New Clovertown chip an option for Apple's 8-core Mac Pro
A new Xeon processor that quietly began shipping from Intel Corp. this month could find its way into a model of Apple Computer's forthcoming 8-core professional desktop systems.
The new 2.0GHz quad-core "Clovertown" chip has been officially dubbed the Xeon E5335 by Intel, filling the gap between the chipmaker's existing 2.33 GHz Xeon E5345 and 1.86 GHz Xeon E5320 offerings.
Although the chip had not been expected until February, Intel said it bumped up the release following some "customer demand" to have the product ready for IT purchases in January.
Like the 2.33GHz Xeon E5345 and the 2.66GHz Xeon E5355 introduced last month, the latest member of the Clovertown family features 8MB of L2 cache and operates on a 1333MHz front-side bus -- making it drop-in compatible with Apple's existing Mac Pro professional desktop architecture.
Despite its slower clock speed, the 2.0GHz E5335 offers one striking advantage over its swifter cousins; it will cost only $690 per chip in lots of 1000, compared to the $851 for the 2.33GHz model and a whopping $1172 for the 2.66GHz variant.
The $690 price point is identical to that of Intel's previous generation 2.66GHz dual-core Xeon "Woodcrest" chip, which Apple elected to use for the standard $2499 configuration of its Mac Pro workstations that began shipping just a few months ago.
Through its online store, the Mac maker also allows shoppers to scale the speed of the Mac Pro. Customers can save $300 by dropping down to two 2.0GHz dual-core Woddcrest chips or fork over an extra $800 for two 3.0GHz models.
Intel's latest edition to the Clovertown family is significant in that it could finally help push Apple's first 8-core Mac systems to market.
People familiar with the subject have said the Cupertino, Calif.-based company holds plans to release of new version of its Mac Pro desktop that will pack two quad-core Xeon chips for a total of 8-cores of raw processing power.
Although development of those systems reportedly wrapped up several months ago, Apple has yet commission their release.
The new 2.0GHz quad-core "Clovertown" chip has been officially dubbed the Xeon E5335 by Intel, filling the gap between the chipmaker's existing 2.33 GHz Xeon E5345 and 1.86 GHz Xeon E5320 offerings.
Although the chip had not been expected until February, Intel said it bumped up the release following some "customer demand" to have the product ready for IT purchases in January.
Like the 2.33GHz Xeon E5345 and the 2.66GHz Xeon E5355 introduced last month, the latest member of the Clovertown family features 8MB of L2 cache and operates on a 1333MHz front-side bus -- making it drop-in compatible with Apple's existing Mac Pro professional desktop architecture.
Despite its slower clock speed, the 2.0GHz E5335 offers one striking advantage over its swifter cousins; it will cost only $690 per chip in lots of 1000, compared to the $851 for the 2.33GHz model and a whopping $1172 for the 2.66GHz variant.
The $690 price point is identical to that of Intel's previous generation 2.66GHz dual-core Xeon "Woodcrest" chip, which Apple elected to use for the standard $2499 configuration of its Mac Pro workstations that began shipping just a few months ago.
Through its online store, the Mac maker also allows shoppers to scale the speed of the Mac Pro. Customers can save $300 by dropping down to two 2.0GHz dual-core Woddcrest chips or fork over an extra $800 for two 3.0GHz models.
Intel's latest edition to the Clovertown family is significant in that it could finally help push Apple's first 8-core Mac systems to market.
People familiar with the subject have said the Cupertino, Calif.-based company holds plans to release of new version of its Mac Pro desktop that will pack two quad-core Xeon chips for a total of 8-cores of raw processing power.
Although development of those systems reportedly wrapped up several months ago, Apple has yet commission their release.
Comments
...only $690 per chip in lots of $1000, compared...
