Tag Archives: IvyBridge

Primate Labs benchmarks new Retina MacBook Pro models

Apple bumped the processors in the Retina MacBook Pro line last week, pushing the 15-inch model to the 2.4, 2.7 or 2.8 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 and the 13-inch to 2.5, 2.6, 2.9 or 3.0 GHz dual-core processors. As usual, Primate Labs grabbed a handy copy of their "flagship product" -- Geekbench -- and tested each model's performance.

The 100 MHz increase in processor speed across the board on the 15-inch MacBook Pros was responsible for a 3 to 5 percent increase in performance as measured by the Geekbench 2 scores. Likewise, the 13-inch models received a bump in both speed and performance.

Primate Labs noted, though, that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro models ship with both old and new processors. The new processors are only available in 13-inch models that start with 256 GB of storage, while the machines that start with 128 GB of storage retain the older, slower processors.

Primate Labs benchmarks new Retina MacBook Pro models

John Poole at Primate Labs notes that the new Intel processor architecture, Haswell, is forthcoming later this year, so it's not surprising that Apple decided to outfit the Retina MacBook Pro line with the latest in Ivy Bridge processors. However, he's curious about why the non-Retina MacBook Pro line didn't receive the same speed bump, and speculates that the current line of Retina-free MBPs might be the last.

Primate Labs benchmarks new Retina MacBook Pro models originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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20″ iMac G4 updated to Ivy Bridge

Apple's iMac went through several design permutations before the company settled on the current "all-in-one computer and display on aluminum arm" configuration. One of the most iconic designs was that of the iMac G4, which held the electronics of the device -- including an optical drive -- in a desktop half-sphere with a 15-, 17- or 20-inch LCD panel suspended on an arm. Modder "Dremel Junkie" (Jonathan Berg) has been bringing classic iMac G4s up to date with new hardware for a while, and his latest work brings a 20-inch iMac G4 into the Mountain Lion era with an Intel Ivy Bridge CPU.

The system uses an Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) system neatly implanted into the heart of the iMac G4. It's not just as simple as plugging the Intel NUC into the base of the iMac; Dremel Junkie goes through detailed descriptions of all of the steps taken to make sure that this device remains true to the exterior lines of the iMac G4 while providing the latest in high speed I/O.

Of course, since the Intel hardware isn't "official Apple," the device is incapable of running Mountain Lion without resorting to a Hackintosh solution. Dremel Junkie used an off-the-shelf copy of Mountain Lion and tonymac's Unibeast/Multibeast install method to get OS X running smoothly.

If you have an old iMac G4 sitting around collecting dust and you're handy with a soldering iron and Dremel Moto-Tool, this may be a fun winter project to work on. Two videos are embedded below (about 30 minutes total) that explain the project.

20" iMac G4 updated to Ivy Bridge originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe acknowledges InDesign crash issues on new MacBooks

Adobe InDesign owners using a new MacBook Pro with an Intel Ivy Bridge processor are reporting problems with both the Creative Suite 5 and Creative Suite 6 version of the app. A growing thread on Adobe's website documents the problem which happens when performing routine tasks like deleting a page with content. The InDesign app reportedly locks up and displays a blank warning box before crashing.

Adobe acknowledged the issue and says the only fix right now is to roll back OS X to a version before 10.7.4. Mac OS X version 10.7.4 was released in May to all Mac owners. Pre-Ivy Bridge customers affected by this glitch can restore their machines to factory software and ignore the 10.7.4 update. Customers who just bought a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air may run into difficulty as their systems shipped with 10.7.4 installed.

Adobe did not explain why the issue seems to effect Ivy Bridge Macs more than their Sandy Bridge counterparts. It's also not know whether this problem will be present in Mountain Lion, which should be released later this month. You can follow the Adobe thread to read more about the issue. Hopefully, Adobe will continue to address this problem and respond to user's concerns.

[Via AppleInsider]

Adobe acknowledges InDesign crash issues on new MacBooks originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bloomberg: Apple will debut new laptop lineup at WWDC

Bloomberg reports that Apple is preparing laptop upgrades with models that are thinner than the existing Pro units; the new machines are expected to run on Intel's Ivy Bridge processors. This follows on rumors from earlier today that a new MacBook Pro and iMac appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking tool.

The machines, which Bloomberg says are to be announced during WWDC, are also expected to sport Retina or HiDPI displays and a flash memory subsystem to speed up boot times. All those details are in line with a post from 9to5 Mac earlier today.

Bloomberg also says that Apple might announce Mountain Lion's release date during WWDC as well.

Bloomberg: Apple will debut new laptop lineup at WWDC originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Update for May 14, 2012

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.


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Daily Update for May 14, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy cuts price on Macs

According to Cult of Mac, Best Buy has cut the online and in-store prices on most of its Mac lineup. The price reductions range from $31 on the Core i5 Mac Mini to almost $300 on the high-end Mac Pro. We spoke to a Best Buy sales associate, who confirmed these price drops went into effect last month. It's possible that Best Buy is trying to move current inventory in advance of an upcoming hardware refresh. Apple is rumored to be announcing new Mac hardware with Intel's Ivy Bridge processors soon.

