3DS GPU announced- DMP's Pica200 GPU

[granville]

A new article from popular tech site Engadget reports the GPU behind the 3DS' graphical capability- a GPU named Pica200 from a company called Digital Media Professionals (DMP). This post was initially reported as a rumor, but i think it's basically confirmed by now. The manufacturer DMP themselves have reported it, which is a fair enough basis for fact, otherwise they'd be in serious trouble for reporting such an outstanding lie.

GPU details-
- Stock clock speed- this is one of the few things we just don't know yet, this chip can be clocked 200mhz or up to 400mhz, maybe even higher, unconfirmed at this time
- Frame Buffer: 4095x4095 pixels
- Pixel Format: RGBA4444, RGB565, RGBA5551, RGBA8888
- Vertex Program (ARB_vertex_program)
- Render to Texture
- mipmap
- bilinear texture filtering
- Alpha Blending
- Full scene antialiasing (2x2)
- Polygon offset
- 8bit stencil buffer
- 24bit depth buffer
- single/double/triple buffer
- Vertex Performance: Maximum 15.3 million polygons per second (@200mhz speed)
- Pixel Performance: Maximum 800 million pixels per second (@200mhz speed)
DPM MAESTRO technology:
- Per pixel lighting
- Procedural texture
- Refractive Mapping
- Subdivision Primitive
- Shadow
- Gaseous object rendering

More info-

“The PICA200 scales with up to four pipelines and processes from up to four programmable vertex units. The 3D core, using their proprietary graphics technology named MAESTRO-2G, the second generation of the Maestro design, implements custom graphics algorithms as hardware for enabling a set of shading features that include per-vertex sub-surface scattering, bidirectional reflectance distribution function, cook-torrance, polygon subdivision, and soft shadowing. Their image post-processing module, the PICA-FBM frame buffer management, can polish the image with anti-aliasing and a set of other 2D functions and can actually be licensed independently as a core for 2D-only devices. In either case, the PICA-FBM can be extended with a PICA-VG vector graphics module.” [/p]

This chip of course does not include the CPU or memory specifications, just the graphics chip. There is a video on the engadget site which they claim to be from the chip itself. Thanks to tk_saturn for confirming this demonstration came from 2006 and is not necessarily an accurate representation of the new alleged GPU inside the 3DS. This does not mean that this article is fake though, the news came from the Pica200 manufacturer themselves, not just a rumor cooked up by engadget.

We still don't know the other technical specs, such as the CPU or memory, which are extremely important in a system's power. There is also the possibility that the Pica200 seen in the Engadget video may be a bit different in the final model of the 3DS, even sporting a different clock speed.

Engadget article-
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/20/dmps-pi...endo-3ds-video/

Original source from DMP claiming that the chip is used in the 3DS (Japanese)-
http://www.dmprof.com/release/20100621_3DS.html

http://www.nintendoeverything.com/43189/

 

[tk_saturn]

That demo is from 2006.

http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.php?t=32327

 

[omgpwn666]

That demo is from 2006.

No... It's from 2010 posted in 2006.

 

[rikuumi]

fake and gay

 

[granville]

That demo is from 2006.

Your point is what even if that is true? The article claiming the 3DS is using their tech is brand new. I was reporting the claim, not an official report. And i'm just reporting what engadget said. The demo being old has little to do with the rumor.

Oh and if this turns out to be complete bollocks, the topic can just be deleted. I already stated clearly it was a rumor, i never said it was confirmed. It's as simple as that.

 

[tk_saturn]

All I sodding said was the demo was from 2006 lol.

I never said anything about your post!

 

[granville]

All I sodding said was the demo was from 2006 lol.

I never said anything about your post!

Ah i see, my misread. And you're right about it being old. Although it would be impressive tech for a handheld if they managed to downsize it.

The funny thing here is that the source is from the hardware manufacturer themselves. They are in big trouble if they're lying. You don't just go around making outrageous claims like that and expect to be treated royally if you're lying.

And for all those saying this is fake, prove it. I SHALL deleted this, or mark it as fake if it's confirmed as such. We don't need a ton more bullshit rumors flying around.

 

[tk_saturn]

There's is an announcement on their website.

It's looks official, maybe DMP have just jumped the gun?

 

[KingVamp]

All I sodding said was the demo was from 2006 lol.

I never said anything about your post!

Why would they lie? :/

 

[rikuumi]

All I sodding said was the demo was from 2006 lol.

I never said anything about your post!

