PowerPC 970 at 90nm and the Power5 - MacRumors
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

General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 With End-to-End Encrypted RCS, New Wallpaper, and Maps Updates

Monday May 11, 2026 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, the newest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems. The software comes nearly two months after Apple released iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 15.8.8, iOS 16.7.16, iOS 18.7.9, and...