Kentsfield, Cloverton Quad-Core CPUs Arriving Early?

[iJawn108]

New MacPro rev2.
8 cores = 24Ghz
(with Free fire extinguisher and ear plugs)

I really laughed out loud at that.

 

[aswitcher]

First rev prices for any such beasts are going to be "excessive"

 

[meanmusic]

Merom Already Shipping

According to Daily Tech Merom is already shipping! Intel announced it during Intel's Q2'06 earnings report. Is an upgraded MBP going to make an appearance at the WWDC?

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3421

 

[Macnoviz]

Let's hope the "opposite of Hyperthreading" will come along (Leopard feature???).. So, instead of a "emulating" a Dual Core / CPU config (like on later Pentium 4's), emulate a Single CPU on multiple cores.
Then, you get 8 * 3 GHz = 1 * 24 GHz...!!!

I think Reverse Hyperthreading will have to be processor-bound, like Hyperthreading. Intel has its mitosis project, so let's hope that works out well!

 

[gnasher729]

I think Reverse Hyperthreading will have to be processor-bound, like Hyperthreading. Intel has its mitosis project, so let's hope that works out well!

There is no such thing as "Reverse Hyperthreading". This has been completely debunked.

 

[Derekasaurus]

If you want wild speculation, here goes.... Apple might use the Conroe and ConroeXE in the first Mac Pros and then add in support for Kentsfield (quad) when it becomes available. This could well be the reason why Intel has brought forward the release of Kentsfield.

Apple is playing with the big boys now. Intel moved up Kentsfield in response to AMD's 4x4, not anything Apple might do. Intel sells hundreds of millions of CPUs per year; Apple's demand is barely above the noise.

 

[shamino]

I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but Kentsfield will not be appearing in any of the Pro machines for some time.

Apple will be using them exclusively in the Xserves, at for the most part of 2007. This will finally give Apple another way to distinguish their server line from their pro line.

Do you have any evidence to back this up?

Historically, Apple has always sold a dual-processor model of the Pro systems. When dual-core PPCs became available, they shipped a G5 system with two of these.

In the absence of any other information, it seems pretty darn obvious that the high-end Mac Pro will have two processors, regardless of how many cores are in it. Which means it will have to be something from the Xeon line.

Apple doesn't need to cripple the Mac Pro in order to promote the Xserve. The two products are designed for completely different applications and are not interchangeable for any serious applications. Nobody will ever want to use an Xserve on their desktop, and nobody setting up a compute cluster will want to build it from desktop boxes.

 

[shamino]

What? Apple*differentiates the XServes by having them 1U thick and rackmountable. One buys a rackmount server not because it's faster but because it's smaller and fits in a rack.

...
and ECC memory
and dual GigE network ports
and serial-port management capability
and Mac OS X server preloaded
and no bundled video hardware

The processor and hard drive can be identical to a G5 or Mac Pro, and neither will cut into the other's business. An Xserve makes for a lousy desktop, and a G5 tower is overpriced and not as good when used as a cluster node.

 

[shawnce]

...
and ECC memory
and dual GigE network ports

Current PowerMacs have both of these... it supports ECC and has dual GigE

 

[Eidorian]

According to Daily Tech Merom is already shipping! Intel announced it during Intel's Q2'06 earnings report. Is an upgraded MBP going to make an appearance at the WWDC?

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3421

¡¿Qué?!

 

[manu chao]

Definitely need 8 cores me.

One for running whatever program I'm working on.

One for running the OS X interface, with Core Image, and bells and whistles and brass knobs and shiny candy.

One for running Azerus or LimeWire or one of these Bittorrent clients that all seem to be in Java on the mac, and all slow my machine to a crawl..

One for running Firefox and rendering these java / flash adverts that seem to slow my machine to a crawl.

One for doing the video rendering that still slows my machine to a crawl for hours and hours.

One for running the Windows XP virtualisation machine in a window on my desktop that seemed to slow my machine to a crawl last time I tried it.

