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Early Version of Intel's Nehalem Benchmarked, Much Faster than Penryn

Lots of unneeded hand wringing if you ask me.

Really I don't get people here and the obsession with every single release of new hardware from Intel/Apple. I just purchased a new Penryn based MBP a few months ago and can say I'm very pleased with both the hardware and software. It is not perfect by any means but I suspect will last me a long time with my current usage patterns.

The thing is this is the first Mac for me in a very long time. Previously I ran Linux systems built up out of what ever I could find. In fact this message is being posted from one of those boxes. In any event it was a huge jump in performance to go from a old single core processor to a dual core lappy. I just think people would be happier looking not to what they could have, but rather looking at how well they have improved themselves over time. Envy isn't a positive quality at all, trying to improve your lot in life is though.

Now all that being said I don't expect to replace this laptop anytime soon. The exception would be if I could leverage it to make money. But that would then become a business decision. It is a good tool as it stands now though.

Dave
 
I know this is going to sound like whining, but here goes.

I am not buying a new laptop anytime soon (the SR MBP I have is expensive and very powerful, oh and expensive). But when I use it it is not the power that I feel is wanting it is the battery.

I wish instead of a 20-50% increase in power and a 10% increase in power usage, Nehalem was 20-50% more energy efficient with say a 10% increase in computing power. I mean I know this doesn't more for the server grade versions of these chips, but I can't do anything very intense (word process, browse web)with my MBP and still get 3hrs batt life. What good is a 20-50% power increase if your lappy is dead (therefore a 100% power decrease:()

I'm just saying (and I know it is difficult, its not like other companies are doing it and apple isnt) it would be nice for a mobile workstation to be, well, mobile
 
skellener said:
As will be the one after it, and the one after that, and so on. These chips don't get slower. There will always be something better, faster, cheaper right after you buy.
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I disagree. I thought that both the last 2 new processors from Intel (Merom and Penryn) while improvements, were not terribly impressive. This one is or at least has the potential to be.
 
And that is when I will probably buy a Mac Pro. I still love my Mini, and would love a new one, but this would be worth saving for.

Come on, Apple, HIRE ME! I've applied for 5 jobs at corporate. Just think, if they hire me, they're saving all that money since I'll be pouring it back into the company!
 
skellener said:
As will be the one after it, and the one after that, and so on. These chips don't get slower. There will always be something better, faster, cheaper right after you buy.
Click to expand...

i disagree:

looking at the 2.0GHz G5 Powermac. that was good for a very long time. i think it was about 3 years before the Quad G5 brought a real improvement.

and the 2.0 Core2Duo MBP are only what, 20% slower than todays models.

sometimes there are certain big leaps in performance. that's the time to buy if you have a mac already and if you can wait.

then there are years with 10% improvement. that's the time to buy if you need a mac and if you can't wait.

on top of that there are often major improvements in HD, RAM, GPU , Form Factor and maybe Blue Ray tied to a CPU upgrade. That is also a reason to buy if you are flexible. After that you're good for a few years.

So I can understand people who do not need a mac right now that they wait for a leap in performance before they buy. For many on this forum a mac is not just any tool, it's a toy and they want the best.

This of course comes from someone who still uses a 1,5GHz Powerbook G4:rolleyes:
 
SpinThis! said:
So, what's the problem? Why do people get processor (penis) envy at whatever new comes out? It's not like your machine suddenly stops working at doing useful tasks. Hey I can post to macrumors.com forums 25% faster now!
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Perhaps there are those of us that do more than surf the 'net with our computer, Spin. It has nothing to do with Processor/Penis envy. It's about getting the most bang for your buck.

SpinThis! said:
Well you can wait until next year... or the year after.. or the year after. The computer industry is a moving train—you either make the jump and get on or sit on the tracks watching as the next car goes by.
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The top end stuff is getting crazy nice and some people hold onto their computer for a longer and longer period of time. My last big $6000 computer purchase was a 22" Cinema Display and top of the line PowerMac back in Feb '02 (almost 6.5 years) ago. My next purchase will be in Jan-Feb '09 if this comes out in the MacPro then. I'll be socking away $1,500 a month till Feb for the system I want… I started 2 months ago so I've earmarked $3K so far. I plan on spending $15K -- I'm more than doubling what I spent in 2002 but this time, I want the machine to be able to last me a full decade. So you see, waiting for a high-end machine for a year or so is not so crazy when you think that a lot of people will be holding onto their very expensive purchase for a very long time.

Come Feb 2009, it's going to be all about the new Mac Pro with tons of HD space/ram, two 30" Displays, and all new software suites along with perphrials out the ying-yang. Oh--and I've got the wife's blessing already. You can't put a price tag on your mate having no prob with gadget/computer buying. :D
 
Nano-tube said:
There is a debate over this. Basically, Nehalem means Brooks in Hebrew. As current generations of Intel processors are designed and developed mainly in Israel, the hebrew translation of Nehalem makes sense.
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There is no debate over this. Nehalem was designed in Oregon, not Israel. Like most other x86 CPU designs from Oregon (Willamette, Northwood, Prescott, Deschutes, Klamath, Tualatin, etc..) it is named after geographical features found in Oregon.

