[ndtechie05]

This is what my new iMac 24" 2.8ghz reads in System Profiler



Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[jgcan]

Hi, nice computer.

I guess it's just a generic way of naming the CPU without mentioning Extreme.

Does it run hot and make the fans whirl or is quiet quiet?

[mduell]

Does it really bother you that it doesn't say you're Extreme?

You've got the $1000 2.8Ghz mobile Core 2 Extreme, which is just Core 2 Duo with a marketing badge.

[ndtechie05]

Originally Posted by jgcan 

Hi, nice computer.

I guess it's just a generic way of naming the CPU without mentioning Extreme.

Does it run hot and make the fans whirl or is quiet quiet?

So far it's been running all day and hasn't gotten noisy at all.

No it doesn't bother me I was just curious.

[slpdLoad]

Isn't that how it's labeled all over Apple.com? I didn't think they used the "Extreme" part of it anywhere.

[CheesePuff]

Originally Posted by slpdLoad 

Isn't that how it's labeled all over Apple.com? I didn't think they used the "Extreme" part of it anywhere.

Except that it's labeled "Extreme" everywhere on Apple.com...

[CheesePuff]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Does it really bother you that it doesn't say you're Extreme?

You've got the $1000 2.8Ghz mobile Core 2 Extreme, which is just Core 2 Duo with a marketing badge.

Nice way of being a dick. He was just wondering why Apple calls it one name, while the OS calls it another.

[slpdLoad]

Originally Posted by CheesePuff 

Except that it's labeled "Extreme" everywhere on Apple.com...

I see.

[Simon]

Apple indeed uses the Extreme moniker.

But in principle it's a marketing thing. You're getting the same CPU as the 2.4 GHz iMac, but your CPU belongs to a batch Intel has successfully tested at 2.8 GHz. It's somewhat unfortunate that while Intel and Apple use different nomenclature for this CPU it isn't reflected in software, but from a purely technical POV it's not wrong. You are using a Merom C2D clocked at 2.8 GHz.

It's also possible Apple just hasn't updated their labels and they could fix that with the next update. In the beginning the 8-core MP was also mislabeled in OS X. One update later and it was fixed. No matter what happens, you got the Mac you paid for.

[hldan]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Apple indeed uses the Extreme moniker.

But in principle it's a marketing thing. You're getting the same CPU as the 2.4 GHz iMac, but your CPU belongs to a batch Intel has successfully tested at 2.8 GHz. It's somewhat unfortunate that while Intel and Apple use different nomenclature for this CPU it isn't reflected in software, but from a purely technical POV it's not wrong. You are using a Merom C2D clocked at 2.8 GHz.

It's also possible Apple just hasn't updated their labels and they could fix that with the next update. In the beginning the 8-core MP was also mislabeled in OS X. One update later and it was fixed. No matter what happens, you got the Mac you paid for.

I thought the Merom chipset has a 667 mhz system bus. Is this really the Merom in the Core2 Extreme?

[P]

Merom is the codename for the first revision of the particular model of the Core 2 architechture used for mobile parts. Both the Socket M (667 MHz FSB) and the Socket P (800 MHz FSB) models seem to use that codename - presumably the core hasn't changed enough to warrant a new codename.

Next mobile model is codenamed Penryn, and the first CPUs from that process will be the Xeons launched on Nov 11th (look for a Mac Pro revision around then). First mobile models by the end of the year or beginning of 2008.

[shawmanus]

Originally Posted by ndtechie05 

This is what my new iMac 24" 2.8ghz reads in System Profiler



Anyone have any thoughts on this?

if u have installed windows (or have plans) , then cpu-z should confirm the processor.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by hldan 

I thought the Merom chipset has a 667 mhz system bus. Is this really the Merom in the Core2 Extreme?

Well, there is really no such thing as a "Merom chipset". You can use Merom with a Napa chipset (667 MHz FSB) or with a Crestline chipset (800 MHz FSB). You see this with the MBP and the MB: both use Merom, but with different chipsets and different FSB speeds.

Just like P mentioned above the die is basically the same, but the socket switched. Intel still calls both Merom and actually uses the same product names: T7x00. The Socket P models have an odd "x", the Socket M have an even "x".

[hldan]

Shocked to hear the new 2.8 Ghz Core 2 Extreme is the merom chipset. Can someone confirm this? Why is it not the Santa Rosa? I just ordered this Mac today thinking it has the latest Intel Santa Rosa chipset. Some say it's Conroe. Which one is correct?

[Simon]

Originally Posted by hldan 

Shocked to hear the new 2.8 Ghz Core 2 Extreme is the merom chipset. Can someone confirm this? Why is it not the Santa Rosa? I just ordered this Mac today thinking it has the latest Intel Santa Rosa chipset. Some say it's Conroe. Which one is correct?

No, no, no. You're mixing it all up.

The new iMac uses a Crestline chipset (which is part of the Santa Rosa platform).

Conroe and Merom are the names of Intel's dual-core Core 2 CPUs. Conroe is a desktop CPU and Merom a mobile CPU. The fastest 'regular' Merom is the T7700 running at 2.4 GHz. There are Merom XE (Extreme Edition) CPUs that run at 2.6 (X7800) and 2.8 GHz (X7900). These are sold as Core 2 Extreme. There are also other Core 2 Extreme CPUs in the desktop market based on the Conroe design.

The 2.8 GHz iMac uses a Merom XE CPU running on a Crestline chipset. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

In terms of mobile CPUs/chipsets this is the best Intel currently sells. Conroe and Santa Rosa have nothing to do with it. Conroe is a desktop CPU and SR is a platform, not a chipset.

[P]

Put a different way: Centrino is a name for a platform that includes a processor, a chipset and a wireless networking chip.

The third generation of the Centrino platform was codenamed Napa. It included the processor called Core Duo, codenamed Yonah, along with a chipset called 945M (945PM or 945GM, depending on whether it included graphics or not) codenamed Calistoga and a specific wireless adapter from Intel called Golan. This platform was then refreshed (called simply Napa Refresh) when the processor was changed to the Core 2 Duo, codenamed Merom.

The fourth generation of the Centrino platform was codenamed Santa Rosa. It includes the Core 2 Duo processor, still codenamed Merom, along with a chipset named Mobile 965 Express (often 965PM or 965GM, as above) and codenamed Crestline and a new wireless adapter codenamed Kedron.

Apple uses the processor and the chipset from Intel along with another wireless adapter, so they technically they have never used Centrino - not Napa, not Santa Rosa. What happened with the MBPs and now with the new iMacs is that they moved from the 945PM chipset Calistoga to the 965PM Crestline. They are thus using the same chipset and the same processor as the Santa Rosa platform, which is why the name Santa Rosa gets bandied about a lot.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Simon 

The new iMac uses a Crestline chipset (which is part of the Santa Rosa platform).

The 2.8 GHz iMac uses a Merom XE CPU running on a Crestline chipset. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

You don't know how happy it made me to see you write that.

[Simon]

Yeah, I figured you'd like it.

[hldan]

Thanks Simon and P, you guys cleared up a lot of misconception for me. All these new Intel chipsets and platforms get confusing if no one explains them. Intel doesn't even explain it that way on their own website.

[Simon]

Intel's naming scheme is indeed a mess.