/vr/ - Retro Games

>more similar to sega model 3 architecture, an off-the-shelf CPU paired with an FPU/geometry co-processor embedded in the GPU rather than the CPU itself, or on a separate standalone die
>PowerPC 603e or 604e based CPU which would have 16KB instruction and 16KB data caches (larger than SH4's 8+16 setup) reducing memory bottleneck and keeping the CPU running at peak speed for longer, so framerate would be improved despite the PowerPC being supposedly not as efficient as SH4 per megahertz.
>separate FPU/geometry unit with its own cache also reducing memory bottleneck and freeing the CPU to do other things while the graphics was being rendered, improving framerate even further
>due to the bandwidth inefficiency caused by immediate single pipeline rendering rather than tiled rendering, the budget 3Dfx Banshee based GPU could only display 16-bit colors and smaller single layer textures, and it would also struggle with transparency, transform & lighting, high resolution, accurate z-buffering, and accurate hidden surface removal
>however, there are a few benefits to immediate rendering, the GPU would be able to draw more triangles faster, no polygon would be wasted to multiple renderings on multiple tiles, meaning that the GPU would be faster and be able to render more triangles per second

>>8163893
Why didn't Sega just can the 32X and Saturn and keep releasing Sega Virtua Processor games on the Genesis until the Black Belt was ready.

>>8091046
Fuck. No.

Scrap the 32X and Saturn project entirely, keep riding off Genesis sales, then release the 3dfx-powered Black Belt in '97-ish to btfo the PSX and N64 with amazing polygon graphics.

That's the only way Sega could have won, or at least not have to resort to becoming 3rd party and getting raped by Sammy.

What if Sega had gone with the Black Belt system?