New Powermacs tomorrow….Dual Core?

[Mitchji]

[Ed] “Most reports, like MacWorld, etc., say that the new chips will offer performance gains of 50-80%. They’re saying that existing programs will see the boost.”

Hi,

Existing programs that are coded to support multiple processors (FCP for example) will work as is.

When you douple the number of processors you don’t double the speed because there is some loss of efficiency. When Apple started shipping dual processor machines they stated the benefit was about 80% so similar or slightly less would make sense going from 2 to 4.

This is the Maccentral announcement (unfortunately to get two dual core chips in typical Apple fashion you need to purchase the $3,300 system):
New Power Macs

Apple has also updated its Power Mac G5 system, which Moody calls the “system of choice for creative professionals that need power.”

The new systems feature dual-core PowerPC processors and a new system architecture that can support up to 16GB of 533MHz DDR2 RAM. They can also hold up to 1 terabyte (TB) of internal Serial ATA (SATA) storage, and are the first Power Macs to feature PCI Express (PCIe) expansion slots. DDR2 RAM and PCIe are both featured on Apple’s recently refreshed iMac G5 system.

Apple has worked with graphics maker Nvidia Corp. to feature four new graphics options for the refreshed Power Mac G5 line, including the Quadro FX 4500 — Nviidia’s fastest workstation card. This fills a gap in the Power Mac line that has long been criticized by 3D graphics professionals and others who have wanted faster graphics systems than the consumer-oriented cards and chips Apple has offered in the past. The Quadro card can support dual 30-inch displays, according to Moody.

The new Power Macs G5 “Quad” system touts eight floating point units, four velocity engines, four 1MB Level 2 caches and is capable of processing 76.6 gigaflops. “There is some serious horsepower under the hood,” said Moody.

The Power Mac G5 starts in a single-processor, dual-core configuration clocked at 2.0GHz for $1,999. The 2.3GHz dual-core system costs $2,499, and the “Quad” dual-processor, dual-core system starts at $3,299.

Best Wishes,

Mitch

[Bill Willins]

Explain to me … is there any difference between a dual processor G5 ( a.k.a ) my 2 gig unit from last year …. to the new “dual core chips” just announced. If so … what’s the difference. thanks. BW

[Chi-ho Lee]

That’s a good idea! I never thought of that. Thanks Jerry.

-CHL

Chi-Ho Lee
Film & Video Editor
Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer