IBM to Apple: Eat This, New PPC Chips!

[minator]

Notice "under typical workloads" in IBM's offical statements.

According to Processor Report (the free version of Microprocessor report), the thermal envelope is 20W.

Cell's POWER(PPE) core is nothing like PowerPC970 in terms of OOO processing.

They've traded clock speed for complexity, Cell should clock up to 4GHz without problems (it's held lower in the PS3 because they don't want it becoming too noisy).  At 4GHz the PPE alone should kick a 2.7GHz 970's ass.

The Cell is not relevant to this discussion, it's not a desktop CPU.

What is?
Cell isn't being marketed as a desktop processor - yet.
It is general purpose though, even the SPEs are general purpose.  The difference is they are optimised for certain types of problems, x86 are optimised for different types of problems.

The 970 wont be developed much further, it'll probably get a die shrink next year but not much beyond that.

That only* leaves x86 on the desktop, you really think it'll stay that way for long?

OK technically, Genesi and some RiscOS machines are on the desktop but they're not exactly big compared to the x86 market...

[Hammer]

They've traded clock speed for complexity, Cell should clock up to 4GHz without problems (it's held lower in the PS3 because they don't want it becoming too noisy).
.

Cell is not the only processor design to aim for +3Ghz. Design is one thing while resulting yields in mass production is another.
 
If one notices, AMD’s process yield (week 16, 2005)A64 FX55(San Diego)@3.1Ghz*(via overclcoking) air cooled is very close to Cell’s 3.2Ghz end-user delivery. Similar week 16 fabrication, A64 X2 4800+has been over clocked to 2.8Ghz*.

*Successfully runs Windows and usual benchmarking suits.

Liquid cooling enables week 16 2005 A64s to run as high as 3.4Ghz*. Similar week 16 2005 yields, has been pushed beyond 4Ghz (only boots the BIOS screen). A64 over clocking has proven that OOO designs can be pushed toward 4Ghz. PIV already past 4Ghz via it’s double pump units (PS; Pentium M doesn’t have these designs).

At 4GHz the PPE alone should kick a 2.7GHz 970's ass.

Invalid comparison since you did not compare the same processor design at Q1 2006 yields. 2.7Ghz 970FX is available today while PS3/Cell is currently MIA.
One has to remember that Cell's PPE is an in-order, two-issue superscalar Power core design.

[AmigaBlitter]

I think Apple will try to attack MS in the OS market. The only way to do this is moving to Intel chips, or maybe because MS an Apple just to have 2 super os(Windows and X).

[XDelusion]

I think IBM will do fine, they just need to add a lital ethics and moral when it comes to the business, or that bad carma from dealing with the nazi's and the current situation they have themselves in now with cheap "near slave" chinese labor, is not a good trend, and MANY of our current fortune 5 thousand companies are practicing this now.

 Anyhow, faster PPC is good. Intel bad.

[minator]

A64 over clocking has proven that OOO designs can be pushed toward 4Ghz.

Yes, but you're comparing 1 or 2 cores against 9.  When clocked to it's limit Cell has gone over 5GHz.

Invalid comparison since you did not compare the same processor design at Q1 2006 yields. 2.7Ghz 970FX is available today while PS3/Cell is currently MIA.

I'm comparing pre-production figures against a CPU in production for some time now, nobody has seen the results for the version with Transmeta's cooling technology yet.