New G5s make way for Sonnet or PowerLogix!

[SpaceMagic]

It seems to me (correct me if I am wrong) that Apple has simply removed the Processor Module from the 1.6Ghz G5s and replaced that with a dual 1.8 Module and added another heat sink. There is no difference whatsoever to the other specs...

This tells me that one day it will be very easy for Sonnet Technologies or PowerLogix to bring out Processor Modules. Which is always great news. My 1.8Ghz G5 may one day become a dual 3ghz for only $499.

 

[Chryx]

It seems to me (correct me if I am wrong) that Apple has simply removed the Processor Module from the 1.6Ghz G5s and replaced that with a dual 1.8 Module and added another heat sink. There is no difference whatsoever to the other specs...

This tells me that one day it will be very easy for Sonnet Technologies or PowerLogix to bring out Processor Modules. Which is always great news. My 1.8Ghz G5 may one day become a dual 3ghz for only $499.

The catch is that single processor G5's only have one processor socket, and they'd need two to put dual processors in (remember, the G5 bus is point to point, rather than the shared bus the G4 uses)

 

[oingoboingo]

It seems to me (correct me if I am wrong) that Apple has simply removed the Processor Module from the 1.6Ghz G5s and replaced that with a dual 1.8 Module and added another heat sink. There is no difference whatsoever to the other specs...

This tells me that one day it will be very easy for Sonnet Technologies or PowerLogix to bring out Processor Modules. Which is always great news. My 1.8Ghz G5 may one day become a dual 3ghz for only $499.

The original single 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz G5 motherboards contains soldering pads for two CPU modules, but only one set of pads has the actual connector soldered in. It would be physically impossible to add two CPUs in these models.

You do raise an interesting point about G5 CPU upgrade modules, and it is a question that I have been trying to get answered since almost the first day my 1.6GHz G5 arrived in September last year. Is it possible , for example, to swap a 1.6GHz G5 CPU module for one pulled from a 1.8GHz or 2GHz system? Is the G5 motherboard firmware-locked to a particular speed of CPU in the factory, or is it similar to PC motherboards where the board will auto detect and configure a compatible CPU, regardless of clock speed?

The lack of announcements from companies like Sonnet and PowerLogix in the last year makes me a little worried that perhaps the G5 PowerMac may not be CPU upgradable like the G4 PowerMacs were. Upgrading from a 1.6GHz G5 to a 2GHz G5 (or higher) in a year or two would be a nice way to extend the life of the system.

 

[SpaceMagic]

Maybe sonnet haven't released details because there is not much scope yet. People aren't going to pay a lot of money (because your getting a whole new chip) for a 200mhz upgrade... 1.6 -> 1.8.

However, when there is more scope, say next year when we at or around 3ghz, there may be 2.2, 2.4s around which would make the perfect upgrade for a 1.6 or 1.8 user.

Time will tell...

 

[Sun Baked]

OK, you are WRONG.

You cannot put two G5 CPUs onto a single FSB, each CPU in the G5 world needs it's own independent FSB.

Realistically the G5 would work best if the CPU was soldered directly to the motherboard and the socket was eliminated.

The G5 1.6 and the G5 1.8 replacement are in a sense the same board, except that the second processor socket in soldered into the 1.8s board and not on the 1.6s board. There are also spaces for 4 extra DIMMs, but adding them is beyond the technical skill for most people.

 

[SpaceMagic]

Talk about up front Sun Baked. Everyone else's response was much more civilized and I think we've already established that you cannot put a dual in.

I should have made it clear in my last post that I mean singles. Just because Apple has released DUAL 2.5s and DUAL 2.0s ONLY doesn't mean you wont be able to get SINGLE CPU modules. Sonnet and PowerLogix have done this in the past.