GameCube technical specifications

Nintendo originally offered a digital video output on early GameCube models. However, it was determined that less than one percent of users utilized the feature. The company eventually removed the option starting with model number DOL-101 of May 2004.[1] The console's technical specifications are as follows.[2][3][4]

IBM PowerPC "Gekko" processor
IBM PowerPC "Gekko" processor (180 nm) shaven down to show the silicon die.
ATi "Flipper" processor
ATi "Flipper" (180 nm) shaven down to show the silicon die.
One of the two 1T-SRAM RAM modules shaven down to expose the die.
GameCube Game Disc
Details Source(s)
CPU
  • 485 MHz IBM "Gekko" PowerPC CPU based on the 750CXe and 750FX
  • 180 nm IBM six layer, copper-wire process, 43 mm2 die with 4.9 watts dissipation
    • 1.8 V for logic and I/O
    • 27×27 mm PBGA package with 256 contacts
    • 18.6 million transistors; of which 6.35 million transistors are for logic
  • Superscalar out-of-order execution
  • Two 4-stage integer units: IU1 and IU2, 32-bit
  • 7-stage floating point unit: 64-bit double precision FPU, usable as 2×32-bit SIMD for 1.9 single-precision GFLOPS performance, often found under the denomination "paired singles"
  • Branch Prediction Unit (BPU)
  • Load-Store Unit (LSU)
  • System Register Unit (SRU)
  • Memory Management Unit (MMU)
  • Branch Target Instruction Cache (BTIC)
  • CPU performance: 1125 DMIPS (Dhrystone 2.1)
  • SIMD instructions: PowerPC 750 + roughly 50 new SIMD instructions, geared toward 3D graphics
  • On-chip caches:
  • Front-side bus: 64-bit enhanced 60x bus to Flipper northbridge at 162 MHz clock with 1.3 GB/s peak bandwidth (32-bit address, 64-bit data bus)
 [5][6]
GPU [5][6][10]
System Memory
  • 43 MB total non-unified RAM
  • Memory bus width: 64-bit main system RAM, 896-bit internal GPU memory, 8-bit ARAM
  • Memory bandwidth: 1.3 GB/s Gekko to Northbridge, 2.6 GB/s Flipper to main system RAM, 10.4 GB/s texture cache, 7.8 GB/s framebuffer/Z-buffer, 81 MB/s auxiliary RAM[5]
  • Latency: Under 10 ns main memory, 5 ns texture cache, 5 ns framebuffer memory
 [6][11][10]
Audio
  • Audio processor integrated into Flipper: custom 81 MHz Macronix 16-bit DSP
    • Sampling frequency: 48 kHz
    • 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding
    • Instruction memory: 8 KB RAM, 8 KB ROM
    • Data memory: 8 KB RAM, 4 KB ROM
  • External auxiliary RAM: 16 MB DRAM @ 81 MHz
    • Auxiliary RAM bus: 8-bit
    • Auxiliary RAM bus bandwidth: 81 MB/s[5]
    • CPU can read/write blocks from RAM to ARAM through DMA; ARAM can be used for miscellaneous low-bandwidth purposes
  • Stereo output (may contain 5.1-channel surround via Dolby Pro Logic II)
 [5][11]
Video Modes
  • 640×480 interlaced (480i) @ 60 Hz
  • 640×480 progressive scan (480p) @ 60 Hz (mostly NTSC games only)
  • 768×576 interlaced (576i) @ 50 Hz (PAL games only)
 [5]
Connectivity
  • 4 controller ports, 2 memory card slots
  • 2 high-speed serial ports
    • Serial Port 1 is reserved for a broadband adapter or modem adapter
    • Serial Port 2 is unused (DOL-001 and DOL-101 models only)
  • 1 high-speed parallel port up to 81 MB/s (reserved for the Game Boy Player)
  • Analog AV Out
  • Digital AV Out (DOL-001 model only)
    • Interlaced or progressive scan YCBCR synthesized to YPBPR using in-cable custom Macronix DAC
    • Stereophonic I²S digital audio (not used by any cable)
 [5]
Storage
  • 8 cm optical GameCube Game Disc
    • Approx. 1.5 GB capacity
    • 16 Mbit/s–25 Mbit/s transfer rate operating in CAV mode
    • 128 ms average access time
  • Memory card
    • Capacities: 512 KB (59 blocks), 2 MB (251 blocks), 8 MB (1019 blocks, incompatible with some games[12])
    • 8 KB sectors
 [5][11][13]
Other
  • Power supply
    • DC 12 volts
    • 3.25 A
  • Dimensions: 4.3 in (110 mm) (H) × 5.9 in (150 mm) (W) × 6.3 in (160 mm) (D)
 [11]

References
  1. "Nintendo's GameCube Component FAQ page". Nintendo. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  2. "DCTP - Nintendo's Gamecube Technical Overview". Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  3. "Console Specs". Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  4. IGN Staff (November 4, 2000). "Gamecube Versus PlayStation 2". IGN. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  5. Shimpi, Anand Lal (December 7, 2001). "Hardware Behind the Consoles - Part II: Nintendo's GameCube". AnandTech. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  6. "Game Consoles: A Look Ahead". Ace's Hardware. December 14, 2003. Archived from the original on February 8, 2004. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  7. Graphics Processor Specifications, IGN, 2001
  8. IGN Staff (January 17, 2001). "GameCube 101: Graphics". IGN. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  9. "cube.ign.com: X-ing Things Out". Archived from the original on January 23, 2001. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  10. GameCube clears path for game developers, EE Times, 5/16/2001
  11. "GCN Technical Specifications". Nintendo. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
  12. https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/memorycard1019.jsp
  13. "Nintendo GameCube Accessories". Nintendo. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2009. (dead)
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