Intel G5 Thoughts?

[^squirrel^]

Hi,

I am thinking of burning my bridges with Windows. I am so hacked off with waiting for Vista, i'd rather go with someone who updates on a regular basis!

So my £1250 PC is going around Oct'06 time.....

I do play games like Counter Strike Source so i'll need a good system. I did consider the iMac (top spec) but it'll be fine for games now but not in a few years. Good thing about the new G5 Intel (whatever it might be called) is that you can buy PC graphics cards and use them.

So, bottom line is.....Gonna get a G5 intel when they are out, but i've heard no news on what the guideline spec might be? Could anyone out there shed some light on this mystery?

Thanks all for your time

Darren.

 

[zap2]

It wont be G5 intel, it will be one of the new chips intel is going to release is Q3

 

[^squirrel^]

It wont be G5 intel, it will be one of the new chips intel is going to release is Q3

Yes i know, but i didnt know what else to call it for now. MacPro was one name i heard but all unconfirmed.

So just for now let's just stick to G5 Intel...

 

[ucscc10]

Well, to start, it's not a "G5 intel" but an intel. G5 is the name for the powerpc chip which currently resides in the powermacs. intel chips are what apple is currently transitioning over to, with the powermac being replaced probably at WWDC this august. It's hard to say what exactly the computers are going to have- but thus far, every intel mac has been equal to or faster than it's powerpc counterpart (in at least clock speed), so we could safely assume that that will be the same with the new powermacs (or whatever they will be called) Whatever it is, it will be able to run counter-strike source or whatever else you want to throw at it.

 

[^squirrel^]

Well, to start, it's not a "G5 intel" but an intel. G5 is the name for the powerpc chip which currently resides in the powermacs. intel chips are what apple is currently transitioning over to, with the powermac being replaced probably at WWDC this august. It's hard to say what exactly the computers are going to have- but thus far, every intel mac has been equal to or faster than it's powerpc counterpart (in at least clock speed), so we could safely assume that that will be the same with the new powermacs (or whatever they will be called) Whatever it is, it will be able to run counter-strike source or whatever else you want to throw at it.

Ok hang on......

What i should say then.......Intel equivalent of the G5. Title changed due to confusion.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

Ok hang on......

What i should say then.......Intel equivalent of the G5. Title changed due to confusion.

It could find itself with either:

a) Intel Conroe Core Duo (Desktop chip, dual-core only... will be used if Apple don't mind dumping the quad for now)
b) Intel Woodcrest (Server chip, if Apple wants a quad)

Both are being released late this year (that's your Mac Pro release date). The Mac Pro name is very likely. I can easily see Apple using it.

 

[RGunner]

It could find itself with either

a) Intel Conroe Core Duo (Desktop chip, dual-core only... will be used if Apple don't mind dumping the quad for now)
b) Intel Woodcrest (Server chip, if Apple wants a quad)

Bomb, I am curious why you think Apple would 'drop' the Quad, as it stands now the Quad is 2 physical chips anyway...

I do not see how a 'single' Conroe (two CPU's on the one die) will be able to trump a G5 Quad, perhaps at the rumored 1333 FSB and 3.33GHz speed.. but doubt Apple will be using those chips.

Therefore, I believe we will see 'two' Conroe's (high end) in the first Intel MacPro.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

Bomb, I am curious why you think Apple would 'drop' the Quad, as it stands now the Quad is 2 physical chips anyway...

I do not see how a Single Conroe will be able to trump a G5 Quad, perhaps at the rumored 1333 FSB and 3.33GHz speed.. but doubt Apple will be using those chips. Therefore, I believe we will see two Conroe's in the first Intel MacPro.

Conroe cannot be used as a quad as far as I am aware. The first Desktop "Quad" Intel will release is called Kentsfield which should arrive during 2007.

 

[^squirrel^]

What sort of price do you think we'll be looking at?

 

[BlizzardBomb]

The same as they are now probably. Give or take a few hundred $/£.

 

[^squirrel^]

The same as they are now probably. Give or take a few hundred $/£.

Ok, next question is....Would anyone be brave enough to take a stab at guessing the spec?

My current spec PC is the following. ( so i need something around the same power)

AMD 3700 64 running 2.6ghz (overclocked, standard is 2.2ghz)
1GB ram
256mb 6800GT graphics card

And the rest really doesnt matter.....

 

[CanadaRAM]

Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, but

 

[^squirrel^]

Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, but

LOL, just asking if someone would be brave enough to take a guess?? I like to hear to you chaps think.

 

[CanadaRAM]

LOL, just asking if someone would be brave enough to take a guess?? I like to hear to you chaps think.

You think we think?

 

[voyagerd]

I think it will be a computer

 

[^squirrel^]

Word on the street was that the mac rumors members were the most knowledgable!

 

[psycho bob]

Hi,
Good thing about the new G5 Intel (whatever it might be called) is that you can buy PC graphics cards and use them.

Darren.

I've thought about this myself but it may not be that simple. In theory you could run a standard PC graphics card under Windows XP but the difference between the standard ROM and that used on mac graphics cards would probably mean it still won't work under OS X. Running two different cards is possible even on current G5's but introduce different ROMs and you run the risk of kernel panics. Couple this with the fact that the PC card may not be recognised under OS X and your then forced to either have a separate monitor or one capable of dual inputs. You could also use a KVM switch but this is where it gets costly and complex. You'd also need to hope Apple fitted dual 16x slots.

