Intel may release new Nehalem chips next month

[Morriss]

Intel appears ready to deliver, starting next month, new server, laptop and desktop processors based on its new microarchitecture, which offers improved performance. An industry source with knowledge of Intel’s plans said the company will deliver new Xeon server processors belonging to the 5500 and 3500 chip families starting early August.

http://www.macworld.com/article/1416...7/nehalem.html

Does anyone have an idea if Apple will utilize these processors for potential upgrades to their pro and consumer lines? And when would we begin to see the launch of these upgraded Macs? Are we expecting Jobs to be making any presentations in the next few months?

[seisend]

I could imagine it

[isaaclimdc]

Sounds like a very possible thing.

[gugucom]

The Mac Pro would get the Lynnfield then? It is supposed to be a cost saver with turbo boost capability but still a 45 nm manufacturing width.

It would require a new logic board design and be introduced less than 12 months after Nehalem.

Going by Apple's upgrade rythms of Pros in the last years I would be very sceptical that they will do it. I think the might go for the 32 nm Westmere die shrink of Nehalem early next year.

[seisend]

Originally Posted by gugucom

The Mac Pro would get the Lynnfield then? It is supposed to be a cost saver with turbo boost capability but still a 45 nm manufacturing width.

It would require a new logic board design and be introduced less than 12 months after Nehalem.

Going by Apple's upgrade rythms of Pros in the last years I would be very sceptical that they will do it. I think the might go for the 32 nm Westmere die shrink of Nehalem early next year.

well, maybe just faster nehalems with the same socket and same technology.

[Eithanius]

I agree with gugucom. Apple would most probably wait for 32-mm Westmere before any updates on the MP. It's the same with the Harpertowns maxing out at 3.2GHz for the 2008 MPs when Intel launched the 3.4GHz variant 8 months after the latter's introduction, Apple skipped that and 6 more months later came Nehalem.

[J&JPolangin]

...what ever chip they use, it needs to be kept cool...

[Tesselator]

Surfing around:

• "Intel plans to release an eight-core version of the Nehalem CPU possibly in 2009. This processor will more than likely be an Extreme Edition model. Like Nehalem, it will be manufactured using a 45 nm process."
  
  
• "Intel Lynnfield is expected in Q1 2009. Lynnfield will be quad-core CPU's based on the Nehalem architecture and targeted towards the performance mainstream market. Lynnfield will only come with a dual-channel DDR3 memory controller instead of the triple-channel one found on Bloomfield CPU's. Lynnfield will include Hyper-Threading which will allow it to have 8 threads across the 4 cores. It will also include an integrated PCIe 2.0 controller which will limit it to single x16 graphics card or 2 x8 cards. Lynnfield will use a LGA 1160 socket and have 8 MB Intel Smart Cache."
  
  
• "According to the latest whispers from Asia, Intel's Lynnfield quad-core processor (nicknamed Core i5 by some sources) will launch in early September. What kind of performance can you look forward to? Anand Lal Shimpi from Anandtech has secured a Lynnfield sample from an anonymous source, and he's taken it for a spin through his benchmark suite in order to find out.

  "The sample came clocked at 2.13GHz by default, but Anand managed to push it to 2.66GHz—the rumored speed of the cheapest Lynnfield CPU—for the test. Without Hyper-Threading enabled (again, reflecting the rumored specs), the processor apparently sat roughly between the Phenom II X4 955 and the Core i7-920 overall. It occasionally outperformed both or lagged behind.
  
  That said, the chip's Turbo Boost mode was limited to just one 133MHz step above the default speed. Anand expects that release CPUs will be able to speed up individual cores by as much as 667MHz when other cores are sitting idle.
  
  Anandtech's preview doesn't focus on performance alone, though. Among other things, the piece also takes a cursory look at the Lynnfield platform, and it includes photos of the Lynnfield sample CPU and a matching LGA1156-compatible cooler from Thermaltake. Apparently, LGA1156 CPUs will have roughly the same dimensions as their LGA775 predecessors, but with a higher pin density and slightly smaller heat spreaders."

• http://translate.google.com/translat...hkepc.com/2765
  "It is worth noting that, Lynnfield processors support Intel Turbo Boost technology, and enhance the range of Bloomfield compared to more, 2.66GHz, 2.8GHz and 2.93GHz open the Intel Turbo Boost Technology, the maximum up to 3.2GHz, 3.46GHz and 3.6 GHz, so that will further enhance performance."
  
  http://66.249.89.132/translate_c?hl=...ududOq1xD2KY1Q This one has some tables.
  
  
• http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...oc.aspx?i=3570
  The Lynnfield Preview: Rumblings of Revenge
  
  
• Etc.
  

[VirtualRain]

Lynnfield is a mainstream desktop part and therefore irrelevant to Apple who only uses mobile or Xeon parts.

Clarksfield is the mobile variant which is much more relevant.

There is no new Xeon part being released (until Westmere sometime next year) and so nothing of interest to Mac Pro users.

I suspect Apple will choose to pass on Clarksfield for now and instead wait for the 32nm die shrink early next year which will enable on-die GPU... however, it's unlikely Intel's GPU will come close to the current nVidia GPU in terms of performance. Regardless of who's GPU is better, Apple may have no choice but to use Intel's GPU since Nvidia so far has not successfully negotiated a QPI license to enable them to produce chips compatible with Intel's new CPU's. Things are going to get interesting... that's for sure.

