Mac Pro and Woodcrest: Confirmed?

[MacRumors]

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AppleInsider claims they have confirmation that Apple will be using Intel's Xeon 5100 series processors, also known as "Woodcrest" to power their next generation Intel-based Mac Pro Workstations.

Previous claims indicated that the Mac Pro would continue the Quad-core tradition set by the latest batch of PowerMac G5's. However, in order for an Intel-based "Quad" to be developed, a multi-processor machine would be required, which inherently leaves out the use of Core 2 Duo "Conroe" based microprocessors, as they do not support multi-processor configurations.

Of note, ThinkSecret has maintained that they believe the Mac Pro will utilize Core 2 Duo (Conroe).

Additionally, AppleInsider speculates that Conroe may be used in a future iMac revision, while Merom will be used in future MacBook Pros and Yonah will remain in the MacBook and Mac Mini.

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[FF_productions]

I cannot wait!!!

[AJ Muni]

WOW if this is indeed true...and appleinsider has been pretty reliable lately..

[Grimace]

My credit card is ready! I would love a machine to make Aperture a little more zippy.

[Will_reed]

I wonder if this will be good enough to cut my 4k footage off my yet to purchase red camera. How ever I think the quad g5 would be enough.

[shelterpaw]

Originally Posted by Will_reed

I wonder if this will be good enough to cut my 4k footage off my yet to purchase red camera. How ever I think the quad g5 would be enough.

What's a g5?

[w_parietti22]

Xeon! Conroe (Core 2 Duo)is going in the iMac

[Silentwave]

YAY!

not that this was a big surprise. only other possibility is a high end Conroe in the low end machines. anything less than WC in the high end would be insulting.

iMac may well get Conroe (which could be either 2.4 or 2.67 but not the extremes due to the higher TDP, and conroe does not go slower than 2.4) but you never know we may see Allendale, which is a version of Conroe with a smaller L2 but the same FSB going from 1.6 up to 2.4ghz. Conroe is more likely, as is Merom, as both have 4MB L2s above 2ghz.

[iMeowbot]

As even AI note, there's not much difference between the two chips. This is about as exciting as finding out that a faucet will have a red handle if it runs hot water, blue if cold. Whee.

[topicolo]

Sounds like these new Mac Pros are going to be expensive.

[cgc]

My credit card is ready and I have the green light to buy...muahaha...time to finally replace my 400MHz G4 Sawtooth Tower...

[Silentwave]

Originally Posted by topicolo

Sounds like these new Mac Pros are going to be expensive.

but worth it . if they get conroe i fully expect that most every G5 will be outclassed by IMACS at many applications. Depends on how much RAM they give it though. I hope they give imac at least 4GB capacity, and 256VRAM.

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Originally Posted by topicolo

Sounds like these new Mac Pros are going to be expensive.

I doubt that Apple are able to charge the "normal" Mac premium after the intel transition, since it is much simpler to compare Macs with another PCs. Almost like Apple for Apple.

[iAlan]

I guess time will tell, but Apple needs to get something kickass out the door around WWDC. I think we have all been waiting for hte final piece in the puzzle: pro laptops - covered, consumer laptops - covered, consumer desktop - covered, pro desktops - waiting...

[ricgnzlzcr]

Wow, I seriously want one and seriously don't need one. That sounds like amazing power

[Fiveos22]

mmm, AppleInsider vs. Thinksecret

Is this a deathmatch? I think both sites should put something on the line, a little wager, to make this face-off more interesting. Perhaps each should wager their URL... that would be cool.

[dmw007]

The Mac Pros are going to receive Woodcrest processors.

Originally Posted by carletonmusic

My credit card is ready!

Originally Posted by cgc

My credit card is ready and I have the green light to buy...muahaha...time to finally replace my 400MHz G4 Sawtooth Tower...

Same here, I am ready to buy a Mac Pro.

[FoxyKaye]

So, what, this leaves us with:

* Mac Pro - Xeon/Woodcrest
* iMac - Core2 Duo/Conroe
* Mac Mini - Core Duo or Core2 Duo

Would the laptops get updated with the Core2 Duo - Intel's roadmap has some lower watt stuff that IIRC were Conroe varients, can't remember if there's a portable varient of the Woodcrest... Though any lower wattage processor would be nice, since our office's MacBook actually left a red mark on my left leg from where I was resting it during an extended meeting...

It's going to be fun to see what comes out of WWDC!

[Hunabku]

For its high end, there is no way on earth apple would release anything less then a quad woodcrest. If they did it would be dead in the water. The advantage of having apps like Photoshop not universal is that apple has to give us that much more horsepower to run them under rosetta.

