There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
iMacs.
Could this be true?

In article <241120072214179475%helipip.li@xs4all.nl.pip>,
 heli <helipip.li@xs4all.nl.pip> wrote:

> There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
> even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
> iMacs.
> Could this be true?

If it's one thing Apple has taught us, it's that anything is possible.

-- 
Note: Please send all responses to the relevant news group. If you 
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JR

heli <helipip.li@xs4all.nl.pip> wrote:

> There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
> even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
> iMacs.
> Could this be true?

There are new Intel "Penryn" processors available now which are suitable
as upgrades for the Mac Pro (high-end Xeon processors, both dual core
and quad core).

Early next year, Intel will be introducing updated desktop and laptop
class processors, which will be suitable for use in an iMac, MacBook
Pro, Mac Mini or MacBook.

Some of these (probably desktop only) will have 4-core variants, and
this is likley to mean that it will be possible for Apple to introduce a
4-core option for the iMac, but possibly not for the other models (yet).

MacWorld Expo in January is the earliest I'd expect to see any such
announcement from Apple. Apple is unlikly to announce an updated
mainstream product like the iMac if they can't ship it immediately, so
if the new processors won't be available until later in Q1 2008, an
announcement would be delayed until they can get the chips in sufficient
quantity.

If some variants of the chip are delayed, they might introduce an
updated series without the 4-core option, then add it later once it
becomes available in quantity.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

In article <1i84z9j.119g7s0xg4oevN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>, David Empson
<dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:

> heli <helipip.li@xs4all.nl.pip> wrote:
> 
> > There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
> > even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
> > iMacs.
> > Could this be true?
> 
> There are new Intel "Penryn" processors available now which are suitable
> as upgrades for the Mac Pro (high-end Xeon processors, both dual core
> and quad core).
> 
> Early next year, Intel will be introducing updated desktop and laptop
> class processors, which will be suitable for use in an iMac, MacBook
> Pro, Mac Mini or MacBook.
> 
> Some of these (probably desktop only) will have 4-core variants, and
> this is likley to mean that it will be possible for Apple to introduce a
> 4-core option for the iMac, but possibly not for the other models (yet).
> 
> MacWorld Expo in January is the earliest I'd expect to see any such
> announcement from Apple. Apple is unlikly to announce an updated
> mainstream product like the iMac if they can't ship it immediately, so
> if the new processors won't be available until later in Q1 2008, an
> announcement would be delayed until they can get the chips in sufficient
> quantity.
> 
> If some variants of the chip are delayed, they might introduce an
> updated series without the 4-core option, then add it later once it
> becomes available in quantity.

Interesting developments.

heli wrote:
> There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
> even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
> iMacs.
> Could this be true?



AppleInsider Thursday, October 18, 2007
<<
The new systems will represent the first architectural overhaul to the 
Mac Pro family since Apple introduced the Intel-based Power Mac 
successor at its August 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference. They'll 
also be amongst the first machines from any PC manufacturer to employ 
chips from Intel's upcoming Penryn family of 45-nanometer (nm) 
microprocessors -- specifically the upcoming Hi-k Xeons, which will be 
available in dual- and quad-core variants for workstations with 
front-side bus speeds of either 1333MHz or 1600MHz.

Confirming reports filed by the Inquirer earlier this month, people 
familiar with the matter say the new Mac Pro line lineup will top out 
with an 8-core configuration that employs two top-of-the-line quad-core 
"Harpertown" chips. The top-bin Xeons, which offer the faster 1600MHz 
bus and 12MB of L2 cache, will start trickling in around mid-November at 
speeds of up to 3.2GHz.

Apple, for its part, is ready to rock-and-roll with the new 45-nm Macs 
whenever Intel can deliver enough of those top-bin chips to trigger a 
manufacturing ramp. People familiar with the situation say Apple's end 
of the hardware is essentially complete, with builds having made their 
final pass through engineering earlier this fall. Availability now 
hinges on the Intel's capacity to deliver quantities of the new 45-nm 
Xeons, they say.
 >>

In article <fif3a0$4sc$1@aioe.org>, Chris Brown
<cbrown@medicine.adelaide.edu.au> wrote:

