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David Flynn11 March 2010, 10:30 PM
Now that Intel has launched its Core i7-980 Extreme Edition six-core processor, will next week see a supercharged Mac Pro desktop to go with it?
Intel’s fastest-ever desktop chip and Apple’s flagship Mac Pro desktop seem made for each other, so it’s hard not to put some faith in the rumour that this powerhouse pair will make a double-header debut.
From Intel’s side, the Core i7-980 Extreme Edition processor (codenamed Gulftown) had already been outed before today’s launch, with several local dealers such as
TechBuy,
City Software and
Complete IT all listing the six-engine superslab from as low as $1,550.
Designed with the same 32nm Westmere architecture as the Core i7, i5 and i3 siblings released in January as part of Intel’s Core 2010 range, the i7-980 clocks at 3.33GHz in everyday use and up to 3.6 GHz in ‘turboboost’ mode. However, it will be interesting to see how far this unlocked processor can be pushed towards and perhaps beyond 4GHz in the hands of the screwdriver set.
For Apple’s part, the latest rumour is that a new flagship Mac Pro built around the barnstorming i7-980 will be announced next week. So if you’re in the market for a new Mac Pro desktop, it could pay to cool your heels for a few days…