Rumor: Intel preparing 3.2 GHz quad-core processors
Speaking of Intel, The Register is reporting that the chipmaker is preparing three, next-generation processors based on its "Nehalem" architecture, with the fastest topping out at 3.2 GHz. Each processor has four cores with eight processing threads.
The chip architecture, codenamed "Bloomfield," is targeted mostly at gamers. This is purely speculation, of course, but Apple's mid-range high-end desktops could be good candidates for the chips as well.
Intel anticipates the processors will be available in the fourth quarter of 2008.
[Via AMD vs. Intel.]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tukan said 3:24PM on 6-16-2008
Nice, I'd gladly pick up an iMac with this badboy. This and a Snow Leopard for me please :)
Reply
bugster said 4:45PM on 6-16-2008
I've never heard the Mac Pros called a mid-range desktop before, because that's the likely home of these processors. At 130 watts these aren't showing up in an iMac anytime soon.
Reply
mmendoza27 said 5:35PM on 6-16-2008
These processors suck power at 130 watts, so they won't show up in an iMac. iMac's use the same processors as the MacBook Pro, or even faster processors as seen with the 3.06 Ghz Core2Duo Extreme.
I think they might put a quad-core Montevina (which Intel is supposedly working on). The Mac Pro's won't adopt these either because they are desktop processors, the Mac Pro's might adopt the DP server Nehalem processors called Gainestown. I think they will adopt Beckton, which supports FB-DIMMs, 4x QuickPath, and is a eight-core processor, which would mean a 16-core Mac Pro.
Reply
mdk said 5:47PM on 6-16-2008
Will this be the beginning of raytraced gaming?
Reply
phytonix said 1:11AM on 6-17-2008
16-Core Mac Pro?
Bring it on! But I am not buying any, not with my money anyway.
Reply
brendan said 2:52PM on 6-17-2008
i dont get it. the mac pros already have 3.2 Ghz quad cores? unless im missing something
Reply
Vanillacide said 8:11PM on 6-22-2008
Yes you are missing something, the new cores are hyper-threaded so they act as two virtual cores per physical core. So a quad-core CPU appears to the OS as an octo-core CPU for all intents and purposes.
So if Apple replaced it's current two times quad-core CPUs in their 8-core MacPro with these 'Nehalem' chips they would have a 16-core MacPro (hence phytonix's comment).