16-core (4x4) Mac Pro?

[RedTomato]

With today's news about Kentsfield (a quad-core intel desktop processor) and Cloverton (a quad core xeon-class processor) being released soon (i.e. hopefully before the end of the year), I wonder if a 16 core Mac Pro is in the works for early next year.

That'd be 4 Xeon processors with 4 cores each.

As you all know, the last high-end G5 was a very hot beast and Apple sure learned a lot about thermal management from that. A quad-core Xeon would put out similar wattage, so probably not an insurmountable problem.

16 x 3ghz cores is definitely high-end, and one that justifies the name 'Mac Pro' Huge amounts of FB-DIMM would suit that down to the ground.

The dual core G5 quad was introduced in October 2005, and a 16-core Mac Pro in early 2006 would represent a tripling of power in about 18 months ...

MacRumours on cloverton: https://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/07/20060720090504.shtml

A preview of a 4-way 2-core Xeon motherboard (possibly 4-core compatible) - notice it has 16 RAM slots(!):

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=1211&redirect=yes

EDIT: mistake re the G5

 

[bbrosemer]

That will not be released until Leopard is becasue Leopard will use the multiple cores much better then Tiger does. If this even happens at all. However better idea would be offer even more configs. For Ex. 1 Quad and 2 Quad Computers will be offered rather then just stick 2 Quads in there. Also lets do the math 4+4 = 8 not 16

 

[rgomez]

Re: 16-core (4x4) Mac Pro?

I don't think you will see, at least in soon, a 4x4 MacPro.

The Power Mac with 4 processors didn't had 4 chips, it had 2 dual core chips, like the current Mac Pro. It's very possible that Apple will have a 8 core, 2x4 Mac Pro, but having 4 processors would need a different (and a lot more expensive) Xeon chips. As far as I know, the current 5100 Xeons are just for two processors, they haven't released the ones that allow for 4 or 8 processors.

A 8 core MacPro would be very nice, though

 

[RedTomato]

The Power Mac with 4 processors didn't had 4 chips, it had 2 dual core chips, like the current Mac Pro.

Grr, yes you're right.

I remember Apple as having a 4-processor system, but turns out that was a much older model

Have edited my OP.

 

[TheFuzz]

16 cores would be nice for 3d rendering. it's already possible using amd's opteron, has been for a while. i don't think this is possible though with clovertown, only tigerton in the future.