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The PlayStation 4 will utilise graphics and processing chips based on AMD’s A8-3850 APU and Radeon HD 7670 GPU, sources have told IGN.
The off-the-shelf A8-3850 features a quad-core 2.9GHz processor with an integrated graphics chip, able to work in tandem with a discrete graphics card. The Radeon HD 7670 is DirectX 11-enabled offering 1GB or VRAM an a core clock speed of 1GHz. IGN’s sources say that these parts are being custom tooled for the PS4 so exact specs are likely to vary.
The HD 7670 is a rebranded version of the earlier HD 6670, which is the same part rumoured to be powering the next Xbox. This suggests very similar performance for the two next-gen machines.
Whilst the 7670/6670 is an entry-level GPU it remains capable of running Crysis 2 at full 1080p on high settings at around 30 frames per second. This is already a boost over current gen console performance and extra performance would be squeezed out of the part in an optimised console environment.
However, sources suggests the PS4’s trump card could be the ability to make use of both the A8-3850’s onboard HD 6550D GPU and the more powerful 7670 to share the load and boost graphical performance.
A report earlier this week indicated that the PS4 will launch before the rumoured Christmas 2013 launch of the next Xbox.
The crossfire configuration of AMD GPUs could offer a considerable boost in performance where needed, but the integrated GPU should also be powerful enough to handle less taxing tasks without engaging the discrete part, meaning a cooler, quieter and less power-hungry operation.
