Mac Pro Suitable Nehalem (Core i7) Processors Due in 1st Quarter 2009

[MacRumors]

Digitimes reports that Intel is planning on launching the Xeon 5500 and Xeon 3500 series of server CPUs in the first quarter of 2009. These new processors are based on the Nehalem architecture which has been officially branded as Core i7.

According to Digitimes, Intel will launch ten CPUs for the Xeon 5500 series with the high end topping out as a quad-core W5580 running at 3.2GHz. Processor speeds of the remaining 9 models range from 2GHz to 2.93Ghz.

Apple has traditionally used the Xeon server-class processors for their Mac Pro line. The current Mac Pro uses the Xeon ("Harpertown") 5400 series processors and is due for an update. Despite comparable clock speeds, the Nehalem-based processors have been shown to offer clock-for-clock improvements performance improvements up to 29%.


Article Link: Mac Pro Suitable Nehalem (Core i7) Processors Due in 1st Quarter 2009

[4God]

Woo-hoo!

New Mac-Pro for post Christmas!
I just wish they would introduce something faster than 3.2 though.

[Grimace]

Add in Snow Leopard and I'm in for 2.

[4God]

Originally Posted by Grimace

Add in Snow Leopard and I'm in for 2.

Ah, tru dat. Snow Leopard on these should fly.

[chedda]

This has caused me to definitely raise one eyebrow, hopefully this will show apples commitment to the pro market which has been a little neglected recently imho. This will be the new ultimate workstation and not an incremental update i wonder if it will be launched with snow leopard ?

[BornAgainMac]

Sounds like it won't be ready in January. Looking forward to some benchmarks with Snow Leopard. I wish it was a huge jump of 400% to 500% faster like when the switch to Intel was announced.

[RTiii320]

good to hear.. hopefully the MBP will be next to see this!! im still waiting to upgrade for the MBP version with Nehalem

[mgargan1]

What I'm really interested in the mobile version of this processor. I wonder if it'll provide the same performance benefit over penryn.

What's more important though is battery life. They said that this processer uses more energy than the current processor.

[amac4me]

Mac Pro announcement likely to be made in January at Macworld.

[guzhogi]

A little OT, but I wonder what kind of display connectors the new Mac Pro have. Dual-link DVI, mini display port, full DisplayPort, or what. If they do full DisplayPort, will they provide adaptors (free or paid for) for the new ACDs?

I'm sure these new procs will also go into the xServe. I wonder how much faster these would be compared to the G5 xServes. Reason I'm asking: I was just thinking of Virginia Tech's System X computer cluster. I was just reading about it on WIkipedia today. Right now, they have 1100 G5 xServes capable of doing 12.25 TeraFLOPS. If they replaced all of them w/ xServes w/ Nehalem, I wonder how much faster they'd be, especially w/ Snow Leopard.

[Eidorian]

Nehalem Skulltrail is X58 and not to mention Gainestown is LGA1366 as well.

[riversky]

I think they will demo Snow Leopard as the main focus. Perhaps new iPhone updates, completely new AppleTV.

Also new MacPro's and 30 inch LED monitor with the same features as the new 24inch LED.

My opinion.

[prostuff1]

Originally Posted by mgargan1

What I'm really interested in the mobile version of this processor. I wonder if it'll provide the same performance benefit over penryn.

What's more important though is battery life. They said that this processer uses more energy than the current processor.

The processor itself may use more power but this is because there is a memory controller built in now. That has added to the power draw of the processor. But this is not an all bad thing as the builtin memory control makes it so the logic board does not need it now thereby lowing the power draw of the board itself. Overall the power draw of the two system is supposed to be very similar.

[bdkennedy1]

Hmmm, I was expecting a little better performance out of a new generation of processors.

[HiRez]

What are the chances of seeing 4 of these in a MacPro (16 total cores)?

[k2director]

No no no no no! First quarter of 2009? That's later than I hoped...probably Feb or March! Which means no new Mac Pro for at least 3-4 months from now.

I've got a 4 core 3.0GHz Mac Pro now and the rendering times are beginning to add up. Was hoping to upgrade in January, but looks like I've got a longer wait in store...

[twoodcc]

i predict the new mac pros with these processors will be announced at macworld, but not shipping til later. (though i hope i'm wrong, and that they are shipping at macworld).

but i guess we won't see any mac pro with more than 8 cores til 2010

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by bdkennedy1

Hmmm, I was expecting a little better performance out of a new generation of processors.

No one would upgrade from a current model 8-core mac Pro to this. This is designed to temp the guy who is still running an old G5 tower. I suspect most people who have the MP only upgrade ever 3 to 5 years. So you need to compare this not to the current model but to what Apple had 3 to 5 years ago.

Actually unless you current Mac is running the CPU close at close to 100% you don't see any speed improvement with faster processors.

[dr. shdw]

Originally Posted by bdkennedy1

Hmmm, I was expecting a little better performance out of a new generation of processors.

wtf are you talking about? gaming??

[Umbongo]

Originally Posted by HiRez

What are the chances of seeing 4 of these in a MacPro (16 total cores)?

0%

[t0mat0]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

No one would upgrade from a current model 8-core mac Pro to this. This is designed to temp the guy who is still running an old G5 tower. I suspect most people who have the MP only upgrade ever 3 to 5 years. So you need to compare this not to the current model but to what Apple had 3 to 5 years ago.

Actually unless you current Mac is running the CPU close at close to 100% you don't see any speed improvement with faster processors.

But you may well do with improved processors

I'd imagine Intel would love for Apple to demo what their Core i7s can do, and what Snow Leopard can do.

Depends what % boost in your line of work would tempt you for an upgrade. Obviously comparing to older machines, there's a bigger boost, and the cost of these new chips also has to be taken into account.

Is the mainstream desktop i7s still on target for start of H2 2009?

[dr. shdw]

Originally Posted by Umbongo

0%

Yup with 4 way you'd be looking at a base price of probably $8000+ if not more plus a big case, etc..

[m1stake]

Originally Posted by bdkennedy1

Hmmm, I was expecting a little better performance out of a new generation of processors.

This is the biggest speed jump since Core 2 in 2006. You won't be found wanting. The clock speed alone is just the tip of the iceberg. Clock for clock, these guys destroy their Penryn counterparts.

Originally Posted by Umbongo

0%

Ouch

[mail4asim]

Should be good ... would love to see the benchmarks on the new machine.

[alanlindsay]

Originally Posted by guzhogi

A little OT, but I wonder what kind of display connectors the new Mac Pro have. Dual-link DVI, mini display port, full DisplayPort, or what. If they do full DisplayPort, will they provide adaptors (free or paid for) for the new ACDs?

You can put whatever graphics card you like into the Mac Pro ( for windows anyway ) so the connections it comes with are determined by connectors of the chosen video card. As far as I know, >95% of all new video cards have DVI as standard meaning that if the new displays are display port only ( mini or otherwise ) you're going to need adapters.