Ah i see, my misread. And you're right about it being old. Although it would be impressive tech for a handheld if they managed to downsize it.

The funny thing here is that the source is from the hardware manufacturer themselves. They are in big trouble if they're lying. You don't just go around making outrageous claims like that and expect to be treated royally if you're lying.

And for all those saying this is fake, prove it. I SHALL deleted this, or mark it as fake if it's confirmed as such. We don't need a ton more bullshit rumors flying around.

Rag3_Granville-93

 

[_Chaz_]

So, that animation was done using only the GPU itself, and was made back in 2006?

If this rumor turns out to be true, the 3DS could have immense graphical power, even by today's non-portable console standards.

 

[DSGamer64]

I thought Nvidia was developing the graphics processor for the 3DS and that Nintendo would be partnering with them by supporting their new mobile graphics processor.

 

[tk_saturn]

So, that animation was done using only the GPU itself, and was made back in 2006?

If this rumor turns out to be true, the 3DS could have immense graphical power, even by today's non-portable console standards.

Remember, it's not running not the 3DS. It's a technology demo.

I imagine someone has seen the post about the 3DS, then gone and found that old demo and posted it on YouTube.

Also don't forget you have the 3D aspect, in reality it's rendering in 800x240 which is alot for a handheld.

 

[granville]

Yeah i removed that video since it wasn't really a good representation of the graphical power of the 3DS (or at least we don't know). I assumed it was, since engadget posted it, bleh. Thanks for the link showing it wasn't.

@DSGamer64

The Nvidia Tegra rumor is quite old, and it was never anything but a rumor from an unconfirmed source. Here, we have a GPU manufacturer themselves making the claim that they're the ones powering the system's graphics. I'd place more confidence in that than the Tegra rumor to be honest.

 

[Escape]

I'm not really good when it comes to technical stuff, but is that GPU any good? :/

 

[tk_saturn]

My guess is that now DMP have come out and said that, Nintendo will quickly confirm or deny it.

But I really can't see it being false. DMP are a company with history in the graphics field and are Japanese. I think it's safe to remove the (RUMOR) from the thread title.

The timing is also perfect, a week after E3. Keeps DMP happy, and also keeps the 3DS bandwagon rolling.

I'm willing to bet in this relationship, Nintendo has a lot of power. If it were Nvidia, they might have a lot less.

 

[_Chaz_]

So, that animation was done using only the GPU itself, and was made back in 2006?

If this rumor turns out to be true, the 3DS could have immense graphical power, even by today's non-portable console standards.

Remember, it's not running not the 3DS. It's a technology demo.

I imagine someone has seen the post about the 3DS, then gone and found that old demo and posted it on YouTube.

Also don't forget you have the 3D aspect, in reality it's rendering in 800x240 which is alot for a handheld.

It's also a technology demo from 4 years ago. Do you remember what games looked like 4 years before the DS?

I've seen the demos of the games for the 3DS, and I imagine that it can only get better from here on. The graphics for the system will continue to improve far after launch, making visuals like this or better than this a reality on the system.

EDIT: This is of course assuming that this is even a truthful rumor.

 

[rikuumi]

Why do you keep deleting my posts

...And you added 10% to my warn

 

[tk_saturn]

Press release run through Google Translate:

Nintendo ™ DMP in the 3DS
3D graphics IP core "PICA 200 ?" is adopted​

Digital Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: Musashino City, Tokyo, President and CEO Yamamoto Tatsuo, following DMP) is Nintendo's new handheld Nintendo 3DS 3D graphics IP core to the DMP "PICA200" that was adopted announced.

DMP PICA200 is a proprietary 3D graphics extension "MAESTRO technology" is installed. This is by implementing complex shaders in hardware capabilities, high-quality graphics representation of high-end products used in conventional technology in mobile products can be achieved and other handheld that require low power consumption It is.

DMP and CEO comments and Tatsuo Yamamoto:
"We have high goals that Orimashita achieve low power consumption remains high quality graphics representation, such as game machines and stationary Autostereoscopic. DMP has developed the technology over the years contributed MAESTRO I am very glad to have been. "

 

[TM2-Megatron]

Also don't forget you have the 3D aspect, in reality it's rendering in 800x240 which is alot for a handheld.

That demo video on the Engadget article looks to be 600x450, and judging by its clarity and crispness I don't think it's been resized. 600x450 (270,000 pixels) is still more pixels to push than 800x240 (192,000 pixels)... heck, it's even slightly more than the total number of pixels on both 3DS screens combined (192,000 + 76,800).