05-03-2006, 05:51 PM
E3 2005: Microsoft's Xbox 360 vs. Sony's PlayStation 3
With Sony's specs out, Microsoft has sent us its a comparitive analysis. What's the outcome?
by Douglass C. Perry
May 20, 2005 - It's 3:30 pm on Friday, May 20, the last day of E3. The fine PR folks from Microsoft, who invited us to their headquarters a week before E3 to show us their system, their specs, and the grand design behind their powerful new Xbox 360, have just sent us an urgent notice to update our specs with new information. Earlier in the day, we were sent a comparative analysis of the Xbox 360's power vs. the PlayStation 3's power.
We decided to put this Microsoft-provided information up undigested. Thus, enclosed is a Microsoft-made comparitive analysis. We have not altered, added, or tinkered with the data. We have not interpreted the specs. We have cut and pasted this information from the email into our site and formatted it. Make of it what you will, but be clear we know Microsoft has clearly slanted this info, and we're not endorsing it, just printing their version. There is a difference.
XBOX 360 / PLAYSTATION 3 PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
SUMMARY
Now that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 specifications have been announced, it is possible to do a real world performance comparison of the two systems.
There are three critical performance aspects of a console:
Central Processing Unit (CPU) performance.
The Xbox 360 CPU architecture has three times the general purpose processing power of the Cell.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performance
The Xbox 360 GPU design is more flexible and it has more processing power than the PS3 GPU.
Memory System Bandwidth
The memory system bandwidth in Xbox 360 exceeds the PS3's by five times.
![[Image: microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation...728972.jpg]](http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/617/617951/microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation-3-20050520041728972.jpg)
![[Image: microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation...729362.jpg]](http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/617/617951/microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation-3-20050520041729362.jpg)
![[Image: microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation...731425.jpg]](http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/617/617951/microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation-3-20050520041731425.jpg)
![[Image: microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation...725628.jpg]](http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/617/617951/microsofts-xbox-360-vs-sonys-playstation-3-20050520041725628.jpg)
CONCLUSION
When you break down the numbers, Xbox 360 has provably more performance than PS3. Keep in mind that Sony has a track record of over promising and under delivering on technical performance. The truth is that both systems pack a lot of power for high definition games and entertainment.
However, hardware performance, while important, is only a third of the puzzle. Xbox 360 is a fusion of hardware, software and services. Without the software and services to power it, even the most powerful hardware becomes inconsequential. Xbox 360 games—by leveraging cutting-edge hardware, software, and services—will outperform the PlayStation 3.
With Sony's specs out, Microsoft has sent us its a comparitive analysis. What's the outcome?
by Douglass C. Perry
May 20, 2005 - It's 3:30 pm on Friday, May 20, the last day of E3. The fine PR folks from Microsoft, who invited us to their headquarters a week before E3 to show us their system, their specs, and the grand design behind their powerful new Xbox 360, have just sent us an urgent notice to update our specs with new information. Earlier in the day, we were sent a comparative analysis of the Xbox 360's power vs. the PlayStation 3's power.
We decided to put this Microsoft-provided information up undigested. Thus, enclosed is a Microsoft-made comparitive analysis. We have not altered, added, or tinkered with the data. We have not interpreted the specs. We have cut and pasted this information from the email into our site and formatted it. Make of it what you will, but be clear we know Microsoft has clearly slanted this info, and we're not endorsing it, just printing their version. There is a difference.
XBOX 360 / PLAYSTATION 3 PERFORMANCE COMPARISON
SUMMARY
Now that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 specifications have been announced, it is possible to do a real world performance comparison of the two systems.
There are three critical performance aspects of a console:
Central Processing Unit (CPU) performance.
The Xbox 360 CPU architecture has three times the general purpose processing power of the Cell.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performance
The Xbox 360 GPU design is more flexible and it has more processing power than the PS3 GPU.
Memory System Bandwidth
The memory system bandwidth in Xbox 360 exceeds the PS3's by five times.
CONCLUSION
When you break down the numbers, Xbox 360 has provably more performance than PS3. Keep in mind that Sony has a track record of over promising and under delivering on technical performance. The truth is that both systems pack a lot of power for high definition games and entertainment.
However, hardware performance, while important, is only a third of the puzzle. Xbox 360 is a fusion of hardware, software and services. Without the software and services to power it, even the most powerful hardware becomes inconsequential. Xbox 360 games—by leveraging cutting-edge hardware, software, and services—will outperform the PlayStation 3.