintendo's bigger concern as well. I feel like I'm arguing with a brick wall right now though lol. Also, there's a point where more cores are needed more than speed. A 4c/4t 5GHz CPU is gonna give you a far worse experience than a 6c/12t CPU at 4GHz these days, which wasn't always true.

Speaking of which, 6 cores is also an option, since that's half as many as Orin.

@techhog89: They kinda can make it bigger and louder if required (a New switch model). The switches current form factor is not the only possible form factor.

Regarding the core count: step back and look at the bigger picture of the whole system. You go To nvidia and say "i have 100 quid to spend on the SOC. what can you give me?".

so they come back with:

1) an 8 core ARM CPU running at 1GHz and a GPU with 1024 cuda cores running at 1GHz. It needs 12watts to run flat out.

or

2) a 4 core ARM CPU running at 1.5 GHz and a GPU with 1536 cuda cores running at 900 MHz. It needs 15 watts to run flat out.

Which one do you choose?

for me its option 2. I can adjust the clocks to bring it below 15 watts and reduce heat if needed but, for gaming, option 2 offers the better package.

@osan0: Now you're just inventing scenarios to prove your point, so... I guess I'm done here. Feels like arguing with a brick wall lol. So, I'll just leave it because you're obviously in the "it can only ever be 4 cores" camp.

Sad that MS and Sony didn't think that way last gen, huh?

Nvidia being a control freak wasn't the reason MS/Sony went with AMD or avoided them. Sony and MS both approached Nvidia as well as Intel to supply chips for PS4/X1 but Nvidia (and apparently also Intel) didn't want to cut their margins and were the ones who refused not MS/Sony. AMD was literally the only choice Sony/MS left with and from AMD's percepective it was a no brainer as they were taking a beating in everything.

Nintendo going with Nvidia was a no brainer because at the time only Nvidia had the chip which met the TDP and performance requirement of Nintendo, AMD or Qualcomm were no where near that level. With all the downsides of working with Nvidia, there's also a silver lining. Nvidia's support is top notch especially on the software side.

For the Switch successor, I would think Nintendo would go with Qualcomm or even AMD this time unless they really need that Nvidia support.

@pc_rocks: Source needed for your Nvidia and Intel refusing and not Sony or Microsoft.

I don't have a source for Intel hence the bracket but for Nvidia:

PS4 not worth the cost, says Nvidia

Nvidia 'didn't' want the PS4

I also remember a quote by Jensen Huang himself saying the same thing for both consoles but but couldn't find it on google now.