IBM's PowerTune Technology

[MacRumors]

TechWorld offers some early details of IBM's new PowerTune technology in the PowerPC 970FX.

The company claims that the chip's unique power-tuning technique allows it to vary power consumption thousands of times per second, reducing the overall power consumption compared with other chips that consume a constant amount of power.

According to a senior technical staff member at IBM, "customers will be able to use the chip in everything from PCs to notebooks to networking equipment".

The new processor is being used in Apple's Xserve.

[CmdrLaForge]

That sounds great. PB G5s can come !

[tazznb]

This will greatly decrease the size factor, if need be.

[idkew]

Just give me my PB G5!

[GetSome681]

I think people are missing the point of this. Sure, powerbook g5. Think harder. Imagine if you're doing simple stuff (browsing web, word processor) and using like 15-25% cpu...imagine the battery life you're going to end up with!

[CmdrLaForge]

Originally posted by GetSome681
I think people are missing the point of this. Sure, powerbook g5. Think harder. Imagine if you're doing simple stuff (browsing web, word processor) and using like 15-25% cpu...imagine the battery life you're going to end up with!

Yes - you are right. Even better. Powerbook G5 with 20 hours battery life

[xtekdiver]

I wonder what else Apple has in mind for this chip? How about my new iTv? If M$ puts it in their Xbox what do you think the chances are that someone will hack it and be able to run OS X on it? Oh, that would be rich! A $200 Mac from Microsoft.

[a17inchFuture]

good point "getsome". But that is just another reason why Apple shoudl get the ball rolling on this thing asap. I hope we can see the processor make its way into powerbooks by the summer. This seems to be a slightly less powerful g5, so just skip the redesigning of the pb's comepltely, and stick the chip in the present models, or at least similar ones, ones that won't require 8 months of designs and prototypes.

[virividox]

here t comes!!! pb g5

[dongmin]

Originally posted by Macrumors
According to a senior technical staff member at IBM, "customers will be able to use the chip in everything from PCs to notebooks to networking equipment."

My guess is that the CPU issue was resolved a long time ago. It's the other components that are holding Apple back. In any event, this bodes well for PB consumers.

[gwuMACaddict]

sounds really neat! and yeah, looks like it could make for longer battery life in a PB

[Mr. Anderson]

This is a great. Does anybody know if its already incorporated into the XServes?

D

[a17inchFuture]

Does anyone think that there could be powerbook g5's before the fall???

Is there any way they could have been designing the book and just waiting for the chip, or something along those lines? These are less power consuming, and less heat producing, so what would the obstacles be that are still holding the new g5 pb from coming out?

[jholzner]

Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
This is a great. Does anybody know if its already incorporated into the XServes?

D

Yes, it is.

[elmimmo]

Hype to the rescue!

[silvergunuk]

I think well see G5 powerbooks if not next month then possibly wwdc with a totally new designed case.

[Lanbrown]

Originally posted by a17inchFuture
good point "getsome". But that is just another reason why Apple shoudl get the ball rolling on this thing asap. I hope we can see the processor make its way into powerbooks by the summer. This seems to be a slightly less powerful g5, so just skip the redesigning of the pb's comepltely, and stick the chip in the present models, or at least similar ones, ones that won't require 8 months of designs and prototypes.

The G5 and G4 processor are totally different. They cannot put a G5 in a G4 mobo. A new board needs to be designed. Apple has already had these chips for sometime, how do you think they have been able to show the new Xserve.

[Benjamin]

how did i know that the first reply would be basically "PB G5!" lol

anyway this is looking to be a great step to that dream of many of the mac community.

[Lanbrown]

Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
This is a great. Does anybody know if its already incorporated into the XServes?

D

I would say that the Xserve is not using it. It can impact performance and heat is not an issue in servers. A properly designed server will be able to handle the chip running at full power indefinitely. The fans would increase their speed to match the heat output. Some tasks could push the CPU to 100% for a brief amount of time and then that process would be complete. A lot of processes that complete in a short amount of time could hurt performance as the chip is increasing and decreasing it's power.

[a17inchFuture]

Originally posted by Lanbrown
The G5 and G4 processor are totally different. They cannot put a G5 in a G4 mobo. A new board needs to be designed. Apple has already had these chips for sometime, how do you think they have been able to show the new Xserve.

Yeah I understand reconfiguring the board, but I stil don't understand why if they have "had the chips for somet time" and if they're already in Xserve G5's, Aren't we smart enough consumers to absolutely demand that it be put in PB's soon, and instead of a modest revision to the no-longer-worth-it G4 line.

P.S. I know thats a controversial comment I jsut made about no longer being worth it, but anyone who would look at this news and the probable next few months for apple would be kinda crazy to buy a G4 now or even to get one of the modest updates rumored to be released soon.