I'm guessing that's supposed to be "in lots of 1000"
It seems as if the Ghz war has ended, it's all about cores and cache these days. It also looks like Intel's product pipeline is progressing very rapidly, I miss the PowerPC's...at lest when we got something new it was exciting
And the next Intel processor, dubbed Peachtree will be 1.0 GHz and will have 16 cores
My PM Quad G5 soon on ebay!
I'm guessing that's supposed to be "in lots of 1000"
One pound of these chips also weigh only half a pound.
Customer's can save $300...
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
It's bad enough when some clueless forum poster makes this egregious error, but now it's creeping into news articles? GG, AI.
Does anyone recall what the current Xeons in the Mac Pros cost per chip?
It's in the article. "The $690 price point is identical to that of Intel's previous generation 2.66GHz dual-core Xeon 'Woodcrest' chip, which Apple elected to use for the standard $2499 configuration of its Mac Pro workstations that began shipping just a few months ago."
It's in the article. "The $690 price point is identical to that of Intel's previous generation 2.66GHz dual-core Xeon 'Woodcrest' chip, which Apple elected to use for the standard $2499 configuration of its Mac Pro workstations that began shipping just a few months ago."
It'll be 6 months in January. And I think every Mac has been updated since.
Does anyone recall what the current Xeons in the Mac Pros cost per chip?
At launch, the prices were:
3GHz $850, 2.66 GHz $700, 2.33GHz $470, 2.0GHz $330, 1.83GHz $270 and 1.6GHz $230.
http://www.theinquirer.org/default.aspx?article=29510
So I imagine that the new processor lineup will be like this:
o Two 2.0 GHz dual core [subtract $299]
o Two 2.66 GHz dual core
o Two 2.0 GHz quad core
o Two 3.0 GHz dual core [add $799]
o Two 2.33 GHz quad core [add $799]
o Two 2.66 GHz quad core [add $1999] (i.e. just low enough to make it not worth while to buy the 2.0GHz and swap processors)
At launch, the prices were:
3GHz $850, 2.66 GHz $700, 2.33GHz $470, 2.0GHz $330, 1.83GHz $270 and 1.6GHz $230.
http://www.theinquirer.org/default.aspx?article=29510
So I imagine that the new processor lineup will be like this:
o Two 2.0 GHz dual core [subtract $299]
o Two 2.66 GHz dual core
o Two 2.0 GHz quad core
o Two 3.0 GHz dual core [add $799]
o Two 2.33 GHz quad core [add $799]
o Two 2.66 GHz quad core [add $1999] (i.e. just low enough to make it not worth while to buy the 2.0GHz and swap processors)
The price seems about right. I don't think the intended user would want to swap chips right away, if ever at all. If the user breaks anything while swapping chips, then they are on their own as far as warranty goes.
Hell I am just one freaking core (my 360 is more powerful then my computer and I use my computer more
I personally rather have the 4 faster chips then the 8 slower chips. But then again I need to see some stats comparing the two.
Hell I am just one freaking core (my 360 is more powerful then my computer and I use my computer more
It depends on what you're doing. Right now, I'd rather have 8 slower chips since Xcode compiling is fully multithreading. Two - three years out, when Photoshop and other higher end apps have better multithreading, more cores will win hands down over faster cores.
I personally rather have the 4 faster chips then the 8 slower chips. But then again I need to see some stats comparing the two...
Your wish is granted, courtesy of the SRSuperDuperNeverWrong AnalystInstitute patented RumorScooper(TM):
(Image below, Link is http://creativebits.org/8_core_mac_pro )
Because of drop-in compatibility of Clovertown into Woodcrest sockets, you get tha 8-core MacPro that benches like a BEAST in PhotoshopCS3, or at least, according to that site.
It will never stop... ;-)
It needs to start for the Mac Mini 8) -- They're still on Core Duo (Yonah) 1st gen Intel Core. Time for update...!!!11!!
Can't wait to get one.
I hope After Effects 8 will come right after CS3.
Oh my.