Official Overclocking of Sandy Bridge to 4.5 GHZ!

[MBX]

While we're still waiting for Mac Pro's to get Sandy Bridge here's some interesting info i haven't read before. Apparently Intel lets you overclock Sandy Bridge to 4.5 GHZ (!) with standard air cooling.

Read article: http://develop3d.com/blog/2011/01/I...-the-game-for-the-entry-level-CAD-workstation

 

[hoxley]

am i correct in thinking SB will be in mac pro's first half of 2012?

 

[Transporteur]

am i correct in thinking SB will be in mac pro's first half of 2012?

Unless Apple ditches the XEON processors (which might apply for the entry level machines considering Intel's price strategy), you're right.
No upgrade for the next year.

 

[MBX]

No upgrade for the next year.

Eh, really? Why & How so?

 

[Umbongo]

am i correct in thinking SB will be in mac pro's first half of 2012?

Current Mac Pros use LGA 1366 chipsets. LGA 1366 will be replaced in the second half of 2011. Apple released Mac Pros 6 months after the processors they currently used were released. Though previously on all models it was in a 2 month window.

Early 2012 would be a safe bet.

 

[hoxley]

Unless Apple ditches the XEON processors (which might apply for the entry level machines considering Intel's price strategy), you're right.
No upgrade for the next year.

any likely hood of a performance bump this year pre-SB?

 

[Vylen]

any likely hood of a performance bump this year pre-SB?

Don't think so. There's nothing to bump the performance with.

 

[DesmoPilot]

Quite a few people over at OCN and [H] have gotten 2600Ks to and above 5GHz on air.

 

[goMac]

Eh, really? Why & How so?

Nothing new this year from Intel to upgrade with. Xeon Sandy bridge chips aren't out yet, which means no DP Sandy Bridge so far.

 

[johnnymg]

any likely hood of a performance bump this year pre-SB?

There's the Intel Hex core xeon westmere X5690 (@ 3.46 GHz) due in a few weeks. Seems likely (to me) that Apple will use this chip as an interim bump for the current lineup. Just a WAG, but we probably won't see it until ~ 6 months after the chip release.

My WAG is that SB MP's won't be released until well into 2012.

cheers
JohnG

 

[Umbongo]

There's the Intel Hex core xeon westmere X5690 (@ 3.46 GHz) due in a few weeks. Seems likely (to me) that Apple will use this chip as an interim bump for the current lineup. Just a WAG, but we probably won't see it until ~ 6 months after the chip release.

My WAG is that SB MP's won't be released until well into 2012.

cheers
JohnG

They didn't offer 5580s, 5590s or 5680s so I doubt it.

 

[goMac]

They didn't offer 5580s, 5590s or 5680s so I doubt it.

It wouldn't be unheard of. The 06's got a similar bump, and it would also let Apple refresh the GPU.

 

[Vylen]

It wouldn't be unheard of. The 06's got a similar bump, and it would also let Apple refresh the GPU.

I wouldn't call it a similar bump. The upgrade to the 2006 was the optional change to a Quadcore Xeon instead of Dualcore Xeon.

A bump from 3.33 Ghz to 3.46 Ghz barely seems worth the effort.

 

[Umbongo]

It wouldn't be unheard of. The 06's got a similar bump, and it would also let Apple refresh the GPU.

They haven't ever refreshed though. They added 3.33GHz quad in December 09. The 2007 system was a new model with new CPUs. Both had new price points. The move to 2010 models was pretty much a processor refresh, but they waited 6 months. They didn't refresh when the 5300 series dropped in price to the levels of 5100 (6 months before new Mac Pros). They didn't offer the x5492. They haven't updated the W3530 to the W3550 and they have never updated a GPU midcycle.

I'd say it doesn't seem likely sadly.

 

[ActionableMango]

AFAIK we can't overclock in OS X on current Mac Pros anyway, so how will Sandy Bridge's ability to overclock change anything?

 

[MBX]

Nothing new this year from Intel to upgrade with. Xeon Sandy bridge chips aren't out yet, which means no DP Sandy Bridge so far.

Am I missing something? Here's another brand selling Sandy Bridge (overclocked to 4.7GHZ by the way!) already but no Mac Pro with SB until 2012???: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/24/digital-storms-slim-enix-desktop-takes-sandy-bridge-to-4-7ghz/

 

[Cindori]

Am I missing something? Here's another brand selling Sandy Bridge (overclocked to 4.7GHZ by the way!) already but no Mac Pro with SB until 2012???: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/24/digital-storms-slim-enix-desktop-takes-sandy-bridge-to-4-7ghz/

Mac Pro uses Xeon cpu, <_<

 

[jav6454]

While we're still waiting for Mac Pro's to get Sandy Bridge here's some interesting info i haven't read before. Apparently Intel lets you overclock Sandy Bridge to 4.5 GHZ (!) with standard air cooling.

Read article: http://develop3d.com/blog/2011/01/I...-the-game-for-the-entry-level-CAD-workstation

With SNB you can reach 5.7GHz with proper liquid cooling, so it's not a huge surprise.

 

[bearcatrp]

Here is a good thread from extremesystems on sandy bridge over clocking if your interested....
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=265453 .
Seems ASUS motherboard with UEFI is awesome to use to over clock. Change one setting and the rest will automatically adjust. I doubt apple will allow anyone to do this when it comes out, if they use this chip. The xeon equivalent comes out in 3rd of 4th quarter. If apple was smart, they could use the current SB chip (can only be single chip) as a low end Mac pro that allot of folks want, then break out with the xeon equivalent later for high end. A mini Mac pro would fit the bill.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Computers are trucks.

 

[Umbongo]

Computers are trucks.

|^^^^^^^^^^^\||____
| Mac Pro 2012 |||""'|""\__,_
| _____________ l||__|__|__|)
|(@)@)"""""""**|(@)(@)**|(@)

 

[PeterQVenkman]

Computers are trucks.

It's a great comparison. The engine is different but it still comes with a tape deck.

 

[MBX]

Mac Pro uses Xeon cpu, <_<

What stops Mac Pro's to use the other ones all other brands are using for their workstations too?

Wait for 2012 for SB in Mac Pro's? Ugh

The world will end in 2012 we all know that.

 

[Pressure]

What stops Mac Pro's to use the other ones all other brands are using for their workstations too?

Wait for 2012 for SB in Mac Pro's? Ugh

The world will end in 2012 we all know that.

Because the Mac Pro uses Xeon's that are supported in dual processor configurations.

The normal Sandy Bridge processor is NOT capable of that.

I could see Apple offering the base Mac Pro with the normal Sandy Bridge to increase their margins.

Funny to think how the Early 2008 Mac Pro still has the best bang for the buck.

 

[snouter]

What stops Mac Pro's to use the other ones all other brands are using for their workstations too?

$$$

It would be too embarrassing for Apple to have a $1499 single cpu machine.

They would have to call it the Mac Pro Am or something.