Updated Intel Product Pipeline Uncovered?

[Multimedia]

Woodcrest Quads Will Be The "Star" of The August 7 SteveNote

So, what your saying is the August announcement/release of Woodcrest means nothing for the Intel PowerMacs (MacPro)?

No not at all. Woodcrest Quads will be the "star" of the SteveNote.

 

[Fabio_gsilva]

Everytime a read something about the upcoming processors I feel much more confident about Intel processors inside Apple machines...

I really feel now that SJ choose the right side of the game.

Kudos for Apple, Kudos, for SJ!

 

[SciTeach]

Maybe that's what is going in the rumored new eMacs.

My thoughts exactly....Sounds like a low-end chip set that is also low cost which will make the new eMacs "affordable" for students & schools. Looking forwatd to what Apple does with them (the eMacs).

 

[iN8]

I know Merom and Yonah have impressive FSB's, but I hope the Conroe will do even better, since the old PM G5's had up to dual 1.25 GHz FSB's. I also hope the new PowerMacs will feature BSB (backsidebus), 4 S-ATA bays, and room for two optical drives. BTW, what are the clockspeeds of Conroe set to?...

I was wondering the same thing about the FSB. Why is it that Intel doesn't go the same route the G5 went and have the FSB at half the processor speed? Are intels system interconnects lacking? The G5s and I think AMD use Hypertransport, what is Intel using?

 

[Fabio_gsilva]

These minor speed bump reminds me of the PPC days. They are just more frequent.

Hey, come on... the speed bump is big! I read something that the new line of chips will be 30-40% faster than now!!! This is not a minor advantage...

 

[pizzach]

First off, "Mac" doesn't make computers - Apple does. And I think it's reasonable that they would keep the Yonah in the Macbook and save the faster/cooler chip for the MBP. Right now the MBP isn't a compelling value in the face of the MB, so this could be a way to seperate the lines.

Actually, I think they guy was just missing the word "be". If you just kerplunk the word Apple in there it doesn't really make any sense.

 

[Multimedia]

MacBook 2GHz Yonah Looking More Like A Keeper Into 2007 - Hope I'm Wrong

So...if the Merom processor is here in August, does this guarantee that Mac will update the Macbook to Merom then too?

I think it's reasonable that they would keep the Yonah in the Macbook and save the faster/cooler chip for the MBP. Right now the MBP isn't a compelling value in the face of the MB, so this could be a way to seperate the lines.

I'm afraid so. As much as I would like the MacBook to go Merom ASAP, I think Apple might use the Merom as a way to differentiate the MBP line from MB until Leopard ships - perhaps even longer. I hope we are wrong though DT.

I was thinking MacBook would get a 2GHz Merom in November - IE 6 months hence - at the latest. Now I'm not so sure. Then again MacInDoc in Post #49 below has reminded me I'm not alone in thinking Apple may want Merom inside all mobiles ASAP.

I'm looking at the Santa Rosa 2.33GHz Merom + Leopard as the MBP mobile star Mac of 2007 while a 2GHz Merom MacBook may not get Santa Rosa 'til 2008 just to keep it weaker. But I hope I'm wrong about that too. MacBook is such a darling new breed.

Post #49 I hope and suspect that the Macbook will go with Merom as soon as it is released, since the Merom is priced the same way as the current Yonah lineup. Apple now has to compete directly with Dell and other Winbox manufacturers, since it is using the same hardware. If Apple uses a Yonah in a Macbook and Dell offers a Merom-based laptop that's 30-40% faster for the same price or less, Apple is in trouble. So, if Apple continues to use Yonah (if Intel even continues to make it), it will have to drop the price of the Macbooks substantially, and I doubt that Apple is prepared to do that.

Look for the 1.66-1.83 (or maybe even 2) GHz Meroms in the next generation of Macbooks, since with the 20-30% speed boost over similarly-clocked Yonahs, even with a 10% drop in clock speed, they will still be faster, cooler-running and less expensive to make than the current models, will likely boost battery life and will offer 64 bit compatability.

The MBPs can all use Meroms clocked above 2 GHz for differentiation of lines, as well as their dedicated GPUs, larger (and maybe faster) HDs and more installed (and maximum) RAM.

Thta's a relief. I sure hope you're right. I was thinking like you until today when I let DT talk me out of it. I love the MacBook. But there's no way I could pull the trigger on one until it's got a 64-bit 2GHz Core 2 Duo with the 4MB L2 Shared Cache. Courage.

