Intel’s upcoming Broadwell-EP Xeon family engineering sample has been leaked, giving hints about the expected specifications for the upcoming Mac Pro. Apple last updated the device two years ago.
Leaked Intel chip way better than predecessor
According to WCCF Tech, Intel’s chip engineering leak was posted for sale on Chinese site Taobao for 15,500 yuan or $2,415. The vendor also informed shoppers about the alleged benchmarks, suggesting that the chip is a 20-core/40-thread Xeon E5-2698 V4 clocked at 2.1 gigahertz.
The cores can stretch to 3.5 gigahertz, offering a total L3 cache of 50 megabytes. The leak suggests a memory speed of 2,400 megahertz, which is more than the current Xeons, which have a memory speed of 2,133/1,866-megahertz.
In contrast, the specifications of the current E5-2698 V3 include 40 megabytes of cache space, a 2.3/3.6-gigahertz clock speed and 16 cores. The leaked chip easily outdid its predecessor, scoring 4980 points in a multi-threaded test.
Apple’s 2013 Mac Pro was available in four-, six-, eight-, or 12-core Xeon E5 processors with clock speeds between 2.7 and 3.7 gigahertz. None of the models had an L3 cache of more than 30 megabytes.
Intel’s Xeon E5 V4 series, which supports up to 22 cores, is expected to start shipping in the first half of 2016. As of now, there is no information on the ranges, if any, that Apple could offer in a new Mac Pro, but it is expected that Intel will be offering scaled-back Broadwell-E chips with cores ranging from six to ten.
Mac Pro update long overdue
Apple’s Mac Pro, which is aimed at professionals, is the company’s most powerful computer. However, the gadget has got less attention from the company lately. The Mac Pro is among the few products that is not on Apple’s annual update cycle. Other Apple products getting the same treatment are iPods and the Mac mini.
Intel stock has done well even amid the falling PC market. Even though the chip maker’s shares dropped to their 52-week low in August, they have rebounded strongly. Intel, which is one of only a few Silicon Valley companies to go against the tide, owes a majority of its revenues to several of its small businesses.
On Tuesday, Intel shares closed down 0.67% at $34.75. Year to date, the stock is down by over 4%, while in the last one month, it is up by almost 3%.
