[Eug Wanker]

Antares

Sources confirmed that Apple is signed up to use the 970MP in future hardware products, presumably the Power Mac and Xserve product lines. According to sources, IBM designed the 970MP for use in a variety of configurations, including desktops, workstations, servers, and four-way SMP environments.

IBM will reportedly deliver the first prototypes to Cupertino in August and is projected to wrap up its own testing and begin production in January; this timetable suggests that customers could see the new processor in Apple products sometime in 2005.

IBM's plans call for delivering a 970MP that clocks at 3GHz with a 1GHz EI bus

[SafariX]

Nice read. This could mean big things for the g5 platform.

[hmurchison2001]

This likely means the POWER5 derivative is put off until 2006. Which is fine with me honestly. AMD should be dual core by mid 2005 with Intel coming in Q4 2005 with dual core Pentiums. I could see the 970MP holding things down for Apple until 2006.

Spring 2005

970MP 3.0Ghz $2999
970MP 2.6Ghz $2499
970MP 2.2Ghz $1999

Summer 2005

970MP 3.2Ghz $2999
970MP 2.8Ghz $2499
970MP 2.4Ghz $1999

Spring 2006

980MP 3.4Ghz $2999
980MP 3.0Ghz $2499
980MP 2.6Ghz $1999

980= 65nm ondie memory controller, SSOI, SMT and other geeky stuff.

[Eug Wanker]

I think the next Power Mac will still probably be a 970FX single-core (x 2), at 3 GHz, in January 2005.

[Graymalkin]

An interesting note about these proposed chips. The L2 cache on the POWER4 is shared so both cores end up with natual cache coherence. However on a POWER4 the L2 cache is actually composed of three different units totaling 1.4MB. The TS article doesn't make it clear if the L2 caches are independent of one another, one for each core, or if they're shared like the L2 cache on the POWER4. It merely describes each core as having a 1MB L2 cache which is to me a bit ambiguous.

A shared L2 cache � la the POWER4 would be an extremely interesting development on the 970MP. Having a shared L2 cache would make it so cache coherence had practically no penalty. Even without a shared L2 cache a 970MP would be an extremely fast processor module. It would basically act like two G5s with an extremely fast interconnect.

If these are slated to be used by Apple I bet they'll first appear in the Xserve. Being able to fit four processing cores into the same space two 970FXs take up today would be impressive. Virginia Tech would have to revamp SystemX yet again.

[fiesta cat]

I think it's interesting that they mentioned the power management aspect (throttling down the CPU quickly to save power)....could you imagine a PB from say '06, using these things?

I wonder if we are ever going to get away from AMD/Intel comparisons someday. It's becoming less and less relevant, as we go along and as OS X evolves.

[Catfish_Man]

Originally posted by fiesta cat:
I think it's interesting that they mentioned the power management aspect (throttling down the CPU quickly to save power)....could you imagine a PB from say '06, using these things?

I wonder if we are ever going to get away from AMD/Intel comparisons someday. It's becoming less and less relevant, as we go along and as OS X evolves.

Well, what else would we compare them to? Alpha? SPARC?

One problem with power throttling is that it doesn't change the maximum power at all, so you still have to put in just as much cooling (or else have it scale back as soon as it gets warm).

[eddiecatflap]

this is SERIOUSLY exciting news !

the 3 ghz G5 is gonna be a 3 Ghz G6 !

[OreoCookie]

Originally posted by Catfish_Man:
Well, what else would we compare them to? Alpha? SPARC?

One problem with power throttling is that it doesn't change the maximum power at all, so you still have to put in just as much cooling (or else have it scale back as soon as it gets warm).

Yes, so in a workstation environment, it won't help that much.
But for many other types of applications it should help.

Alpha is dead, (Fujitsu) SPARC lives. Itanium doesn't sell.

[ReggieX]

Their only source other than "insiders" is a link to a 2002 Naked Mole Rat report? Sounds like crap to me until I hear IBM officially say something.

[Catfish_Man]

Originally posted by OreoCookie:
Yes, so in a workstation environment, it won't help that much.
But for many other types of applications it should help.

Alpha is dead, (Fujitsu) SPARC lives. Itanium doesn't sell.

Looking at SPEC numbers, Alpha is dead, SPARC is dying...

Are there any Itanium or POWER machines in the $3000 range? Those would be interesting to compare to.

[OreoCookie]

Originally posted by Catfish_Man:
Looking at SPEC numbers, Alpha is dead, SPARC is dying...

Are there any Itanium or POWER machines in the $3000 range? Those would be interesting to compare to.