Best Buy cuts price on Macs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook Pro, iMac with new Ivy Bridge processors show up on benchmarks

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As Chris Rawson noted in today's rumor roundup, there are some fascinating indications that new Macs may be on the way to an Apple Store near you.

Geekbench is a cross-platform processor benchmarking tool that is used to provide numbers on the relative capabilities of computers with various CPU / GPU combinations. The results end up being posted on the site and are available for browsing, so it was a bit of a surprise when figures showed up for what appear to be a new MacBook Pro and iMac powered by Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors.

The MacBook Pro is listed on Geekbench as a previously unknown "MacBook9,1" with an Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM running at 2.7GHz. The benchmark number of 12252 is about 17 percent better than the number generated by an existing Core i7 MacBook Pro. The "iMac13,2" shows a Core i7-3770 desktop chip clocked at 3.4GHz pumping out a Geekbench score of 12183 -- probably lower than it should be due to only having 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM installed.

Engadget notes that the scores are roughly equivalent to what they've seen for benchmarks on other platforms running the Ivy Bridge processors -- a bump in the speed, but nothing earth-shatteringly big. While benchmark results can be faked, MacRumors says that the various motherboard identifiers and special Mountain Lion build number are consistent with past practices.

MacRumors also points out that premature benchmark results have shown up in the Geekbench database before, just prior to the release of new equipment from Apple. While all rumors should be taken with a very large grain of salt, there's a possibility that the next-generation MacBooks and iMacs are just around the corner.

Another Mac site, 9to5Mac, is also stating that they've pulled code from the latest Mountain Lion beta that appears to show that the Ivy Bridge MacBook Pros will come with USB 3.0 complementing the Thunderbolt high-speed external bus and a new NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M GPU. 9to5Mac also postulates that a new 15" MacBook Pro will arrive complete with a Retina display. Whatever the truth may be, it's refreshing to see that some glimmer of new Mac models is beginning to excite the Mac faithful.

MacBook Pro, iMac with new Ivy Bridge processors show up on benchmarks originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’re the Pundit: Mac Pro refresh or graceful finale?

When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the Mac Pro. As Apple moves briskly towards the post-PC future, does the tower Mac make the trip?

We've covered the Mac Pro before in the Pundit series, but the question is really on the table now. This month, the server-class versions of the Sandy Bridge processors the hypothetical Mac Pro refresh depends on began shipping from Intel.

With the multiprocessor Sandy Bridge/Xeon E5 chips hitting the market, Apple has a choice to make: revise the draft horse of its computer lineup, or put it gracefully out to pasture. (Not for nothing, those are some really expensive CPUs; the next iterations of Mac Pros, should they come to pass, will undoubtedly continue to carry premium price tags.)

With well-equipped iMacs taking on some of the roles in business that Pros used to occupy, is it time for Apple to end-of-life its power machine? Is the Thunderbolt port a fair substitute for a full rack of slots and GPU options? Or are there still enough seats in animation, video production, scientific computing and high-end graphic design (where every cycle makes a difference and time is money) to keep the Mac Pro on the product list for another few years?

You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your insight.

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You're the Pundit: Mac Pro refresh or graceful finale? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel website leaks full Ivy Bridge lineup

Intel apparently slipped and briefly posted a Spring product list that outed 17 desktop chips and 11 notebook chips. Many of these chips were listed in an earlier leak and could land in Mac and PC hardware this year.

The PDF document was pulled from Intel's website, but not before the list was grabbed by ComputerBase. You can check out the list of processors in the graphics below and get a sneak peek at some of the processors and integrated GPUs that Apple might use in revisions of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac minis or iMacs.

[Via Electronista]

Intel website leaks full Ivy Bridge lineup originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel announces USB 3.0 in "Ivy Bridge" and will support Thunderbolt

"Intel is going to support USB 3.0 in the 2012 client platform. We're going to support Thunderbolt capability. We believe that they're complementary." CNET reported this remark from Kirk Sakaugen, a VP of the Intel Architecture group, in a presentation streamed from the Intel Developer Conference in Beijing. This dual-I/O support will arrive in the first half of 2012 with the rollout of the "Ivy Bridge" processor, which will be the next generation after the "Sandy Bridge" technology currently built into the the newest MacBook Pros.

This is the first time in ten years that Intel has built the most current USB technology into its processors. Currently Intel uses USB 3.0 in a small number of high-end motherboards, sourcing a component from NEC to make it work. USB 3.0 is ten times quicker than USB 2.0, topping out at a theoretical speed of 4.8 Gbps. Thunderbolt, in turn, beats out USB 3.0 easily; it allows transfers of data and DisplayPort video simultaneously at speeds of up to 10 Gbps on one cable.

Although nothing specific has been said about when Intel will integrate Thunderbolt technology, The Inquirer notes that the January launch of "Sandy Bridge" would have been the perfect time for Intel to build USB 3.0 into its silicon. By dragging its heels, the company may be promoting the integration of Thunderbolt. Currently Apple is the only computer maker using Thunderbolt, but AMD as well as Intel have said they will eventually include Thunderbolt support.

Intel announces USB 3.0 in "Ivy Bridge" and will support Thunderbolt originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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