One for running whatever program I'm running inside the Windows XP virtualisation machine that regularly slows to a crawl when I'm trying to do something useful.

One to rule them all and take over from the other cores when one of them crashes as still seems to happen every now and then on OS X.

/tongue from cheek

And I thought 4 cores would really be enough...

But I guess I would be fine with 4 cores for the time being (except when running Apple's pro apps which can use all 4 cores leaving none for Parallels).

 

[MrCrowbar]

Nobody will ever want to use an Xserve on their desktop, and nobody setting up a compute cluster will want to build it from desktop boxes.

Hehe, I remember Virginia Tech having built the 3rd fastest supercomputer out of 1100 dual powermacs G5. Back then, the XServe G5 wasn't available. You can see that in the MWSF 2004 keynote (minute 25 ff). They later switched to the Xserve G5 when those came out. It had 10.28 TF for just $5.2M.

 

[patrick0brien]

Actually, that was my point, but now that you mention it, reversed hyperthreading would solve some problems.

In the long run (really long run, I'm talking quantumcomputers here) however, you are right, and innovation in computing will mostly come from software and how you tell the computer what to do. The nec-plus-ultra would be thinking of a result and getting it (or saying it to your computer) like a photoshop user going, well I would like the sun being more dominant in that picture, the power lines removed, and make those persons look younger. Boom. It happens.

-Macnoviz

Woah. Well, there's more than raw computing involved there, there is context for the computer to understand. What is the "sun" what does "Dominant" really mean? What are power lines? What does "remove" really mean? And let's not go into what kind of DB would be needed to describe all of the differences a person's face exhibits over a lifetime!

I'm sure we'll get there and such 'life' DB's built I hope there is a standard set! Who says we don't need this really big drives!

 

[Multimedia]

Merom MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo May Arrive Sooner Than Later

Merom Already Shipping
According to Daily Tech Merom is already shipping! Intel announced it during Intel's Q2'06 earnings report. Is an upgraded MBP going to make an appearance at the WWDC?

"...Otellini confirmed that quad-core isn't the only processor series moved up. The CEO confirmed Merom has been moved up and is already shipping to revenue, as was reported by HKEPC (English) several days ago. Intel's Tulsa processors for Xeon MP are also already shipping to revenue according to Otellini, but the availability of these processors has largely been overshadowed by yesterday's launch of Itanium 2 Montecito and the recent launch of Xeon DP Woodcrest.

Typically there is a two to three week lag between revenue shipments and retail availability, so expect to see many of these new "shipping to revenue" processors before the end of the month."

Wow, if true and Apple is ready with the new body, we might see the all new Mobile Pro Core 2 Duo Mac sooner than any of us expected. That would be great. Only 18 days until we find out.

 

[whatever]

yeah, what he said. Apple does not have to distinguish powermacs from servers with processor speeds. People (businesses) who need servers are not going to buy powermacs to do the job even if they are a little bit faster or cheaper; they are going to buy real rack-mounted servers.

Now you're not thinking like a competitive company that needs to continue to make money.

Sun is on the ropes and Apple now has a chance to soar in and take a lot of business from them.

 

[Abstract]

I wonder what they're going to call them, Quad sounds cool but "Octa or Octo" just sounds a bit silly.

MacPro8?

The Mactopus??

Orgy-core.

 

[xPismo]

The party just keeps getting better. I'm so ready for the new ultra MBP.

Go WWDC!

 

[RedTomato]

Orgy-core.

That gets my vote.

Or Octopussy.

 

[Multimedia]

Mac Pro OctaCore 2

I'm betting on Mac Pro OctaCore 2

Should that "a" be an "o" ?

 

[shamino]

Hehe, I remember Virginia Tech having built the 3rd fastest supercomputer out of 1100 dual powermacs G5. Back then, the XServe G5 wasn't available. You can see that in the MWSF 2004 keynote (minute 25 ff). They later switched to the Xserve G5 when those came out. It had 10.28 TF for just $5.2M.

