Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Waiting for Broadwell MBP Thread

Is it only me, or this new Apple-IBM partnership could be the start something like the returning of PowerPC CPU's to apple, letting Intel on the side?

Maybe IBM has some kind of Power8 CPU for the mainstream?

6 to 12 cores is nothing new on the server side CPU's, but running up to 5GHz !
The 22nm size is the thing that's intrigues me, Is it hot, is it expensive?
 
imm22 said:
Is it only me, or this new Apple-IBM partnership could be the start something like the returning of PowerPC CPU's to apple, letting Intel on the side?

Maybe IBM has some kind of Power8 CPU for the mainstream?

6 to 12 cores is nothing new on the server side CPU's, but running up to 5GHz !
The 22nm size is the thing that's intrigues me, Is it hot, is it expensive?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bet on that.
 
Considering the cost of developing chips for anything more advanced than embedded use I doubt IBM has ether the money or the will to borrow the money to be able to make something that can compete with Intel.

The last time IBM made a chip for Apple they did it on the cheap by scaling down their family of mainframe processors to create the powerhog that was the G5. If they pull the same trick again, Apple will have to build a new series of computers to house it as they simply don't make anything that could house a powerhog like that. The Xserve probably would have been something that could easily fit a scaled down mainframe processor pretty well, but Apple killed the whole product line years ago.

The obvious purpose of this partnership is to provide IBM's mainframe based backend solutions with a nice looking frontend and Apple's tablet and smartphone based frontend solutions with a powerful backend. Another way of putting it is that they're planning to build software that can more easily link together their hardware.

Over the last few years IBM has become pretty desperate in their search for applcations for their increasingly niche mainframe based solutions as distributed systems are eating their market due to becoming more and more capable of taking over jobs only their mainframes could do properly. One of IBM's main selling points for their mainframes to this day is that they have backwards compatibility going back all the way to the 1960's.
 
SarcasticJoe said:
The last time IBM made a chip for Apple they did it on the cheap by scaling down their family of mainframe processors to create the powerhog that was the G5. If they pull the same trick again
Click to expand...

The G5 was not a scaled down mainframe chip. It was a scaled down POWER4 which powered IBM's UNIX line of servers.

----------
imm22 said:
Is it only me, or this new Apple-IBM partnership could be the start something like the returning of PowerPC CPU's to apple, letting Intel on the side?

Maybe IBM has some kind of Power8 CPU for the mainstream?

6 to 12 cores is nothing new on the server side CPU's, but running up to 5GHz !
The 22nm size is the thing that's intrigues me, Is it hot, is it expensive?
Click to expand...

Power8 is definitely the king on performance, but there isn't any mainstream chip. Top end CPUs are about double the performance (in server and industry standard CPU benchmarks) of the top end 12 core Xeon in the Mac Pro.

i.e.
specJEnterprise: 2x
SAP SD 2 Tier: 2.2x
Specint_rate: 1.88x
Specfp_rate: 2.1x

Comparison is 12 core 3.52Ghz POWER8 vs 12 core 2.7Ghz Xeon 2697v2

Power usage is pretty good as well considering the performance (190W vs 130W).
 
johnnylarue said:
I keep coming back to two incontestable facts regarding a late-2014 rMBP refresh:

2. No Broadwell until 2015.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say this is incontestable. Sure we've seen one or two leaked roadmaps that caught some attention amongst tech websites that stipulated that the majority of Broadwell processors are coming in 2015. However, these Roadmaps should be taken only slightly more seriously than rumours from Kuo, because that's what these Roadmaps are, more specific rumours put into a diagram. I've seen Roadmaps that said Broadwell is coming in late 2014, and even Intel's CEO guaranteed that at least some Broadwell chips are released this year, so I wouldn't bet the farm on Broadwell being released in 2015.
 
Wait, so Intel didn't come out and say they were delayed - I mean the MBP chips, not the fanless ones?

This is wrecking my head a bit! :p
 
GoneDrinkin said:
Wait, so Intel didn't come out and say they were delayed - I mean the MBP chips, not the fanless ones?

This is wrecking my head a bit! :p
Click to expand...

Intel said that there will be some broadwell chips by the 'holiday season', but they have not official said that desktop/ulv laptop cpus would be delayed until 2015, that is just rumour based on leaked roadmaps and other sources.
 
The Leafs Fan said:
I wouldn't say this is incontestable. Sure we've seen one or two leaked roadmaps that caught some attention amongst tech websites that stipulated that the majority of Broadwell processors are coming in 2015. However, these Roadmaps should be taken only slightly more seriously than rumours from Kuo, because that's what these Roadmaps are, more specific rumours put into a diagram. I've seen Roadmaps that said Broadwell is coming in late 2014, and even Intel's CEO guaranteed that at least some Broadwell chips are released this year, so I wouldn't bet the farm on Broadwell being released in 2015.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, but we can probably agree that it's *extremely unlikely* that Intel will get enough mobile Broadwell CPUs manufactured in time for Apple to integrate them into their late-2014 laptops, given that it most often takes a couple of months for new CPUs to find their way into Macbooks. (Apple are seldom if ever 'early-adopters' when it comes to implementing new CPUs.)
 
MA-86 said:
http://www.cbronline.com/news/intel-starts-shipping-broadwell-chip-skylake-could-be-delayed-4319631

and

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2454...ell-but-next-gen-skylake-chip-could-slip.html
Click to expand...

Nice find! This passage sticks out:

"Intel’s hardware partners will have Broadwell systems on store shelves by the holiday season, consistent with its earlier timetable, he said."

