When will we see the new "Intel® 975X Express chipset" on the MacMini and MacBook?
Quote:
Platforms based on the Intel® 975X Express Chipset and Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition deliver incredible high performance for gaming, multimedia entertainment and demanding business applications of today and tomorrow.
The Intel 975X Express Chipset enables Intel's highest performance desktop platforms, with support for the latest Intel® dual-core processors, adding intelligence to help manage and prioritize multiple (quad) threads received from the processor.
In addition to multiple thread support, the Intel 975X Express Chipset enables key performance-optimized capabilities such as support for multiple 2x8 graphics cards, Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology (Intel® MPT), 8GB memory addressability to enable 64-bit computing, and ECC memory support.
Platforms based on the Intel® 975X Express Chipset and Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition deliver incredible high performance for gaming, multimedia entertainment and demanding business applications of today and tomorrow.
The Intel 975X Express Chipset enables Intel's highest performance desktop platforms, with support for the latest Intel® dual-core processors, adding intelligence to help manage and prioritize multiple (quad) threads received from the processor.
In addition to multiple thread support, the Intel 975X Express Chipset enables key performance-optimized capabilities such as support for multiple 2x8 graphics cards, Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology (Intel® MPT), 8GB memory addressability to enable 64-bit computing, and ECC memory support.
http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/975x/
I know that the MacBook was just released, but when will Intel release it and Apple use it??
While I already ordered my MacBook, next year I'll probably upgrade and if what I'm reading about the new chips is true the MacBooks and Mac Mini will do pretty good when it comes to 3D and games (not as well as a dedicated graphics card but good enough for most of us) but since I can't find any more info (like release date, more specs, etc.) I can't really can't cooment more on the chip.
Btw the 975X Express Chipset is posted under there "Extreme Gaming and Media Entertainment PC" and there "Premium platform" category along with the Intel® P965 Express chipset...
http://www.intel.com/cd/pvp/bc06/asm...elop/index.htm
So what do you guys think, do you think by next year people will actually not b*tch about integrated graphics or will people b*tch anyway because it's not dedicated graphics card??
I think future Apple products look very good, lets hope Intel and Apple deliver
Comments
When will we see the new "Intel® 975X Express chipset" on the MacMini and MacBook?
I dunno, when will we?
Intel uses the 945 chipset family for current Core Duo laptops and small form factor desktops. This chipset can use Core 2 Duo Merom CPUs, but not Conroe. As for the 975 chipset, which will support Conroe, there is not a single motherboard available right now in anything but a full ATX form factor. MicroATX motherboards will probably be developed for the upcoming 965 chipset, which will also support Conroe.
The PowerMac (Mac Pro?) replacement might be developed using the Woodcrest processor and the Intel Blackford chipset in a EATX form factor; slightly bigger than standard ATX. You can still design a slim workstation case with this motherboard.
Many people, including me, would love an expandable Conroe Mac. These could be designed around a 965 chipset based motherboard in a Mini Tower case. Or Apple could also come out with a Mac Midi, which could have a cube case, or so I wish. Maybe a small replica of the 5th Avenue cube? Well...we can dream, can't we?
Originally posted by Chucker
What gives you the idea we ever will? This is a desktop chipset, not a laptop one. It's also for the Pentium 4/D/4 EE, not for the Core. Finally, I see no indication that it provides graphics at all.
The G965 and G975 include the 4th gen GMAs. They're adding shader model 3.0 and maybe 4.0, upto 256MB main memory use, 16x anisotropic filters and other potential improvements.
All in all it should be a decent improvement.
Originally posted by vinea
The G965 and G975 include the 4th gen GMAs. They're adding shader model 3.0 and maybe 4.0, upto 256MB main memory use, 16x anisotropic filters and other potential improvements.
All in all it should be a decent improvement.
Doesn't invalidate my point.
But what's happened to the miniPCIe-Standard? It would be nice to see that in the Macbooks and Macminis. It will give you the possibility of built-to-order GPUs.
Originally posted by Chucker
Doesn't invalidate my point.
The 975 does have a GMA associated with it just like the 945. Folks seem to talk about them both individually and as a set. Darth is talking about better integrated graphics chipsets and the 975 is likely the first in the series to show what the next gen can do hence the excitement.
Your "point" doesn't invalidate his that the next gen GMAs are coming, which have been more or less linked to the Conroe (coming soonish) and should hopefully appear in the next rev mini's and macbooks.
So what is your point? To piss in his cheerios because his said 975 instead of 965 (or whichever the mobile version is) or that the GMA950 is the last integrated graphic chipset intel is ever releasing? Neither is particularly brilliant.
Vinea
Geeks will always bitch about integrated graphics; most consumers won't care or don't know enough to complain.
It would be good if Apple could get performance for very popular, semi-casual, semi-demanding games like WoW and Civ IV running better on new consumer machines like the MacBook. Here's hoping.
Originally posted by Hobbes
I think we'll see the G965 in the Rev B MacBooks and Rev B Intel Mac minis, come this fall/winter. It'll be a quiet update, so they'll do it as soon as they can, or whenever they want or need to.
I was kind of thinking the same thing, having an update before the christmas buying season is a very good idea.
Originally posted by Hobbes
Geeks will always bitch about integrated graphics; most consumers won't care or don't know enough to complain.
Very true!
Originally posted by Hobbes
It would be good if Apple could get performance for very popular, semi-casual, semi-demanding games like WoW and Civ IV running better on new consumer machines like the MacBook. Here's hoping.
