[QUOTE="osan0"]Wartzay
The CPU is not very important compared to the GPU. Sony likes to flaunt its CPU power, but it doesnt help games THAT much. If they had put a real 7800gtx instead of a 7800gt with half the shaders cut out, the PS3 really would be kicking the xbox360's ass graphically.
the CPU is a pretty fundimental part of a game machine really if u think about it. lets leave aside sonys cell boasting (personally i dont think its gods gift at meeting the demands of games) and just look at what a CPU does.
1) it runs the game logic....the absolute fundimentals of a game. a GPU doesent do that...thats the CPUs job.
2) it runs the physics engine. GPUS can do physics on paper at least (and nvidia are makign big head ways in this area i believe) but at the mo, the CPU does ALL of the physics work.
3) AI....all run on the CPU. very important in alot of games.
4) some graphics work. even with modern 8800s, the CPU still has to do some graphics work. it also has to make sure the necessary data is sent to the CPU.
5) on alot of systems now (including the consoles) the CPU does the sound work.
6) dealing with user input....another fundimental of games. it also deals with other inputs (eg network code for multiplayer games).
its an absolutely essential piece of kit..more essential than a GPU...for games. a GPU just does graphics at the mo...thats it. u can run a game on just a CPU (eg outcast released in 1999....used a voxel engine so the CPU had to do pretty much everything). the same cant be said for a GPU (yet anyway).
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