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2016 nMP
- Thread starter ManuelGomes
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The 5,1 was still being sold up until 2013 (Late), some of the 5,1's out there are barely 3 years old.
There's absolutely no way they Apple would do that.
I believe Apple doesn't want to "just" launch an update, but provide something more, something that makes a difference. Of course, for us an updated machine would be always welcome, but I think they're waiting till something worth the Wow factor is in place. This is how I see it.
Since Polaris/Vega (about time someone at AMD clears the naming) is already underway (testing) that might help with the updated nMP.
Since Polaris/Vega (about time someone at AMD clears the naming) is already underway (testing) that might help with the updated nMP.
Speculative display post coming up regarding a theoretical 5k display:
Thoughts on the FaceTime HD camera - do we think we'll see the same cam or an updated version?
Same goes for audio, both speakers and microphone?
Thoughts on the FaceTime HD camera - do we think we'll see the same cam or an updated version?
Same goes for audio, both speakers and microphone?
There ya go, an even newer model!
I had a feeling that it was still available to purchase in 2014, but wasn't certain. Thanks for clarifying.
It's going to be many years before Apple stop supporting the 5,1.
Times haven't been good for a product like nMP.
Both Intel and AMD failed on their release schedules. AMD canceled the whole 20nm product line. Still no Xeon E5-EP v4. In perf/watt nothing has changed since 2013 in nMP category (~130W per cpu & gpu). Xeon E5-EP v3 perf/watt is same as v2. AMD didn't release anything for GPGPU market in 130W category.
If Apple had updated nMP with Xeon v3 last year, we'd seen reviews like "nMP second revision offers nothing new - no speed, no features". Unless they'd put a hefty 800w PSU and a turbofan cooler in it - which is evidently not their desire.
So why put thousands of engineering hours for nothing? The penny pincher Uncle $cook in his money bin at least didn't.
Hopefully there's going to be 2016 nMP. With next gen CPU and GPUs.
Both Intel and AMD failed on their release schedules. AMD canceled the whole 20nm product line. Still no Xeon E5-EP v4. In perf/watt nothing has changed since 2013 in nMP category (~130W per cpu & gpu). Xeon E5-EP v3 perf/watt is same as v2. AMD didn't release anything for GPGPU market in 130W category.
If Apple had updated nMP with Xeon v3 last year, we'd seen reviews like "nMP second revision offers nothing new - no speed, no features". Unless they'd put a hefty 800w PSU and a turbofan cooler in it - which is evidently not their desire.
So why put thousands of engineering hours for nothing? The penny pincher Uncle $cook in his money bin at least didn't.
Hopefully there's going to be 2016 nMP. With next gen CPU and GPUs.
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I'm confident there will be am updated Mac Pro soon maybe before WWDC, also I'm confident it will include Tb3 and at some point a new 5K cinema display (maybe not Thunderbolt just usb-c+display port MST).
But also I'm aware this will be the last Mac Pro on Intel cpu, next year Apple should Introduce an Mac Pro based on the server/workstation version of ZEN architecture on AM4 socket following iMac on custom SOC APU also based on ZEN,
Note AMD licensed Tb3 for ZEN and their's GPU and its now officially a Tb3 partner.
Also interesting AMD A4 socket also foresee ARM platform support, so at some point AMD will offer an cortex a72 APU.
But also I'm aware this will be the last Mac Pro on Intel cpu, next year Apple should Introduce an Mac Pro based on the server/workstation version of ZEN architecture on AM4 socket following iMac on custom SOC APU also based on ZEN,
Note AMD licensed Tb3 for ZEN and their's GPU and its now officially a Tb3 partner.
Also interesting AMD A4 socket also foresee ARM platform support, so at some point AMD will offer an cortex a72 APU.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves. AMD hasn't had a competitive server/workstation CPU in years and Intel has very good workstation CPUs. Lets revisit this idea in a year once some form of Zen based CPUs start hitting the market and we can evaluate whether the performance lives up to AMD's hype.
Remember when I said that AMD provided engineering samples of their APUs few months ago?
TB3 may not be used with Zen in Apple computers but in Apple VR console/AppleTV of the future. And for high res displays like they are going for - TB3 is best solution.
TB3 may not be used with Zen in Apple computers but in Apple VR console/AppleTV of the future. And for high res displays like they are going for - TB3 is best solution.
Preliminary data from AMD suggest it's ZEN cpu are also a bit better than Skylake, Apple didn't regret on moving to AMD gpu knowing are less powerful and less efficient, so I fear notwithstanding this ZEN cpu being better than Skylake (I doubt could beat Kaby Lake) Apple will adopt it don't care not being the best.
On the other hand this is an good thing for the industry Intel is sleeping very comfortable w/o real competitor, thus Intel once wake up maybe could resurrect the Moore's law and instead of having a 10% better cpu every 24 month we have an 100% better cpu every 18 month cycle.