Of course he's not categorically stating that ALL of their hardware partners will have Broadwell systems on shelves...

And either way, seems like Apple would have to push back the updated MBP's release to somewhere dangerously close to Thanksgiving. In which case they'd be just as likely to release a minor spec bump in September/October and save Broadwell for early next year, given their tendency to play it safe (i.e. slow) when it comes to these things. Hard to say.

----------
OzyOly said:
What? Those are rumour sites quoting rumour sites. Surely Broadwell has been delayed until 2015?
Click to expand...

Um, I might be wrong here, but pretty sure PCWorld doesn't quite rate as a "rumour site"...
 
johnnylarue said:
Um, I might be wrong here, but pretty sure PCWorld doesn't quite rate as a "rumour site"...
Click to expand...

Perhaps I was jumping to conclusions after reading the first link. But if PCWorld is the more creditable source, this does not bode well.

PCWorld.com said:
Intel typically ships sample quantities of its chips to its hardware partners, then begins manufacturing them in large quantities for commercial production. That helps explain the jargon of earnings calls, when “shipping” can still mean months before customers can actually buy a PC.
Click to expand...
 
This is what Intel executive says in that article:

“Actually, we are shipping products to partners and customers,” Krzanich said during a conference call Tuesday to announce the company’s second-quarter results. And Intel’s hardware partners will have Broadwell systems on store shelves by the holiday season, consistent with its earlier timetable, he said.


so I think we are safe to get upgraded macs at the end of the year. Also how would you imagine Apple to release its fanless Macbook Air retina without a broadwell chip!? It would not have been possible.
 
MA-86 said:
This is what Intel executive says in that article:

“Actually, we are shipping products to partners and customers,” Krzanich said during a conference call Tuesday to announce the company’s second-quarter results. And Intel’s hardware partners will have Broadwell systems on store shelves by the holiday season, consistent with its earlier timetable, he said.


so I think we are safe to get upgraded macs at the end of the year. Also how would you imagine Apple to release its fanless Macbook Air retina without a broadwell chip!? It would not have been possible.
Click to expand...

they would release it with an ARM chip because it's going to be a ipad pro instead of a macbook air.
 
OzyOly said:
Perhaps I was jumping to conclusions after reading the first link. But if PCWorld is the more creditable source, this does not bode well.

"Intel typically ships sample quantities of its chips to its hardware partners, then begins manufacturing them in large quantities for commercial production. That helps explain the jargon of earnings calls, when “shipping” can still mean months before customers can actually buy a PC."
Click to expand...

He's just establishing the difference between a CPU being available to manufacturers (i.e. the term "shipping" refers to this) and actually being implemented into commercially-available products.

The Intel exec's prior quote states that at least *some* of their partners will have Broadwell products on store shelves by the holiday season. Whether the MBP will be one of those products is anyone's guess at this point!
 
johnnylarue said:
He's just establishing the difference between a CPU being available to manufacturers (i.e. the term "shipping" refers to this) and actually being implemented into commercially-available products.

The Intel exec's prior quote states that at least *some* of their partners will have Broadwell products on store shelves by the holiday season. Whether the MBP will be one of those products is anyone's guess at this point!
Click to expand...

We really should set up a pool for this year's release. Is gambling against MR's rules? :p
 
FrozenDarkness said:
they would release it with an ARM chip because it's going to be a ipad pro instead of a macbook air.
Click to expand...

IMO there wont be 13inch iPad. There will be 12inch Macbook Air Retina though and that will need more computing power than ARM can offer at the moment.
 
MA-86 said:
IMO there wont be 13inch iPad. There will be 12inch Macbook Air Retina though and that will need more computing power than ARM can offer at the moment.
Click to expand...

I think Apple is moving their productline cheaper. there isn't really a reason for an "air" line anymore and it doesn't match the ipad/iphone line if the rumors are true since the "air" line there is actually more expensive. There is just going to be too much convergence and not enough differentiation. A 12" macbook air with retina display doesn't make sense when there's a 13" around.

Either they rebrand the air line and make it premium, or get rid of it together and make a touchscreen, iOS driven, detachable ipad pro with keyboard running on an A8 chip. The macbook pro retina line will get cheaper and eventually thinner.
 
johnnylarue said:
He's just establishing the difference between a CPU being available to manufacturers (i.e. the term "shipping" refers to this) and actually being implemented into commercially-available products.

The Intel exec's prior quote states that at least *some* of their partners will have Broadwell products on store shelves by the holiday season. Whether the MBP will be one of those products is anyone's guess at this point!
Click to expand...

Well I'd have to think that Broadwell coming out in 2015 is looking a bit less likely:p
 
FrozenDarkness said:
I think Apple is moving their productline cheaper. there isn't really a reason for an "air" line anymore and it doesn't match the ipad/iphone line if the rumors are true since the "air" line there is actually more expensive. There is just going to be too much convergence and not enough differentiation. A 12" macbook air with retina display doesn't make sense when there's a 13" around.

Either they rebrand the air line and make it premium, or get rid of it together and make a touchscreen, iOS driven, detachable ipad pro with keyboard running on an A8 chip. The macbook pro retina line will get cheaper and eventually thinner.
Click to expand...

IMO the non retina airs will be discontinued just like CMBP. Apple won't go down the convertible route - as that design solution is extremely flimsy and thats very unApple like.
 
Christ, so there's a new rumour that says it is coming out by year's end?

I need a drink at this stage :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back