 

[tristan]

Socket P? The bugs kicked our ass on Planet P. (Starship Trooopers.)

Very promising, but Megahertz Myth or not, the industry still looks like its hit a wall at a little over 2ghz for a mobile processor. Not discounting dual core because I think its an awesome innovation, but at this point Moore's law is a joke. I hope Intel has something else up its sleeve in 2007.

 

[Multimedia]

Mobile Quad Core End Of 2007

Socket P? The bugs kicked our ass on Planet P. (Starship Trooopers.)

Very promising, but Megahertz Myth or not, the industry still looks like its hit a wall at a little over 2ghz for a mobile processor. Not discounting dual core because I think its an awesome innovation, but at this point Moore's law is a joke. I hope Intel has something else up its sleeve in 2007.

I believe they plan a mobile quad core for the end of 2007 which will be small enough to keep up their sleve until then. This will be the mobile decendant of Kentsfield and Cloverton desktop Quad Cores coming out next Spring.

 

[Peace]

Welcome to the world of Intel!.This is nothing like the PPC days when hoping for a 20MHZ bump was coming within a year..That's one of the reasons most Intel's ( and AMD ) use sockets.Upgradability..The switch from 667MHZ FSB to the 800MHZ FSB will be a bummer for folks wanting to upgrade their iMacs though..

 

[speakster]

Umm...

The Merom chip bumps up the top speed from 2.16 to 2.33 and uses the same bus speed and for around the same price?

how....exciting.....

 

[Multimedia]

Aren't 800MHz Bus Processors Also 667MHz Bus Auto Downshiftable?

Welcome to the world of Intel!.This is nothing like the PPC days when hoping for a 20MHZ bump was coming within a year..That's one of the reasons most Intel's ( and AMD ) use sockets.Upgradability..The switch from 667MHZ FSB to the 800MHZ FSB will be a bummer for folks wanting to upgrade their iMacs though..

I thought most of those processors could adapt between 667 and 800 - IE they are dual bus speed capable. No?

Post 39 you are correct but I believe one would have to write a compatability module for the EFI for it to run the newer 800MHZ FSB on the 667 MHZ Bus..Akin to the old BIOS where you could change the freqency..

Bummer. Sounds like a gottcha!

 

[Multimedia]

Some Of Us Have Been Waiting For 2.33GHz Merom In MacBook Pros

The Merom chip bumps up the top speed from 2.16 to 2.33 and uses the same bus speed and for around the same price?

how....exciting.....

Now you know why some of us have been holding back waiting for a faster Merom in MBP.

Also note: Twice the Shared Cache to 4MB even on the lowly 2GHz Merom.

 

[Peace]

I thought most of those processors could adapt between 667 and 800 - IE they are dual bus capable. No?

you are correct but I believe one would have to write a compatability module for the EFI for it to run the newer 800MHZ FSB on the 667 MHZ Bus..Akin to the old BIOS where you could change the freqency..Besides the Socket "P" will probably have an extra pin so one has to buy a new Motherboard.

 

[Core Trio]

Hey, come on... the speed bump is big! I read something that the new line of chips will be 30-40% faster than now!!! This is not a minor advantage...

I could be wrong but I think I read that the Merom, Conroe, and Woodcrest chips were 30-40% faster *at the same clock speed* as Yonah Core Duos, meaning at higher clock speeds the advantage is even greater than just in the numbers on paper.

 

[Josias]

I was wondering the same thing about the FSB. Why is it that Intel doesn't go the same route the G5 went and have the FSB at half the processor speed? Are intels system interconnects lacking? The G5s and I think AMD use Hypertransport, what is Intel using?

I hope we got some owner FSB's, but there are limits. If a Quad 3.2 GHz WoodCrest PowerMac has to have two 1.6 GHz FSB's, we're climbing extreme limits. I wouldn't count on much more than 1 GHz. This is why a Backsidebus would be very good.

 

[Shagrat]

Speak for yourself, I want a 3ghz frontside bus in 12 months

Or more likely Next Tuesday!

 

[crees!]

I wonder how long Ill be able to wait, at the release of Merom my powerbook will be a little over a year old, it still runs great but every time i go to the apple store I come that much close to justifying a MBP purchase.

Geez, my PowerBook is almost 3 years old and eventhough I dig the new Macs I don't think I'll be wanting one till Leopard is out of it's cage. Right now it's still a perfect machine with all the crap I shove down it's throat.

