Intel's Penryn Chip Performance Boosts

MacRumors · Apr 17, 2007, 02:50 PM

Intel announced some performance details on the upcoming Penryn processors at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing.

Penryn is the next chip family based on the Core micro-architecture and will include a number of enhancements along with a die-shrink to 45nm. The upcoming Penryn chips will be marketed under both the "Core" and "Xeon" brand names and encompass the entire spectrum of products (mobile, desktop, server).

According to Intel executive, Penryn-based computers will see the following speed improvements over the current Core 2 Extreme processors

- 15% for imaging-related
- 25% for 3-D rendering
- 40% for gaming
- 40% for video encoding (SSE4 optimized)

The comparison was made between 3.33GHz pre-production Penryn processor vs 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme processor-based desktop-class machines.

For workstations and "high-performance computing", Penryn is said to provide improvements of:

- 45% for "bandwidth intensive applications
- 25% for servers using Java

These comparisons were made between pre-production Xeon (Penryn) processor vs Xeon 5355 processor-based workstations.

Penryn chips are expected to be released later in 2007.

diamond3 · Apr 17, 2007, 02:54 PM

those seem like some nice numbers. now its just a matter of how long.

twoodcc · Apr 17, 2007, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamond3

those seem like some nice numbers. now its just a matter of how long.

yes they do.

can't wait to see those in some macs!

MacsRgr8 · Apr 17, 2007, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twoodcc

yes they do.

can't wait to see those in some macs!

Now, that'll be my next Mac Pro.

Telp · Apr 17, 2007, 03:11 PM

Oh man !! 3.33GHz!! Thats amazing ! That makes me feel even worse about being on my G5, though i love it

.

Wie Gehts · Apr 17, 2007, 03:24 PM

Are their certain hardware requirements to run Leopard? Is this some kind of 64 bit OS? Does whatever hardware upgrades due for the macbooks (santa rosa, display resolution??) going to take full advantage of the new OS, or am I gonna have to put off this major purchase of mine longer?
I don't know about anything...I'm just asking. I use ten year old macs..I haven't a clue. This time around I want to be on top of the technology wave rather than behind!!

cgmpowers · Apr 18, 2007, 12:09 PM

shuddup...

some of us still have G4s....dabnabbit...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telp

Oh man !! 3.33GHz!! Thats amazing ! That makes me feel even worse about being on my G5, though i love it

.

lol, all in fun.. Actually I am expecting my MacPro 8core to be supposedly delivered tomorrow--a few days late because evidentually FedEx pilots wont take off in the rain over in China--boo hoo..heh.

Sunrunner · 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacsRgr8

Now, that'll be my next Mac Pro.

Same here. A High-end Mac Pro with Penryn chips and 10.5 pre-loaded. Thats my new bar for the next puchase.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuartboy

No kidding.

With all the advances in microchips you would think we would be using something other than little disks spinning around to store and read data.

If it feels like 1950's technology, it's because it is...

Solid-state memory is only a few years out...

DannyBoye · Apr 17, 2007, 02:57 PM

At what point are we going to level out with these chips. I know it's great we just keep getting faster and faster chips, but damn! Every week it seems something better is out, that is **% faster than before.

IEatApples · Apr 17, 2007, 03:02 PM

I wish we could see these kinds of speed improvements in the HDs & CD/DVD players.

But, I always love a faster Mac!

guzhogi · Apr 17, 2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IEatApples

I wish we could see these kinds of speed improvements in the HDs & CD/DVD players.

Me, too. But I'm sure a lot of it is just the connectors (SATA, Firewire, etc.) and OS not being able to keep up w/ it.

As far as CD/DVDs, one thing that prevents them from getting faster is just physics. With the discs spinning so faster, if they went any faster, they'd fly apart! But look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein-coated_disc and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc Holographic discs can (theoretically) hold 3.9 TB of data and transfer at 1 gigabit/second while Protein-coated discs can hold 50 TB (don't know what transfer speed is, though)!

pgwalsh · Apr 17, 2007, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IEatApples

I wish we could see these kinds of speed improvements in the HDs & CD/DVD players.

But, I always love a faster Mac!

