DuhSesame

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DuhSesame
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  • MacBook Air with M1 chip outperforms 16-inch MacBook Pro in benchmark testing

    DuhSesameDuhSesame
    Being fanless doesn’t mean it’s great.  I have no doubt that even U-series chips can run without active cooling.  Whether you want that it’s another question.

    also worth noting Apple doesn’t pick the Y just for “fanless.”
    williamlondonelijahgwatto_cobra

  • Apple working on re-engineered and smaller Mac Pro

    DuhSesameDuhSesame
    Marvin said:
    DuhSesame said:
    Apple engineers are currently developing a new Mac Pro that looks like the current design at about half the size. It’s unclear if that Mac will replace the current Mac Pro or if it’s an additional model. Apple’s chip designs could help the company reduce the size of its computers due to increased power efficiency, but the current Mac Pro is large, in part, to fit components like additional storage drives and graphics chips.

    Why?  I don’t buy this either, not at least the “replacement” part.  Are they suggesting that Apple Silicon only have half of the PCIe lanes?

    Half of the Mac Pro is taken up by the GPUs:



    These are 7nm GPUs and the Xeon CPU is 14nm. Apple is making their own CPU/GPU. The only reason they use slots (Peripheral Component Interconnect) here is because all the parts come from a 3rd party. Apple has mentioned a few times in documentation to not assume integrated graphics means slower, it's just typically slow graphics chips that are integrated:

    https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metal/gpu_selection_in_macos/understanding_gpu_bandwidth

    Most of the upgrade price in the current Mac Pro is sent to AMD and Intel. Apple can easily offer the highest-end current option at half the price and make more profit.

    The current spec it has with 14nm Xeon and quad 14TFLOP 7nm AMD GPU is high enough for any workflow. Apple will use 5nm CPU and GPU (possibly 3nm depending on launch time) so they can cut the power usage in half and hit close to the same performance level. Half the power usage, half the size, same performance.

    It could even fit in an iMac Pro but that's not ideal for using with an XDR display. Possibly the XDR display turns into an iMac Pro with standard iMac parts at the low-end. When Apple has the freedom to make their own parts, they can build whatever they want.

    Okay, let’s not be either super progressive or die hard conservative (i.e. people want dozen SATAs!), instead think more about the current requirements:

    TBDR is good, but does that mean all machines need it?  Laptops yes, perhaps more integrated.  Workstation towers?  The CPU is already 300 watts, not to mention the possibility to be upgraded in the next few years.  Stucked at 8~12 cores in something designed for 28 or more isn’t good.

    Integrated but dedicated GPUs?  Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.  Not everyone need four GPUs or they may want them later on.

    The bigger the heatsink, also means better the cooling, Mac Pro’s user aren’t that concerned about size.  In fact it’s already oversized for Xeon-Ws, I can’t find any CPU cooler that can do better.  If you can keep the current form factor, that will only leads to more powerful components or better temps.

    so that’s that.  If you think about the user base:
    you can’t build the xMac-like because that’ll against what Apple does for 23 years: mainstream desktops are great with AIOs, and now there’s iMac Pro for entry-level workstations.

    People who need towers are relatively small and not so concerned about price.

    I don’t see how necessary for a smaller tower, Mac Pro is already small by comparison.

    So I don’t know what’s the need for a smaller tower or this is down right a fake rumor.


    ——
    actually, while we’re talking about TBDR, how about RAM upgrade on the graphics card?  No rules that said you have to use an integrated GPU to make TBDR work.
    williamlondonwatto_cobra

  • MacBook Air, 13- and 16-inch MacBook Pro reportedly first Apple Silicon Macs

    DuhSesameDuhSesame
    I still don’t think we’ll see 16-inch this year, but I agree with “no major design changes.”  Making everything an iPad is ridiculous.
    williamlondonspock1234watto_cobra

  • What the PowerPC to Intel transition tells us about Apple Silicon release dates

    DuhSesameDuhSesame
    ……

    It's exciting!  I have a feeling the first couple of products apple releases will be this:  one to show how efficient AS is and therefore how long the battery will last (lighter and cheaper), and the other product will show how performant AS is and without the need for anywhere near as much of a thermal offloading system in place (thinner/lighter, but faster)
    Maybe on the consumer side.  I think Apple already designed their pro products to be ready for transition.  It wouldn’t make sense for them to ditch the new Mac Pro and the 16” MacBook Pro just for a new processor.  It’s better to keep improving solid designs than throwing them out, though.

    I also don’t think people realized that the current 16” actually have better cooling than other MacBook Pros.  Those old Unibody ones struggled to cool their quad-cores where the 16” could keep 8-cores in check.  Fan blades, speeds and better quality heat pipes can overcome size advantage.

    With ASi I think Apple could technically bringing even larger fans for the 16", with more balanced heat dissipation (both chips we have today relies heavily on one side).  That means the heat pipe will have a shorter path and larger contact area on both ends.



    Edit: Which chip (and their supporting circularity) I think will be gone:

    - Dedicated GPU (All their VRMs) and VRAM
    - The chipset, and
    - The T chip - Maybe not, but I think it will be integrated or at least on the same package as the main die:


    Assume every block means a controller.
    watto_cobrarezwitsemoeller

  • What the PowerPC to Intel transition tells us about Apple Silicon release dates

    DuhSesameDuhSesame
    gmgravytrain said:
    I'm am fully betting on Apple Silicon MacBooks to crush sales to students and people needing to work from home.  However, Apple will need to set some reasonable prices to attract the cheapskates who are willing to settle for Chromebooks.  Apple absolutely must gain laptop market share against Windows laptops running Intel processors.  A powerful, super-slim MacBook design with all-day battery life should be extremely attractive to consumers.  Apple better not blow this opportunity.  It would be too much to hope for if Apple can upset the entire X86 processor laptop market with its Apple ARM processors.  Those power-sucking Intel chips have just about hit a wall but the AMD chips have a much better chance.
    I think people overlooked AMD for the past few years.  Threadrippers until recently were aimed for enthusiasts and there are lots of differences between actual professionals.  Their 64-Core serves more as a show product that vast majority won’t purchase.  Stability is also a key which why Xeon still exists.
    watto_cobradarkvader