That exactly what I would like, I love Civ (and plan on buying Civ IV) and WoW... as long as I can play those games I'm happY
Btw Chucker, the what do you think future MacBooks and Mac Minis will have? I'm interested to know your thoughts on the subject.
Thanks Vinea, kukito for your replies and help
Intel Corp.'s upcoming chipset code-named Broadwater P may see the light of the day a bit earlier than expected and may also acquire capability of multi-GPU support, something, which was earlier available only with premium class chipsets from Intel.
A news-story published by Chinese-language HKEPC web-site states that Intel may formally unveil the Intel P965 as early as on the 7th of June, possibly at Computex Taipei 2006 trade-show and also equip its new performance-mainstream processor with ability to share the PCI Express x16 bus for graphics between two graphics cards, thus, providing support for multi-GPU technologies, such as ATI Technologies CrossFire.
Intel P965 chipset is Intel's next-generation core-logic for performance-mainstream computers oriented on those, who wish to have the latest functionality and performance, but do not have special focus on extreme performance or multimedia capabilities for those Intel plans to offer Intel 975X and Intel Q965 core-logic products. The P965 will be able to support dual-core and single-core processors with up to 1066MHz processor system bus as well as dual-channel DDR2 memory at 667MHz (PC-5400) and 800MHz (PC2-6400).
Originally it was expected that Intel 965-series chipsets such as P965, Q965 and G965 are to be announced at once, but if the story to be believed, the Q965 and G965 may be launched later than the P965.
Intel P965 chipset family was designed for accompanying the highly-anticipated code-named Conroe processors due out later this year, potentially, in July. Intel Conroe chip will utilize the new micro-architecture named Core with shorter pipeline and high performance per clock ratio. The new processors will feature 14-stages pipeline, down from 31 or more stages found in current Intel Pentium (Prescott) designs, 4-issue out-of-order execution engine as well as improved performance of the floating-point unit (FPU). Also, the new chips and platforms on their base will also feature capabilities like virtualization, LaGrande technology, x86-64 in addition to EDB, EIST and iAMT2.
Intel did not comment on the news-story.
http://en.thethirdmedia.com/Article/...4828c14p1.html
I guess if the june 7th release date is true for the P965 we should be getting more info on the other soon afterwards.
And here more news...
Intel's 'Broadwater' GPU to support Shader Model 4.0
[Print][Mobile]
By Tony Smith
27th April 2006 10:55 GMT
More details have emerged about the graphics core - the latest in the GMA series - Intel intends to integrate into members of its upcoming 965 'Broadwater' chipset family. A presentation slide said to have come from the chip giant shows the part will support not only Shader Model 3.0, but also version 4.0.
The leaked slide comes via Chinese-language site HKEPC. The G965 chipset's integrated GPU will support DirectX 10 via the Windows Graphics Foundation (WGF) 2.0 API. It will also work with OpenGL 2.0. The hardware-accelerated vertex shader capabilities missing from the current GMA950 graphics core and its predecessors will at long last be built into the G965's GPU. It will also do 180° screen rotation support in hardware.
The GPU will be able to grab up to 256MB of main memory as its frame buffer - double the limit of the current GMA 950 core. It will support 16x anisotropic filtering, up from 4x with the GMA950, and raise the current floating-point precision level from 24 bits to 32.
The G965 will be able to do more video post-processing work than its predecessor can, and while it will enable decoding of H.264 and WMV9/VC-1 HD video, it will still require help from the host processor.
Other tweaks, the slide reveals, include the latest version of Intel's display power-saving technology, improved Z buffer testing, and the addition of occlusion filtering to speed 3D scene rendering.
The G965 is expected to ship in time to support the introduction of Intel's first next-generation architecture CPU, 'Conroe', in Q3. ®
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04..._core_details/
Ok so y I guess I answered 1 of my questions, it seems that by Q3 these chips will be out (hopefully), right in time for a silent upgrade before christmas! Looks pretty good so far
Q. Does the G965 require Conroe? It's a little confusing from that article, but I assume that it doesn't; it's just being announced alongside it, i seems...
'cause I don't expect Core 2 to be coming to the consumer MacBook for some time...
Originally posted by Hobbes
WoW sounds playable on the MacBook (average 15-30 FPS at medium-low settings w/ 1GB RAM), though not great.
Q. Does the G965 require Conroe? It's a little confusing from that article, but I assume that it doesn't; it's just being announced alongside it, i seems...
'cause I don't expect Core 2 to be coming to the consumer MacBook for some time...
The 965x is just the cheaper version of 975x that works with Conroe. It'll only work with Core 2, possibly Pentium D/P4, but you'll never see those in an Apple anyway. They're all desktop chipsets though and put out far too much heat and consume too much power for a laptop though. Anyway, 975x is pretty useless outside of gaming.
Originally posted by theapplegenius
The 965x is just the cheaper version of 975x that works with Conroe. It'll only work with Core 2, possibly Pentium D/P4, but you'll never see those in an Apple anyway. They're all desktop chipsets though and put out far too much heat and consume too much power for a laptop though. Anyway, 975x is pretty useless outside of gaming.
I'm sure there will be a portable version (G965 Express perhaps).... no?
This chipset will only work with Core 2, then?
And what do you mean, "pretty useless outside of gaming"? What other purpose -- besides GPU-dependent design apps like Aperture and Motion -- would an improved integrated graphics chipset serve?
Intel D975XBX:
5 MOSFETS
Overclocking BIOS
CrossFire Support
965x will be in Apple computers, it's a bit cheaper and quieter. 975x is full throttle, and if Apple does CF (not likely) then you'll see it.