Now that we have discussed the three major components that make the XBox unique, we shall now take a look at some of the other features boasted by the XBox.

One of the most common misconceptions about the XBox is that the CPU chip will be responsible for performing the intense FP operations. Floating point operations are some of the most time consuming operations in the computer. They are vital to bringing any sense of accuracy to the graphics displayed in a game; even a minor discrepancy can cause a huge difference in rendition. Sony's Playstation 2 broke ground when they introduced Toshiba's Emotion Engine, which was responsible to calculate the FP operations. The speed of these calculations completely destroyed the speed at which the CPU is capable of performing FP operations. The XBox however is not relying on the CPU to make these complicated calculations, a large majority of floating point work performed by the Xbox will be done by the NV2A graphics processing unit (GPU), not the Pentium 3 CPU. In fact, the NV2A's FPU performance outmatches that of the "Emotion Engine" significantly.

When discussing components, we should also consider the XBox DVD-Rom. The XBox DVD is much more powerful than the ones being used in either Nintendo's Gamecube or Sony's Playstation 2. By using new blue laser technology, which is capable of writing at an incredible 600-640nm, Microsoft is able to more than double the capacity of its DVDs, making it possible for developers to add more features to games. The DVD speed is also an enhancement. There are two speed modes for DVDs, the CLV, and the CAV modes. First, let us understand what both mean:

The XBox is capable of operating in both modes, but being a primarily gaming console, it is most likely to operate in CAV mode. XBox also boasts the highest data transfer rate out of the three consoles, clocking in at twice the speed of Gamecube. A fast data transfer rate helps load data into memory very fast.


The built-in hard drive is one of the strongest features of the Xbox and will help take the world into a revolutionary gaming era. What about the hard drive makes it so significant?

There are quite a few things that make the hard drive remarkable. The biggest eye opener is the sheer capacity of the hard drive, at an astounding 8GB, gamers will be able to store almost all their games on their hard drives. The need for memory cards will be virtually erased.

Another feature is the fast data caching. Data Caching is the technique that lets the CPU/GPU to manipulate data files that are larger than the system's memory. By effectively streaming the level off of the hard drive and into RAM, the player is given nearly limitless levels without realizing that only a fraction of the level has been loaded at any given moment. The hard drive also has the ability to rewrite data. Rewritability is the constant exchange and saving of game data. The hard drive can do an excellent job of modifications. This translates into life-like gaming situations, where effects of past interactions are saved and shown as the same at a later time. An example would be bullets you shot at a wall are still there when you revisit the level, two days later.

Two other incredible features of the hard drive are its ability to provide replayability of the games. Gamers will be able to download new add-ons to their games, and continue playing. Once they're done playing, using the new NVidia MCPU audio chip, users will have the ability to connect to the Internet using the broadband capability of the system and download music, videos, and other multimedia.

The architecture of the XBox might be similar to the PC, but it extends it to unimaginable levels, creating one of the most advanced gaming consoles around.