ThinkSecret release new PowerMac Specifications! (1 Viewer)

[Lee Scoggins]

Apple will announce new Macs next week...Three primary configurations will be offered with the following specifications:

Dual-2GHz
512K L2 cache per processor
Dual 1GHz frontside buses
512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (4GB max.)
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
128MB DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9600 video card

Dual-2.3GHz
512K L2 cache per processor
Dual 1.15GHz frontside buses
512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (8GB max.)
250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
128MB DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9600 video card

Dual-2.7GHz
512K L2 cache per processor
Dual 1.35GHz frontside buses
512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (8GB max.)
250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
256MB DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9650 video card

Sources were unable to confirm at this time whether the systems will sport the dual-core PowerPC 970MP processor or the single-core PowerPC 970GX, although unconfirmed notes point to the PowerPC 970MP. The second core would deliver performance gains far greater than the 200-300MHz bumps each processor is receiving alone with the update.

Also uncertain is whether a more affordable single-processor Power Mac G5 system will continue to be offered. After axing the model with last June's Power Mac G5 revision, Apple re-introduced the less expensive 1.8GHz single-processor system in October 2004.

iMac G5, eMac

As first reported over a month ago, the updated iMac G5, code-named Q45 C/D, will reach 2GHz, while video memory is doubled to 128MB and the card itself upgraded to ATI's Radeon 9600. All models will also feature Bluetooth 2.0 and will ship pre-installed with Tiger and iLife '05.

Two 17-inch and one 20-inch model will continue to be offered in the following configurations:

"Good" 17-inch, 1.8GHz
512K L2 cache
512MB DDR SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
Combo Drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM)

"Better" 17-inch, 2GHz
512K L2 cache
512MB DDR SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
SuperDrive (supporting dual-layer as well as DVD±RW/CD-RW burning)

"Best" 20-inch, 2GHz
512K L2 cache
512MB DDR SDRAM
250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
SuperDrive (supporting dual-layer as well as DVD±RW/CD-RW burning)

These machines will be really fast!

 

[Christ Reynolds]

kinda skimping on the ram, arent they? other than that, it should be a pretty quick machine.

CJ

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Yes and No. The G5s are very fast with 512K given the 64 bit nature, but I think Apple expects the graphics world to upgrade the RAM post purchase. You need 2GB plus I am told for video editing and Logic sound editing work but clearly no PC mfr will have that much on tap.

The good news is Apple RAM is getting cheaper and many 3rd party sources are available for even less.

I've got 512 in my iMac G5 and it is faster than my 3G Pentium Windows PC.

 

[SteveLa]

An incremental speed bump isn't enough to get me excited unless they prove to be using the dual-core chips.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Steve,

My understanding is that these newer chips are faster than the speed bump suggests due to a new architecture and throughput.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i'm sure dual opteron machines scream while using only 512 MB, too. using apple's supposed logic, why buy anything from them but the cpu/mobo? i dont buy apple, but if i were going to purchase a machine of that caliber, i'd want a minimum of 1 GB ram. anything less is skimping, no matter how fast it may run.

CJ

 

[Thomas Newton]

Just like Dell with their workstations?

The Dell configuration page says that 1 GB is "recommended" -- but only 512 MB is standard.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Thomas is right...not enough Ram is a common problem for PC vendors...it seems stupid to me given the cheap wholesale prices on ram and the resulting aggravation for the consumer.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

if that's what dell does, then yeah, just like dell

CJ