Real and imagined speed issues with Appleis choice for a top-of-the-line microprocessor have been discussed widely. With the end of Motorolais G5 program, and all the attention now placed on raw speed, itis no surprise that since a possible replacement came along it has become the center of attention. The IBM PowerPC 970 has been surrounded by much rumor and speculation, including being called the "Fastest PowerPC so far."
TMO recently discovered that there were product pictures of it on IBMis Microelectronics Photo Catalog that we hadnit seen before. After checking with IBM, it turns out that they were part of the initial product announcement in October 2002. Despite the age, we thought people would be interested in seeing them. The image on the left shows the actual processing unit, or module, as it would appear in a computer. The image on the right shows the processor chip die itself.
 IBM 64-bit PowerPC 970 microprocessor CBGA module. (Click for a larger image) |
 IBM 64-bit PowerPC 970 microprocessor chip die (Click for a larger image) |
Note that each thumbnail above links to a larger version of the image. For those wanting an even closer look, you can find even larger versions at IBMis Web site. Look for the "View image at 100% links on the following two pages.
As always, itis important to remember that no matter how probable it seems, any discussion on the topic of Apple adopting the 970 is merely speculation until the company announces machines using this chip.