Hardware

Wii hardware diagram

Wii specs

CPU

• IBM 'Broadway' 90 nm based on IBM's Power architecture.
• Runs at a speed of 729 MHz. Maximum Bandwidth is 1.9 GB/s.
• Bus to main memory: 243 MHz, 64 bits (maximum bandwidth: 1.9 GB/s)
• 32 KB 8-way set-associative L1 instruction cache
• 32 KB 8-way set-associative L1 data cache (can set up 16-kilobyte data scratch pad)
• Superscalar microprocessor with six execution units (floating-point unit, branching unit, system register unit, load/store unit, two integer units)
• DMA unit (15-entry DMA request queue) used by 16-kilobyte data scratch pad
• Write-gather buffer for writing graphics command lists to the graphics chip
• Onboard 256-kilobyte 2-way set-associative L2 integrated cache
• Two, 32-bit integer units (IU)
• One floating point unit (FPU) (supports single precision (32-bit) and double precision (64-bit))
• The FPU supports paired single floating point (FP/PS)
• The FPU supports paired single multiply add (ps_madd). Most FP/PS instructions can be issued in each cycle and completed in three cycles.
• Fixed-point to floating-point conversion can be performed at the same time as FPU register load and store, with no loss in performance.
• The branch unit supports static branch prediction and dynamic branch prediction.
• When an instruction is stalled on data, the next instruction can be issued and executed. All instructions maintain program logic and will complete in the correct program order.
• Supports three L2 cache fetch modes: 32-Byte, 64-Byte, and 128-Byte.
• Supports these bus pipeline depth levels: level 2, level 3, and level 4.

Reference Information: Broadway is upward compatible with Nintendo GameCube’s CPU (Gekko).

• Broadway CPU version is 87102, Gekko is 83410. Source: http://forum.wiibrew.org/viewtopic.php?t=210
• Information about its registers is available

Graphics

• ATi 'Hollywood' processor
• Runs at a speed of 243 MHz.

Includes:

• Graphics processing unit (with 3 MB of eDRAM)
• Audio DSP
• I/O Bridge
• 24 MB of internal main memory
• Internal main memory operates at 486 MHz.

Maximum bandwidth between Hollywood and internal main memory: 3.9 GB/s

• Possible to locate a program here

Reference Information: Hollywood is similar to Nintendo GameCube’s Flipper and Splash components.

The Hollywood is a multi-chip package composed of two dies, named Vegas and Napa. Vegas is the GPU, and is also responsible for I/O functions, including memory access. Napa is the DSP, and includes 24 MiB of 1T RAM on the die. Vegas has direct access to 3 MiB of 1T RAM for use as a frame buffer and texture storage.

• Qimonda HYB18HS1232 64 MiB GDDR3 graphics RAM

See Video Output for more information on the output connectors and the available video modes.

Memory

• Elpida S1616AGTA 16-Mbit SDRAM
• Samsung K9F4G08U0A 65-nm, 4-Gbit NAND flash
• 64 MB of GDDR3 (MEM2) as the external main memory. Can be accessed from the CPU and GPU with a bandwidth of 4GB/s and can also store programs in the MEM2.

Optical Drive

• Supports single sided 4.7 GB and double sided 8.51 GB discs. Nintendo GameCube discs are also supported.

Wireless

• Broadcom BCM4318 Wi-Fi transceiver
• Broadcom BCM2045 Bluetooth device connected via USB

References

1. http://www.techonline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=194500380
2. http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20061127/124495/