Intel Core 2 Duo (Conroe) Performance

[Eidorian]

Is it more than a G5? I see someone posted PowerMac processor power consumption, but those were dual processors in a PowerMac. I want to see how much power the single G5 in an iMac consumed.

The 970FX specifications are littered in my earlier posts in this thread and in the Woodcrest thread.

I believe it was along the lines of 80w of power with 25-47w TDP.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/2608770/

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/2608968/

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/2614723/

 

[kevin.rivers]

Whether IMac takes Merom or Conroe, it's still 64 bit. Does anybody have any feeling whether the IMac will be able to handle > 2GB of memory (assuming 2GB dimms are for sale)? That would make me very happy

Thanks,
Steve

As far as I know it can handle 2GB+ memory now up to 4GB on the 945G.
http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/945g/

The 945G supports 64-bit, so you can drop in a Merom. So current intel iMacs will do 4GB and 64bit.

If Apple drops in Merom in the next few months without moving to a new chipset. I am guessing the amount of memory will still be limited by the chipset, at 4GB.

If Apple goes Merom with a new chipset, or Conroe that will change the ball game.

So. The last factor is of course cost. 2GB sticks are way too much to be cost effective. I would hope to see the cost come down, once the need for 4GB of memory in a mobile becomes necessary. I don't think it is right now.

 

[THX1139]

Does anyone think we should be hitting 4ghz about now?

I mean weve been stuck on 2.x for ages. Whats the deal? A 4ghz quad would be frickin awesome.

They have given up on speed and are focussing on multiple processors instead. You will see speed increases but not as often. In the next few years you might see dozens of processors all with Quad or Octo cores instead of just dual core today. IMHO, I prefer additional processors over sheer GHZ anyday. Your 4ghz wish isn't going to mean anything against a Kenstfield in 2007. However, a Quad 4ghz would be sweet... but damn hot.

 

[seenew]

And I thought I was hot stuff with my 2GHz Core Duo iMac... Less than a month old!
Oh well, that's the way it always goes...


What's the probability of being able to drop one of the newer, more powerful chips into my iMac sometime in the future? I mean, I've got 2GB RAM and a 500GB HDD, and a 256MB video card... A newer processor down the line should work well, right?

 

[Eidorian]

And I thought I was hot stuff with my 2GHz Core Duo iMac... Less than a month old!
Oh well, that's the way it always goes...

Someone should have paid attention to the Buyer's Guide.

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//

I've had the money for an iMac for over a month now. I haven't bought it though.

What's the probability of being able to drop one of the newer, more powerful chips into my iMac sometime in the future? I mean, I've got 2GB RAM and a 500GB HDD, and a 256MB video card... A newer processor down the line should work well, right?

The CPU is possible but you probably wouldn't want to it yourself. The hard drive is easier. The video card would require an entire logic board replacement.

 

[zenmac]

Have anybody seen a benchmark which compares the core 2 duo with the actuall core duo?

I can only see benchmarks between core 2 duo and AMD CPU's and standard dual core Pentium 4 cpu.

Thanks
Masoud

 

[Eidorian]

Have anybody seen a benchmark which compares the core 2 duo with the actuall core duo?

I can only see benchmarks between core 2 duo and AMD CPU's and standard dual core Pentium 4 cpu.

Thanks
Masoud

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2648&p=1

Compare Core Duo vs. AMD. At least until someone does a Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo benchmark.

As Eidorian's link points out, Core Duo (Yonah) performance falls somewhere between the Athlon X2 3800 and the Athlon X2 4200. The 2.40GHz E6600, 2.66GHz E6700, and 2.93GHz X6800 Core 2 Duos in particular are at least 40% faster, which is exactly what Intel promised at the IDF (although they were comparing it against the Pentium D).

*yawns*

 

[Silentwave]

Have anybody seen a benchmark which compares the core 2 duo with the actuall core duo?

I can only see benchmarks between core 2 duo and AMD CPU's and standard dual core Pentium 4 cpu.

