Are the bit wars really dead.

[Seob]

Don't forget super-FX and SVP.

[ATARI7800fan]

Don't forget super-FX and SVP.

which the SVP was a much stronger chip, the thing required its own Heat-sink in the cart. It also moved alot faster compared to StarFox with its Super-FX. Too bad it also cost more.

[toptenmaterial]

The CPU is irrelevant on modern systems. The bottleneck is now the GPU. Most GPUs of the same generation are reasonably equivalent in terms of functionality. I'm sure we won't be seeing any form of bit wars ever again.

 

The CPU did matter in the pre-3D days as it handled most or all functions in software. The data bus was an easy method of guessing which system had more advanced features. We can see from the Nintendo 64 that it isn't always accurate. Although, I suspect the Nintendo was 64 bit more to satisfy their deal with Rambus than for true performance.

Which I find strange the people used to make comments about the PC engine for saying it was 16-bit even though it had a 8-bit CPU, that's just like how modern systems with the GPU being what is most important. They were just ahead of there time.

 

I seem to remember a similar argument against the Jag, that it really had two 32 bit chips or something like that.

 

As for your little bro's friends saying that the Wii and DS are baby toys? Tell em to play Donkey Kong Country Returns or Contra 4 and watch em get their asses smoked!!!

[DracIsBack]

I seem to remember a similar argument against the Jag, that it really had two 32 bit chips or something like that.

 

That was a rumour that was sooo pervasive and yet it didn't make any sense.

 

Regardless on where you sit on the Jaguar's 'bitness' debate, it had five processors on three chips. Even if you count only the three "chips", there were still three chips.

[toptenmaterial]

I seem to remember a similar argument against the Jag, that it really had two 32 bit chips or something like that.

 

That was a rumour that was sooo pervasive and yet it didn't make any sense.

 

Regardless on where you sit on the Jaguar's 'bitness' debate, it had five processors on three chips. Even if you count only the three "chips", there were still three chips.

I gotta be honest and admit that I don't know a damn thing about hardware or how it works That being said, one thing that I have deduced from threads like this is that the "bits" are inconsequential and often irrelevant.

 

Out of curiosity were they talking about the CPU processing code that's 8 bits (or whatever) wide? I will admit that I bought into this argument big time as a kid, even though as an adult I have no f$&king idea what it really means

[Bloodreign]

The Bit Wars was a furious one back in the day, lots of system bashing from both Sega and Nintendo, these days you don't see that. Personally I wouldn't change a thing about these Bit Wars at all seeing as how I own both an SNES and a Genesis now, I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

 

The wars then were furious, I don't see the same kind of effort put forth by any of the Big 3 companies now to compete for one's dollar, but man in those days they pushed for your money.

[ATARI7800fan]

I seem to remember a similar argument against the Jag, that it really had two 32 bit chips or something like that.

 

That was a rumour that was sooo pervasive and yet it didn't make any sense.

 

Regardless on where you sit on the Jaguar's 'bitness' debate, it had five processors on three chips. Even if you count only the three "chips", there were still three chips.

I gotta be honest and admit that I don't know a damn thing about hardware or how it works That being said, one thing that I have deduced from threads like this is that the "bits" are inconsequential and often irrelevant.

 

Out of curiosity were they talking about the CPU processing code that's 8 bits (or whatever) wide? I will admit that I bought into this argument big time as a kid, even though as an adult I have no f$&king idea what it really means

 

Yes, the PC engine's CPU processing code was 8 bits wide.

[ATARI7800fan]

The CPU is irrelevant on modern systems. The bottleneck is now the GPU. Most GPUs of the same generation are reasonably equivalent in terms of functionality. I'm sure we won't be seeing any form of bit wars ever again.

 

The CPU did matter in the pre-3D days as it handled most or all functions in software. The data bus was an easy method of guessing which system had more advanced features. We can see from the Nintendo 64 that it isn't always accurate. Although, I suspect the Nintendo was 64 bit more to satisfy their deal with Rambus than for true performance.

Which I find strange the people used to make comments about the PC engine for saying it was 16-bit even though it had a 8-bit CPU, that's just like how modern systems with the GPU being what is most important. They were just ahead of there time.

 

I seem to remember a similar argument against the Jag, that it really had two 32 bit chips or something like that.

 

As for your little bro's friends saying that the Wii and DS are baby toys? Tell em to play Donkey Kong Country Returns or Contra 4 and watch em get their asses smoked!!!

 

I have showed them DKCR and Contra 4, they refuse to play them because as they put it the games look old and are not realistic looking. In there mind anything old looking is bad.

[mbd30]

The CPU did matter in the pre-3D days as it handled most or all functions in software.

 

Not exactly. Earlier consoles such as the SNES and Genesis still rely on GPU. Smooth layered scrolling, sprites, scaling and rotation, etc. are done via hardware... thus a console with a humble 16-bit CPU could do 2D visuals that rivaled or bettered what was possible on a contemporary 486 PC that was not made for games.

 

I enjoy reading Usenet threads from the 16-bit era that debate PC vs console. http://groups.google.com/groups/search?hl=en&as_q=pc+vs+console&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&scoring=&lr=&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=&as_drrb=b&as_mind=1&as_minm=1&as_miny=1991&as_maxd=1&as_maxm=12&as_maxy=1994&as_ugroup=&as_usubject=&as_uauthors=&safe=off

[toptenmaterial]

The CPU is irrelevant on modern systems. The bottleneck is now the GPU. Most GPUs of the same generation are reasonably equivalent in terms of functionality. I'm sure we won't be seeing any form of bit wars ever again.

 

The CPU did matter in the pre-3D days as it handled most or all functions in software. The data bus was an easy method of guessing which system had more advanced features. We can see from the Nintendo 64 that it isn't always accurate. Although, I suspect the Nintendo was 64 bit more to satisfy their deal with Rambus than for true performance.

Which I find strange the people used to make comments about the PC engine for saying it was 16-bit even though it had a 8-bit CPU, that's just like how modern systems with the GPU being what is most important. They were just ahead of there time.

 

I seem to remember a similar argument against the Jag, that it really had two 32 bit chips or something like that.

 

As for your little bro's friends saying that the Wii and DS are baby toys? Tell em to play Donkey Kong Country Returns or Contra 4 and watch em get their asses smoked!!!

 

I have showed them DKCR and Contra 4, they refuse to play them because as they put it the games look old and are not realistic looking. In there mind anything old looking is bad.

Perhaps a good ol' fashioned beating??

[Wickeycolumbus]

Anyone remember when people would refer to the 2600 as a "4bit system" because of the later 'bit wars"?

 

I actually have a book that refers to the 2600 as 4 bit

[toptenmaterial]

Warning: explicit language

 

 

Edited May 31, 2011 by toptenmaterial

[_rimusa_]

The WII games might look worse but have sold more units than the XBOX 360 & the PS3

Also, the DS games are the worst-looking ones from this generation but have been sold waaay more than any other console's.

Conclusion: the gameplay is everything (at least to me )

[Skylark68]

The bit wars are over. Long live the byte.

[Cynicaster]

Good riddance to the bit wars. Man, that was irritating. I remember frequenting the BBS's of the era and getting extremely tired of watching a bunch of retards bicker over which system is better, using "bits" as a key point of their argument, all the while not having anything even resembling a clue as to what it even means.

[Seob]

The WII games might look worse but have sold more units than the XBOX 360 & the PS3

Has sold more units, but nintendo hasn't sold more games. And profit comes from games. Most casual gamers buy only 2 to 4 titles.

Just a side note.