What is GOBI?

slackulaslackula
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
I know it is a potential new processor. But would it be basically a "souped up" G3? It will not be as powerful as a 970, correct? And who (theoretically) is making it? Would it support Panther, unlike the G3? Thanks for bearing with the inane questions of a relative newbie....
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    From Think Secret:

    Quote:

    While much of the recent attention has been given to IBM's forthcoming PowerPC 970, Think Secret has learned that Apple has taken delivery of faster G3 chips. These higher-speed chips are part of IBM's PowerPC 750fx family.



    After Apple puts these new chips to use, next up in the PowerPC 750fx line is a chip code-named "GOBI," which will boast even higher speeds. While the chip line has been publicly announced as high as speeds of 1 GHz, the GOBI chips will clearly exceed that.



    GOBI's successor will come in 2004, featuring RapidIO support. It's unclear whether or not this will be the end of the line for the PowerPC 750fx or 7xx processors.



    Apple's current iBooks use a 750fx chip, clocking as high as 800 MHz, while the G3 CRT iMacs use the less-powerful 750cx at 600 MHz.



    While each iBook update brings speculation that the consumer portable could ship with a G4 chip, the arrival of new G3s at Apple, and a strong roadmap for the future, further clouds this possibility.



  • Reply 2 of 27
    brokenradio11brokenradio11 Posts: 15member
    How would GOBI compare to the G4s that are currently being implemented?
  • Reply 3 of 27
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    From the Naked Mole Rat circa Jan '03:

    Quote:

    ...the company [IBM] has now navigated beyond its Sahara generation of PowerPC G3 to a remap dubbed Colorado. Next stop: Gobi, which is expected to reach full production during the first calendar quarter of 2003.



    But what lies beyond Gobi? Instead of continuing to rev the PowerPC G3's hoary 7xx architecture, the Blade's yurt-carriers aver, Gobi's planned successor, code-named MojaveMP, will based on the nascent Viper template, which in turn will represent a grand union between the 7xx and IBM?s 4xx series of embedded processors.



    Mojave, which will start at 1.6 GHz, will be based on a 0.10-nanometer process and feature dynamic voltage and frequency scaling. As a result, this bantamweight will be able to run at its base speed at 1.2 V and eat up only a Callista Flockhart-size 10 W.



    1.6 GHz. For a G3 descendant/derivative. What can we suppose from this? Perhaps that the iBooks will go 1.6GHz Mojave when the 970 is well beyond that (1.8 at the low end??)? But what of the G4? Mojave would seem cover this year and few quarters into the next.



    And what's this MojaveMP?



    The mind boggles, the eyes blur and the Screed goes to bed.



    Screed
  • Reply 4 of 27
    slackulaslackula Posts: 262member
    Thanks for the information! However, I an still confused as to how the GOBI would compare to the current and other future processors. It obviously would be faster than current G3's. And it would get spanked by the 970. But how would it compare to the current G4's, or is that something that even those who speculate are not sure of? Thanks for putting up with all these questions and I appreciate any replies you can post!
  • Reply 5 of 27
    screedscreed Posts: 1,077member
    It's a thorny question. No, the Gobi wouldn't be "better" than the G4 performance-wise but not unuseable. The main points to the G3 line is good performance, cheap, cool/low wattage. The G3 isn't a CPU designed (initially) to be for portables, but the specs work.



    From the NMR article, the Mojave will be geared as a mobile CPU. Thank ye gods that it's in the hands of someone with the will and fabrication talent to do it!



    Screed



    D'oh! It just dawned on me: MP = Mobile Processor
  • Reply 6 of 27
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    desert named processors still to come...



    Kalahari, Chihuahaun, Sonoran, Western, Atacama, Namib, Rajasthan, Thar, ....
  • Reply 7 of 27
    martianmattmartianmatt Posts: 79member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by curiousuburb

    desert named processors still to come...



    Kalahari, Chihuahaun, Sonoran, Western, Atacama, Namib, Rajasthan, Thar, ....



    Simpson, Tanami...
  • Reply 8 of 27
    brbr Posts: 8,395member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Slackula

    What is GOBI



    IT'S A FREAKING DESERT.
  • Reply 9 of 27
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Slackula

    Would it support Panther, unlike the G3?



    When was it made official that Panther will not run on G3 based computers?
  • Reply 10 of 27
    t'hain esh kelcht'hain esh kelch Posts: 1,274member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by der Kopf

    When was it made official that Panther will not run on G3 based computers?



    Nope, just stupid rumors.
  • Reply 11 of 27
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    MacRumors post info on Gobi, Mojave:



    Quote:

    IBM Gobi, Mojave, PowerPC 970 and Beyond

    Friday May 09, 2003 02:08 AM



    Background...

    In December 2003, ThinkSecret first reported on faster PowerPC G3 processors in the works -- these high speed chips were said to provide speeds in excess of 1GHz, and were codenamed "Gobi". Beyond this, few other details were provided.



