IBM Power5: 3.0GHz in 2004


MacBidouille has uncovered an interesting technical PDF covering the Power4 and Power5 schedules. The document reveals that IBM's Power4+ chip will reach speeds of 1.45GHz in 2003, while the next-generation Power5 will achieve speeds of 3.0GHz in 2004.

The timetable is significant, as PowerPC 970 and desktop/notebook variants of the Power4 and Power5 chips are likely to be released shortly after their big brothers.

The presentation appears to be a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation of the main elements and server deployments for the Power4 and 5 families. Significantly, the Power5 is expected to commence with 1.8GHz versions in 2004, topping out at 3.0GHz later in the year. The Power5 will use the .10 micron process.

You can download the PDF (3.4MB).

Analysis: This may not be the PowerPC road map Jobs has seen, but it's clear evidence that IBM is going for broke with PowerPC and Linux/AIX, versus Itanium and MS. Who ever would have thought in 1981 or 1984 that Big Blue would come to the rescue?