Comparing PS2 - GameCube - XBOX

Comparing Consoles

When You Shop Here's a Video Game System Feature Comparison chart for you to use as you research various game systems. The chart is available to you as a PDF. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. Download the comparison chart!

Just like the world of computers, video game systems are constantly getting better. New technology developed specifically for video game systems is being coupled with other new technologies, such as DVD. Here are some system specs:

Sony PlayStation 2

• Processor: 128-bit "Emotion Engine"
  • 300 MHz
  • Floating point unit (FPU) co-processor
  • Maximum bus transfer rate of 3.2 GB per second
  • Includes current PlayStation CPU core
• Graphics: "Graphics Synthesizer"
  • 150 MHz
  • Embedded cache
  • 4 MB VRAM
  • 75 million polygons per second
• Audio: SPU2 (+CPU), 48 channels, 44.1- or 48-kHz sampling rate, 2 MB memory
• RAM: 32 MB RDRAM
• Game medium: Proprietary 4.7-GB DVD and original PlayStation CDs
• Drive bay (for hard disk or network inteface)
• Controller: Two controller ports, "Dual Shock 2" analog controller
• Other features:
  • Two memory card slots
  • Optical digital output
  • Two USB ports
  • FireWire port
  • Support for audio CDs and DVD-Video

Nintendo GameCube

• Processor: "Gekko" IBM Power PC microprocessor
  • 485 MHz
  • Cache:
    • level 1: 32 KB Instruction and 32 KB Data
    • level 2: 256 KB
  • 32-bit address, 64-bit data bus
  • Maximum bus transfer rate of 2.6 GB per second
  • 0.18 micron copper interconnects
• Graphics: "Flipper" ATI graphics chip
  • 162 MHz
  • 1 MB embedded texture cache
  • 3 MB Mosys 1T-SRAM (This static RAM uses a single transistor per cell, like DRAM.)
  • Approximately 12 million polygons per second
• Audio: Special 16-bit digital signal processor, 64 channels, 48-kHz sampling rate
• RAM: 40 MB (24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB of 100-MHz DRAM)
• Game medium: Proprietary 1.5-GB optical disc
• Controller: Four game controller ports, Wavebird wireless game controller
• Other features:
  • Handle for carrying
  • Two slots for 4-MB Digicard Flash memory cards or a 64-MB SD-Digicard adapter
  • High-speed parallel port
  • Two high-speed serial ports
  • Analog and digital audio-video outputs

Microsoft Xbox

• Processor: Modified Intel Pentium III
  • 733 MHz
  • Maximum bus transfer rate of 6.4 GB per second
• Graphics: Custom nVidia 3-D graphics chip
  • 250 MHz
  • Approximately 125 million polygons per second
• Audio: Custom 3-D audio processor
• RAM: 64 MB (Xbox has a unified memory architecture -- the memory can be allocated to graphics, audio, textures or any other function as needed.)
• Game medium: Proprietary 4.7-GB DVD
• Modem/network: Media communications processor (MCP), 10/100-Mbps Ethernet, broadband enabled, 56K modem (optional)
• Controller: Four game controller ports
• Other features:
  • 8-GB built-in hard drive
  • 5X DVD drive with movie playback
  • 8-MB removable memory card
  • Expansion port