PowerPC 970GX Reference? - MacRumors
Skip to Content

PowerPC 970GX Reference?

A developer article on IBM's website was noted to have a reference to a yet-unreleased processor referred to as the PowerPC 970GX.

"The only processors currently supporting AltiVec are the G4 and G5. The G4 (including model numbers 7400 and 7410) and G4+ (7450 and 7455) processors are made by Motorola. (There are more models than just the ones listed here, but these are the most widely discussed.) The G5 chips include the IBM 970, 970FX, and 970GX; these are essentially POWER4 cores with an AltiVec unit bolted on."

The reference has since been removed from IBM's site. Information on the 970GX was first leaked back in November 2004. It was described with a larger L2 cache, 3GHz speeds, and an expected ship date in early 2005.

Update: The page linked above has been modified with the following editor's note:

"Our apologies!
The original version of this article contained an erroneous reference to a "970GX." We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
--Editors

Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Mac Pro

Popular Stories

Classic Mac Pro Feature

Mac Pro Turns 20 Today, Five Months After Apple Killed It

Friday August 7, 2026 5:39 am PDT by
Apple announced the original Mac Pro 20 years ago today, with the anniversary landing five months after the company discontinued the machine for good. On August 7, 2006, Apple unveiled the first Mac Pro, powered by two dual-core 64-bit Xeon processors that Apple said made it up to twice as fast as the Power Mac G5 it replaced. It was the last Mac to complete Apple's transition from PowerPC...
Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Just Made an Extremely Rare Product Announcement

Thursday August 27, 2026 7:58 am PDT by
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio models unveiled by Apple this week are the company's first new Macs announced in August since 2020. It is extremely rare for Apple to announce new products of any kind in August, excluding smaller things like new color options and accessories. As mentioned, Apple's last notable August product announcement was in 2020, when it updated the 27-inch iMac and a...
Surprise and Shine Feature

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Surprise and Shine'

Wednesday August 26, 2026 9:02 am PDT by
Apple plans to hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Wednesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with select members of the media invited to attend. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The September 2026 iPhone event will see Apple announce the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the ...