Apple Buying Up High End Penryn Processors?

[Macinposh]

However, since Intel already supports Crossfire on their desktop platforms, I don't see why they wouldn't eventually bring it to their workstation platform.

If I remember it right,Intel made those decicions and production developments before AMD aquired Ati, I think they will be reluctant to support that decision in the future platforms. But who knows?


I have a question.

I tried to search,but couldnt find any info (if that has ever been verified..) about the penryns compatability of the present xeon mother boards?

Their fsb apparently is 1600mhz, so is there any possibility to of the penryns being backwards compatible with the present macpros mobs?

I mean,if they arent, I have to start to look for some cheap clovertons so i could upgrade my MP before they dissapear from the market...

 

[EagerDragon]

If they are just now buying or talking of buying these processors I dont see how a new Mac Pro line could be ready this year. I think January (unfortunately) may be possible. How can they be ready by Octo or even Nov? If so close to January convention thing why not just wait to have a big showcase then? I think they will need time to assemble and test out any issues with this processor and Leopard.

They been testing the chip for months, they can assemble the entire machine, set ithem aside until the chips arrive. Load the chips, run a test, pack them and ship them. The can load a million chips in a month, assuming they plan to sell that many.

 

[Umbongo]

If I remember it right,Intel made those decicions and production developments before AMD aquired Ati, I think they will be reluctant to support that decision in the future platforms. But who knows?


I have a question.

I tried to search,but couldnt find any info (if that has ever been verified..) about the penryns compatability of the present xeon mother boards?

Their fsb apparently is 1600mhz, so is there any possibility to of the penryns being backwards compatible with the present macpros mobs?

I mean,if they arent, I have to start to look for some cheap clovertons so i could upgrade my MP before they dissapear from the market...

There are 1333MHz FSB Penryns too, but in theory the 1600MHz ones should also work.

 

[Multimedia]

You're Better Off Selling Your Old Mac Pro And Buying The New One

I tried to search,but couldnt find any info (if that has ever been verified..) about the penryns compatability of the present xeon mother boards?

Their fsb apparently is 1600mhz, so is there any possibility to of the penryns being backwards compatible with the present macpros mobs?

I mean,if they arent, I have to start to look for some cheap clovertons so i could upgrade my MP before they dissapear from the market...

I think that would be very inadvisable. While you can do that to the dumb motherboard in the original MP, getting Stoakley-Seaburg onboard the new one will be as valuable as the change to Quad Penryn processors - not to mention much better video.

There are 1333MHz FSB Penryns too, but in theory the 1600MHz ones should also work.

But should anyone attempt that path? I don't think so. Will wind up being much slower than if you sell what you have and buy the new. I think it'll cost you more to attempt the Penryn "upgrade" than it will for you to sell what you have and buy the new one.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Once again, it's Santa Rosa.

Since when does MacBook (not MBP) have Santa Rosa? They put it in the MBP (which has its own GPU), but Macbook and MacMini are Intel GMA 950, which is terribly out of date and can't run many CURRENT games, let alone future ones.

Meanwhile, the Mac Pro is the flagship Mac and it SHOULD have the latest and greatest graphics cards available for it. Any computer that costs over $2000 in 2007 should have a pretty high-end card in it, IMO. The MacPro's GPU is a sore spot just as it is a sore spot with ALL Macs save perhaps the MBP, which is about where it should be, IMO.

 

[Erasmus]

Just throwing this out there, but even if the new platform does not support SLI or Crossfire, would one of those double cards still work? A newer as yet to be released version of the 7950 GX2?

 

[flopticalcube]

Since when does MacBook (not MBP) have Santa Rosa? They put it in the MBP (which has its own GPU), but Macbook and MacMini are Intel GMA 950, which is terribly out of date and can't run many CURRENT games, let alone future ones.

Meanwhile, the Mac Pro is the flagship Mac and it SHOULD have the latest and greatest graphics cards available for it. Any computer that costs over $2000 in 2007 should have a pretty high-end card in it, IMO. The MacPro's GPU is a sore spot just as it is a sore spot with ALL Macs save perhaps the MBP, which is about where it should be, IMO.

Eldorian was correcting the previous poster, MagnusVonMagnum, who was looking forward to Santa Fe.

 

[Eidorian]

Eldorian was correcting the previous poster, MagnusVonMagnum, who was looking forward to Santa Fe.

And proving that it's not the first time.

#232

#233

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

Ah, so in other words you had nothing of importance to say, just had to correct a typo/memory thing rather than deal with actual substance (i.e. the lack of current GPUs in Macs). I'll try and remember to ignore your posts from now on.

 

[Eidorian]

Ah, so in other words you had nothing of importance to say, just had to correct a typo/memory thing rather than deal with actual substance (i.e. the lack of current GPUs in Macs). I'll try and remember to ignore your posts from now on.

It was nothing more then a simple correction.

Apple does need to upgrade the remainder of their hardware to the Santa Rosa platform in order to benefit from the GMA X3100 or move to a cheap discrete solution.

 

[Macinposh]

I think that would be very inadvisable. While you can do that to the dumb motherboard in the original MP, getting Stoakley-Seaburg onboard the new one will be as valuable as the change to Quad Penryn processors - not to mention much better video.

Hmm,havent seen yet any tests between clov+current mobo and penryn+ss so I wont comment on that.
And what do you mean video? Video trans/decoding or that the SS will support GPUs better? Havent yet heard anything about the upcoming cards to SS macpros. If the history repeats itself,we´ll get the same bloody cards they have now...
And most importantly,dont need the vidcards that bad,so it is a non issue at the moment for me.

But should anyone attempt that path? I don't think so. Will wind up being much slower than if you sell what you have and buy the new. I think it'll cost you more to attempt the Penryn "upgrade" than it will for you to sell what you have and buy the new one.