Maybe Apple is planing a Tb3 display with on board gpu for macbook w/o discrete gpu, that makes sense, but tb3/zen are coming to Apple (and the general market).
Tb3 sure would be an high end option for AM4 motherboard, but Intel doesn't want to be alone or monopolize Thunderbolt market, isn't something the industry wants and are practically mandatory in case Intel want a widespread adoption on Tb3 (tb3 is more less the same as pcie history, also amd's own amd64 history don't know if amd64 cross licensing contemplate future platforms) but seems very likely.
I saw this on the Mac Observer. Their take is interesting about a new Mac Pro.
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/what-to-expect-and-not-expect-from-apple-in-2016
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/what-to-expect-and-not-expect-from-apple-in-2016
Where did you read that?
In my reading Dr. Su said in AMD's earnings call that Zen would have 40% higher IPC than Bulldozer and Bulldozer is pretty on par with late Core 2 and early Core i.
Google 'amd zen Intel Skylake', ZEN IPC is about 3% better than Skylake.
And I mean Skylake also is about 40% higher IPC than that cpu. (the truth is that Intel marginally upgraded their cpu's performance from the past 4-5 years)
Absolutely agree, but also this will not persuade Apple to switch to full amd (knowing that Apple also tested ARM as cpu alternative on laptops it's evidence they want to break Intel supply dependency, than actually improve the products ).
I think Apple are holding off as they launched the current nMP making a big deal of its 4K support, but provided no 4K solution of their own. Given that they still don't have a standalone 4k or 5K monitor and the delays from Intel and AMD, together with the new technologies like USB-C, USB 3.1 and thunderbolt 3, I think it's too soon to release an update as much as we would all like to see one. And an update wouldn't add very much right now.
What would be useful however is a product roadmap of some kind.
I know this is very unlike Apple, but considering who this product is aimed at and they want a long-term commitment from their business customers this is the least they could do. When I'm spending £5K+ at a time I want to know I'm not buying a dead-end product. Lets face it if the nMP is dropped and the only desktop options are the iMac or the Mini I would rapidly loose interest in Apple at that point and start moving my IT strategy away from the Mac, iPhone, etc, etc. It's this utter silence from Apple that is annoying.
What would be useful however is a product roadmap of some kind.
I know this is very unlike Apple, but considering who this product is aimed at and they want a long-term commitment from their business customers this is the least they could do. When I'm spending £5K+ at a time I want to know I'm not buying a dead-end product. Lets face it if the nMP is dropped and the only desktop options are the iMac or the Mini I would rapidly loose interest in Apple at that point and start moving my IT strategy away from the Mac, iPhone, etc, etc. It's this utter silence from Apple that is annoying.
Yeah, Apple has not been the best at helping users with a road map. The best thing was hoping they either stick to a pattern of development or being a developer with a better perspective of what's coming down the road. I have not been in the Apple developer program in a long time, so I'm not even sure if the way developers are informed has changed.
If anyone really needs a nMP now, buying a used model at a significant discount would be the best way to protect your down side loss if Apple does introduce a platform upgrade in the next 6-12 months. You'd probably still end up losing some $$$ but nearly as much as on a new machine.
This seems overly optimistic. Its AMD's job to convince people its next gen CPUs will be great. The reality is they have a significant performance gap to close. I don't trust any performance estimates from AMD until independent reviews of the hardware can be done. When AMD released the Fury X they claimed it was the best gaming GPU despite being soundly beaten by Nvidia.
The notion that Intel is "sleeping" is ridiculous. They have significantly increased performance per watt across their entire lineup despite the fact that moving to smaller nodes has become increasingly difficult. Moore's law only observed that transistor density would double every 18 months but that is no longer true. Shrinking transistors is very very difficult. Many enthusiasts underestimate how difficult it is to continue to get increases in performance.
You have right to not rely on AMD, but about Intel, just see how ARM still attached to Moore law an how close is from Intel in raw performance (each cortex a72 core equals very close to Xeon D cores in raw performance, despite using 1/3 of the power).
What I see is that Intel improvements on efficiency are more linked to the node shrinking than to actually developing power-saving features, since the power consumption has felt in proportion to the node size, nothing as dramatic as when they developed the "core 2" which really increased efficiency inside the cpu architecture not just the process.
What I said is not that ZEN cpu will be better ( I also doubt this fact), but at least would be 'good enough' for Apple to switch, despite not being the best performer Apple's marketing will convince everybody about that mythical groundbreaking quantum leap on performance efficiency features etc.
Read again, that 40% improvement is over Excavator not Bulldozer. http://wccftech.com/amd-zen-architecture-release-schedule-revealed-rolled-server-market/
Almost bought a Retina iMac the other day. Almost. Still waiting and hoping the nnMP will deliver.
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