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Now that I've started looking into future Nehalem processors there's 2 different types of Nehalem processors the Macbook could use: Westmere (Arrandale: 35nm) or Clarksfield (55/45nm). Westmere is the shrink series of the Nehalem processors (has mobile and desktop processors) and Arrandale is the mobile shrunken processor of the Westmere series. It's smaller than the Macbook's current processor yet the amount of cores is the same. It does do 2 threads per core which 1-ups the Core 2 Duo one and shares other technology found in Nehalem processors.
Clarksfield has 4 cores and 8 threads but some say the Macbook Pro may take this one because it'd use a lot of power. Some say it's unlikely that Clarksfield will come to a laptop as small as the Macbook and that it may just go to other high end notebooks. Apple may just use the same type of processor for the Macbook and Pro but offer them at higher speeds for the Pro. The question is will Apple use the more powerful one or the more energy efficient one, which just does another thread per core?
Some say, why wait? I've noticed a Macbook trend lately. Intel has a processor release schedule dubbed 'Tick Tock'. In Tick years they release a new silicone architecture (Nehalem in this case). In Tock years they make a new micro-architecture process (e.g. shrinking 45nm Nehalem and making it the 35nm Westmere series). When the new silicon architecture comes out they use a lot of power so in order for them to be in notebooks then they need to be shrunken to use less power. Intel will do this ever year. Nehalem debuted in 2008 and Westmere will debut end of this year according to their schedule. What I've noticed is that the Macbook, Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac mini get the Tock year processors (Penryn, Core 2 Duo) and Apple's other computer lines get the Tick processors (Mac Pro and Xserve right now have Nehalem). The thing is Nehalem debuted with Core i7 and hasn't been implemented in Macs until now, and according to sources Westmere will be in production at the end of Q4 '09. So, will Apple get them early and put them in Macbooks and Pros in November as a silent update or will they wait until 2010?? That's all it comes down to.
Who knows what Apple will do but I'll see what the buzz is around September. If the Macbook won't see Westmere processors this year then I'll just get the Macbook after Update 2. In the meantime, take a look at the Westmere:Arrandale processor.
Clarksfield has 4 cores and 8 threads but some say the Macbook Pro may take this one because it'd use a lot of power. Some say it's unlikely that Clarksfield will come to a laptop as small as the Macbook and that it may just go to other high end notebooks. Apple may just use the same type of processor for the Macbook and Pro but offer them at higher speeds for the Pro. The question is will Apple use the more powerful one or the more energy efficient one, which just does another thread per core?
Some say, why wait? I've noticed a Macbook trend lately. Intel has a processor release schedule dubbed 'Tick Tock'. In Tick years they release a new silicone architecture (Nehalem in this case). In Tock years they make a new micro-architecture process (e.g. shrinking 45nm Nehalem and making it the 35nm Westmere series). When the new silicon architecture comes out they use a lot of power so in order for them to be in notebooks then they need to be shrunken to use less power. Intel will do this ever year. Nehalem debuted in 2008 and Westmere will debut end of this year according to their schedule. What I've noticed is that the Macbook, Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac mini get the Tock year processors (Penryn, Core 2 Duo) and Apple's other computer lines get the Tick processors (Mac Pro and Xserve right now have Nehalem). The thing is Nehalem debuted with Core i7 and hasn't been implemented in Macs until now, and according to sources Westmere will be in production at the end of Q4 '09. So, will Apple get them early and put them in Macbooks and Pros in November as a silent update or will they wait until 2010?? That's all it comes down to.
Who knows what Apple will do but I'll see what the buzz is around September. If the Macbook won't see Westmere processors this year then I'll just get the Macbook after Update 2. In the meantime, take a look at the Westmere:Arrandale processor.