Thanks
Masoud

Core 2 duo out so far is a desktop chip being compared against other dektop chips. The Core Duo only came as a notebook chip (with one version as a very low power server chip, Sossaman)

 

[zenmac]

I know that it is a desktop chip but I would expect that a site like anandtech or tomshardware would check againt the core duo just to see how much the difference is between the two "core" CPU.

 

[seenew]

Someone should have paid attention to the Buyer's Guide.

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//

I've had the money for an iMac for over a month now. I haven't bought it though.

I did, at the time, it said mid-product cycle. And I had to have the computer for school, so I had to get it then. I'm just sad.

 

[Eidorian]

I did, at the time, it said mid-product cycle. And I had to have the computer for school, so I had to get it then. I'm just sad.

Well I don't have a computer right now either. So I have to get one for school too. I'm holding out until WWDC at least. If I'm lucky maybe even Apple Expo Paris. I doubt that one though. Unless work buys me a computer.

 

[Silentwave]

I know that it is a desktop chip but I would expect that a site like anandtech or tomshardware would check againt the core duo just to see how much the difference is between the two "core" CPU.

Why?

Mobile vs. desktop
32 bit vs. 64 bit
Pentium M architecture vs. Intel Core microarchitecture (yes, Yonah uses the latest version of the pentium M architecture, far more efficient than netburst)
and I doubt very much they have comparable Mobos/ machines to test them on.

 

[Mainyehc]

I did, at the time, it said mid-product cycle. And I had to have the computer for school, so I had to get it then. I'm just sad.

I know your pain... Just this friday I received an unexpected e-mail from the Uni, telling me to fill the paperwork for the Erasmus (an european interchange programme, for which I supposedly was not accepted for having not-so-great grades... )! Now I'll probably have to get a MacBook come September, whether it has a Core Duo or a Core 2 Duo inside... I'm figuring it will have the first, even though the latter would be preety sweet. Damn!

Anyway, either processor will kick my rev.A 20'' iMac G5's ass any day of the week (13'' is tiny, but I can always get an external monitor to go with it later when I come back, now that you can hook'em up without the need for hacks...)!

 

[DVK916]

There is no way apple with go with Merom for the imac. One huge factor you are all ignoring, is price. Merom cost alot more than conroe for the same speed. Apple will try to lower cost, and that means going with Conroe.

 

[Silentwave]

There is no way apple with go with Merom for the imac. One huge factor you are all ignoring, is price. Merom cost alot more than conroe for the same speed. Apple will try to lower cost, and that means going with Conroe.

It's a matter of heat. We can't be sure that they'll go Conroe if the actual heat put off by the chip (ignoring TDP quotes on either side) is much more than a G5.

I hope they use Conroe though- that would be fantastic.

But I honestly can't say that I think it will go conroe YET. It would be more likely when they have to redesign the Logic Board next year because Merom's 800MT/S FSB version will have a new socket and need the new Santa Rosa chipset. They'll be just as well off if they do a new LB at that point for Conroe.

 

[bloodycape]

1st of all I said Apple not IBM or AMD. AMD is going to get a through ass kicking for the next 12-18 months till K8L comes out. The Turion X2 is a flop(that's also 6 months late) It's so bad for AMD that they are practically having a fire sale on X2/A64's come the 24th. Let's not even go there with IBM they are too busy making toy CPU's for M$ , and talk about the nightmare IBM/Sony are having with the Cell yields(what are they like 20-30%).lol

I got do a firmware upgrade and get on that X2 sales action. I just hope it will be fairly priced like the non X2's.

Opps forgot to post the cnet review. http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_XPS_70...X6800/4505-3118_7-31972975.html?tag=cnetfd.sd

 

[Silentwave]

I got do a firmware upgrade and get on that X2 sales action. I just hope it will be fairly priced like the non X2's.

Opps forgot to post the cnet review. http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_XPS_70...X6800/4505-3118_7-31972975.html?tag=cnetfd.sd

Hrm...I don't trust cnet: looking at their comparisons I was struck by the XPS 700 with the X6800 being so much faster than the intel board testbed for the X6800. Then I saw what was going on....they skewed the results by using only half the RAM in the X6800.

