History MediaNotes / HowVideoGameSpecsWork

So far, we've only discussed the UsefulNotes/CentralProcessingUnit (CPU). Another equally important factor (or nowadays, ''more'' important) is the MediaNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit (GPU). Several marketing campaigns often referred to the GPU, yet many misunderstood them, erroneously assuming they referred to the CPU. The Platform/TurboGrafx16, for example, was advertised as a "16-bit" system because its dual GPU chipset had a 16-bit data bus, but many erroneously assumed the "16-bit" was referring to its 8-bit CPU somehow being 16-bit. Likewise, the Platform/NeoGeo was advertised as a "24-bit" system because its GPU chipset had a 24-bit data bus, but many erroneously assumed it was referring to its CPU processors (one 16/32-bit, the other 8/16-bit). This misadvertising is by no means limited to consoles, as GPU manufacturers for [=PCs=] and Macs of the era also play up to the hype, often claiming that more bits equals more vibrant colors or more realistic graphics compared to their lesser competitors.

* UsefulNotes/CentralProcessingUnit
** UsefulNotes/FlynnsTaxonomy
** UsefulNotes/MultiCoreProcessor

Or take processor speed. The Platform/SuperNintendo's 5A22 CPU had a UsefulNotes/ClockSpeed of 3.58 [=MHz=] (megahertz). The [[Platform/SegaGenesis Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]]'s 68000 CPU had a clock speed of 7.67 [=MHz=], just over twice the Super NES. So that meant that Super NES games should only run half as fast, right? Sega did have this advertising campaign of "[[http://segaretro.org/Blast_processing Blast Processing]]", and some early Super NES games did have slowdown. When Capcom ported ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII Turbo'' to the Super NES, it had a secret mode that was faster than the MediaNotes/ArcadeGame and just as fast as the Genesis version, with little noticeable slowdown. The mode turned out to be more gimmick than playable, but it showed that the clock speed was only part of how the processor worked, and proper use of the system was what made the game run so fast. It did not necessarily mean the Super NES is just as fast as the Genesis, however, as evidenced by the faster scrolling speeds of Genesis games like ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and the 3D polygon graphics of Genesis games like ''VideoGame/HardDrivin'' and ''VideoGame/StarCruiser'' not needing any Platform/{{Cartridge}} enhancement chips (which the Super NES required for 3D games like ''VideoGame/StarFox'').

* UsefulNotes/ClockSpeed

** UsefulNotes/MemoryHierarchy
* UsefulNotes/ReadOnlyMemory

* UsefulNotes/UniversalSerialBus

* UsefulNotes/OperatingSystem

* UsefulNotes/BinaryBitsAndBytes
** UsefulNotes/PowersOfTwoMinusOne
** UsefulNotes/BinaryLogic
** UsefulNotes/BinaryPrefix

* UsefulNotes/RandomAccessMemory

So far, we've only discussed the UsefulNotes/CentralProcessingUnit (CPU). Another equally important factor (or nowadays, ''more'' important) is the UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit (GPU). Several marketing campaigns often referred to the GPU, yet many misunderstood them, erroneously assuming they referred to the CPU. The Platform/TurboGrafx16, for example, was advertised as a "16-bit" system because its dual GPU chipset had a 16-bit data bus, but many erroneously assumed the "16-bit" was referring to its 8-bit CPU somehow being 16-bit. Likewise, the Platform/NeoGeo was advertised as a "24-bit" system because its GPU chipset had a 24-bit data bus, but many erroneously assumed it was referring to its CPU processors (one 16/32-bit, the other 8/16-bit). This misadvertising is by no means limited to consoles, as GPU manufacturers for [=PCs=] and Macs of the era also play up to the hype, often claiming that more bits equals more vibrant colors or more realistic graphics compared to their lesser competitors.

* UsefulNotes/DisplayTechnology

* UsefulNotes/BitmapsSpritesAndTextures
** UsefulNotes/PixelVsTexel
** UsefulNotes/TextureCompression

* UsefulNotes/PerformanceBottleneck

* UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit
** UsefulNotes/GraphicsRendering
** UsefulNotes/VideoRAM

* UsefulNotes/MassStorage

*** UsefulNotes/FlashMemory (including Solid State Drives)

*** UsefulNotes/{{DOS4GW}}

* UsefulNotes/RandomNumberGenerator

* UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics

** UsefulNotes/GeneralGamingGamepads

** UsefulNotes/DOSBox

*** UsefulNotes/{{WINE}}

*** UsefulNotes/CursesAPI
*** UsefulNotes/GraphicsAPI

* UsefulNotes/SoftwarePorting

* UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution

Or take processor speed. The Platform/SuperNintendo's 5A22 CPU had a UsefulNotes/ClockSpeed of 3.58 [=MHz=] (megahertz). The [[Platform/SegaGenesis Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]]'s 68000 CPU had a clock speed of 7.67 [=MHz=], just over twice the Super NES. So that meant that Super NES games should only run half as fast, right? Sega did have this advertising campaign of "[[http://segaretro.org/Blast_processing Blast Processing]]", and some early Super NES games did have slowdown. When Capcom ported ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII Turbo'' to the Super NES, it had a secret mode that was faster than the UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame and just as fast as the Genesis version, with little noticeable slowdown. The mode turned out to be more gimmick than playable, but it showed that the clock speed was only part of how the processor worked, and proper use of the system was what made the game run so fast. It did not necessarily mean the Super NES is just as fast as the Genesis, however, as evidenced by the faster scrolling speeds of Genesis games like ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and the 3D polygon graphics of Genesis games like ''VideoGame/HardDrivin'' and ''VideoGame/StarCruiser'' not needing any Platform/{{Cartridge}} enhancement chips (which the Super NES required for 3D games like ''VideoGame/StarFox'').

* UsefulNotes/BackwardsCompatibility

* UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}}

** UsefulNotes/ApplicationProgrammingInterface

** UsefulNotes/{{Middleware}}

** UsefulNotes/ScummVM

* UsefulNotes/JavaSoftwarePlatform