IBM to unleash new PowerPC chip

[Argo]

IBM will put its PowerPC processor line back on the map Monday when it talks up a speedy chip that promises a substantial performance boost for desktops and servers.

The PowerPC 970 chip, due next year, will run at 1.8GHz, nearly twice as fast as Big Blue's quickest existing PowerPC chip, the 1GHz 750FX. It will also be able to handle both 32-bit software, the current standard on desktops, and 64-bit software, used on high-end servers.

Engineers from IBM's Microelectronics division will disclose the details of the new chip for the first time at this week's Microprocessor Forum in San Jose, Calif.

Full article here

[whabang]

Gimmie!

[The_Editor]

Gimme too

[Hammer]

Sounds good. Yet another “wait” (sigh)…

"losing the gigahertz race, but with all the performance (IBM) packed into this architecture, it's going to be competitive with the performance of the Pentium 4 in 2003."

I just hope the corresponding PPC motherboards are just as completive to the X86 motherboards.

I wonder, IF next release PPC is really completive, why not Big Blue abandon X86-32 PCs for PPC PCs?

In the grand scheme of things, the current Pentium 4 core (even next hyper-threading enabled cores) is predicted to lose with the arrival of AMD's Hammer (X86-64) class CPU, unless Intel surprises the world with Yamhill/AMD X86-64 clone like X86-64 project.  

Interesting to note that IBM's  SOI .13 micron fabricated chip is clocked ~1.8 Ghz, while AMD’s non-SOI .13 micron fabricated chip is clocked at ~2.2 Ghz now.

Although IBM will disclose technical details on the chip's architecture at the Microprocessor Forum, pricing and other commercial details won't emerge until the chip ships in the second half of next year.

IF next-PPC release is at the second half of 2003, it would be competing with AMD’s Hammer class (X86-64) chips instead of Pentium 4. Pentium 4 wouldn't be considered the X86 flagchip when the Hammer is release. Intel’s IA-64 move has basically abandon X86 leadership to AMD.

Shooting the “Pentium 4” in mid-2003 is like shooting a sitting duck in the light of AMD Hammer class CPUs.

[Fot]

I just hope the corresponding PPC motherboards are just as completive to the X86 motherboards.

Well, if IBM release a chipset as well then there's hope.  Otherwise this processor will most likely power iMACs in 2003/4. Let's hope companies like MAI are interested in developing chipsets and motherboards for this cpu.

I wonder, IF next release PPC is really completive, why not Big Blue abandon X86-32 PCs for PPC PCs?

Highly unlikely for IBM to abandon the Wintel platform for PPC PC's unless M$ release PPC versions of their Operarting Systems like the old NT 3.51 days.

[System]

Me want!! MEEE WAAANNNTTT!!

 :roflmao:

[zudobug]

Sound good. Me want too :-)

Who was it who said PPC was a sinking ship? hehehe, sucka ;-)

It's the way to go and I'm glad amiga is on the right track :-)

-zudo

[asian1]

Hi
On present SPEC benchmark, Power4 1 GHz is comparable to Pentium 4 2 GHz. I wonder if 970 1.8 GHz is comparable to P4 3.6 GHz.

Perhaps the OS and apps biggest problem: SMP!
The OS + apps should be able to use both cores inside the CPU.

IBM fabs  are famous for glitches and delays. In my opinion they are lucky if the CPU is available in 2004.
Watch for new, low cost Itanium-3 & 4 next year (Madison, Montecito). The 1 GHz Itanium-2 is comparable to 1 GHz Power4. MS Windows + Linux are already ported to Itanium.

>Chipset
Another question and problem. Is Teron chipset compatible with 970? What is the price of chipset for 970?

[blubbe]

Another article

[AmigaMac]

On present SPEC benchmark, Power4 1 GHz is comparable to Pentium 4 2 GHz. I wonder if 970 1.8 GHz is comparable to P4 3.6 GHz.

Helk even a G4 at 1 GHz is comparible to a P4 at 2 GHz in most real world benchmarks... these were quite interesting with the new 1.25 GHz G4s:

http://www.barefeats.com/pentium4.html

I think the new Power4 based PowerPC 64bit CPU will do much better!  I can't wait to see some benchmarks of AOS4 and the AmigaOne in action!

[kostas]

Gimme!

[xisp]

The PowerPC has the same energy-saving attributes as the Power4 but uses only one central processing unit, not two.

From Forbes.com news item about IBM PPC970.

The OS + apps should be able to use both cores inside the CPU

If the new PPC is single core, may be this means one less problem. Though, they still need to rewrite apps and systems.

About 64bit CPU: If these become mainstream, then those new experimental (open-source/GPL) OS's could see a new boom. I'm talking about some SASOS (Single address space OS) that are being designed and developed in small groups on rare machines. They try to implement some weird but interesting ideas that take profit of huge 64 bit addressing. x86-64 and this PPC970 could be an inexpensive way to boost those developments.

[ksk]

>Gimme too

NO! Give me, gimme two!  

[ido]

Interesting to note that IBM's SOI .13 micron fabricated chip is clocked ~1.8 Ghz, while AMD?s non-SOI .13 micron fabricated chip is clocked at ~2.2 Ghz now.

fabing 64-bit chips at high clock rates is a lot harder then fabing 32-bit chips at the same clock rate. that's why AFAIK Intel's IA-64 chips clock at a bit over 1 GHZ, while the P4 clocks at 2.5Ghz.

[Mickey]

Real World? P4 and Athlon are much faster than any current Mac by more than 2-3 times. I read several articles comparing a P4 2.5 Ghz against a double 1Ghz processor mac, and Mac didn't even come close...as in, it was half the speed. But I do hope this new line kicks Intel and Athlon butt. :-o