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Apple Buying Up High End Penryn Processors?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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The Inquirer reports on rumors circulating around Tokyo about Apple's interest in high end Penryn processors for their upcoming Mac Pros.

According to the rumors, Apple has "pre-booked" all the top (3.2GHz) Penryn bins for this year, leaving only "minimum quantities" for other big vendors. The 3.2GHz Penryn Xeon ("Harpertown") processors offer a faster 1600MHz bus and 12MB of L2 cache. The quad-core processors could provide Apple with an upgrade path for their current Mac Pro line which has not seen major upgrades since August of 2006. Apple did introduce the 8-core Mac Pro in April of 2007, but left the existing models untouched.

By incorporating these new processors, Apple could increase the top speed Mac Pro to 3.2GHz with a 1600MHz front side bus (up from 1333 MHz). This would not be the first time Apple would have "exclusive" use of an otherwise unreleased Intel processor. The introduction of the 8-core Mac Pro used a 3.0GHz Xeon chip that was otherwise unannounced at that time. Similarly, the Penryn Xeon processors were not expected to reach 3.2GHz based on early reports.

The new Intel Penryn Xeon processors are due in November 2007.

Article Link
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2007/10/05/apple-buying-up-high-end-penryn-processors/
Since the new Apple Mac Pro paradigm is a single primary base CPU, why not go for the best out of the gate, due to bulk ordering and pre-ordering, resulting in flatter price vs. time. Gives Apple a one year price time frame vs. a 6 month one.

The real benefit is the average cost is their true cost, so everybody else will have to pay premium cost for 6 months or so before everybody else's cost drops to Apples cost later.

They also buy bragging rights.

Rocketman
 
Which chipset does the MacPro use? I am having the darnedest time finding a worstation chipset or server chipset that does 1.6Ghz FSB.
 
I wonder if Apple didn't bother updating the mac pro in the last year (stuff like the GPU could have been updated, even if there weren't any better processors available) because they anticipated high demand with the launch of major Universal Binary apps like CS3? Perhaps as sales level off, they'll feel more of a need to keep stimulating sales by keeping it a bit more up to date in future? Lets hope.
 
Macrumors said:


The Inquirer reports on rumors circulating around Tokyo about Apple's interest in high end Penryn processors for their upcoming Mac Pros.
Click to expand...

Part of what that says is, "Of course, Apple could be paying a premium for this "privilege". It might also pass any such premium, multiplied by three or more, on to its unimaginably faithful flock of customers.

All is not lost. Bear in mind that, right after the 12 Nov launch of X5482, QX9650 and a few other extreme Penryns, we'll also have the "unlocked Harpertown " version for the Skulltrail dual-socket gaming monster, as well as other similar platforms that may come out from one or two Taiwanese vendors.

So, if you want your own - not Apple's iDiotised - dual socket desktop supercomputer, just grab a few of these. µ"

I am glad The Inquirer agrees we are unimaginably faithful. :)
I am glad they whine about Apple hoarding the fastest processors. :)
I am glad they are suggesting their readers focus on unimaginably short margin and fickle consumer customizable gaming systems. :)

Rocketman

Pass the Kool-Aid.
 
sometimes I feel like us mac pro/power mac users have been left out in the cold when compared to the iMac group. This would be a nice update but I think 16 months between updates is way too long for a model like this. In the very least Apple should at least offer some video upgrades to the mac pro over the last year.
 
I am so glad Apple is bullying on the chip supplies. I foresaw all this to happen when they switched to Intel. They don't mess with the cheapo Celeron stuff.
 
pgwalsh said:
Will they be using this in the Mac Pro or Xserve or both? I'd imagine the Xserve first.
Click to expand...

The Xserve is in dire need of an upgrade, possibly more than the MP...I guess their updates will be announced together, but the Xserve will be 'in stores starting next month'...
 
Rocketman said:
Part of what that says is, "Of course, Apple could be paying a premium for this "privilege". It might also pass any such premium, multiplied by three or more, on to its unimaginably faithful flock of customers.
Click to expand...

Well they are mainly going to professionals ;)

I suspect what Apple does is that they buy the chips from Intel for a fixed price throughout the generation, which allows them to start at a cheaper price, but gives Intel a guaranteed price for them.
 
Great news, as the Mac Pros are definitely overdue for a processor upgrade. Not that there has been anything to upgrade too, but still... ;)

And while they're at it, beef up the GPU options!

I wonder if Apple will stick with the FB-DIMM RAM architecture as well. I hear that technology's days are numbered... buy up some FB-DIMM modules now, they'll be worth a fortune in a few years! ;) :D
 
Chances are they'll release a new mac pro alongside leopard even if the penryns aren't ready in bulk yet.... and then just ship it a month down the road....
 
~Shard~ said:
Great news, as the Mac Pros are definitely overdue for a processor upgrade. Not that there has been anything to upgrade too, but still... ;)

And while they're at it, beef up the GPU options!
:D
Click to expand...

I'll tell you I have had my Mac Pro 3.0 ghz Octo since May and it runs rings around the G5 quad. The processor performance has been more than enough in my case.

However, the GPU was old when I bought it. ATI X1900. I hope when they update the MacPro they also offer the new GPU cards for individual sale.

I don't think I am in violation of my NDA when I say the current 3.0 Ghz Octo screams under Leopard. Just simply unbelievable difference.
 
~Shard~ said:
Great news, as the Mac Pros are definitely overdue for a processor upgrade. Not that there has been anything to upgrade too, but still... ;)

And while they're at it, beef up the GPU options!

I wonder if Apple will stick with the FB-DIMM RAM architecture as well. I hear that technology's days are numbered... buy up some FB-DIMM modules now, they'll be worth a fortune in a few years! ;) :D
Click to expand...
Using Xeon Processors Apple has to. Until Intel switches them over to something else.
 
And macrumors fails to highlight the most interesting tidbit of this article: that Apple would also be getting Yorkfields.

Bring on the minitower! No point spending so much money on a Mac Pro with obsolete CPU and RAM interface!
 
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