You're looking at Sun's SPARCs, Fujitsu's SPARC's are quite competitive.

[Eug Wanker]

eWeek

"The 970FX is basically a single-core version of the dual-core IBM Power4+ [architecture] with simplified external interfaces. Restoring the second processor core would not be difficult for IBM," said the Cupertino, Calif.-based analyst.

Though no data on planned processor speeds for the PowerPC 970MP were available, IBM documents suggested that hardware and software optimizations would make this processor more efficient in many computing situations than two separate processors at the same clock speed.

According to Glaskowsky, customers running imaging and scientific applications developed for the Mac platform will appreciate the multicore design. "A dual-core chip is more effective than a single-core chip on problems that stress the computational resources of the chip, more than the front-side bus bandwidth. Because the 970FX has a very fast, efficient front-side bus, most Mac applications will favor the dual-core configuration."

[Superchicken]

Drool...

Me want Dual Core Mac... granted I don't really need anything more than my awesome 12 inch PB... but really... wow... I some day will need to get another computer... dang...

[DeathMan]

Well, this would make a little bit of a differentiation between the consumer imac G5 and the powermac dual dual.

Everythangs gonna be dual!

My next computer will be a g5 powerbook, however. But I don't need dual core for that. Bring on the G5m.

[GoGoReggieXPowars]

Originally posted by Superchicken:
.sig

140x40 bud.

[silverghost]

Hi all,
After reading this and also reading it on macminute this morning Im really hesitant about ordering the 2.5. I know if you need the cpu now then just order it. Im going to be doing a lot of 3D work for the next 2 - 3 years and from what I read it looks like most apps will get a big boost with the dual cores, so now Im at a cross road do I just get the 2.5 then ebay it when the 3.0 dual cores come out, or do I just wait and continue to struggle with Maya on my Tibook.
Does anyone know how many times you can use the education discount? If more than twice Ill put my order in for the 2.5 even though it's not shipping - 4 to 6 weeks last I seen.

Sorry if my post seems a bit weird, I just woke up and the brain needs a kickstart this morning.


silverghost

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by silverghost:
Hi all,
After reading this and also reading it on macminute this morning Im really hesitant about ordering the 2.5. I know if you need the cpu now then just order it. Im going to be doing a lot of 3D work for the next 2 - 3 years and from what I read it looks like most apps will get a big boost with the dual cores, so now Im at a cross road do I just get the 2.5 then ebay it when the 3.0 dual cores come out, or do I just wait and continue to struggle with Maya on my Tibook.
Does anyone know how many times you can use the education discount? If more than twice Ill put my order in for the 2.5 even though it's not shipping - 4 to 6 weeks last I seen.

Sorry if my post seems a bit weird, I just woke up and the brain needs a kickstart this morning.


silverghost

I'd be very surprised if a dual dual showed up in shipping Power Macs before summer 2005.

As for an educational discount (if that's what you really mean), you can use it as many times as you want.

[DeathMan]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
I'd be very surprised if a dual dual showed up in shipping Power Macs before summer 2005.

As for an educational discount (if that's what you really mean), you can use it as many times as you want.

The ADC Student Discount can only be used once. Regular EDU discounts are limited to one system per year.

If you can afford to wait, then wait. If not, buy the dual 2.5 now, ebay it in a year when the dual duals come in at 3ghz. You'll lose maybe $1000 on it. Maybe less.

Peace.

[silverghost]

Hi,
thanks deathman & eug, that answers my question to the "T". I'll probably order tonight. I just bought the gnomon digital series to learn Maya this summer before school starts and doing 3D work on my Tibook is becoming such a chore, hope the 2.5 start shipping soon then i can get some serious work done.


thanks again,
silverghost

[GoGoReggieXPowars]

Originally posted by silverghost:
Im going to be doing a lot of 3D work

Maya gains nothing from multiple processors, but does gain from better video cards. You'd be better off (price-wise) with a Dual 2.0 and 9800XT, but it depends on your budget.

[Catfish_Man]

Originally posted by OreoCookie:
You're looking at Sun's SPARCs, Fujitsu's SPARC's are quite competitive.

I see 1500 SPECfp base (including the fact that 179.art was broken quite badly by Sun, skewing the results in favor of SPARC processors) for a brand new .09 micron processor (SPARC 64 V 1.9GHz). Compared to Itanium's 2100 @ .13 micron, or POWER's 2600 @ .13 micron, that doesn't look all that great. Certainly a heck of a lot better than Sun's scores though, and pretty close to competitive (unless I'm missing something).