> heli wrote:
> > There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
> > even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
> > iMacs.
> > Could this be true?
> 
> AppleInsider Thursday, October 18, 2007
> <<
> The new systems will represent the first architectural overhaul to the 
> Mac Pro family since Apple introduced the Intel-based Power Mac 
> successor at its August 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference. They'll 
> also be amongst the first machines from any PC manufacturer to employ 
> chips from Intel's upcoming Penryn family of 45-nanometer (nm) 
> microprocessors -- specifically the upcoming Hi-k Xeons, which will be 
> available in dual- and quad-core variants for workstations with 
> front-side bus speeds of either 1333MHz or 1600MHz.
> 
> Confirming reports filed by the Inquirer earlier this month, people 
> familiar with the matter say the new Mac Pro line lineup will top out 
> with an 8-core configuration that employs two top-of-the-line quad-core 
> "Harpertown" chips. The top-bin Xeons, which offer the faster 1600MHz 
> bus and 12MB of L2 cache, will start trickling in around mid-November at 
> speeds of up to 3.2GHz.
> 
> Apple, for its part, is ready to rock-and-roll with the new 45-nm Macs 
> whenever Intel can deliver enough of those top-bin chips to trigger a 
> manufacturing ramp. People familiar with the situation say Apple's end 
> of the hardware is essentially complete, with builds having made their 
> final pass through engineering earlier this fall. Availability now 
> hinges on the Intel's capacity to deliver quantities of the new 45-nm 
> Xeons, they say.
>  >>

Wow! Now the question is 'when'? And can I hold out until then?

heli <helipip.li@xs4all.nl.pip> wrote:

> In article <fif3a0$4sc$1@aioe.org>, Chris Brown
> <cbrown@medicine.adelaide.edu.au> wrote:
> 
> > heli wrote:
> > > There are rumours that the new Intel chips (4-core?) which would allow
> > > even greater speeds than the 2-core will soon be available in new
> > > iMacs.
> > > Could this be true?
> > 
> > AppleInsider Thursday, October 18, 2007
> > <<
> > The new systems will represent the first architectural overhaul to the
> > Mac Pro family since Apple introduced the Intel-based Power Mac 
> > successor at its August 2006 Worldwide Developers Conference. They'll
> > also be amongst the first machines from any PC manufacturer to employ
> > chips from Intel's upcoming Penryn family of 45-nanometer (nm) 
> > microprocessors -- specifically the upcoming Hi-k Xeons, which will be
> > available in dual- and quad-core variants for workstations with 
> > front-side bus speeds of either 1333MHz or 1600MHz.
> > 
> > Confirming reports filed by the Inquirer earlier this month, people
> > familiar with the matter say the new Mac Pro line lineup will top out
> > with an 8-core configuration that employs two top-of-the-line quad-core
> > "Harpertown" chips. The top-bin Xeons, which offer the faster 1600MHz
> > bus and 12MB of L2 cache, will start trickling in around mid-November at
> > speeds of up to 3.2GHz.
> > 
> > Apple, for its part, is ready to rock-and-roll with the new 45-nm Macs
> > whenever Intel can deliver enough of those top-bin chips to trigger a
> > manufacturing ramp. People familiar with the situation say Apple's end
> > of the hardware is essentially complete, with builds having made their
> > final pass through engineering earlier this fall. Availability now 
> > hinges on the Intel's capacity to deliver quantities of the new 45-nm
> > Xeons, they say.
> >  >>
> 
> Wow! Now the question is 'when'? And can I hold out until then?

As I said in my earlier post, Intel have already released high-end Xeon
processors (described above) which would be suitable for a Mac Pro.
We're just waiting for Apple to release updated Mac Pro models, which
may only depend on Intel being able to supply processors in sufficient
quantity.

The processors described above will not be used in an iMac. The high end
ones cost considerably more than an entire iMac and even the low end
ones are expensive. They also require expensive memory technology. (All
of this is why a Mac Pro costs so much - you have to pay a lot to get
top of the line performance.)

There is a separate series of chips (part of the same processor
generation but with lower specifications) which will be suitable for an
iMac, and Intel has targetted "first quarter 2008" to release them.

I haven't found an official statement to that effect from Intel - I
probably read it in an article on AppleInsider or elsewhere. Here is a
ComputerWorld article which explains it further (watch out for line
wrapping and remove the <> markers if they cause problems for your
newsreader).

<http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic
&articleId=9046362&intsrc=news_ts_head>

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz