Nintendo does its own Wii U teardown, shows off multichip module design - Polidicks

[quote="Ars Technica"] We usually have to wait for a new piece of hardware to actually be on the market before we can link to the obligatory teardown showing the internal components. But Nintendo has beaten the iFixits of the world to the punch this time around, hosting an official, picture-filled discussion of the Wii U's internal hardware as part of its regular "Iwata Asks" interview series more than a month before the system hits stores. Nintendo's focus is the Wii U's multichip module (MCM) which contains both a multicore CPU and GPU along with on-chip memory, all on a single substrate component. Positioning all of these chips so closely together reduces latency and power consumption, the Nintendo engineers explained. This in turn keeps the size of the hardware down, a priority for the team. Despite the advantages of the MCM design, combining components from chip-makers Renesas (RAM), IBM (CPU), and AMD (GPU) on a single component was a challenge. When defects became apparent during the testing process, isolating which piece of the MCM was responsible proved tougher than with a more spread-out design. When the component manufacturers would insist that another company's chip was responsible for problems, Product Development Deputy General Manager Ko Shiota said he forced each company to design a robust testing regimen to "prove your own innocence." While the integrated MCM design of the Wii U reduces the number of major heat source locations on the hardware, the more powerful chips on the system generate three times the heat of the original Wii, developer Yasuhisa Kitano said, necessitating a larger heatsink and fan assembly in the system. The engineering team performed over 2,000 tests to determine the perfect balance between size, heat dissipation efficiency, and noise generated by the fan system, finally settling on a design that draws air from an inlet on the side and pushes it out the back. Other tidbits from the teardown and discussion: *The Wii U casing was designed to be set horizontally, though the system can be positioned vertically with the stand that comes with the Deluxe Set. *The USB ports, memory card slot and controller "sync" button are hidden on the front of the system behind a small flap that retracts into the system, rather than swinging out like the flap on the front of the Wii. *There is at least one version of the Wii U with a clear casing that lets you see the internal components. "You've got to sell this to me!" Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said jokingly when he saw the unit.[/quote] [url="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/10/nintendo-does-its-own-wii-u-teardown-shows-off-multichip-module-design/"]Source[/url]. Picture of some of the insides: [IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/Starmenclock/wiiuboard.png[/IMG]

thats... it?

[QUOTE=MightyMax;38000674]thats... it?[/QUOTE] The outside is for showing off, not the inside.

[QUOTE=MightyMax;38000674]thats... it?[/QUOTE] If you want to read more, come [url="http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wiiu/console/0/0"]here[/url].

Not sure why but a handful of tech companies are starting to do their own teardown's of their products, which is pretty cool. Samsung, I think, did a recent one with one of their tablets.

[QUOTE=Banned?;38000745]Not sure why but a handful of tech companies are starting to do their own teardown's of their products, which is pretty cool. Samsung, I think, did a recent one with one of their tablets.[/QUOTE] I agree. I hope this means Nintendo will be pro-home-brewing this generation.

[QUOTE=Fangz;38000763]I agree. I hope this means Nintendo will be pro-home-brewing this generation.[/QUOTE] Rainbows all the way across the sky for that hope. No big console making company is ever going to be pro-home brew, and particularly not Nintendo.

Clear case? I might get one for that alone :v:

whats the surprise here? Nintendo has always done custom SOC's for all of their consoles

[QUOTE=TestECull;38000849]Clear case? I might get one for that alone :v:[/QUOTE] Your wish is [url="http://kotaku.com/5951022/behold-the-transparent-wii-u"]granted[/url].

[QUOTE=Fangz;38001002]Your wish is [url="http://kotaku.com/5951022/behold-the-transparent-wii-u"]granted[/url].[/QUOTE] I still have a transparent N64 and a transparent GBC and a GBA.

The more I hear about the Wii U the more I like it, although I'm not sure that I'll get one immediately, since I have lost a lot of faith in Nintendo.

Bloody hell that CPU die is miniscule.

[QUOTE=Banned?;38000745]Not sure why but a handful of tech companies are starting to do their own teardown's of their products, which is pretty cool. Samsung, I think, did a recent one with one of their tablets.[/QUOTE] I think it's cool of them to do as well since it gives them the chance to explain why they did what they did. Rather than saying "I wonder why they did ____" it'll "Huh, ok thats cool"