By the way, the variants (like Conroe) are developed in the US, but the core design is from Israel
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Historically the major designs have come entirely from the US. Recently the major design teams in Oregon and Israel have alternated major designs. Conroe, the last "tock", was developed in Israel. Penryn, its "tick", was developed in Santa Clara. Nehalem, the next "tock" is being developed in Oregon.
 
igxqrrl said:
Historically the major designs have come entirely from the US. Recently the major design teams in Oregon and Israel have alternated major designs. Conroe, the last "tock", was developed in Israel. Penryn, its "tick", was developed in Santa Clara. Nehalem, the next "tock" is being developed in Oregon.
Click to expand...

The Israel design center was opened to explore new mobile CPU designs because NetBurst required too much power and generated too much heat.

They took the Pentium III core and reworked it, which became Banias and the start of the "Pentium M / Centrino" line and it's successors.
 
Bad Paper said:
Holy crap! You're either crazy or filthy rich. Macs last long enough that you should wait a lot longer between upgrades. I only bought my Macbook because my iBook had finally started to crap out -- after seven years -- but it still works. There are people on here that wait ten years between upgrades for their desktops.

I'm hoping for a cheap Montevina (Mini? Please?) so that I can toss out the PC and have a couple of machines that I won't have to upgrade for a very. long. time.
Click to expand...

That's not necessarily true, I think it's natural to upgrade your Mac every 3-4 years. We don't deny that they last longer, but there is many ways to buy a Mac. You don't necessarily need to buy all cash, their is a loan, credit cards, etc. To each his own though, if you keep your Macs for years, that's cool.
 
CWallace said:
The Israel design center was opened to explore new mobile CPU designs because NetBurst required too much power and generated too much heat.

They took the Pentium III core and reworked it, which became Banias and the start of the "Pentium M / Centrino" line and it's successors.
Click to expand...


wasnt Intel founded in Israel? and then bought by america? correct me if im wrong on this
oh and "nehelem" in hebrew means "Stream/s or Brook" so yes its not an english word..
 
SchneiderMan said:
wasnt Intel founded in Israel? and then bought by america? correct me if im wrong on this
Click to expand...

Silicon Valley (Santa Clara), via Wikipedia:

Intel was founded in 1968 by Gordon E. Moore (a chemist and physicist) and Robert Noyce (a physicist and co-inventor of the integrated circuit) when they left Fairchild Semiconductor. A number of other Fairchild employees also went on to participate in other Silicon Valley companies. Intel's third employee was Andy Grove,[8] (a chemical engineer), who ran the company through much of the 1980s and the high-growth 1990s. Grove is now remembered as the company's key business and strategic leader. By the end of the 1990s, Intel was one of the largest and most successful businesses in the world.
Click to expand...
 
SchneiderMan said:
i dont trust the wiki lol,. but thanks
Click to expand...

That's a narrow-minded view. I've had a few teachers who believed the same thing but all caved eventually to my way of thinking. The real way to see it is thus: Don't trust Wikipedia when it hasn't cited sources.

Wikipedia is a great research tool, but it will bork a term paper if you cite it as a source. The trick is in going to the page of your topic and then immediately scrolling to the bottom and going to those sources to retrieve data.
 
wizard said:
Really I don't get people here and the obsession with every single release of new hardware from Intel/Apple. I just purchased a new Penryn based MBP a few months ago and can say I'm very pleased with both the hardware and software. It is not perfect by any means but I suspect will last me a long time with my current usage patterns.

The thing is this is the first Mac for me in a very long time. Previously I ran Linux systems built up out of what ever I could find. In fact this message is being posted from one of those boxes. In any event it was a huge jump in performance to go from a old single core processor to a dual core lappy. I just think people would be happier looking not to what they could have, but rather looking at how well they have improved themselves over time. Envy isn't a positive quality at all, trying to improve your lot in life is though.

Now all that being said I don't expect to replace this laptop anytime soon. The exception would be if I could leverage it to make money. But that would then become a business decision. It is a good tool as it stands now though.

Dave
Click to expand...

I have my new(ish - penryn 2.6) MBP it is without a doubt the finest computer I have owned - I am particularly impressed with it, the performance ripping dvds knocks most things into a cocked hat. improvements are indeed welcome but I have to say I cant remember the last time I was this happy with a piece of technology.(I do also use it professionally for cs3 which it is more than excellent at too) Happy days!

H.
 
kgeier82 said:
Nehalem will bring the new MBP case design, mark my words.

penryn was just a stepping stone update, Nehalem is a much bigger step. Concerned about the 10% more power usage though, thats the wrong way.
Click to expand...

I'll bet the case redesign comes with the new chipset! That's now (or July)
 
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