What about 64-bit?

[ripfrankwhite]

As I understand it, the G5 iMac is truly 64-bit, and the new Merom iMacs only have a 64-bit CPU, but the chipset is only 32-bit. What difference will the 64-bit Santa Rosa chipset make? What are the advantages? Thanks a lot.

 

[treblah]

Seeing as how the iMac only supports 3GB of RAM, does it really matter?

 

[ripfrankwhite]

Seeing as how the iMac only supports 3GB of RAM, does it really matter?

I don't know, does it? Can anyone answer the question?

 

[treblah]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino#Santa_Rosa_platform

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64_bit#32_vs_64_bit

 

[vd0t]

I'd like to know as well.

 

[robbieduncan]

Seeing as how the iMac only supports 3GB of RAM, does it really matter?

This is probably being caused by the chipset. Santa Roso would allow more than 4Gb of RAM (the 3Gb is that you need some memory space left to memory-map peripherals into).

 

[treblah]

This is probably being caused by the chipset. Santa Roso would allow more than 4Gb of RAM (the 3Gb is that you need some memory space left to memory-map peripherals into).

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2715&p=2

Merom will be given a faster FSB on the Santa Rosa platform (most likely 800MHz or 1066MHz), but will otherwise remain unchanged from what launches later this year.

I can't find enough info about Santa Rosa or, more specifically, Crestline to make a informed call on this one. But even if Crestline supports >4GB, and Apple doesn't intentionally cripple it, I still doubt there will be more than 3 RAM slots in the iMac, MB(P), mini and 2GB sticks will still cost a pretty penny. So the 64-bitness is a mute point to everyone but marketers and those who think "64 is bigger than 32! It must be better!!!11".