I can live with just doubling the cores.. I have the opportunity to rid my self of the old proc´s by selling them or reusing them myself. That way the price hit would be small. And for tax reasons (and well of the general selling hassle) I dont consider selling the machine really an option.

But,have to see to what kind of prices the processors drop to.

Cheers!

 

[diamond.g]

Since when does MacBook (not MBP) have Santa Rosa? They put it in the MBP (which has its own GPU), but Macbook and MacMini are Intel GMA 950, which is terribly out of date and can't run many CURRENT games, let alone future ones.

Meanwhile, the Mac Pro is the flagship Mac and it SHOULD have the latest and greatest graphics cards available for it. Any computer that costs over $2000 in 2007 should have a pretty high-end card in it, IMO. The MacPro's GPU is a sore spot just as it is a sore spot with ALL Macs save perhaps the MBP, which is about where it should be, IMO.

Well if you go on what others say here the X1900XT is a great card. Able to run games like Crysis without breaking a sweat all at the native resolution of a 30" ACD.

Just throwing this out there, but even if the new platform does not support SLI or Crossfire, would one of those double cards still work? A newer as yet to be released version of the 7950 GX2?

The GX2 type cards sould work because AFAIK the system sees it at one card. The question is if OS X will recognize that there is more than one chip on the card and actually do womething with it.

 

[Erasmus]

Well if you go on what others say here the X1900XT is a great card. Able to run games like Crysis without breaking a sweat all at the native resolution of a 30" ACD.

I think someone's exaggerating...
...But it is a bunch better than an X1600

The GX2 type cards sould work because AFAIK the system sees it at one card. The question is if OS X will recognize that there is more than one chip on the card and actually do womething with it.

Cheers. Surely this will be possible in Leopard. Would be pretty stupid for Apple not to put it in. I mean, multi GPU GPUs are the way of the future. Or at least one of the ways of the future.

 

[diamond.g]

I think someone's exaggerating...
...But it is a bunch better than an X1600



Cheers. Surely this will be possible in Leopard. Would be pretty stupid for Apple not to put it in. I mean, multi GPU GPUs are the way of the future. Or at least one of the ways of the future.

Well until Microsoft moves to EFI support in their consumer operating system, or Apple becomes the leader in consumer operating systems (whichever happens first) I don't see Apple really going through that much effort. It also seems the video card manufacturers don't really have much of an incentive to make their cards EFI compatible. Especially since the consumer Mac has non upgradeable video hardware. And those that buy MacPros are probably less likely to buy a 8800 type card("too expensive").

 

[kebuttke]

hope

i hope there is some truth in the speculation on this forum, cuz im looking very closely at finally getting my dream machine, at it would anger me more than the iphone debacle to find out a month after buying a mac pro that they upgraded it.

 

[Macinposh]

And those that buy MacPros are probably less likely to buy a 8800 type card("too expensive").

On the contrary.

All the people I know that have (10-15?) G5/MP money has been a non-issue.


The computer is been paid by the clients in the long run as it is a production tool. That the computer has cost 2 or 5 grand hasnt affected the purchase decision.

But, people have allso bought only what they have needed. I think of the forementioned people about half would have bought that card, If it would have been aviable. Now they are using x1900/quadras.

 

[-hh]

Ah, so in other words you had nothing of importance to say, just had to correct a typo/memory thing rather than deal with actual substance ...

The bigger problem is that for those of us who don't stay on top of all of the CPU development stuff, you waste our time to go figure out that you weren't talking about YA option, but was merely a "typo" due to your own damn laziness.

My thanks to Eidorian for taking the time to point out this recurring error, as it has saved me from an "exercise in futility" Google search to find out what the bleep an Intel "Sante Fe" supposedly was.

I'll try and remember to ignore your posts from now on.

Arrogance while being flat-out wrong is such an endearing quality.

And "MagnusVonMagnum" ... goodness me! Can you make up a more egotistically pompus handle?

Nah, he's not "Over-compensating" for any personal shortcomings

-hh

 

[Wild-Bill]

And those that buy MacPros are probably less likely to buy a 8800 type card("too expensive").

You couldn't be more wrong. One of the major factors in waiting for a new Mac Pro revision versus buying one now has been the video card options.

 

[diamond.g]

On the contrary.

All the people I know that have (10-15?) G5/MP money has been a non-issue.


The computer is been paid by the clients in the long run as it is a production tool. That the computer has cost 2 or 5 grand hasnt affected the purchase decision.

But, people have allso bought only what they have needed. I think of the forementioned people about half would have bought that card, If it would have been aviable. Now they are using x1900/quadras.

You couldn't be more wrong. One of the major factors in waiting for a new Mac Pro revision versus buying one now has been the video card options.

I conceed, my 8800 comment was incorrect.

But it seems like no one has countered the rest of my post. Which I was sure that someone would. I would love to see more options in video cards, but that may or may not be in the cards. The best chance for MacPro users right now seems to be the upcomming rev of cards (G92, RV670, etc).

 

[Mac Kiwi]

I conceed, my 8800 comment was incorrect.

But it seems like no one has countered the rest of my post. Which I was sure that someone would. I would love to see more options in video cards, but that may or may not be in the cards. The best chance for MacPro users right now seems to be the upcomming rev of cards (G92, RV670, etc).

There will be a decent new card in the Mac Pros,but its usually the model previous to the latest and greatest for gaming in the PC world.Apart from the Quadros that is.


As for more options I cannot see that happening unfortunately.Myself I would like a mid range Quadro as an option or a Fire GL maybe.


I would love to know how many Quadros they have actually sold for Mac Pros.I am guessing not that many,or no where near as many as they could sell if they also offered a mid range 3d card thats for sure.