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The cell CPU was something like a dual core with 6 additional, specialised stream processors. I think the closest analogue might be a a CPU with a few cuda core
by tehbeard 5y ago
The cell CPU was something like a dual core with 6 additional, specialised stream processors. I think the closest analogue might be a a CPU with a few cuda cores on the die?
It didn't work too well from my understanding, difficult to develop anything that could make use of those streaming cores that was worth it over a traditional multicore chip with more cores.
Useful for scientific community though.
If anyone knows what the spe cores were used for in games, I'd be very interested to know.
- dagmx 5y agoThe Cell was a single primary CPu core, with seven SPU (technically eight with one disabled) cores. The SPU cores were basically used heavily for any background data processing that might align well with what GPU compute is used for today.
- Nursie 5y agoThe primary core either had a twin or some sort of SMT going on, it presented to linux as two cores.
- ricardobeat 5y agoMy understanding is that each SPE core was individually assigned to physics, lighting, AI and other tasks, as tools for developing multi-threaded code were not that common at the time. The Last of Us is supposed to be one of the very few that actually used all cores.
- _kbh_ 5y agoHeres a bunch of PDF's and presentations from Sony first party studios. Naughty Dog - Uncharted - Pages 33 - 39, 49, 54 - https://github.com/hww/game_programmer_reading/raw/master/nd/Naughty-Dog-GDC08-UNCHARTED-Tech.pdf https://github.com/hww/game_programmer_reading/raw/master/nd... Gorilla Games - KillZone 2 SPU Case Study - All of it - https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/gdc09/slides/GDC2009-vdLeeuw-KZ2SPUsCaseStudy.pdf https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/gdc09/slides... Insomniac Games - Insomniac’s SPU Best Practices Hard-won lessons we’re applying to a 3rd generation PS3 title Slides 46 - 48 https://www.slideserve.com/aldona/insomniac-s-spu-best-practices-hard-won-lessons-we-re-applying-to-a-3rd-generation-ps3-title https://www.slideserve.com/aldona/insomniac-s-spu-best-pract...