Future Mac Pro: Apple to Enjoy Short-Term Exclusive Use of Future Xeon CPU?

HardMac.com ^ | 10/15/2009

[Swordmaker]

by linathael . Original by Lionel - 15/10/2009 00:15:00 CEST

According to one of our sources, Apple is finalizing the future Mac Pro models. They are currently testing the last evolution of Xeon CPU, known as Gulftown, that Intel only demoed a couple of times so far.
This Xeon is an evolution of those already powering Mac Pro 2009 with some new features:

• 6 cores and 12 threads for each CPU.
• 12 MB of shared cache instead of 8 MB today.
• 32-nm engraving vs. 45 nm today.
• Power consumption of future hexacore Xeon 32 nm will be slightly lower than the one of current quad core Xeon engraved at 45 nm. 

HKEPC could put its hands on one sample of Gulftown and compared it with current quad core Xeon, both clocked at 2.4 GHz. As expected one can feel the power of this new hexacore CPU as soon as a multithreaded application is used.

We currently do not know if all future Mac Pro models will be using this hexacore Xeon or if Apple will keep quad core XEon for the entry level model. This could decrease significantly the price of the first Mac Pro, and maybe convince some Mac users desperately waiting for a Mac Pro mini to finally get one. It is also unclear if the enclosure will be modified or not.

However, we know that the motherboard will be modified and especially sport a Ethernet 10 Gbits/s port, and those Mac Pro will support 8 and 16 GB RAM modules (vs. 4 GB today) to push the maximal memory that could be installed in the future Mac Pro to 128 GB.

According to our source, the new models could be unveiled early 2010, giving Apple a short-term exclusive use of the new hexacore Xeon which should only be entering mass production for Q2 2010.

Till this date, Snow Leopard should mature enough to be able to deal with 12 cores, 24 threads and make use of GeForce Fermi or Radeon HD 5870. This should give more than enough power to run Final Cut Studio 3.0 and obtain real-time rendering...

[Swordmaker]

Rumors of upgrades to Mac Pros with new Intel processors PING!

Mac Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[papertyger]

Apple needs to kick out a consumer laptop that isn’t four times the price of a netbook .

[Swordmaker]

Apple needs to kick out a consumer laptop that isn’t four times the price of a netbook .

Why? They are selling everything they make now... and making an excellent return on investment for their shareholders. Why should they join the bottom feeders with a cut-rate, no margin computer that won't last?

[altair]

Sweet!

[cabojoe]

Gulftown is a drop in replacement for any LGA 1366 socket. Easy upgrade for existing X58 systems. Apple should be able to drop it into any X58 system, entry level on up.

[SunkenCiv]

...future Mac Pro models... Gulftown... 6 cores and 12 threads for each CPU... 32-nm engraving vs. 45 nm today... Power consumption... slightly lower than the one of current quad core Xeon engraved at 45 nm... a Ethernet 10 Gbits/s port, and those Mac Pro will support 8 and 16 GB RAM modules (vs. 4 GB today) to push the maximal memory that could be installed in the future Mac Pro to 128 GB... early 2010... Snow Leopard should mature enough to... deal with 12 cores, 24 threads... GeForce Fermi or Radeon HD 5870.

Is that *all*? I can order a Dell laptop right now that exceeds all those specs, and it'll only cost $199.99. ;') /sarc

[papertyger]

Because that is how they pissed away their advantage last time. The cutting edge was nearly killed by the greater mass of the amateurs.

Mock all you want, but I’m an apple loyalist and no bottom feeder. I’d be more than happy to pay a premium price for prior gen apple technology, but I’m not going to buy a new apple just to get a nicer picture than my powerbook.

[Woodman]

They have already done it, it's called an iTouch.

[SunkenCiv]

:’) Apple probably could use a chunk of that niche. Netbooks have keyboards best suited for small children. The tablet will be the Apple product in the netbook niche, and after having a specialist run electric shocks through their nerves to diagnose their hand injuries, early adopters will be happy to try a different interface. The MacBooks will continue in the laptop/notebook category, but decline in price.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Makes my 2 year old Mac Pro monster seem weak... don’t need a new one yet though!

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

I honestly and really truly need this in a laptop. I’ve been holding off upgrading my late ‘06 original-edition Macbook Pro because two cores, even 64 bit (mine is just 32), is not quite enough oomph to get me to whip out my checkbook. For my usage, which involves a lot of parallel code and virtual machines, I’d want at least four cores.

And have you checked out the price of fast notebook RAM lately? Yow. Upgrading the current Macbook Pro from 2 to 4GB is $1k from Apple. I thought I could surely beat that by going 3rd-party, but it’s circa $1200 from other vendors.

[TexasRepublic]

obtain real-time rendering...

Yowza! Video editors, are you hearing this?

[itsahoot]

Because that is how they pissed away their advantage last time.

Yada, Yada, Yada. Apple's net worth is huge, you want them to compete with tiger direct. Hardi, har, har.

[SunkenCiv]

slight update:

Intel’s Six-Core ‘Gulftown’ processor revealed, possibly headed to Mac Pro
11-29-2009
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?threadid=105122

Performance numbers of Intel’s new six-core Xeon were prematurely revealed by Polish website PCLab, showing strong increases in performance for the chip rumored to be in the next iteration of the Mac Pro...