24-bit or 16-bit?

Shining Kooksu · Mar 23, 2003

I am sure this question has been asked before, but I am new and a little confused. If the NGH console is 16-bit why do the gold system boxes say it's the only 24-bit console? Thank you for taking the time to answer.

MegaDrive20XX · Mar 23, 2003

The NEO uses a 16-Bit processor chip and an 8-Bit one as well, if I remember correctly for music only? Thus it's called a 24-Bit system but is nothing more than a Hyper 16-Bit system, just like how the PC-Engine Duo (Turbo Duo) is really a Hyper 8-Bit system even though it uses two 8-Bit processors to form 16-Bits.

Hope this helps you out.

Shining Kooksu · Mar 23, 2003

Thank you very much. So the other 8-bit processor is dedicated to sound? I get it, that is the way most other systems work as well. Thank you again.

ttooddddyy · Mar 23, 2003

Its a 16 bit system period, the 24 bit claim was a marketing gimmick.
There is a twin proc that increases the real figure.

Atro · Mar 25, 2003

By that theory also the Mega Drive should have 24 Bit!!!

The MD have also the same 68000 + Zilog80A, but they're clocked at lower speeds. wink

kernow · Mar 25, 2003

This topic kicks ass

Mouse_Master · Mar 25, 2003

16-bit....

It was a flashy term to use, sort of like showing the meg count of the game, something Sega started.... Too bad what the count was, versus what people thought it was, were 2 different things.

Shining Kooksu · Mar 25, 2003

Thank you everybody for your replies

umiami80 · Mar 26, 2003

You can't as up the chips to = that system, that was the problem with the Atari Jaguar, did you really think a Camador 64 was really 64 bit?

It is a really good 16 bit system mainly because the 16 bit processor has the burden of the graphics only, while the sound is taken care of by another chip, while most systems use one chip to do everything. I still believe that the SNES made some better graphics then the Neo in SOME games, just a great system.

Jackal · Apr 6, 2003

By this logic... Namco System 1 (Pac-Mania, Dragon Spirit, Galaga '88) would be another 24 bit system - it uses 3 M6809s.

Taito F3 would be 48-bit (68020 with a 68000 for sound).

Mike · Apr 7, 2003

Moob Butter · Apr 7, 2003

Heck using the same logic a xbox and dreamcast are 32 bit, as that's what their CPU's are it's just the gfx card that runs at 128, and also using that logic a Sega Saturn which has 2x 32 bit CPU's would be 64 bit...now I've just mixed myself up big time...

evil wasabi · Apr 7, 2003

argh so many wrong numbers in this thread

commodore 64 is an 8 bit pc, called 64 for its infamous 64k of ram.

xbox uses a 32bit cpu (pentium 3) and i guess its a 64bit gpu (geforce 3) but i really dont know, maybe its 128.

dreamcast uses a 128bit sh4 risc cpu, and a 64bit power vr2 dc generation gpu.

sturn has 2 32bit sh2 cpus, 2 gpu (VDP's) i forget the bittage) and a 16 bit chip (genesis cpu that nothing ever used from what ive read)

jaguar really is 64bit. but no one knew how to code for it, and only used its m68k (since thats what every system had, and it was only there as a general central processor to give instructions to the others, afaik) but thats all the programers really took advantage of, thus shitty lookin games.

kernow · Apr 7, 2003

spock

buttrock

evil wasabi · Apr 7, 2003

kernow:
spock

buttrock

this thread pops up like once a week.

and people still get the numbers wrong.

i love the diehard 24bit people. theyre funny.

Electroman · Apr 7, 2003

CPU, MPU's, memory buss's, I'O, cache... they may all have different data buss widths and how many bits of data it accepts in one cycle of time. It is this data buss that can truly define if a system is 8, 16, 32, 64 bit, etc...

Neo Geo Is NOT a 24 bit system. No designer in his/her right mind would develop a databuss structure that unorthodically breaks the multiple of 2 rule. Just like PC Engine is still an 8-bit system but it has 2 8-bit CPU's.

As many of us know, the Neo hardware has a Motorola 12MHZ 68000 for main CPU use and 4MHZ Zilog Z-80 for the sound.

