ATI Radeon X2800XT with CrossFire rumored for Apple's next Mac Pro

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  • Reply 81 of 167
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    Well, considering that AMD pulled Intel's crossfire license when they bought ATI, that would be a no.



    The only information I can find was an unfounded rumor that Intel pulled ATI's chipset licence. It was not true as far as I can tell.



    http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/07...e_not_revoked/



    The best I can find is that Intel decided not to continue to support Crossfire, I didn't see anything that said AMD/ATI revoked the license.
  • Reply 82 of 167
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Messiah View Post


    You're all assuming that Apple would be using a standard Intel chipset ? what if Apple and Intel sat down together and designed an Apple-only custom support chipset?



    I suppose they could, but so far it seems like Apple moved away from using custom system chips after the Intel move. I'm not sure if there are alternatives, Broadcom doesn't seem to be making any updated server or workstation chipsets.
  • Reply 83 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I suppose they could, but so far it seems like Apple moved away from using custom system chips after the Intel move. I'm not sure if there are alternatives, Broadcom doesn't seem to be making any updated server or workstation chipsets.



    In the g5 apple used the HyperTransport bus that let you put any ht chip on it so apple put a HyperTransport to pci-x chip on it to get pci-x slots.
  • Reply 84 of 167
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe_the_dragon View Post


    In the g5 apple used the HyperTransport bus that let you put any ht chip on it so apple put a HyperTransport to pci-x chip on it to get pci-x slots.



    The 5000X already offers connectivity for a couple PCI-X busses but Apple chose not to use them.
  • Reply 85 of 167
    Does anyone think that when leopard comes out they'll start shipping the regular macbooks with a dedicated video card?
  • Reply 86 of 167
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rich-Myster View Post


    Does anyone think that when leopard comes out they'll start shipping the regular macbooks with a dedicated video card?



    No. Why?
  • Reply 87 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chucker View Post


    No. Why?



    Probably because leopard is supposedly more intense on the card ... ie more animations (core animation), more transparencies (quick preview, spaces, time machine), etc.



    I don't know much about intel's integrated graphics, but i'm assuming they are pretty weak.
  • Reply 88 of 167
    because the current macbook has a bad integrated video card...
  • Reply 89 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    The 5000X already offers connectivity for a couple PCI-X busses but Apple chose not to use them.



    at the cost of a few pci-e lanes ftp://download.intel.com/design/chip...s/30262802.pdf
  • Reply 90 of 167
    Well I'd assume this'll mean a motherboard upgrade as well to something supporting two x16 slots?



    I can dream can't I? I don't want the Crossfire, but rather the ability to run two x16 cards to power all four monitors, the 7300GT is just underpowered and weak sauce, if some new hotness comes out this'll make my upcoming Mac Pro purchase (early next year) be most exciting.



    - D
  • Reply 91 of 167
    Quote:

    Krazit reports, "While Apple took a big step forward with the addition of the OpenGL specification for 3D graphics to Mac OS X, it still doesn't have an answer to the DirectX technology found in Windows, Morrison said. DirectX is a collection of APIs used by developers in their designs. OpenGL is 'old tech' compared to DirectX, said Jake Richter, an analyst with Jon Peddie Associates. And since DirectX can only be used with Microsoft's software, Apple would have to undertake a significant development effort to come up with its own technology or encourage the development of a different open standard, he said."



    "Some believe Apple might have some enhancements planned for Leopard, the next version of Mac OS X that's scheduled to arrive this spring. Last year at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference, Steve Jobs demonstrated some graphics-friendly technology such as Core Animation, which will make it easier for developers to create high-powered graphics. It's also possible that Jobs has other surprises in mind for this year's show, scheduled for June," Krazit reports.



    Is Open Gl really 'old tech'? I always thought it looked visually superior to Direct X...which I thought looked 'cardboardy' and less 'lush'.



    Lemon Bon Bon
  • Reply 92 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon. View Post


    Is Open Gl really 'old tech'? I always thought it looked visually superior to Direct X...which I thought looked 'cardboardy' and less 'lush'.



    Lemon Bon Bon



    Not to much anymore. OpenGL has been slow to update.
  • Reply 93 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    yah it's almost like development on OpenGL has come to a screeching hault. Is Unreal Tourn 2007 using it?
  • Reply 94 of 167
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    I'd like to see either OpenGL make some serious moves to trump DX, or Apple should just start using it. I mean come on let's get a move on here. It's been years.
  • Reply 95 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    The sad thing is, OpenGL has such great potential to be great. There are very nice libraries out there for it. If the community would quit arguing what should be included in the next release, I think we'd be further along. Unfortunately for apple a lot of this rests on the communities shoulders. Though I imagine that if apple was an active member in the community, there would be a better push for it. They are a member, but from what I've seen, not too active.
  • Reply 96 of 167
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by emig647 View Post


    The sad thing is, OpenGL has such great potential to be great. There are very nice libraries out there for it. If the community would quit arguing what should be included in the next release, I think we'd be further along. Unfortunately for apple a lot of this rests on the communities shoulders. Though I imagine that if apple was an active member in the community, there would be a better push for it. They are a member, but from what I've seen, not too active.



    To be honest, Apple would probably be best off taking the OpenGL standard and modifying it to their needs (aka. AppleGL). They have a great track record of taking open standards to the next step.
  • Reply 97 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Yah that's not a bad idea. Though I'd hope they would keep it open, so others could adopt it. Hardly anyone will want to learn a graphics library for such a small set of computers. Make it work with Linux, Make it work with Windows, Make it work with OS X. And we're good.
  • Reply 98 of 167
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    Apparently the X2800XT OEM version - the one Apple is likely to use draws 270W. If thats true, then whatever its graphical power - it sucks.



    The 8800GTX sucked enough by drawing 170W this is 60% more and the preliminary benchmarks are on the net for the R600 and if they are to be believed - it doesn't show much promise of being 60% better than an 8800, though it does spank it at times.



    Benachmark R600 http://level505.com/2006/12/30/the-f...i-r600-test/1/
  • Reply 99 of 167
    emig647emig647 Posts: 2,455member
    Good find... HAHA Yah they said 60% better, they failed to mention it was 60% more watts, not 60% better
  • Reply 100 of 167
    I love my 8800GTS XXX, it rocks, so if this ATi card is going to be even better, then who needs a PC at all? All we need is a decent keyboard and mouse option now!
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