Of course, I still respect that the present G4 PB's are incredible.

[Lanbrown]

Originally posted by jholzner
Yes, it is.

Based upon what? Just because the processor supports it, doesn't mean that Apple is using it. I could not find anything on that mention PowerTune on the new Xserve. Got a link?

[Lanbrown]

Originally posted by a17inchFuture
Yeah I understand reconfiguring the board, but I stil don't understand why if they have "had the chips for somet time" and if they're already in Xserve G5's, Aren't we smart enough consumers to absolutely demand that it be put in PB's soon, and instead of a modest revision to the no-longer-worth-it G4 line.

P.S. I know thats a controversial comment I jsut made about no longer being worth it, but anyone who would look at this news and the probable next few months for apple would be kinda crazy to buy a G4 now or even to get one of the modest updates rumored to be released soon.

Of course, I still respect that the present G4 PB's are incredible.

First, the bus on the PB will be slower then what the PM and Xserve have. Those high speeds will create heat. The processor was just one component that created a lot of heat, the chipsets created a lot of heat as well. Apple could use the current chipsets in Xserve with the new processor, one less thing to design. Apple either has working samples of a new chipset for the PB and iMac with a slower bus, a third to a quarter of the processor speed.

Consumers make their demands on sales. When sales fall, a company is faced with two options, update or not. If they update, sales will probably rise, if they don't, sales will continue to fall. If it’s not feasible to put the G5 in a PB, it doesn't matter what the consumers demands are. As mentioned above, the CPU is just one of many components. I would expect new PM's to have a bus no faster than 1GHz, even if it's a 2.5 or 3GHz CPU.

Third, the chips were samples that they have had. IBM released the chip this month, which means that they are available in volume. As time goes forward, the volume will increase as they refine the process and can get higher yields.

[utilizer]

I think we're all in for a bigger surprise than the one at last year's WWDC with the "annoucement" of G5s shipping in September.
PowerBook G5s will be annouced for sure this time around; seriously, the iBook was expected to keep the G3 for quite sometime, but look at what happened late in 2003. And when that gets an update, it'll be a 1.42 Ghz G4. The iBook and PB will virtually be the "same" machine. Apple cannot allow for Motorola to continue their stream of broken promises to trickle in. I believe a 1.6 Ghz G5 would suffice alot of users needs, especially with the arrival of Adobe's CS. That thing is sllllooowwww on anything less than that!!!

Anyways though, I'm calling it:
-PowerBooks with G5s at 1.6 Ghz, annouced very soon but shipping in late April; duals by the end of the year. -- 12 in. form factor retains the G4.
-G5 Tower: Dual 1.8 Ghz at low-end and Dual 2.733 Ghz at high end.
-iMac: 1.8 Ghz, maybe 2.0 Ghz in special edition 20 incher (brand it "20 for 20th" (anniversary!)
-iBook: Stuck with the "adequate" G4 7457 supplies from Moto. 'Nuff said!

I underestimated Apple last year -- I think this year, we can anticipate greater surprises!!

[a17inchFuture]

Originally posted by Lanbrown
First, the bus on the PB will be slower then what the PM and Xserve have. Those high speeds will create heat. The processor was just one component that created a lot of heat, the chipsets created a lot of heat as well. Apple could use the current chipsets in Xserve with the new processor, one less thing to design. Apple either has working samples of a new chipset for the PB and iMac with a slower bus, a third to a quarter of the processor speed.

Consumers make their demands on sales. When sales fall, a company is faced with two options, update or not. If they update, sales will probably rise, if they don't, sales will continue to fall. If it’s not feasible to put the G5 in a PB, it doesn't matter what the consumers demands are. As mentioned above, the CPU is just one of many components. I would expect new PM's to have a bus no faster than 1GHz, even if it's a 2.5 or 3GHz CPU.

Third, the chips were samples that they have had. IBM released the chip this month, which means that they are available in volume. As time goes forward, the volume will increase as they refine the process and can get higher yields.

great, thats all well and good, but it seems like you were reitterating some of my points rather than making your own. The chips were samples, yes, WORKING samples that serve a purpose, otherwise there would be no point in giving them to anyone early. And they are now avalable in volume, meaning they could be purchased and put into PB g5's in volume, now....

So I guess my question is, I understand most of your comments, but some of them left me wondering if you were trying to contradict me or agree with me? And since you seem to know more about them than me, when would you guess they will be available or announced?

[MongoTheGeek]

Imagine some other things that could be done with this. One of the banes of overclocking is heat dissipation. Link the speed to the thermometer. When the CPU is cool boost the clock the speed over the rated 3Ghz. Then when you are waiting on the bus cut it down to 1Ghz and let the beast cool down.