And I remember that they were very concerned about the lack of ECC memory, and were extremely eager to replace them with Xserves as soon as the G5 model came out.

 

[yac_moda]

I'm betting on Mac Pro OctaCore 2

Should that "a" be an "o" ?

Its Mac raised to the power of INFINITY

The loga will just be a mobius loop !!!

 

[Chundles]

And I remember that they were very concerned about the lack of ECC memory, and were extremely eager to replace them with Xserves as soon as the G5 model came out.

Yeah, the original PowerMac G5 cluster thingy was really just a proof of concept that a high-powered supercomputer could be made from Macs and using the Mac OS. It never ran anything mission critical because of the lack of ECC RAM which could cause all sorts of trouble with calculations if there was even one bit flip.

Once the XServe came out with ECC support they swapped out the PowerMacs (I think MacMall had a big sale of the PMs from the Virginia system) and replaced them with 2.3GHz XServes made specially for them by Apple - at the time I think the XServes were only 2GHz so Apple made a bunch of 2.3GHz systems for Virginia to counteract the effect of the time they lost replacing the PowerMacs.

 

[kenaustus]

If Intel designates Kentsfield as a desktop processor it will make its way into Mac Pros as fast as the competition can deliver their desktop versions. Apple is now one of the "Intel Big Boys" and there will be continual (internal & external) pressure not to be left behind.

I would also think Apple is getting ready for Kentsfield - they have had the same pre-release information that the other Intel Big Boys have received.

I think that the surprise will be next month when Steve J is talking about Leopard. He'll mention something like, "You might have read a bit about a new chip from Intel called Kentsfield. You might like to know that Leopard is designed to take full advantage of Kentsfield when it's released." He really doesn't need to say anything else - that alone will drive MS nuts.

With a quad core arriving rather fast I believe that Apple may be looking at the headless range. Right now there is only the mini and (upcoming) Pro. Lots of room in between the two and that room gets bigger with Kentsfield. It presents a very good argument for a mid range headless to fill the gap.

SInce the mini has been out for a while there will be a lot of users that "switched" to a Mac because of the mini and now went something more powerful - without loosing their investment in their display. If the Pro is overkill then APple is going to loose the upgrade. Others, like me, use a PB with a large display - mine is the 23". I don't want a huge tower under the table and I don't see the value of moving to a mini. I'll reach for the credit card after Kentsfield is released IF there is a mid-range that excites me.

 

[HelloKitty]

Isn't Quad-Core Holding People from Buying a Woodcrest Mac Pro??

Well..I wonder if Apple indeed comes up with the Mac Pro update using even the top-of-the-line Xeon, who's gonna buy one knowing that a quad-core processor is coming up in the near future? I mean, I would hold off buying a Woodcrest machine if there's a quad-core is coming up next year..

I know people will always say that "if you need one, buy one. Don't wait for new machines." But hey, it's a 2 grand machine!

Perhaps we won't be seeing a Woodcrest Mac Pro at this year's WWDC at all. Perhaps we'll be seeing a quad-core Mac Pro proto-type that will be available in Novemeber or something like that !

 

[Silentwave]

Well..I wonder if Apple indeed comes up with the Mac Pro update using even the top-of-the-line Xeon, who's gonna buy one knowing that a quad-core processor is coming up in the near future? I mean, I would hold off buying a Woodcrest machine if there's a quad-core is coming up next year..

I know people will always say that "if you need one, buy one. Don't wait for new machines." But hey, it's a 2 grand machine!

Perhaps we won't be seeing a Woodcrest Mac Pro at this year's WWDC at all. Perhaps we'll be seeing a quad-core Mac Pro proto-type that will be available in Novemeber or something like that !

I don't know what intel's pricing will be on the Clovertowns....it is possible that Woodcrest will take a price dive when clovertown comes out and clovertown would take its place, or it is possible clovertown will be more expensive. Kentsfield is I think supposed to be an Extreme Edition?