It is not every day that we hear about a new video game console, but that’s exactly what is happening now. AMD is revealing a new semi-custom chip which can be used for both the PC and gaming applications.
The first such application comes from a Chinese company Zhongshan Subor, which has collaborated with AMD on its Subor Z+ gaming console. The investment in the project nears roughly $60 million, which shows the company’s seriousness towards this endeavor.
Hardware Specs
The chip itself is the main deal, coming with a 3GHz quad-core (first-gen) Ryzen processor with eight threads, and a Radeon Vega GPU embedded within it. The GPU is clocked at 1.3 GHz, has 24 compute units, and can provide 4 TFLOPs of processing power. The design has been perfected to run on ultra-mute mode, while a low-power mode using 30W only for background downloads.
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The CPU and GPU share 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is placed on the motherboard. There’s 128 GB of M.2 SSD storage, as well as an optional 1 TB of hard drive. For connectivity, you get Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi ac, 4 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0 and audio jack. There’s support for both VR and 4K at 60 fps, at least in theory.
The hardware runs on Windows 10 IoT Enterprise when it is being used as a PC, or with a light layer on top in its console form. The machine will likely be catered towards eSports games, which are all the rage in China, though, exclusive AAA titles are also said to be in the pipeline.
Price and Launch Date
While prices are not known as of now, the gaming PC from Zhongshan could be available as early as late August, with the console set for release later this year. It may be difficult to believe that the ban on console gaming just got lifted in 2014 in China, hence, the large market naturally suits AMD’s out-of-the-box answers.
Via Hot Hardware and AnandTech
The poor author has never used an Xbox or PS4.
lol true