PowerPC 970 Prototype: 2.5GHz, "Fastest PowerPC Ever"


An IBM press release backgrounds the key features of the prototype PowerPC 970, Big Blue's desktop derivative of its Power4. [attrib: MacBidouille.

The high-octane CPU is expected to be seen in Apple computers either late this year or some time in 2004. Delivering 64-bit computing to the desktop, the 970 is destined for IBM's Blade Servers.

The prototypes of the 970 are running at between 1.8GHz-2.5GHz. The CPU offers full symmetrical multiprocessing, a 512KB L2 cache, AltiVec and system bus throughput of up to 6.4GB p/s.

If you're a reader of German, there's also more information here at IBM's German site.

Analysis: The PPC 970 is sounding like everything it's been cracked up to be. Given that it's virtually 'two processors in one', the GHz don't tell the real story. Apple as a customer also gives IBM the incentive to produce the 970 in big numbers, and to develop it consistently, even if Power5 and its desktop derivatives are the next major project. It should also give IBM an ever bigger share of the Blade market, where entrants such as Dell often equip their Blades with outmoded PIII processors. And, as a bonus, IBM gets to dump Intel processors from its Blades, right where they belong: in the dumpster.