Of course the chips will be woodcrest otherwise steves key note at wdc of the systems would be utter poo-crap - and we all know apple builds products just so steve-o can be the man on stage---

[carlos700]

Originally Posted by Silentwave

…conroe does not go slower than 2.4…

Intel Core 2 Duo (Conroe) will launch in 2.66GHz, 2.4GHz, 2.13GHz, and 1.86GHz flavors. With 2.66GHz and 2.4GHz with 4MB shared L2 cache and the 2.13GHz and 1.86GHz models with 2MB shared L2 cache. There will also be a Core 2 Extreme at 2.93GHz with 4MB shared L2 cache. All will run on a 1066MHz frontside bus.

[Silentwave]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gargoyle

I doubt that Apple are able to charge the "normal" Mac premium after the intel transition, since it is much simpler to compare Macs with another PCs. Almost like Apple for Apple.

they'll be priced about in line with comparable systems. but that ain't cheap. I priced a dell precision workstation with dual xeon 5160 (3ghz woodcrest), 4GB 533 mhz DDR2 FB-DIMM RAM (apple may just use 667, only $50 more for the 4 gigs) , 2x500GB SATA 3gbps HD, 512mb Quadro FX 4500, no monitor, speakers etc. and it came out to just shy of $7800.

I then went on the apple store site, built a PM G5 quad with 4GB ECC 533mhz DDR2 SDRAM (4x1gb) which is not as expensive as FBDIMM memory, 2x500GB Sata HDDs (but i think sata 1.5gbps not 3.0), quadro FX 4500, and so on and it came out to a tad over $7000, just shy of $7300 when you add applecare in, since the dell workstation has an included 3 year plan.

if you add in a 20" LCD to each, the PM is cheaper by about 150.

I don't know how much more FB-DIMM will cost from apple, or how much they'll charge for sata3gbps HDs or how much more the woodcrests will cost versus the G5s. But we may see a price jump in the top end. Still we will see a nice jump in performance as well.

Of course if we adjust the above scenario away from the 3ghz Xeon 5160, to 2 of the more affordable Xeon 5150, 2.67GHz dual cores, ( 1333mt/s FSB, 4MB L2 just like the 3ghz) , the prices change a lot. $800 cut right there on the processors. The Dell is now cheaper by $350, no monitors.


FB-DIMM ram is pretty expensive. Apple cannot afford to put a huge premium on it though like they do now. Granted, it always has ECC so that is nice.

All i hope is that they have dual 3ghz woodcrests and are good enough that when I get one with clovertown MP or tigerton next year, i can get up to 64GB RAM, and at least 3 SAS or SATA 3g drives (its not called sata II).

[jrhone]

AWESOME.....I will buy one as SOON as its released.....Logic Pro with Woodcrest......YUMMMM.....

[sinisterdesign]

from my source, i can confirm that they will indeed have 2 dual cores.

i've also been told that the case has only minor changes, which kind of sucks. i'm hoping it's still smaller than the big chunk of aluminum under my desk.

[GraphicArmy]

Yeah, I hope apple lower their price point for the pro models. It is way too much. I love mac computer, but come on; the prices vs the PC suckass.

I know Macs are way better then PC, but PCs are good tool too.

[Silentwave]

Originally Posted by carlos700

Intel Core 2 Duo (Conroe) will launch in 2.66GHz, 2.4GHz, 2.13GHz, and 1.86GHz flavors. With 2.66GHz and 2.4GHz with 4MB shared L2 cache and the 2.13GHz and 1.86GHz models with 2MB shared L2 cache. There will also be a Core 2 Extreme at 2.93GHz with 4MB shared L2 cache. All will run on a 1066MHz frontside bus.

The current list of core 2 microprocessors includes:

Conroe: Core 2 Duo
1066 Mt/S FSB, 4MB L2 cache:
E6600 2.4GHz
E6700 2.66GHz
Release on both: July 27th

Core 2 Extreme
1066mt/s FSB, 4mb L2 cache:
X6800 2.93GHz- July 27th
X6900 3.2GHz (no release date yet, expected by end of 2006)

Allendale: core 2 duo
1066 Mt/S FSB, 2MB L2 cache
E6500 2.4GHz- Q4 2006
E6400 2.13GHz- July 27th
E6300 1.86GHz- July 27th
E6200 1.6GHz- Q4 2006

800Mt/s FSB, 2MB L2 Cache
E4200 1.6GHz- Q4 2006.