“According to one of our sources, Apple is finalizing the future Mac Pro models. They are currently testing the last evolution of Xeon CPU, known as Gulftown, that Intel only demoed a couple of times so far,” linathael reports for HardMac.
linathael reports, “This Xeon is an evolution of those already powering Mac Pro 2009 with some new features:”
• 6 cores and 12 threads for each CPU.
• 12 MB of shared cache instead of 8 MB today.
• 32-nm engraving vs. 45 nm today.
• Power consumption of future hexacore Xeon 32 nm will be slightly lower than the one of current quad core Xeon engraved at 45 nm.
“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,” linathael reports. “However, we know that the motherboard will be modified and especially sport a Ethernet 10 Gbits/s port, and those Mac Pro will support 8 and 16 GB RAM modules (vs. 4 GB today) to push the maximal memory that could be installed in the future Mac Pro to 128 GB.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Mac Pro. For when you absolutely, positively have to sequence the entire human genome before morning coffee.
[Attribution: Electronista. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Gregory C.” for the heads up.]
“Gulftown”?
Sorry. After Katrina, I’m not buying beachfront property anytime soon – especially down there!
OMGosh! Such Power! Cheese Grader box?
P.S. Hilarious take MDN!
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Mac Pro. For when you absolutely, positively have to sequence the entire human genome before morning coffee.
LOL!!!!!
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Any word on if Snow Leopard will handle this kind of power better than Windows 7?
128 GB of RAM!
Cool. I want 6 core processors in a six-sided honeycomb arrangement around the central core with a rotary engine driving the entire system.
I think Intel should be consistent.
Since “Quad” is the latin prefix for four (tetra being the greek equivalent), they SHOULD BE sticking with Latin and call this a SEXAcore…
What’s “depressing” though, it that something similar to this will probably be the standard configuration in the 13″ MBP by 2013, selling for $900.
Hey, now, I don’t need to sequence the human genome, but I have 2 mac pros–and believe me, in my line of work, I put them both through the paces (and will be getting a new one when they come out!)
Still, funny take
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Hmmm, yeah, that MDN Take was the best in a long while!
So the chips are “engraved”? When did engraving supplant photolithography?
How many browser tabs do you thik I can open simultaniously with 128GB of memory?!?
Bring it on. I’ll trade in my RV for a new maxed out Mac Pro…maybe.
I’m going to use it to run my holodeck.
Since “Quad” is the latin prefix for four (tetra being the greek equivalent), they SHOULD BE sticking with Latin and call this a SEXAcore…
Intel had this problem before.
What should come after Pentium? Hexium? Sexium?
One sounds unlucky, the other sounds salacious.
So they went with Pentium II.
And it will still be 5 years before there’s software, hard drives, and other peripherals that can take full advantage of this hardware (by which time the ‘new’ hardware of the time will still be too powerful for us to use.
Of course, at that point it will probably be powerful enough to use us.
Apple finally decides to drastically improve the innards of their Macs. However, little software exists to put this hardware into maximum overdrive. It’s like Ferrari selling cars for residents of Kwajalein.
@Huh
So, what software are you missing there, buddy? Adobe CS5?
Ludor,
Name the percentage of Mac software that is designed to run on 4, 8, 16, and 32 cores? After you supply this tidbit of knowledge it will be quite easy to list the software titles currently available that run on 4, 8, 16, and 32 cores.
Shouldn’t take you much time.
“• 32-nm engraving vs. 45 nm today.”
Hehhe engraving. You’d need really good eyesight to engrave a 32 nm transistor.
> They are currently testing the last evolution of Xeon CPU, known as Gulftown
The “last” evolution? There aren’t going to be any more Xeons from Intel. I’ll assume they meant “latest.”
Makes Grand Central Dispatch an even greater differentiator between Mac OS X and Windows.
Fantastic;
but NO bluescreen – you still need the Microsoft modification for that!
@Huh
No, no. I asked first. I leave all this white space for you to fill.
Stop it MDN, I’m getting that strange tingling feeling again.
the 6-core XEON, it’s not codenamed Gulftown. It’s codenamed Westmere. Gulftown will be a desktop processor; follow on to Bloomfield.