Of course considering how it performed despite this, i'm very glad we're using intel core

 

[Manic Mouse]

There is no way apple with go with Merom for the imac. One huge factor you are all ignoring, is price. Merom cost alot more than conroe for the same speed. Apple will try to lower cost, and that means going with Conroe.

The CPU is probably the single most expensive component of the iMac, so if they use Conroe they not only have faster processors but they are also saving money which means more profit for Apple.

The million dollar question is whether or not the thermals of Conroe allow it to be used within the constrained iMac design. At the very least it'll need a new motherboard, or possibly a re-design.

Conroes are the most power efficient desktop processor currently available, so fingers crossed!

 

[tintub]

Could someone please clarify, are we expecting the MacBook Pro to be updated at WWDC? I'm ready to purchase a MacBook Pro right away, but if we are fairly certain that there will be a new release in August I will wait as my current laptop is doing the job.

Does anyone want to give some odds? I know that no-one can be certain but for instance for a 25% chance I'll wait, for a 5% chance I'll just order one now.

 

[Eidorian]

Could someone please clarify, are we expecting the MacBook Pro to be updated at WWDC? I'm ready to purchase a MacBook Pro right away, but if we are fairly certain that there will be a new release in August I will wait as my current laptop is doing the job.

Yes, we're expecting an update to the MacBook Pro at WWDC. Either they're shipping with Merom or are pre-ordering for it.

]Does anyone want to give some odds? I know that no-one can be certain but for instance for a 25% chance I'll wait, for a 5% chance I'll just order one now.

I'd say greater then 25%.

 

[Silentwave]

Could someone please clarify, are we expecting the MacBook Pro to be updated at WWDC? I'm ready to purchase a MacBook Pro right away, but if we are fairly certain that there will be a new release in August I will wait as my current laptop is doing the job.

Does anyone want to give some odds? I know that no-one can be certain but for instance for a 25% chance I'll wait, for a 5% chance I'll just order one now.

I wouldn't give you good odds for WWDC, but you should have your update within less than a month from it.

Merom isn't out at the time of WWDC- it won't be until later in August. It is possible they may let apple take pre-orders if steve wants to really make it a massive attack at WWDC on all parts of the line charging ahead into the next generation, but you never know with him.

Of course the way things are going, for all we know there may really be PB G5s at WWDC, who knows nowadays

 

[Eidorian]

I wouldn't give you good odds for WWDC, but you should have your update within less than a month from it.

Merom isn't out at the time of WWDC- it won't be until later in August. It is possible they may let apple take pre-orders if steve wants to really make it a massive attack at WWDC on all parts of the line charging ahead into the next generation, but you never know with him.

Of course the way things are going, for all we know there may really be PB G5s at WWDC, who knows nowadays

Unless Apple gets some special early treatment from Intel, I agree with preorders.

 

[foo10]

I hope well have a Core 2 Duo on a MBP soon. I've been thinking of selling my 20" G5 iMac and buying a 17" MBP.

 

[MacSA]

I wouldn't give you good odds for WWDC, but you should have your update within less than a month from it.

Merom isn't out at the time of WWDC- it won't be until later in August. It is possible they may let apple take pre-orders if steve wants to really make it a massive attack at WWDC on all parts of the line charging ahead into the next generation, but you never know with him.

Of course the way things are going, for all we know there may really be PB G5s at WWDC, who knows nowadays

But wasnt Yonah supposed to come out in January this year, and Apple released the iMac early January. So tens of thousands of chips must have been shipping before the official release date, I dont see why the same couldn't be true of these new chips.

 

[Eidorian]

But wasnt Yonah supposed to come out in January this year, and Apple released the iMac early January. So tens of thousands of chips must have been shipping before the official release date, I dont see why the same couldn't be true of these new chips.

Intel launched Yonah at CES on January 5, 2006. 5 days later Apple had it in the iMac. So it's entirely possible that Apple is sitting on a cache of Conroe and even Merom chips.