Hold on to your seat, folks, this ride might get a little bumpy. According to known hacker Hector Martin or otherwise known as "Marcan," the Xbox 720 is set to have a 1.66GHz CPU (Central Processing Unit).
This was in reference to his outing of the Wii U's processor as "just' being at 1.2GHz, while the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is at 549MHz. He posted the statement over on Twitter and when people started pointing out how "weak" Nintendo's Wii U was, he tweeted the following (via NeoGAF).
If you want more evidence that MHz isn't everything, a little birdie points out that Durango (Xbox 720) is specc'ed to have a 1.6GHz CPU.
Food for thought. (And don't bother asking me who that little birdie is.)
For reference, the current-gen Xbox 360 is at 3.2GHz, broken down to one CPU with three cores running at 3.2GHz and each one is capable of two threads.
So, if you're like me, chances are you've noticed the numbers and now wondering why Microsoft would make it weaker compared to the console they have now. First off, keep in mind that this is a rumor, so there is a possibility that Marcan's "birdie" told him wrong or was mistaken. Secondly, clock speed is just one thing and we still don't have a clue how many cores the Xbox 720 will even have. And while I'm not a technical person by any means, there's obviously a lot more regarding this than just the speed determing how strong the CPU is…in short, don't jump the shark and don't overreact.
Keep in mind, though, that up to now, Microsoft has yet to confirm, deny or say something regarding any of its next-gen plans and the rumors surrounding it. So again, take all this with a grain of salt. The last we heard of the Xbox 720 or Durango's processor was way back in September when we posted this report on how purported chip-maker AMD is having troubles having its chips pass the testing phase.
Hopefully, they sorted that little snag out. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one with bad memories when it comes to Xbox's and faulty hardware (read: 3RL).
So, what do you think of this "rumor?" Could it be true but we just don't know the whole story yet? For those who in the know, is this even a cause for concern at all?
