Apple's next Mac Pro may sport six-core processors
A forthcoming update to the Mac Pro line could have short-term exclusivity of a new Intel Xeon six-core CPU early next year, according to a new rumor.
Citing an inside source, Hardmac has reported that Apple is testing the Gulftown Xeon chip in the new Mac Pro desktop. The chip is an improvement over the model currently being used in the 2009 model with more horsepower and lower power consumption.
The new 32 nanometer chips have 12MB of L3 cache, and 6 cores with 12 threads for each CPU. Apple usually doubles the processors in its high-end professional workstations, so it's possible the new Mac Pro system could have a total of 12 cores. The new hardware could be released sometime in the first quarter of 2010.
Gulftown is the codename of a yet-unreleased Intel chip. It will be sold under the Intel Core i9 name, while the server version is to be called the Xeon 5600 series. It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor for Intel.
The report said that the new Mac Pro will have a modified motherboard with a 10Gbit/second Ethernet port. In addition, it is said to support 8GB and 16GB RAM modules, an increase from the 4GB offered today. That would mean the system could carry up to 128GB of RAM.
The new hardware is said to possibly arrive in early 2010, before the new chip enters mass production. If true, it is likely that the Mac maker would have short-term exclusive use of the new Xeon CPU.
"We currently do not know if all future Mac Pro models will be using this hexacore Xeon or if Apple will keep quad core XEon for the entry level model," the report said. "This could decrease significantly the price of the first Mac Pro, and maybe convince some Mac users desperately waiting for a Mac Pro mini to finally get one. It is also unclear if the enclosure will be modified or not."
If true, it wouldn't be the first time Apple had early access to a new Xeon chip. The last two revisions of the Mac Pro line had the first crack at their respective chips.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced a new Mac Pro with Nehalem Xeon processors. The 2.66GHz CPU offered 2.4 times increase of memory bandwidth with 40 percent lower memory latency over its predecessor. The current high-end 8-core Mac Pro offers two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache.
Citing an inside source, Hardmac has reported that Apple is testing the Gulftown Xeon chip in the new Mac Pro desktop. The chip is an improvement over the model currently being used in the 2009 model with more horsepower and lower power consumption.
The new 32 nanometer chips have 12MB of L3 cache, and 6 cores with 12 threads for each CPU. Apple usually doubles the processors in its high-end professional workstations, so it's possible the new Mac Pro system could have a total of 12 cores. The new hardware could be released sometime in the first quarter of 2010.
Gulftown is the codename of a yet-unreleased Intel chip. It will be sold under the Intel Core i9 name, while the server version is to be called the Xeon 5600 series. It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor for Intel.
The report said that the new Mac Pro will have a modified motherboard with a 10Gbit/second Ethernet port. In addition, it is said to support 8GB and 16GB RAM modules, an increase from the 4GB offered today. That would mean the system could carry up to 128GB of RAM.
The new hardware is said to possibly arrive in early 2010, before the new chip enters mass production. If true, it is likely that the Mac maker would have short-term exclusive use of the new Xeon CPU.
"We currently do not know if all future Mac Pro models will be using this hexacore Xeon or if Apple will keep quad core XEon for the entry level model," the report said. "This could decrease significantly the price of the first Mac Pro, and maybe convince some Mac users desperately waiting for a Mac Pro mini to finally get one. It is also unclear if the enclosure will be modified or not."
If true, it wouldn't be the first time Apple had early access to a new Xeon chip. The last two revisions of the Mac Pro line had the first crack at their respective chips.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced a new Mac Pro with Nehalem Xeon processors. The 2.66GHz CPU offered 2.4 times increase of memory bandwidth with 40 percent lower memory latency over its predecessor. The current high-end 8-core Mac Pro offers two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache.
Comments
If you're a "Pro" you wouldn't be paying for it out of pocket. In most cases it can also be written off, too, if you can demonstrate it's for work/business/home-as-regular-business-establishment use.
It's hardly meant for general home use, hence the "Pro" label.
If you're a "Pro" you wouldn't be paying for it out of pocket. In most cases it can also be written off, too, if you can demonstrate it's for work/business/home-as-regular-business-establishment use.
Do they have help groups for a koolaid addiction this bad? Do you know anything of the world beyond Apple press releases?
It's hardly meant for general home use, hence the "Pro" label.
If you're a "Pro" you wouldn't be paying for it out of pocket. In most cases it can also be written off, too, if you can demonstrate it's for work/business/home-as-regular-business-establishment use.
The 'Pro' label has been demoted since the 'introduction' (read: rename) of the macbook pro 13".