Both chips were all off-the-shelf and made by the kajillions and even in 1990 were relatively inexpensive. SNK was smart in this philosophy as many Assembly programmers who were anybody knew the 68000. After all, this chip was found on the Amiga, Genesis, and maybe some Atari hardware as well. It was the custom graphics and sound processors that do the dirty work we love.

And i've programmed Motorola Microcontrollers (different kind of chip I know) before and they are rather easy compared to other brands.

<small>[ April 07, 2003, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Electroman ]</small>

MilkManX · Apr 7, 2003

If I remember correctly the Neo Geo has 3 chips.

1 16 bit Motorola 68000
1 8 bit Z80 for graphics co-processing
and 1 8 bit chip for sound. So they were adding the 2 Graphic CPUs to get the 24 bit number.

MarrymeMai · Apr 7, 2003

sonic1687:
argh so many wrong numbers in this thread

commodore 64 is an 8 bit pc, called 64 for its infamous 64k of ram.

xbox uses a 32bit cpu (pentium 3) and i guess its a 64bit gpu (geforce 3) but i really dont know, maybe its 128.

dreamcast uses a 128bit sh4 risc cpu, and a 64bit power vr2 dc generation gpu.

sturn has 2 32bit sh2 cpus, 2 gpu (VDP's) i forget the bittage) and a 16 bit chip (genesis cpu that nothing ever used from what ive read)

jaguar really is 64bit. but no one knew how to code for it, and only used its m68k (since thats what every system had, and it was only there as a general central processor to give instructions to the others, afaik) but thats all the programers really took advantage of, thus shitty lookin games.

So the DC is more powerful than the X-Box? I'm not surprised.

kernow · Apr 7, 2003

nope, the z80 is for sound, the 68000 for main cpu.

mog · Apr 7, 2003

MarrymeMai:

sonic1687:
argh so many wrong numbers in this thread

commodore 64 is an 8 bit pc, called 64 for its infamous 64k of ram.

xbox uses a 32bit cpu (pentium 3) and i guess its a 64bit gpu (geforce 3) but i really dont know, maybe its 128.

dreamcast uses a 128bit sh4 risc cpu, and a 64bit power vr2 dc generation gpu.

sturn has 2 32bit sh2 cpus, 2 gpu (VDP's) i forget the bittage) and a 16 bit chip (genesis cpu that nothing ever used from what ive read)

jaguar really is 64bit. but no one knew how to code for it, and only used its m68k (since thats what every system had, and it was only there as a general central processor to give instructions to the others, afaik) but thats all the programers really took advantage of, thus shitty lookin games.

Click to expand...

So the DC is more powerful than the X-Box? I'm not surprised.

The Dreamcast's games are the true power it has over the Halo Box
make_fac

evil wasabi · Apr 8, 2003

no, dc is not more powerful than xbox.

bits dont mean shit.

your pc is only 32bit.

Orochi_Flava · Apr 8, 2003

If you smash your Neo with a slegehammer, it becomes thousands of "bits" lol lol

Dean · Apr 13, 2003

mog:

The Dreamcast's games are the true power it has over the Halo Box
make_fac

And that's the only real truth. A game system is only as good as it's games. Think about it. Without the quality games like Metal Slug, Last Blade, KoF, etc, etc, would our little (well, BIG) buddy the Neo Geo have lasted 12 plus years and STILL have games coming out for the same damn hardware??
Despite all of the marketing power and money behind the Crap Box, it sells no more units than the GameCube which has fewer, but much higher quality games. The PS2 is a crap system, with weaker processors and components, but it's got games like GTA:Vice City, Kingdom Hearts, Xenosaga, etc that make it kick serious tush.

I still love Neo Turf Masters....

Electroman · Apr 13, 2003

Yea and if you own a PC, I don't see much reason to own an X-Box anyway.

I was this close {------} to buying a PS2 after last xmas but didn't and I'm sure as shit I didn't. I haven't bought a game system since '95, and have just been playing games on NEO, Genesis, Turbo Express, and PC. I get my 3D fix on my PC so thats good enough for me.

evil wasabi · Apr 13, 2003

last time i checked, jet set radio and panzer dragoon werent available on the pc.....

24-bit or 16-bit?

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