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Jaguar Specs

Here are some of the specifications of the Jaguar 64 hardware:

Jaguar is a 64 bit system. No if, ands or buts about it. Next Generation and other publications have backed up Atari's claims.

The system package has been named Tom and Jerry. Tom includes the DRAM memory controller, Object processor, GPU (with 4K of static RAM) and the BLITTER.

Jerry includes the DSP (with 8K of static RAM) for sound, and the game controller input. Also includes timers and clock control.

The Jaguar is composed of Five chips:

An MC68000 is used for general calculations, and has been said to "boot up" the system. Other than that, this chip is used to port games over from other 16 bit systems that use the same chip. Amiga and Genesis ports.

A DSP (digital signal processor) is used mainly for sound, but is not limited to sound functions.

An object processor takes out multiple special effects and functions. Transparencies, lighting, morphing, texture mapping, shadow, and others effects can be done with this and the BLITTER (a block-transfer machanism) chip. The blitter also carries out most of the pixel rendering. Rendering speeds of up to 850 million pixels per second! Compare that figure to 64 million of the 3D0, and 100 million of the proposed M2.

The GPU (general processing) is the center of all these chips.

16 bit systems can carry just less than 2 megabytes per second through the data path (bandwidth). 3DO runs at 50 megabytes per second. The Jaguar hardware runs at 106.4 magabytes per second which allows a bunch of info flow throught the bandwidth at a time.

The Jaguar boasts 54 MIPs or million instructions per second.

The DSP, or digital signal proccesor, has 8K bytes of internal SRAM for crisp 16 bit CD-quality sound.

Jaguar offers 24-bit color on NTSC or PAL T.V. sets for 16.7 million colors. A true color pallette. However it can support 32 bits per pixel for Z-buffering and transparency effects.

ROM cartridge has a capacity of up to 48 megabits of storage.

16 megabits of fast page-mode DRAM.

The controller port is built to support Light guns, mice and more (although none are currently available).

How does the Jag stack up to the Genesis, 3DO, and SNES?....Take a look.

Hardware	Jaguar	3DO	32X	SNES	Genesis
System Architecture	64-BIT	32-BIT	32-BIT	16-BIT	16-BIT
Bus Bandwidth (Megabytes per sec.)	106.4	50	NA	~1	~1
Rendering Speed (pixels per sec.)	>850	64	15.4	1	1
# of colors	16.8 Million	16.8 Million	32,768	256	64
Processors	Five: GPU DSP Object Blitter MC68000	Four: ARM60 DSP Graphic (2)	Five: 68000 Hitachi Z80 VDP 32XVDP	Two: 65C816 DSP	Two: MC68000 Z80
Object Processor	Yes	No	No	No	No
16-Bit CD-quality sound	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
S-Video	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
RGB	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Do The Math

The info I have concerning the Jag Vs. PSx, Saturn, and N64 is limited. I do know that the Jaguar has it's strength and weaknesses. The other systems may dominate the Jag in one or two categories, but the Jag is a 3 year old 64-BIT powerhouse! Noone is touching that rendering speed # either. As for resolution, the Jag can do 800 X 576, and the N64 can do 640 X 480.

Jaguar CD Specs

Double speed CD-ROM mechanism.

790 Megabyte storage capacity (540 for PCs).

352.8 Kilobytes per second sustained data rate. Allowing for 50 Frame per second action.

Plays standard audio CD's and CD+G disks.

Full-screen, true color, full motion video.

A built-in Virtual Light Machine adds an awesome visual dimension to you audio CD collection.

Well, that's about it folks. Here is a very detailed FAQ by Robert Jung. Visit it for even further information.

Take it easy,
Wes

Special thanks to Clay Halliwell for correcting some factual errors.
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