That being said, I don't deny that the Mac Pro deserves its name, and is one of the most desirable pieces of hardware. For me, it is the quintessential mac (power, quality and design). I agree that if you run a small/medium business (especially in the graphic design field) you have no excuse for not using a Pro.
Do they have help groups for a koolaid addiction this bad? Do you know anything of the world beyond Apple press releases?
Ha, ha. He's by far the biggest chearleader on here- you can almost visualize the pom-poms flailing. Most amusing.
Ha, ha. He's by far the biggest chearleader on here- you can almost visualize the pom-poms flailing. Most amusing.
It's Apple. Why wouldn't I be? And this is an Apple fansite. My question is, why are Windows trolls camping an Apple fansite? Now THAT would be most amusing if it weren't so sad.
It's Apple. Why wouldn't I be?
Haha- didn't the people of Jonestown say the same thing about Jim Jones?
It's kind of aggravating that Apple stays on the cutting edge of Mac Pro hardware (minus the inclusion of lame graphics cards) but when it comes to their normal home lineup, the iMac and the increasingly pathetic mini, they lag years behind. Here hoping the iMac gets a decent CPU bump, even though I purchased an early 09 iMac already.
I bought the 2009 Mac mini. These computers are outdates as soon you bring it home because Apple already have a road map like everybody else. I'm sure that this Mac Pro especially a
Dual 6-core Gulfton will dust the 8-Core Mac Pro Nehalem. 128GB of ram I better start saving now put the 2010 Camaro off for next Christmas.
Anyway... back on subject. I'm due an upgrade, but 128 mb of memory? $$$$
Yes, see here
It's Apple. Why wouldn't I be? And this is an Apple fansite. My question is, why are Windows trolls camping an Apple fansite? Now THAT would be most amusing if it weren't so sad.
So everybody that doesn't unquestionably submit to Apple's will has got to be a windows troll right? You are truly delusional.
It's Apple. Why wouldn't I be? And this is an Apple fansite. My question is, why are Windows trolls camping an Apple fansite? Now THAT would be most amusing if it weren't so sad.
Just because someone is critical of Apple, doesn't mean they're a Windows Troll, as you put it. Being self critical is a sign of maturity and opens the way for continuous improvement.
It's a valid comment to ask why the gulf between the Tower Mac Pro and iMac lines is growing - in 2006, the gulf wasn't nearly this big. Of course, it's a semi-rhetorical question, because the answer is obvious.
Nehlam and Gulftown were very predictable, they're Intel's top of the line processors (current and near future respectively) and having them stuffed into the latest Apple tower is not a shock. Also the 1066mhz DDR3 architecture in MBPs put them slightly ahead of most HP and Dell machines during the last 6 months - a nice bonus. i9 and even more so, i7 are not suited to being crammed into the tiny spaces Apple allows for it's technology (there was never a Dual G5 in the iMac for the same reason) and so it's not a shock they're not present in the consumer lineup - besides, the i7 is really still at the cutting edge of Intel's lineup.
What's mildly surprising is the 3 year old tech sitting in the Mini and the iMac. The iMac should have gone Quad-Core this year (maybe it will during Fall) and the Mini looks poor against almost all Mini-ATX competitors that are far less expensive (the recent GF9400m is a nod in the right direction, but really too little too late, especially if your GPU is sharing a precious 1GB of RAM.) The Mini should really retail at $399 and $499 and ship with 4GBs of RAM as a minimum and include 7200rpm hdds as standard. In fact, if Apple was really acting in it's customer's best interests, it might consider putting the Athlon x4 in the Mini ($99 per CPU at retail prices, and would be able to stretch its legs in Snow Leopard, and put Phenom II in the iMac (it runs cool even at 3.2ghz and is quicker than any C2D Quad).
Saying this doesn't make me an Apple hater, or a Windows troll, it's just me expressing an opinion, which is fairly objective and should not really be antagonistic.
So everybody that doesn't unquestionably submit to Apple's will has got to be a windows troll right? You are truly delusional.
Delusional indeed. Where the hell is the pro-sumer tower? This is a never ending go nowhere discussion, kinda tired of it.
So everybody that doesn't unquestionably submit to Apple's will has got to be a windows troll right? You are truly delusional.
If you come on an Apple fansite to constantly provide dissenting opinion at every turn, you're a Windows troll. If you provide dissenting opinion at every turn just for the sake of it, you're even worse.
Delusional indeed. Where the hell is the pro-sumer tower? This is a never ending go nowhere discussion, kinda tired of it.
Nowhere. Because there's no demand for it, and because it's difficult enough to sell desktops in this market to begin with.