Nintendo GameCube technical specifications

Nintendo originally offered a digital video output on early GameCube models. However, it was determined that less than one percent of users utilized the feature. The feature was removed from consoles manufactured after May 2004 (model number "DOL-101" and later).[1] Technical specifications[2][3][4]

IBM PowerPC "Gekko" processor
Nintendo GameCube optical storage disc
Details Source
CPU
  • 485 MHz IBM "Gekko" PowerPC CPU based on 750CXe and 750FX
  • 0.18 microns Copper Wire Technology 180 nm manufacturing process with 4.9-watt dissipation
  • 162 MHz FSB (1.3 GB/s)
  • CPU Capacity: 1125 Dmips (Dhrystone 2.1)
  • External Bus Bandwidth: 1.3 GB/second peak bandwidth (32-bit address, 64-bit data bus at 162 MHz)
  • 64 KB L1 cache
  • 256 KB L2 cache
  • 32-bit ALU
  • 64-bit FPU (1.9 GFLOPS)
 [5][6]
GPU
  • 162 MHz ATI "Flipper" GPU (8.6 GFLOPS)
  • 3 MB of on-chip 1T-SRAM (2 MB Z-buffer + 1 MB texture cache)
  • 51 million transistors (approximately half dedicated to 1T-SRAM)
  • 180 nm manufacturing process
  • 4 pixel pipelines with 1 texture unit each
  • 24-bit Z-Buffer
  • 24-bit RGB/32-bit RGBA color depth
  • System Floating-point Arithmetic Capability: 10.5 GFLOPS (Peak) (MPU, Geometry Engine, Hardware Lighting Total)
  • Estimated raw display capability: 32 million polygons/second (Peak) (no texture, gouraud shading)
  • Actual Display Capability: 6 to 12 million polygons/second (Assuming actual game conditions with complex models, fully *textured, fully lit, etc.)
  • Image Processing Functions: Fog, Subpixel Anti-aliasing, 8 Hardware Lights, Alpha Blending, Virtual Texture Design, Multi-texturing, Dot3 Bump Mapping, Environment Mapping, Mipmapping, Perspective-Correct Texture Mapping, Bilinear Filtering, Trilinear Filtering, Anisotropic Filtering, and Real-time Hardware Texture Decompression (S3TC)(6:1 ratio), 8 simultaneous texture layers, 256 levels of transparency, hidden surface removal, Zfreeze, Zcomploc/Early-Z Reject, Bounding Box, Destination Alpha Test.
  • Other: Real-time Decompression of Display List, Hardware Motion Compensation Capability, and HW 3-line Deflickering filter.
[5][6]
System Memory
  • 43 MB total non-unified RAM
    • 24 MB MoSys 1T-SRAM (codenamed "Splash") as main system RAM
    • 3 MB embedded 1T-SRAM within "Flipper"
    • 16 MB DRAM used as I/O buffer for audio and DVD drive
 [6][7]
Audio
  • Output: Stereo (may contain 5.1-channel surround via Dolby Pro Logic II)
  • Integrated audio processor: Custom 81 MHz Macronix 16-bit DSP
  • Instruction memory: 8 KB RAM, 8 KB ROM
  • Data memory: 8 KB RAM, 4 KB ROM
  • Sampling Frequency: 48 kHz
  • 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding
 [5][7]
Video Modes
  • 640×480 interlaced (480i) @ 60 Hz
  • 640×480 progressive scan (480p) @ 60 Hz (NTSC versions only)
  • 768×576 interlaced (576i) @ 50 Hz (PAL versions only)
 [5]
Connectivity [5]
Storage
  • 8 cm miniDVD optical disc
    • 1.5 GB capacity
    • 16 Mbit/s–25 Mbit/s transfer rate operating in CAV mode
    • 128 ms average access time
  • Memory card
    • Capacities starting at 512 KB (59 save blocks)
    • 8 KB sectors
 [5][7][8]
Other
  • Power supply
    • DC 12 volts
    • 3.25 A
  • Dimensions: 4.3 in (110 mm) (H) × 5.9 in (150 mm) (W) × 6.3 in (160 mm) (D)
 [7]

References

  1. ↑ "Nintendo's GameCube Component FAQ page". Nintendo. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  2. ↑ http://www.segatech.com/gamecube/overview/
  3. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/mariotan/
  4. ↑ http://uk.ign.com/articles/2000/11/04/gamecube-versus-playstation-2
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Shimpi, Anand Lal (December 7, 2001). "Hardware Behind the Consoles - Part II: Nintendo's GameCube". AnandTech. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Game Consoles: A Look Ahead". Ace's Hardware. 2003-12-14. Archived from the original on 2004-02-08. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "GCN Technical Specifications". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  8. ↑ "Nintendo GameCube Accessories". Nintendo. Retrieved 2009-07-03. (dead)