    We heard again about Gobi in January 2003, when MacEdition reported that the Gobi processors would be in full production during the first calendar quarter of 2003. MacEdition also revealed that the next generation processor would be code named "Mojave" and start at 1.6GHz based on a 0.10-nm process. First quarter 2003 has come and gone, without any sign of the Gobi processor.



    More recently, an interesting forum post claimed to have inside knowledge of future processors coming from IBM. This post reported that a 750-derivative G3 with Altivec capability, Front-Side Bus speeds up to 450MHz , and chip-speeds up to 2GHz is due as early as this summer. However, assuming the processor described is "Gobi", this information conflicts with previous numbers (described above)



    New Info?



    Of most interest, however, is an anonymous and completely unverified submission which trys to provide some interesting details on these upcoming processors. As an unverified source, the information should be taken as such, and is provided for interest's sake:



    - The PowerPC 750GX ("Gobi") is currently "sampling" and will be available in the Fall with speeds up to 1.4GHz.

    - The 750VX ("Mojave") is an Altivec enhanced G3 to debut at 1.5GHz and will be sampling at the end of the year.



    The only available information regarding the 750GX appears to be this product page for the CompactPCI board and its accompanying data sheet (pdf). IBM's site only provides an unhelpful Power Notes PDF encompassing the 740 and 750 lines.



    It's unclear at this time if the 750GX is truly "Gobi" or simply a small revision to the 750FX processor. The CompactPCI data sheet implies that the two processors are pin-compatible which would suggest that the 750GX could not support any advanced bus technology.



    And Beyond...



    Other future timelines for the Power4/5 and PowerPC 970/980 lines were also included in the unverified submission, and are also of unknown accuracy:



    - Power5/PowerPC980 work is on target.

    - Power5 due later this year, PowerPC 980 in Q3 2004 @ 90nm process.

    - PowerPC 980 (4.5GHz-5GHz top speeds)

    - In 2006: Power 6, PowerPC 990. 990 is targeted at 8GHz.



  • Reply 12 of 27
    gargar Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by NETROMac

    ...

    In December 2003, ThinkSecret first reported on faster PowerPC G3 processors in the works -- ...



    wow, even macRumors has a nice and shiny Delorean with fluxcapacitor... timetravel is very popular these days
  • Reply 13 of 27
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gar

    wow, even macRumors has a nice and shiny Delorean with fluxcapacitor... timetravel is very popular these days



    lol
  • Reply 14 of 27
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    Quote:

    - PowerPC 980 (4.5GHz-5GHz top speeds)

    - In 2006: Power 6, PowerPC 990. 990 is targeted at 8GHz.



    If IBM is able to pull these speeds off, we're going to have a few exiting years ahed of us. Does anybody have any other "information" about the upcoming 980 PPC?
  • Reply 15 of 27
    brian greenbrian green Posts: 662member
    NETROmac, isn't it funny that you're asking for information on the 980 when there aren't any 970's in our hands yet?
  • Reply 16 of 27
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brian Green

    NETROmac, isn't it funny that you're asking for information on the 980 when there aren't any 970's in our hands yet?



    Yes, it's funny. But I have to say that it's nice to actually KNOW that there are more advanced processors in the pipeline already, and processors that probably are going to see the light of day. A nice change from the motorola years, that's hopefully soon going to be a memory. And, Brian, when the 970 is introduced in about a month, and the cat is let out of the bag so to speak, it wont take long before the discussions about the 970+ and the 980 is going to fill these boards.
  • Reply 17 of 27
    brian greenbrian green Posts: 662member
    Very true NETROmac. Discussions at that time will be all about the 980 advantage just around the bend. And believe it or not, we still have people around interested in the G3. With the 970 all but here, and the 980 in the coming year why is the G3 getting any support at all. It ought to go the way of the dodo and leave it at that. You are right about the Moto days and us not having anything interesting to talk about with their pathetic speed bumps. It's nice to have the 970 and 980 to look forward to.
  • Reply 18 of 27
    overtoastyovertoasty Posts: 439member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by NETROMac

    MacRumors post info on Gobi, Mojave:



    OK, I get it, a while ago, Moki was dropping hints about "sand" in new Macs ... well Duh, "Gobi", "Mojave" ... both deserts, thus - sand, get it?





    Implications?



    Discuss ...
  • Reply 19 of 27
    bigcbigc Posts: 1,224member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by OverToasty

    OK, I get it, a while ago, Moki was dropping hints about "sand" in new Macs ... well Duh, "Gobi", "Mojave" ... both deserts, thus - sand, get it?





    Implications?



    Discuss ...



    Boy, that's strechting his comments aways...
  • Reply 20 of 27
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by OverToasty

    OK, I get it, a while ago, Moki was dropping hints about "sand" in new Macs ... well Duh, "Gobi", "Mojave" ... both deserts, thus - sand, get it?





    Implications?



    Discuss ...



    The current G3s were Saharas. Personally I never remember that comment though.
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