PowerPC 970 at 90nm and the Power5 - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

PowerPC 970 at 90nm and the Power5

A Japanese news blurb reports that IBM will be presenting two papers at the 2004 ISSCC (in Feb 2004):

"Design and Implementation of the POWER5 Microprocessor"

"PowerPC 970 in 130nm and 90nm Technologies"

Current shipping PowerPC 970s utilize a 130nm process, though it was reported in September that IBM was already sampling 90nm chips. A 90nm chip would theoretically bring higher clockspeeds and lower heat production as compared to the corresponding 130nm chip.

Meanwhile, Microprocessor Watch is reportedly providing subscribers with more details about the Power5 from IBM's presentation at the Microprocessor Forum. MacWorld.co.uk notes that the Power5 will ship in 2004, with a Power5+ in 2005 and the Power6 in 2006. Notes from the same presentation were previously detailed in this report.

Meanwhile, a new AppleInsider report claims that 90nm chips will bring Apple above 2.0GHz while the PowerPC 980 (Power5 based) chip will bring Apple to 3GHz. If true this could confirm a previous report which claimed the same... that the 970 would top out at 2.6-2.8GHz, while the 980 would bring Apple to the 3GHz mark. And a Page 2 report hints at specifically designed low-power mobile PowerPCs.

Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Don't Buy)
Related Forums: Mac Pro, PowerPC Macs

Popular Stories

apple silicon feature joeblue

Apple Reportedly Worked on Two 'Extreme' Chips

Sunday July 19, 2026 8:51 am PDT by
Apple once developed "M2 Extreme" and "M3 Extreme" chips for the Mac Pro, but it decided not to release them, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He first reported on this topic in 2022, and he touched on it again in his Power On newsletter today. "Extreme" chips would have had twice as many CPU and GPU cores as Apple's "Ultra" chips. "The idea was to offer twice as many graphics and...
Mac Pro Feature Teal

Apple Shelved Two Mac Pro Models, Including an Intel-Based One

Monday July 20, 2026 6:30 am PDT by
Apple developed two Mac Pro models in recent years that never made it to market, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that Apple internally developed two unreleased Mac Pro projects codenamed J170 and J190 before ultimately discontinuing the machine altogether. As for new Mac Pro hardware, there were two additional models developed by...
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Feature

'Apple Upgrade' Program Reportedly Launching Next Week

Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30 am PDT by
Apple and Klarna are partnering on a new "Apple Upgrade" leasing program set to launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The program will allow you to finance most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, with a 24-month term for iPhones and Apple Watches and a 36-month term for iPads and Macs. Customers will be able to pay off the device early during...