Merom apparently works without a hitch in current Intel Mac's

[Macnoviz]

Yeah, the mini really seems like a good computer for switchers (amongst other things)

 

[joelypolly]

Time to polish up on those soldering skills to get the cpu on to my macbook...

 

[oingoboingo]

anybody remember the days when Steve was against upgradeable RAM?

A lot of the posters on this board weren't even born when Steve was against upgradeable RAM!

 

[BlizzardBomb]

OK! Who voted negative?

 

[oingoboingo]

OK! Who voted negative?

Sonnet, PowerLogix and NewerTechnology

 

[57004]

No VT support on Mac Mini

this could be. i'm guessing it's the diff b/t the core solo (found in the low end mini) and core duo (found in the mbp, high end mini, and imac). whoever said they weren't having good performance was probably running a core solo mini. so it might be a higher performance chip would greatly help, especially b/c i'm assuming the merom is a dual core chip.

No, unfortunately the VT-capability was disabled in the firmware of the mini, even for the dual-core one. So upgrading to a Merom won't enable VT support. You can still run parallels, but with a lower performance.

I found this on the Parallels site somewhere, and on the forum thread about it here. Sorry, I don't have any links..

It's a shame, because I was waiting to see if that was possible before I'd buy a mini. I might get an iMac now. They're better value anyway.

Edit: Sorry, isgoed already mentioned the same thing. DIdn't see that before I posted, sorry.

 

[daneoni]

Can the iMacs be upgraded

Does this mean i can buy an iMac now and still be able to upgrade it's chip to a merom chip? and does that mean i can go past the 2GB RAM limit as well.

I feel this will be a good investment/mode of action since the Radeon X1600 Graphics card won't dissapoint even after the upgrade? and also since the likely hood that future MBP revisions will also have merom chips soldiered into their boards as well

 

[^squirrel^]

Does this mean i can buy an iMac now and still be able to upgrade it's chip to a merom chip? and does that mean i can go past the 2GB RAM limit as well.

I feel this will be a good investment/mode of action since the Radeon X1600 Graphics card won't dissapoint even after the upgrade? and also since the likely hood that future MBP revisions will also have merom chips soldiered into their boards as well

It looks like you will be able to do it to the whole Intel range.

 

[em500]

Integrated Intel graphics

I for one feel that Apple deserves all the crap they get about the integrated graphics, just because they've been slinging mud about "Intel integrated graphics" on their website right until the release of the Intel Mini. Anyone still remember

Most say they’re good for 2D games only. That’s because an “integrated Intel graphics” chip steals power from the CPU and siphons off memory from system-level RAM.

and

and some cheaper PCs don’t even have an open slot to let you add one.

from their own website? All the whining they're getting now is just karma.

 

[bigandy]

people, please stop talking about socketed processors in laptops - it's not going to happen. the bulk of the socket makes it an extremely silly idea, because you increase size, weight, and end up with something as portable as a washing machine. unless you want one of [these] stop asking...

 

[amac4me]

Interesting

 

[akhomerun]

so? you're still stuck with intel gma950 graphics, so really a 20% cpu boost really wouldn't be worth it (especially with the high-priced merom CPUs)

what are you going to do, browse the internet 20% faster?

 

[c-Row]

what are you going to do, browse the internet 20% faster?

Well, for example rewiring Propellerheads Reason and Ableton Live, throwing in some more VSTi's and tons of WAV tracks. CPU load is pretty hefty on my old G4 PowerBook 1.25, but I would clearly benefit from a Merom CPU here. It's not just about games, you know?

 

[BlizzardBomb]

so? you're still stuck with intel gma950 graphics, so really a 20% cpu boost really wouldn't be worth it (especially with the high-priced merom CPUs)

what are you going to do, browse the internet 20% faster?

Uhh... Merom is priced the same as Yonah. In fact, there isn't even a Core Solo in the Merom line so everything is cheaper.

 

[sintaxi]

this is some great news. a mini is a fantastic value. I had one for a bit. This makes the mini it a reasonable option for people who have to use reasonably serious apps.

 

[paddy]

I for one feel that Apple deserves all the crap they get about the integrated graphics, just because they've been slinging mud about "Intel integrated graphics" on their website right until the release of the Intel Mini.

Great point. I would buy a mini but for the poor graphics. I dont want the latest nvidia or ati offering just something that will let me play some 3d games *not* anything that requires a top of the line card.

Think of it, parents with kids (especially switchers) who've just bought a mini are going to be pretty annoyed when their kids are giving out to them about their new computer that cant play a few 3d games.

