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

[generik]

However, what other job would you be performing on a Mini where the graphics chipset wouldn't be a factor but the processor would and a Yonah won't cut the mustard? Open question...

Oh urm quite a lot?

Compiling software/Photosoft/FCP/encoding video...... basically everything except the playing the virtually non existent Mac games.

 

[dr_lha]

Oh urm quite a lot?

Compiling software/Photosoft/FCP/encoding video...... basically everything except the playing the virtually non existent Mac games.

Indeed. The GMA950 is quite an acceptable performer when it comes to all GFX stuff except high end 3D, for movies and UI stuff it works great.

Personally I'm looking forward to making my Core Solo into a 64-bit machine in the future!

 

[generik]

Indeed. The GMA950 is quite an acceptable performer when it comes to all GFX stuff except high end 3D, for movies and UI stuff it works great.

Personally I'm looking forward to making my Core Solo into a 64-bit machine in the future!

The main trouble is the chipset.. it probably will only work with the "low end" Moroms, at least until Intel ups the bus speed yet again. Either way I'd just get a Duo and be done with it

 

[AidenShaw]

Yonah supports 4 GiB of RAM

...you can upgrade past the 2GB RAM limit (due to 64 bit abillities of the chip) once those 2GB memory sticks start being manufactured....which i think they are because dell offers 4GB (2x 2GB) RAM configurations...

Yes, the 945 chipset used with Yonah (Core Solo/Duo) supports 4 GiB max - the only reason for the 2 GiB limit is that 1 GiB SO-DIMMs are much cheaper than 2 GiB SO-DIMMs.

 

[dr_lha]

The main trouble is the chipset.. it probably will only work with the "low end" Moroms, at least until Intel ups the bus speed yet again. Either way I'd just get a Duo and be done with it

Well I'm actually very happy with the speed of my Core Solo, so won't be upgrading it until the end of the year probably. I guess we'll have a good idea by then what chips can go into the mini.

 

[^squirrel^]

Well I'm actually very happy with the speed of my Core Solo, so won't be upgrading it until the end of the year probably. I guess we'll have a good idea by then what chips can go into the mini.

Is there really much difference in performance between the Solo and Duo. All i will be using it for is to watch DVD's and browse then net and view emails. Will probably do the odd video conf as well.

 

[howesey]

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?

Photoshop, iPhoto, Office and these days even scientific work like F@H use your GPU.

 

[AidenShaw]

please, let's say "x64"

... PowerPC, IA32, and IA32-64 (aka x86-64) ...

Please, let's use "x64" like Sun and Microsoft use, and not Intel's name (EMT64), AMD's name (AMT64), Red Hat's name (x86_64) or random unofficial variations like IA32-64, ia32/64 or whatever.

Ecks sixty-four

Please

 

[AidenShaw]

Photoshop, iPhoto, Office and these days even scientific work like F@H use your GPU.

F@H, not yet. (http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-highperformance.html)

Office?
Photoshop?
iPhoto?

Do you have any links to support this claim?

 

[generik]

Photoshop, iPhoto, Office and these days even scientific work like F@H use your GPU.

You can use a graphics card from 10 years ago, that's right, one of those "S3 graphics" cards in, and it will make absolutely ZERO difference for your photoshop.

People who bought into all that marketing crap and thinks that a GPU is some sort of wonder chip that speeds up everything are in for a huge surprise.

Hell, in fact if you are lucky an ancient Matrox chip is probably better than the modern ATi/nVidia solutions. For most of your apps 2D acceleration is what matters man

 

[eric67]

what's new??

Well, I do not understand the buzz around this news... the fact that the Merom will work on current Yonah-based MacIntel is known since... 6 months...
I mean , jsut look at the last 2 IDF and you will see nice slides with CPU and plateform description... Merom is pin-to-pin compatible with the Yonah; at least the first generatino of Merom; and they will use the same plateform...
it is of course really nice for macusers that will be able to upgrade their machine... but this is nothing really new.

 

[DeathChill]

Well, I do not understand the buzz around this news... the fact that the Merom will work on current Yonah-based MacIntel is known since... 6 months...
I mean , jsut look at the last 2 IDF and you will see nice slides with CPU and plateform description... Merom is pin-to-pin compatible with the Yonah; at least the first generatino of Merom; and they will use the same plateform...
it is of course really nice for macusers that will be able to upgrade their machine... but this is nothing really new.

Well, it was unclear whether the chipsets and firmware used by Apple would allow for CPU swapping, and so it's nice to know that it's 100% confirmed.

 

[FoxyKaye]

As others have implied, I have a sneaky suspicion that on an Intel Mini or even iMac (both of which have socketed processors), this might not be as straightforward as it is in the Windows world. Aside from that upgrading the processor in a Mini would be similar to adding a jet engine to a VW bug (not saying it wouldn't be neat...), there's a few things that might need to be solved first: firmware compatibility, memory controller compatibility for exceeding the 2GB of currently allowable RAM in these machines, OS recognition (would popping in a new processor require a complete re-install to prevent KPs?), and possibly cooling (though I don't know much about this in the Intel world). Heck, Apple might even install a firmware block like it did in the old G3 B/W towers...