[Umbongo]

Originally Posted by VirtualRain

There is no new Xeon part being released (until Westmere sometime next year) and so nothing of interest to Mac Pro users.

Yes there is. Likely to be 3.06 and 3.33 as they are the only speeds not available for 5500 Xeons, and would match Core i7s on the single socket front. I don't for a minute expect them in a Mac Pro though.

[jjahshik32]

I have a feeling new speed bumps on the nehalem mac pros due this nov.

2.66Ghz 8 core will be the new 8 core base model. And hopefully a lowered price tag comes along with it down to $2799.

2.26GHz-->2.6GHz @ $2799

2.66GHz--->2.93GHz @ $3499

2.93GHz--->3.2GHz @ $4299

[wally21]

The Macworld article confuses me a bit.

I thought that all nehalem gainestown (5500) processors had been released.

I understand the bit about Bloomfield, Lynnfield, and Clarksfield chipsets being released or updated, but the part about adding to the Gainestown and Bloomfield server chips (5500 and 3500 respectively) either is incorrect or means that Intel has some updates beyond what has already been published.

Am I somehow misinformed here?

If there is indeed going to be an update of the 5500 and 3500 chips, then it is possible that Apple could update the Mac Pro line.

[gugucom]

VirtualRain, that makes a lot more sense to me. They will go six cores then with integrated graphics. Wow, that will probably mean the traditional dual CPU design will have 12 cores and 2 GPUs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_N...roarchitecture)

[Umbongo]

Originally Posted by wally21

The Macworld article confuses me a bit.

I thought that all nehalem gainestown (5500) processors had been released.

I understand the bit about Bloomfield, Lynnfield, and Clarksfield chipsets being released or updated, but the part about adding to the Gainestown and Bloomfield server chips (5500 and 3500 respectively) either is incorrect or means that Intel has some updates beyond what has already been published.

Am I somehow misinformed here?

If there is indeed going to be an update of the 5500 and 3500 chips, then it is possible that Apple could update the Mac Pro line.

Intel don't announce speed bumps way ahead. The last speed bumps on the Harpertowns were not rumoured at all.

[VirtualRain]

Originally Posted by Umbongo

Yes there is. Likely to be 3.06 and 3.33 as they are the only speeds not available for 5500 Xeons, and would match Core i7s on the single socket front. I don't for a minute expect them in a Mac Pro though.

Yeah, I read this elsewhere just now... However, to clarify, there is no new Xeon architecture... just some additional speed bins being added to the existing line.

@jjahshik32 and wally21... Unless Intel drops prices significantly on the entire line and slots the new clock speeds in at existing price points (which is unlikely), Apple will not likely change the Mac Pro configuration.

[wally21]

Well, I did say that they "could" update the Mac Pro line. I'm not sure that I expect them to.

I just didn't think that there were going to be any completely new processors, but I suppose that they could just bump up the speeds on what is currently available.

I'm gunning for a new mac pro and will probably purchase in August, just before school starts. I've been seriously considering upgrading the processors, post-purchase, and will probably upgrade to a 3.33Ghz processor if that becomes available.

Speed is very important to me as I am heavily involved in rendering and graphics, so my dream is to have a 3.2/3.33 Ghz mac pro with 32 Gb RAM and a workstation graphics card (hopefully an nvidia quadro) I've been saving up for it, but I have a feeling that the final config. cost might make me back off a bit. We'll see

[iMacmatician]

Originally Posted by gugucom

VirtualRain, that makes a lot more sense to me. They will go six cores then with integrated graphics. Wow, that will probably mean the traditional dual CPU design will have 12 cores and 2 GPUs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_N...roarchitecture)

There's also this possibility…

[Tesselator]

Originally Posted by iMacmatician

There's also this possibility…

Yes please!

[Morriss]

Originally Posted by iMacmatician

There's also this possibility…

Or, this possibility?

http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.ph...n_the_horizon/

I know..., perhaps not as exciting.

[nanofrog]

Originally Posted by Tesselator

Yes please!

Stop drooling!

Besides, if you think the current MP's are expensive,....

[Tesselator]

Originally Posted by nanofrog

Stop drooling!

Besides, if you think the current MP's are expensive,....

OK then, my new career has been selected for me: Apple Store Cat Burglar.

I'd say "Hamburglar" but that's the wrong Mac.

[nanofrog]

Originally Posted by Tesselator

OK then, my new career has been selected for me: Apple Store Cat Burglar.

You're evil!

Originally Posted by Tesselator

I'd say "Hamburglar" but that's the wrong Mac.

I can see it now...
"911 EMERGENCY: What is the nature of the problem?"
"CALLER: We've found someone lying in the floor puking up blood and electronics."
"911 EMERGENCY: ....Umm...Is this a joke?!?...If this is a prank call...."
"CALLER: No ma'am, it's not. We found someone who ate a computer! Please send an ambulance."

[Tesselator]

Mmmmm chips and dip!

[nanofrog]

Originally Posted by Tesselator

Mmmmm chips and dip!

LMAO!