New CHUD tools hint at multicore/quad CPU's?
The processor prefpane that comes with the new CHUD tools maybe hinting at quad cpu (or dual multicore cpu) Macs
The cpu count popup in the nib file (Processor.prefpane) suggests that there are max. 4 cpu's.
There is more!
The prefpane now displays a red badge on top of the cpu image with the text "x2" when 2 cpus are enabled.
The resource folder however contains 2 additional badges.
Original badge:
You can easily trick the prefpane to display one of the alternate badges:
Why the widther badges?
Maybe there is more to display than "x2" to describe future cpu configurations?
The cpu count popup in the nib file (Processor.prefpane) suggests that there are max. 4 cpu's.
There is more!
The prefpane now displays a red badge on top of the cpu image with the text "x2" when 2 cpus are enabled.
The resource folder however contains 2 additional badges.
Original badge:
You can easily trick the prefpane to display one of the alternate badges:
Why the widther badges?
Maybe there is more to display than "x2" to describe future cpu configurations?
Comments
Originally posted by WebFlits
The processor prefpane that comes with the new CHUD tools maybe hinting at quad cpu (or dual multicore cpu) Macs
The cpu count popup in the nib file (Processor.prefpane) suggests that there are max. 4 cpu's.
Sweet news to my ears! I was hoping Apple would use dual processors when they switched to a dual core processor rather than saying it has two cores so it's just like two physical processors.
2x Dual Core G5 based Powermacs. That's exactly what I want to see.
Squeeze in another bay as well for at least a min of 3 bays.
Originally posted by hmurchison
... 2x Dual Core G5 based Powermacs. That's exactly what I want to see...
Well I'll be happy to finally see quads, I guess I'll have to wait for the Cell to deliver Qcto's though, it would seem.
Originally posted by WebFlits
The processor prefpane that comes with the new CHUD tools maybe hinting at quad cpu (or dual multicore cpu) Macs
What are CHUD tools, and does this look like something coming in the next 6 months or next year? Thanks.
Originally posted by the cool gut
What are CHUD tools, and does this look like something coming in the next 6 months or next year? Thanks.
http://developer.apple.com/tools/performance/
I have a feeling this is for testing purposes as this point, we could be as much as a year off from a machine like this... perhaps these tools were made specifically for apple?
If apple does go quad, I'd bet they would be released at WWDC and have sessions about it. If its just a dual 2.8 upate, expect it before WWDC... like in the next few months.
Maybe the x2 badge actually indicates the number of cores on the selected CPU...
Originally posted by MacRonin
Maybe the x2 badge actually indicates the number of cores on the selected CPU...
I don't think so. Unless that is your Mac, and it won't let you change this supposed core # because you only have 2. I think it stands for CPU's.
Originally posted by onlooker
I don't think so. Unless that is your Mac, and it won't let you change this supposed core # because you only have 2. I think it stands for CPU's.
Agreed, this shot was most likely taken on a dual G5.
Oy, what a bad visual metaphor either method uses. (Two CPUs or one CPU with "xN" badge). In the old scheme, a picture of two CPUs implies two single core chips in the box. Obviously that would become a problem with two dual core CPUs. They don't want to show four chips, one for each core.
In the new scheme with the badge, which presumably denotes number of cores, "x2" could imply two physical single core CPUs or one dual core CPU.
Granted anyone using CHUD will certainly know the makeup of their box but still it's just not pretty.
Screed
The x2 badge isn't pure like the rest of the picture, it looks to be an extremely compressed jpg pasted onto the picture... can't be a jpg cause jpg doesn't have transparency so they could have masked a jpg that was compressed then pasted it on. The compression on that section just doesn't match the compression on the rest of the picture. Fake if you ask me.
Originally posted by emig647
If you ask me, the 2nd picture looks doctored...
The x2 badge isn't pure like the rest of the picture, it looks to be an extremely compressed jpg pasted onto the picture... can't be a jpg cause jpg doesn't have transparency so they could have masked a jpg that was compressed then pasted it on. The compression on that section just doesn't match the compression on the rest of the picture. Fake if you ask me.
The pictures are real!
Just download the latest CHUD tools and see for yourself.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14358
Originally posted by emig647
If you ask me, the 2nd picture looks doctored...
I assure you that it's completely authentic. I have this exact setup and are shown the same prefpane.
There are three different sizes of badges in the package, this one (and mine) is showing the smallest size. The largest seems to be able to accomodare three digits. Please dont't tell me that one should take this as evidence that Apple is planning a system with over a hundred CPUs or a Cell-grid consisting of several hundred nodes..
The list have four lines (before a scroll bar will appear). I don't necessairily think of this as evidence that a four way system is in the works, but it would fit nicely I agree.
I did a quick search in the CHUD package after any reference to 970GX but found none. I did find references to "GPUL" though and a string that seemed to indicate that 970FX is called "975" and 7447A is called "7448".
I also found several instances of strings related to a setup of up to four procesosrs, but since I didn't have the old CHUD package installed I couldn't say if these string were new additions or just reflected the capabilities of the kernel that's been present for years.
A dual core G5 processor will probably act and behave just like if there were two separate CPUs and two dual core processors will act like four CPUs. I really don't see any reason to confuse anyone by doing complicated illustrations to show if the setup is four separate CPU, if they are two dual core processors acting like four CPUs or even a four core processor. For all intents and purposes, a dual core processor is two processors, they just happen to sit on the same die.
Originally posted by ZO
just to clear things up: is a dual core G5 the same or closely similar to have one of today's dual G5 configurations? Would a dula core dual G5 setup be like having a quad proc workstation?
It's been said that "two single core CPU's" are faster than "One dual core CPU" at the same frequency, but it's close, and it is closely similar - yes.
Although I've never personally tested a dual Power4 single core vs. two dual core Power4's either, but everybody says two singles is faster than one dual core. Again - they are similar, and it is close.
Originally posted by onlooker
It's been said that "two single core CPU's" are faster than "One dual core CPU" at the same frequency, but it's close, and it is closely similar - yes.
Although I've never personally tested a dual Power4 single core vs. two dual core Power4's either, but everybody says two singles is faster than one dual core. Again - they are similar, and it is close.
The winner will be determined by memory bandwidth design. Holding bandwidth constant per independent CPU may give independent cores a slight advantage over dual core in memory bandwidth limited tasks, slight losses everywhere else. If bandwidth is not held constant per CPU, but constant per core, then dual core will have a not-insignificant advantage thru faster cache sharing and inter core communications.