There could very well be a new market for the same old upgrade players in the Intel Mac world (Sonnet et al.) to supply these chips and the necessary system modifications for folks to install them. Heck, these folks could even get in to the G5 upgrade market as well if they wanted - it's a real long shot, but maybe in a few years they'll offer replacement dual-core G5 midplanes for PPC iMacs...

Now I'm really hoping against hope that future Apple Intel laptops have socketed processors as well.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Well I am for one pretty jazzed.

Sometime in a year and a half I'll update my ICD mini with either a Merom or fast Yonah core.

I'm thinking about buying another Core Solo mini next year. It'll be my Mac and PC as I'll be running XP via Bootcamp.

 

[shawnce]

Please, let's use "x64" like Sun and Microsoft use, and not Intel's name (EMT64), AMD's name (AMT64), Red Hat's name (x86_64) or random unofficial variations like IA32-64, ia32/64 or whatever.

Ecks sixty-four

Please

Nope x64 is... well... just wrong. I guess x86 means an 86 bit system.

I am sticking with IA32-64 or x86-64 (actually use the later internally here, along with x86-32).

 

[boncellis]

I wonder what qualifies as a "hitch" to someone with enough engineering savvy to be able to get ahold of a preproduction Merom processor...

Anyway, I am looking forward to Merom. I am impressed with the amount of positive things I've heard about the Core Solo, though. Will the Merom Mini include the 965 IIG chipset? If so, I think that would be plenty of computer for a while.

I'm still holding out for a more affordable tower from Apple. Perhaps the socketed nature of the latest Intel processors will mean more ability to upgrade down the line.

 

[Richter]

what about the iMacs? or are those soldered onto the mobo?

 

[JonHimself]

what about the iMacs? or are those soldered onto the mobo?

I'm open to being corrected, but I think that it said iMac AND Mac Mini are socketed, MPB is soldered.

 

[topgunn]

what about the iMacs? or are those soldered onto the mobo?

Its socketed. Damn MacRumors for hiding such a critical detail on the front page!

 

[excalibur313]

Probably a dumb question but if something is soldered what does that mean exactly? Is there a socket that it fits into like a normal motherboard but then they physically soder it into the socket? How else would they make sure that all the pins are in the right spot?...it would have to fit in some thing that allows that. Would there be a way to remove it by just disconnecting the couple spots where it is attached on or is it done another way so that each pin is soldered onto the motherboard?

 

[topgunn]

Probably a dumb question but if something is soldered what does that mean exactly? Is there a socket that it fits into like a normal motherboard but then they physically soder it into the socket? How else would they make sure that all the pins are in the right spot?...it would have to fit in some thing that allows that. Would there be a way to remove it by just disconnecting the couple spots where it is attached on or is it done another way so that each pin is soldered onto the motherboard?

Each pin is soldered onto the motherboard. I guess if you really had the nerve, you could unsolder each and every one of the 479 pins and install a new processor and solder each individual pin back into place. Even if this is in the realm of possibility, the margin for error is very high.

 

[eric67]

really?

Well, it was unclear whether the chipsets and firmware used by Apple would allow for CPU swapping, and so it's nice to know that it's 100% confirmed.

Well I guess it is because some mac-dedicated website did not want to spend time following IDF announcements during the last 12 months...
I has known and announced by Intel. On the MacIntel, all the hardware is 100% compatible with WinXP, as it was proven recentmy by Apple with Boot Camp.
So when Intel says that the Merom will be compatible with the Yonah for PC it means the same at teh hardware level for the MacIntel!
please go to anandtech.com and make a search with IDF
or read this article: http://www.hardmac.com/news/2005-08-25/#4390
Meriom will bring alrger cache and support for 64bits intructions sets. On some Pc websites, rumors have been floating that support for 64bit might already be available on the Yonah but inactivated by Intel for unknown purpose.
it is not because macrumors did not talk about it, that it was not known.

 

[Some_Big_Spoon]

I know wintel folks have done this for years, swap out older CPU for newer, but what about the rest of the board? Aren't there improvements, however small, that make everything run faster? Like if they put a real GPU on the next board, plus merom (or faster CPU) that to me would be a better buy as everything would speed up, not just CPU tasks.

Do boards/components update slower than CPU's? Anyone?

 

[generik]

Each pin is soldered onto the motherboard. I guess if you really had the nerve, you could unsolder each and every one of the 479 pins and install a new processor and solder each individual pin back into place. Even if this is in the realm of possibility, the margin for error is very high.

 

[Ranma13]

You can use a graphics card from 10 years ago, that's right, one of those "S3 graphics" cards in, and it will make absolutely ZERO difference for your photoshop.

Wrong. Older graphics cards could not handle high resolutions and high refresh rates. Also, OS X's interface is driven by OpenGL (Quartz Extreme) so a better graphics card WILL help.