New Macs to get custom platform?

by admin July 29, 2008 at 5:30 pm

Apple is dropping Intel’s reference platform in favor of custom circuitry, according to a new rumor floated by AppleInsider. Although every Intel-based Mac has to date used Intel’s stock chipsets but with a custom layout, Apple is now purportedly using little to none of Intel’s own components in favor of outside parts. Whether this involves licensing components from an outside firm or even custom-designed chips is unknown, though Apple would keep using Intel’s processors.

The Mac creator is notably part of the Hypertransport Consortium along with computer firms such as AMD and would have access to the technology to create a much faster connection between the main processor and other components of the system, including memory and peripherals. Intel’s hardware is currently bottlenecked by its dependence on two separate chipsets for controlling memory and devices but should be replaced by the QuickPath interface that will accompany its Nehalem architecture in late 2008 and early 2009.

Full article: electronista.com