December 16 2009
Rumor: Apple to include new i7-980X in upcoming Mac Pro
Regardless of recent updates to the Mac Pro line, rumors are circulating that Apple could be upgrading its pro line of desktops early next year with faster processors that sport more cores and consume less power. The information was allegedly leaked from Intel, and the new processors (codenamed Gulftown) will reportedly make use of six cores on a 32nm die with 12MB of L3 cache per chip. Currently, Apple’s high-end machine offers only four cores per processor with 8MB of L3 cache.
According to AppleInsider, the i7980X will start at a clock speed of 3.33GHz, which happens to be the clock speed of the fastest quad-core processor you can currently order in a Mac Pro. The i7-980X will supposedly replace the i7-975 in the Extreme tier of Apple’s three-tier system. According to the roadmap, the processor will see a launch in the first quarter of 2010.