Improvements in hard drive speed are being driven by Solid State Drives. Once price comes down and businesses show a need, then you'll see production ramp up.

Spanky Deluxe · Apr 17, 2007, 03:02 PM

The 15% performance boost in "imaging-related" tasks, i.e. probably the Photoshop and Flash programs of this world, isn't really all that impressive for a processor just under 14% faster in clock speed.

Not that I wouldn't some of these chips, that's just not a very impressive statistic to quote!!

localoid · Apr 17, 2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Deluxe

The 15% performance boost in "imaging-related" tasks, i.e. probably the Photoshop and Flash programs of this world, isn't really all that impressive for a processor just under 14% faster in clock speed.

Not that I wouldn't some of these chips, that's just not a very impressive statistic to quote!!

Do you find this more impressive then?

Intel demonstrated its fastest multi-core processor yet at the Spring Intel Development Forum (IDF) in Beijing on Tuesday, an 80-core processor that hit a speedy 2-teraflops (trillions of floating point operations per second) in a demonstration. More...

alywa · Apr 17, 2007, 03:48 PM

I don't know about you all, but when I read releases like this I am reminded about how wise the switch to Intel was. IBM was on the verge of getting absolutely flogged, and Steve was let in on that fact.

rxse7en · Apr 17, 2007, 03:49 PM

I wonder if Apple has any Cell Processor or Power 6 based prototype Macs in their labs

B

bbplayer5 · Apr 17, 2007, 03:51 PM

If you use your mac for games, and play at 1920x1200 or higher, these processors wont give you any performance increase. Anything that high in res is 99% video card.

johnee · Apr 17, 2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxse7en

I wonder if Apple has any Cell Processor or Power 6 based prototype Macs in their labs

B

no.

RedDragon870503 · Apr 17, 2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxse7en

I wonder if Apple has any Cell Processor or Power 6 based prototype Macs in their labs

B

I hope they don't... they obviously need all those engineers to be working on the iPhone!

k2k koos · Apr 18, 2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxse7en

I wonder if Apple has any Cell Processor or Power 6 based prototype Macs in their labs

B

You can count on that. Just as they always had secret intel macs, they will have prototypes running on any other significant processor, AMD included.
As soon as one of the technologies is proving to be better than the current intel roadmap, then we could well expect another 'transition'.

Hence, it will not happen overnight, Apple will look for the bigger picture, and need to know a roadmap that is worth investing in, not just for 2 years and we switch again, it will have to be solid info, worth at least 5 years if not longer.

ffakr · Apr 18, 2007, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky Deluxe

The 15% performance boost in "imaging-related" tasks, i.e. probably the Photoshop and Flash programs of this world, isn't really all that impressive for a processor just under 14% faster in clock speed.

Not that I wouldn't some of these chips, that's just not a very impressive statistic to quote!!

Actually, that is a very impressive number. There isn't a chip made.. ever.. that increases performance at a rate that scales faster than clock speed increases. If you take a 2 GHz Core2 and clock it to 3GHz it won't be 50% faster. There are too many other bottlenecks.
The very fact that Penryn performance is scaling faster than clock at 3+ GHz is huge. The memory bus is less than 1/3 the clock speed of that processor and it still scales faster than clock increase over the previous revision of the same processor [family].

Of course, you also picked the weakest benchmark to complain about.

Granted, this isn't a huge shift in computing but we're talking about a revision of the same design. With a die shrink and some modifications to the current generation of chips [which are already the the best consumer processors around] Intel has pulled more performance out with less power draw.. more performance per MHz even. It's a very impressive feat.

ffakr.

theheadguy · Apr 17, 2007, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DannyBoye

At what point are we going to level out with these chips. I know it's great we just keep getting faster and faster chips, but damn! Every week it seems something better is out, that is **% faster than before.

and yet with all those **% faster chips, i STILL have to wait a long time for all applications to load!

tuartboy · Apr 17, 2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theheadguy

and yet with all those **% faster chips, i STILL have to wait a long time for all applications to load!

No kidding.

With all the advances in microchips you would think we would be using something other than little disks spinning around to store and read data.

If it feels like 1950's technology, it's because it is...

