New PowerPC 64-bit Chip from IBM

[Michael]

Here's something interesting--IBM's press release about the new PowerPC 970 chip, which will be used in IBM's servers and new Macs (probably). Here are the specs (please excuse the Germanic spellings, the release is from the IBM prototype lab in Germany):

The new IBM PowerPC 970 is the heart of the PowerPC Blade. It is based on the 64-Bit Power 4 architecture which is also used in the processors of the IBM eServer pSeries. The 64-bit microprozessor:

• Offers full symmetrical multi-processing
• Has a high reliability (with parity L1, ECC L2 and parity checked system bus)
• Is manufactured in the latest 0,13 micrometer Copper/SOI CMOS technology
• Runs at frequences ranging from 1.8 GHz - 2.5 Ghz

Therefore the IBMPowerPC 970 is the fastest PowerPC so far.

Further technical highlights of the PowerPC 970:

• Onchip 512 KB L2 Cache
• Altivec ? Vector/SIMD unit
• 6,4 GB/s I/O system bus throughput

What do you guys think? I personally think it is kind of cool that 64-bit processors will soon be coming to the desktop. Really, imagine that: a 64-bit processor running at 2-GHz!

[Anthony]

What are they at now? 32 bit (I assume so since bits on game systems double each time)?

[jester22c]

What are they at now? 32 bit (I assume so since bits on game systems double each time)?

The current standard is 32bit in the desktop market.

While this is good news (because the more competitors the better) this is not the first 64bit chip. Intel has had the Itanium (64 bit) out for quite some time, but it is for the server market. AMD also has a 64 bit chip in it's final stages of design which is codenamed the hammer. Once we see these chips hit the desktop market is when the fun starts. I am waiting for 64 bit graphics more than anything

[rocket733]

I'm not sure if I would trust the part about IBM releasing their own 64-bit processors in the near future since IBM is going to be selling Opteron (AMD's 64 bit processor) based servers to compete with Dell's servers.

[Michael]

While this is good news (because the more competitors the better) this is not the first 64bit chip.

We've had 64-bit processors for a while, but they were used only in servers; the PowerPC 970 (aka G5) will be used in desktop systems.

[jester22c]

We've had 64-bit processors for a while, but they were used only in servers; the PowerPC 970 (aka G5) will be used in desktop systems.

Yes, I'm quite aware of this

[skudz]

AMD is coming out with a 64bit cpu.