Topic: How powerfull is the wii u, really?

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Uh current rumors are that the 720 is around 66% more efficent than the 360 with PS4 being similar.

Current specs rumored for Durango are

http://www.vgleaks.com/world-exclusive-durango-unveiled-2/
CPU:

• x64 Architecture
• 8 CPU cores running at 1.6 gigahertz (GHz)
• each CPU thread has its own 32 KB L1 instruction cache and 32 KB L1 data cache
• each module of four CPU cores has a 2 MB L2 cache resulting in a total of 4 MB of L2 cache
• each core has one fully independent hardware thread with no shared execution resources
• each hardware thread can issue two instructions per clock

GPU:

• custom D3D11.1 class 800-MHz graphics processor
• 12 shader cores providing a total of 768 threads
• each thread can perform one scalar multiplication and addition operation (MADD) per clock cycle
• at peak performance, the GPU can effectively issue 1.2 trillion floating-point operations per second

High-fidelity Natural User Interface (NUI) sensor is always present

Storage and Memory:

• 8 gigabyte (GB) of RAM DDR3 (68 GB/s)
• 32 MB of fast embedded SRAM (ESRAM) (102 GB/s)
• from the GPU’s perspective the bandwidths of system memory and ESRAM are parallel providing combined peak bandwidth of 170 GB/sec.
• Hard drive is always present
• 50 GB 6x Blu-ray Disc drive

Networking:

• Gigabit Ethernet
• Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct

Hardware Accelerators:

• Move engines
• Image, video, and audio codecs
• Kinect multichannel echo cancellation (MEC) hardware
• Cryptography engines for encryption and decryption, and hashing

While the Orbis specs are looking like

By Richard Leadbetter Published Friday, 18 January 2013

Both the next generation PlayStation - and its Xbox competitor - feature eight-core CPUs clocked at 1.6GHz according to sources trusted by Digital Foundry. The main processor architecture driving both consoles is said to be derived the new "Jaguar" technology currently in development by Intel's arch-rival, AMD. These are low-power processor cores designed for the entry-level laptop and tablet market, offering an excellent ratio between power consumption and performance. The PC Jaguar products are set to ship later this year in a quad-core configuration - next-gen consoles see the core count double with some customisations added to the overall design.

Married to the eight-core processor, Orbis also features Radeon HD graphics hardware. We've previously suggested that AMD's mobile "Pitcairn" design - the Radeon 7970M - could be a strong basis for a next-gen console graphics core in terms of power consumption and die-size. Running at 850MHz and featuring 20 of AMD's "Graphics Core Next" compute units, our information suggests that Orbis shaves off 10 per cent of that number, offering up 18 CUs in total, and sees a mild downclock to 800MHz. Incorporated into a design dedicated to cutting-edge visuals and gameplay, this hardware has some serious potential.

We also have hard data on Orbis's memory set-up. It features 4GB of GDDR5 - the ultra-fast RAM that typically ships with the latest PC graphics cards - with 512MB reserved for the operating system. This is in stark contrast to the much slower DDR3 that Durango will almost certainly ship with. Microsoft looks set to be using an offshoot of eDRAM technology connected to the graphics core to offset the bandwidth issues the use of DDR3 incurs. Volume of RAM is the key element in Durango's favour - there'll be 8GB in total, with a significant amount (two sources we've spoken to suggest 3GB in total) reserved for the OS.

There'll be a relatively high CPU overhead too, with potentially two cores reserved for the customisable apps Microsoft wants to run in parallel with gameplay. Orbis has no such ambitions and may power past the new Xbox simply because it focuses its resources on out-and-out games power. There's always the possibility that Microsoft has looked at the prior success of Nintendo and its own Kinect and come to the conclusion that chasing after the maximum in raw horsepower isn't the way to win the next console war.

Paired up with the eight AMD cores, we find a bespoke GPU-like "Compute" module, designed to ease the burden on certain operations - physics calculations are a good example of traditional CPU work that are often hived off to GPU cores. We're assured that this is bespoke hardware that is not a part of the main graphics pipeline but we remain rather mystified by its standalone inclusion, bearing in mind Compute functions could be run off the main graphics cores and that devs could have the option to utilise that power for additional graphical grunt, if they so chose.

Early dev kit
DVKT-KS000K (“Initial 1″)

Runs Orbis OS
CPU: Bulldozer 8-core, 1.6 Ghz
Graphics Card: R10 with special BIOS
RAM: 8 GB (system memory)
BD Drive
HDD: 2.5 ” 160 GB
Network Controller
Custom South Bridge allows access to controller prototypes

January 2013 dev kit
SoC Based Devkit

Available January 2013
CPU: 8-core Jaguar
GPU: Liverpool GPU
RAM: unified 8 GB for devkit (4 GB for the retail console)
Subsystem: HDD, Network Controller, BD Drive, Bluetooth Controller, WLAN and HDMI (up to 1980×1080@3D)
Analog Outputs: Audio, Composite Video
Connection to Host: USB 3.0 (targeting over 200 MB/s),
ORBIS Dualshock
Dual Camera

Now compare that to what is considered the definitive Wii U spec

MCM design: GPU+eDRAM die and CPU die on the same substrate.
2 GB of gDDR3 memory @800MHz (DDR3-1600), organized in 4x 4Gb (256Mx16) modules, sitting on a 64bit bus (@800MHz). That gives a net BW of 12800MB/s (12.5GB/s). We can conveniently refer to this pool as 'MEM2'. Currently 1GB of that pool is reserved for the OS.
32 MB of unknown organisation, unknown specs eDRAM, sitting with the GPU. We can conveniently refer to this pool as 'MEM1'
Tri-core CPU @1.243125GHz, codename 'Espresso', binary compatible with Gekko/Broadway, featuring 3MB of cache in asymmetric config: 2x 512KB, 1x 2048KB; CPU cache is implemented via eDRAM. Sans SMT. SIMD is same 'paired-singles' 2-way SIMD found in Gekko/Broadway.
AMD R700-originating GPU @550MHz (R700 is AMD architecture codename 'Wekiva'), evolved into its own architecture (AMD architecture codename 'Mario'), relying on MEM1 for framebuffer purposes, but also for local render targets and scratch-pad purposes.
Memory access specifics: both MEM1 and MEM2 are read/write accessible by the CPU, both subject to caching. GPU in its turn also has access to both pools, and is likely serving as the north bridge in the system (an educated guess, subject to calling out).
System is equipped with extra co-processors in the shape of a dual-core ARM (unknown architecture) and a DSP core (again of unknown architecture) primarily for sounds workloads.
BluRay-based optical drive, 22.5MB/s, 25GB media.

Orbis and Durango having USB 3.0 makes the, way better in my eyes.