NtotheIzoo · Apr 17, 2007, 03:43 PM

it says later 2007...anyone have any clue when we might begin seeing these in Macs???

NewbieNerd · Apr 17, 2007, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NtotheIzoo

it says later 2007...anyone have any clue when we might begin seeing these in Macs???

Well seeing how the mac mini might not ever see the C2D, Apple could very well just skip it!

Apr 17, 2007, 02:50 PM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Intel's Penryn Chip Performance Boosts Intel announced some performance details on the upcoming Penryn processors at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing. Penryn is the next chip family based on the Core micro-architecture and will include a number of enhancements along with a die-shrink to 45nm. The upcoming Penryn chips will be marketed under both the "Core" and "Xeon" brand names and encompass the entire spectrum of products (mobile, desktop, server). According to Intel executive, Penryn-based computers will see the following speed improvements over the current Core 2 Extreme processors - 15% for imaging-related - 25% for 3-D rendering - 40% for gaming - 40% for video encoding (SSE4 optimized) The comparison was made between 3.33GHz pre-production Penryn processor vs 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme processor-based desktop-class machines. For workstations and "high-performance computing", Penryn is said to provide improvements of: - 45% for "bandwidth intensive applications - 25% for servers using Java These comparisons were made between pre-production Xeon (Penryn) processor vs Xeon 5355 processor-based workstations. Penryn chips are expected to be released later in 2007.

Apr 17, 2007, 03:11 PM	#5
Telp macrumors 68030 Join Date: Feb 2007	Oh man !! 3.33GHz!! Thats amazing ! That makes me feel even worse about being on my G5, though i love it . __________________ Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. -Steve Jobs

Apr 17, 2007, 03:02 PM	#10
IEatApples macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Northern Hemisphere (Hamar, Norway)	I wish we could see these kinds of speed improvements in the HDs & CD/DVD players. But, I always love a faster Mac! __________________ You think that's air you're breathing now? It's Mac OS Mac Pro 2,8GHz Quad, GTX 285, 6GB RAM, 2,25 TB HDD, Dell 2408WFP MySpace

Apr 17, 2007, 03:02 PM	#13
Spanky Deluxe macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London, UK	The 15% performance boost in "imaging-related" tasks, i.e. probably the Photoshop and Flash programs of this world, isn't really all that impressive for a processor just under 14% faster in clock speed. Not that I wouldn't some of these chips, that's just not a very impressive statistic to quote!! __________________ "No, I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."

Apr 17, 2007, 03:49 PM	#16
rxse7en macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jacksonville, FL	I wonder if Apple has any Cell Processor or Power 6 based prototype Macs in their labs B __________________ I like my computers without Windows and my cars without Pistons

Apr 17, 2007, 02:54 PM	#2
diamond3 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2005	those seem like some nice numbers. now its just a matter of how long.

Apr 17, 2007, 03:24 PM	#6
Wie Gehts macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2007	Are their certain hardware requirements to run Leopard? Is this some kind of 64 bit OS? Does whatever hardware upgrades due for the macbooks (santa rosa, display resolution??) going to take full advantage of the new OS, or am I gonna have to put off this major purchase of mine longer? I don't know about anything...I'm just asking. I use ten year old macs..I haven't a clue. This time around I want to be on top of the technology wave rather than behind!!

Apr 17, 2007, 02:57 PM	#9
DannyBoye macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2006	At what point are we going to level out with these chips. I know it's great we just keep getting faster and faster chips, but damn! Every week it seems something better is out, that is **% faster than before.

Apr 17, 2007, 03:48 PM	#15
alywa macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2004	I don't know about you all, but when I read releases like this I am reminded about how wise the switch to Intel was. IBM was on the verge of getting absolutely flogged, and Steve was let in on that fact.

Apr 17, 2007, 03:51 PM	#17
bbplayer5 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Apr 2007	If you use your mac for games, and play at 1920x1200 or higher, these processors wont give you any performance increase. Anything that high in res is 99% video card.

Apr 17, 2007, 03:43 PM	#24
NtotheIzoo macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2005	When??? it says later 2007...anyone have any clue when we might begin seeing these in Macs???

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