dual core powermacs still dual processor?

[Porshuh944turbo]

if the new powermacs are dual core, I'm assuming they won't still be dual processor. I've seen several posts of people referring to dualcore & dual processor powermacs.. but I don't think that's what we'd get if in fact the new pm's are the 970mp chips, we'd just have a single 970mp chip with 2 cores. Is that what you guys understood too?

If they are only single chips, wouldn't the current enclosure be a little weird since there is room for 2 processors and 2 huge heatsinks? I'm just wondering what it would look like if all the pm's were singleproc dualcore... would they shrink down the enclosure?

 

[robbieduncan]

I would not be surprised to see dual dual-core PMs simply because I do not expect the MP core to have a massivley higher clock speed than the current FX core. To provide something to market Apple may have to push the quad-core angle.

 

[mgargan1]

just being a pessimest about things like this... I highly doubt that the new powermacs will be dual-core. Just my feeling, and lets hope I'm wrong

 

[velocityg4]

It seems to me that apple would be likely to push on to dual dual core. Whenever dual core chips are released. Do to three reasons.

1. Intel and AMD will be coming out with dual core and Apple will need to tempt people with Quad cores.
2. Since Intel and AMD are coming out with dual core's more software will take advantage of multiple cores. Thus all four processors could be utilized on a powermac. Even with games.
3. It really would be useful for their pro lineup. My friends dual 2.0 takes a while rendering 30 minutes of video. I couldn't imagine how much time it would take for a pro working with hours of video on a dual processor machine in High Definition.

 

[Blackheart]

Let's stop confusing the roles of Apple and IBM. If anyone is going to make a dual core processor for the Macintosh, it's not going to be Apple because they don't make processors. This is all on IBM.

 

[Porshuh944turbo]

Let's stop confusing the roles of Apple and IBM. If anyone is going to make a dual core processor for the Macintosh, it's not going to be Apple because they don't make processors. This is all on IBM.

Right, but my question was not regarding Apple making processors. My question was if they were going to ship powermacs (once the 970mp makes it's way into them) with one or two dual core processors, effectively giving you 4 processor cores -- this doesn't mean quad-core. Where did you guys get the term "quad-core"?

 

[crazzyeddie]

Let's stop confusing the roles of Apple and IBM. If anyone is going to make a dual core processor for the Macintosh, it's not going to be Apple because they don't make processors. This is all on IBM.

IBM makes the 970MP, but Apple decides whether or not to use 1 970MP or two in their systems. The discussion is a very valid one. I doubt Apple will make a quad "processor" system right when the 970MPs come out, unless they only market it in their xServes and maybe highest end Powermac. Supply problems will most likely be an issue, just as they were when the 2ghz G5 came out.

 

[Jigglelicious]

Somehow I highly doubt we will be seeing dual core G5's in any Apple computer for quite some time. AMD just released their dual core Opterons, and the CPU's sell for as much as $1500 each!

 

[Blackheart]

IBM makes the 970MP, but Apple decides whether or not to use 1 970MP or two in their systems. The discussion is a very valid one.

Given the competition from Intel and AMD, I have no doubt that Apple will use every resource that IBM gives them. As far as current rumors go of G5 still not hitting the 3GHz mark, I'm sure Apple is on IBM's case with having to play catchup. If Apple could have given a 3GHz already, I'm sure they would have.

 

[Bear]

Will the next updates have dual core (970MP) chips? Maybe, maybe not.

Will PowerMacs have two dual core processors or just one? I suspect the low end will be a single dual core processor and the high end would be a dual dual core processor.

If the next PowerMacs are not dual core ones, I wouldn't be surprised to see a high end dual dual core system being added to the product line. And then the update after that more systems would have dual core procs.