Personally I'd just like to see Apple, NVIDIA or ATI just produce mac cards at a steady rate and make then available aftermarket. Drivers shouldn't be that complex so the only difference really is the ROM chip itself.

 

[^squirrel^]

I've thought about this myself but it may not be that simple. In theory you could run a standard PC graphics card under Windows XP but the difference between the standard ROM and that used on mac graphics cards would probably mean it still won't work under OS X. Running two different cards is possible even on current G5's but introduce different ROMs and you run the risk of kernel panics. Couple this with the fact that the PC card may not be recognised under OS X and your then forced to either have a separate monitor or one capable of dual inputs. You could also use a KVM switch but this is where it gets costly and complex. You'd also need to hope Apple fitted dual 16x slots.

Personally I'd just like to see Apple, NVIDIA or ATI just produce mac cards at a steady rate and make then available aftermarket. Drivers shouldn't be that complex so the only difference really is the ROM chip itself.

Ah right, interesting point you have made there. As i've said before, i won't be buying for sometime yet. Probably the earliest will be Oct'06 if they are out by then. So enough people should be able to report back on their findings.

I could see Apple grabbing a huge market share if they did enable PC components to be installed in their machines. There is a massive gaming community on PC, would be good if Apple gave them another option.

 

[dylan]

Took a quick scan through the thread and was surprised no one made this clear... The computer is called a Power Mac G5. The G5 in the name specifies the processor it uses which is PowerPC. With the move to Intel it should retain the name Power Mac but since it will no longer use a G5 processor it will be called a Power Mac *processor name*. Does that make sense?

As for the specs. No doubt they will be top of the line when it comes out.

 

[solvs]

You think we think?

Some of us do. Not me, but I could have sworn I've seen it here.

Anyway, it will be announced at WWDC in August, but the good models won't be out for a month or 2. Which will probably mean 3 or 4 for most people. It will great and the faster Mac ever, spanking your current machine, even under Windows via Boot Camp. But there will be 1 or 2 things about it that will piss people off, even though they'd never even use them or even buy one in a millions years, but they'll still complain about how Apple has raped their childhood and they'll wait for Rev. 2, which is supposed to be the good one. The people who get the first ones will start having some weird issues and complain about them here instead of calling Apple to have them fix it. When they do, Apple will put them on hold and tell them there is no problem until everybody starts having the problem, then they fix or replace them all for free. People will still complain. Then Rev. 2 will come out and a bunch of people will ask if they should buy one of the Rev. A models because it's a hundred dollars cheaper because the new models are really nice, but ~$100 too expensive. Because Apple's stuff is great... plus a hundred dollars. Plus the video card will be underclocked, but no one wants to spend the extra $300 to get the better one because it's too loud. Plus it's got a stupid name.

Then Leopard will come out next year, and everyone will buy it, and it will be even faster, but people will complain because of something weird that doesn't go away until 10.5.3. But they'll still complain. And start asking what will be in 10.6. Then Apple will release a new iPod that revolutionizes the world, but is $100 too expensive, and people will complain that it sucks because it's missing one feature they'd never use and it's too expensive and no one will buy it and Apple focuses too much on the iPod, and then they'll buy one anyway because what are you gonna do.

So set aside about $3000 or more, and prepare to be blown away and/or disappointed. Often both. And welcome to MacRumors.

 

[MacTruck]

Just check out the Dell XPS or Workstation. It will be the same thing.

 

[generik]

Ok, next question is....Would anyone be brave enough to take a stab at guessing the spec?

My current spec PC is the following. ( so i need something around the same power)

AMD 3700 64 running 2.6ghz (overclocked, standard is 2.2ghz)
1GB ram
256mb 6800GT graphics card

And the rest really doesnt matter.....

My guess is that it will be somewhat similar to what you've got. Except the Conroes do seem faster than the AMD64s at lower clock speeds now (early benchmark shows a 2.6Ghz conroe beating a 2.8Ghz Athlon FX), so it will probably slightly faster.

You won't get a huge increase of speed upgrading, but alas for Mac users it is their first opportunity to own a Real Komputer(tm)

 

[^squirrel^]

My guess is that it will be somewhat similar to what you've got. Except the Conroes do seem faster than the AMD64s at lower clock speeds now (early benchmark shows a 2.6Ghz conroe beating a 2.8Ghz Athlon FX), so it will probably slightly faster.

You won't get a huge increase of speed upgrading, but alas for Mac users it is their first opportunity to own a Real Komputer(tm)

Even if the machine is the same power, it would be nice just to have the Mac os on my desktop machine as well.

Thanks all for your comments. If you hear anything be sure to let us all know.

Thanks

D

 

[shrimpdesign]

I did consider the iMac (top spec) but it'll be fine for games now but not in a few years.

I heard that Merom is socket combatible with Yonah, so you could always upgrade ... even though that would just be the proc, not RAM or HD. Not to mention the latest iMac case is one of the hardest to open.

 

[^squirrel^]

I heard that Merom is socket combatible with Yonah, so you could always upgrade ... even though that would just be the proc, not RAM or HD. Not to mention the latest iMac case is one of the hardest to open.

Yes but the graphics card is not......That is my main issue with the iMac. If i could change it i would go with that. But i'll have to wait for the powermac.