 

[BornAgainMac]

There was a bigger boost from the G4 to the Yonah. But it is nice to know I can squeeze another 20% if I had a Mini. Too bad it wasn't a 4x improvement again.

 

[AidenShaw]

At least we can use 16 registers that are in the 64 BIT-implementation also in 32-bit mode, which at least leads to the apparent performance increase

This not correct.

The 64-bit "x64" mode is all or nothing. In 32-bit mode, none of the extra registers or features is available.

http://www.devx.com/amd/Article/17999

You need both a 64-bit operating system and a 64-bit application to use the extra registers.

Apple have announced no plans or roadmap for 64-bit on Intel systems, and the limited 64-bit support in 10.4 for PPC make it impossible to use 64-bit in most existing programs without major redesign. They'll need to provide true 64-bit support for x64 mode - like is shipping in Windows 64-bit, Linux 64-bit, Solaris x64.

 

[dr_lha]

so? you're still stuck with intel gma950 graphics, so really a 20% cpu boost really wouldn't be worth it (especially with the high-priced merom CPUs)

what are you going to do, browse the internet 20% faster?

So computers are only good for 2 things then? Games and Web Browsing?

How narrow minded.

 

[ImAlwaysRight]

Apple have announced no plans or roadmap for 64-bit on Intel systems, and the limited 64-bit support in 10.4 for PPC make it impossible to use 64-bit in most existing programs without major redesign.

The way you talked in the other Macbook thread its as if everything will be 64-bit by year's end and Yonah 32-bit systems will be obsolete, but now you are saying Apple doesn't even have a roadmap for 64-bit and we don't really know when we will see them implement 64-bit, not to mention all software developers need to get on board...

 

[dr_lha]

No, unfortunately the VT-capability was disabled in the firmware of the mini, even for the dual-core one. So upgrading to a Merom won't enable VT support. You can still run parallels, but with a lower performance.

Actually its been found (and I have verifed) that you can enable VT on even a Core Solo machine by putting the computer to sleep, and then waking it up again. After this Parallels picks up the presence of VT and uses it, and runs much faster.

 

[Edge100]

Does this mean i can buy an iMac now and still be able to upgrade it's chip to a merom chip? and does that mean i can go past the 2GB RAM limit as well.

I feel this will be a good investment/mode of action since the Radeon X1600 Graphics card won't dissapoint even after the upgrade? and also since the likely hood that future MBP revisions will also have merom chips soldiered into their boards as well

Yes, if you have the nerve to crack open your iMac, you'll be able to replace the processor. The 2GB RAM limit is, to the best of my knowledge, a function of the fact that 1GB chips are the largest you can get at the moment. If a 2GB chip becomes available, which it surely will, you'll be able to upgrade.

I know I'll be doing this with my iMac once the current Yonah feels too slow to run the newest software. But I wont be voiding the warranty by cracking it open just yet.

 

[deadturtle]

So, just as a random thought, if the future towers are upgradeable, not only will they possibly have an upgradeable processor, but how about video? Will an intel mac need a 'mac' class firmware like the PPC architecture firmware for video cards/sound? It would be wonderful if you could go buy a 'PC' card and just slap it in your mac rather than having to make sure that it was mac-comaptible. 'Course you'd need drivers, but still it would be cool. Eh wait and see I guess!

 

[andiwm2003]

so? you're still stuck with intel gma950 graphics, so really a 20% cpu boost really wouldn't be worth it (especially with the high-priced merom CPUs)

what are you going to do, browse the internet 20% faster?

the gpu is fast enough for everything except 3D gaming.

rendering in iMovie
Garageband
Photoshop
iPhoto
encoding mp3's
scientific image analysis
every rosetta dependent application (like MS office)
........

saving the money for the universal program updates and putting in a merom instead sounds like an interesting alternative now

heck there are unlimited reasons why the GPU doesn't really matter that much. what are your using you computer for?

 

[57004]

Actually its been found (and I have verifed) that you can enable VT on even a Core Solo machine by putting the computer to sleep, and then waking it up again. After this Parallels picks up the presence of VT and uses it, and runs much faster.

That's strange. Because the Intel roadmap specifies the Core Solo as not having VT at all! However, I read on the same thread linked in this article that the "Solo" CPU's sold by Apple in the Mac Mini are in fact Duo's with the second core disabled. However it turned out not to be possible to enable the second core.

You experience would prove that theory. Very interesting!