 

[portent]

Socket P? The bugs kicked our ass on Planet P. (Starship Trooopers.)

Very promising, but Megahertz Myth or not, the industry still looks like its hit a wall at a little over 2ghz for a mobile processor. Not discounting dual core because I think its an awesome innovation, but at this point Moore's law is a joke. I hope Intel has something else up its sleeve in 2007.

Moore's Law says nothing about clock speed. Moore's law is about transistor density and cost. Dual cores are the perfect embodiment of Moore's Law: double the number of transistors.

 

[jiggie2g]

I could be wrong but I think I read that the Merom, Conroe, and Woodcrest chips were 30-40% faster *at the same clock speed* as Yonah Core Duos, meaning at higher clock speeds the advantage is even greater than just in the numbers on paper.

no they are 20% faster then Yonah but 40% faster then P4(netburst). Yonah and AMD64(939) seem to perform the same clock 4 clock.

Of course the Woodcrest Quad will still be the "star" of the SteveNote Presentation. But I think Conroe will have a role in the Quad's little Core 2 Duo brothers.

Also of note is the addition of a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo processor set to sell for $209 retail. Looks like the $599 Combo Mac mini's friend to me. Hope to see the $799 Superdrive Mac mini get the 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo.

Finally one of you macheads got what i've been saying all this time , in single CPU configurations woodcrest offers no perfromance advantage over Conroe ...it is in fact more expensive for apple to use these instead of conroe and makes no sense if you are not going multi-socket. This is just wishful thinking from macmonkeys who want to extend thier ePenises with bragging rights.

I agree on the Mac Mini and both the 2nd gen Mini and MacBook will use the new Intel G965 Intergrated Video Processor(8-pipe/400mhz) Think Integrated 9800 Pro fully supports Vista Areo Glass/HDMI/SM 3.0/720P . will be faster then X1300 Pro.

 

[brepublican]

Moore's Law says nothing about clock speed. Moore's law is about transistor density and cost. Dual cores are the perfect embodiment of Moore's Law: double the number of transistors.

Ditto.

 

[MacinDoc]

I think they will keep core duos in the laptops/minis, and put the beefier chips in the iMac/[Power]mac. If these new intel chips use the same socket as the core solo/duos, you could just take a solo mini and pop in the newer chip. Or the same with your macbook.

Unfortunately, the CPUs in Macbooks and MBPs are not socketed, they are soldered to the motherboard. iMac and Minis, however, can probably have their Yonah chips replaced with the first generation of Meroms, but not the second generation that's coming in 2007 with the new socket.

 

[NVRsayNVR]

Bring It On!

Whatever Apple plans, I look forward to the *NEW* chips and am hopeful that the new MacPro will be an entirely new case design. Smaller, sleeker, better lines and oh... so... FAST! My birthday is August 7! Ha ha.

GREAT JOB INTEL! You guy's are !!



"Think Alike... BE Different!"

 

[MacinDoc]

I'm afraid so. As much as I would like the MacBook to go Merom ASAP, I think Apple will use the Merom as a way to differentiate the MBP line from MB until Leopard ships - perhaps even longer. I hope we are wrong though DT.

I hope and suspect that the Macbook will go with Merom as soon as it is released, since the Merom is priced the same way as the current Yonah lineup. Apple now has to compete directly with Dell and other Winbox manufacturers, since it is using the same hardware. If Apple uses a Yonah in a Macbook and Dell offers a Merom-based laptop that's 30-40% faster for the same price or less, Apple is in trouble. So, if Apple continues to use Yonah (if Intel even continues to make it), it will have to drop the price of the Macbooks substantially, and I doubt that Apple is prepared to do that.

Look for the 1.66-1.83 (or maybe even 2) GHz Meroms in the next generation of Macbooks, since with the 20-30% speed boost over similarly-clocked Yonahs, even with a 10% drop in clock speed, they will still be faster, cooler-running and less expensive to make than the current models, will likely boost battery life and will offer 64 bit compatability.

The MBPs can all use Meroms clocked above 2 GHz for differentiation of lines, as well as their dedicated GPUs, larger (and maybe faster) HDs and more installed (and maximum) RAM.

 

[aegisdesign]

The Merom chip bumps up the top speed from 2.16 to 2.33 and uses the same bus speed and for around the same price?

how....exciting.....

Also adds 128bit SSE instructions (ie. it's nearly as good as a G4 at vector code now) and is about 20% faster than Yonah clock for clock. It's also 64bit, unlike Yonah.