New in OS X: Get MacRumors Push Notifications on your Mac

Resubscribe Now Close

Intel Reportedly Shipping New Thunderbolt Controllers Ahead of April 23 Ivy Bridge Introduction

Thursday April 12, 2012 7:54 am PDT by Eric Slivka
VR-Zone reports that Intel has begun shipping its second-generation Thunderbolt controller chip, known as "Cactus Ridge". As previously discussed, Cactus Ridge will arrive in both four-channel (DSL3510) and two-channel (DSL3310) versions, offering Apple a pair of options for including the new chips in its forthcoming products.
Another aspect that makes the DSL3510 interesting is that it supports multiple internal DisplayPort inputs. What this means is that it could in theory interface with a discrete graphics card as well as the integrated graphics from an Intel CPU. This is likely to be the chip used by Apple in its desktop systems, whereas the more power efficient DSL3310 will end up in notebook products.

The arrival of the new Thunderbolt chips lines up nicely with Intel's Ivy Bridge processors to set the stage for updates to a number Apple's Mac lines. Previous reports have indicated that the first batch of quad-core desktop and mobile Ivy Bridge chips appropriate for Macs should be arriving on April 29, with an announcement coming in the week prior to that date.

Digitimes now claims that the announcement will take place on April 23, with a number of PC manufacturers lined up and ready to launch systems using the new processors. The report points to PC vendors being ready to release new ultrabooks beginning in May, but previous reports had claimed that the lower-voltage chips likely to make their way into the more compact machines won't be launching until early June.

[ 52 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
Laco
96 months ago
Once affordable devices that use Thunderbolt are produced then I will care.
Rating: 7 Votes
Avatar
ristlin
96 months ago
I bet Mac Pro is going to be the first updated Mac they release this year.
░░░█░░░░░░▄██▀▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄░░​░█
░▄▀▒▄▄▄▒░█▀▀▀▀▄▄█░░░██▄▄█░​░░█
█░▒█▒▄░▀▄▄▄▀░░░░░░░░█░░░▒▒​▒▒▒█
█░▒█░█▀▄▄░░░░░█▀░░░░▀▄░░▄▀​▀▀▄▒█
░█░▀▄░█▄░█▀▄▄░▀░▀▀░▄▄▀░░░░​█░░█
░░█░░░▀▄▀█▄▄░█▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▀▀█▀█​█░█
░░█░░░░██░░▀█▄▄▄█▄▄█▄████░​█
░░░█░░░░▀▀▄░█░░░█░█▀██████​░█
░░░░▀▄░░░░░▀▀▄▄▄█▄█▄█▄█▄▀░​░█
░░░░░░▀▄▄░▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒░​░░█
░░░░░░░░░▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄​▄▀
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
MacDK86
96 months ago
Seems like the new Macbook Pro is just around the corner :)
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
bungiefan89
96 months ago
Enough with the games, Intel! You've been teasing us with this sexy technology for over a year now.

I demand some cheaper cords, external GPUs, more affordable external hard drives, and developer kits delivered to third-parties so the industry as a whole can benefit from these super-awesome thunderbolt speeds!
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
Northgrove
96 months ago
Maybe Intel is ready to ship slightly ahead of schedule. Hard to tell whether this means slightly earlier Macs though. They may be looking to align these new desktops and laptops with the release of Mountain Lion, which is announced for "summer". Especially if the timeframe between their earliest ship dates for these computers and the new OS version ends up being just around one month or so. Makes more of a bang if they can announce a new OS X along with new Macs.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
Omgitsdesmond
96 months ago
Oh yay. Maybe I will be getting my first MacBook sooner than I anticipated.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
Rocketman
96 months ago
Here's what I don't get. Why isn't the Cactus Ridge 4C the ONLY chip vendors want to use so you can daisy chain everything? To me the next generation of devices have a couple of end user advantages. Easier implementation of multiple screens so you can have a data display and a media display fro the same one box you own, whether it is a laptop or a desktop. We seem to not be there yet for any handtop. Also high speed I/O is finally real and on all such devices. Hopefully we will see Thunderbolt as the new replacement for the 30 pin connector as I speculated in a recent post. That will be the physical device portion of the coming convergence of iOS and OSX.

Rocketman

https://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=14576035&postcount=138
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
Mal
96 months ago

This seems to solve the question I've had concerning a Mac Pro with a discrete GPU on a expansion card. I guess a new Mac Pro will be able to pipe the graphics back to the motherboard through the TB controller and out the back.. That way you won't need a TB controller on the graphics board itself, or an integrated GPU on the mobo just to guarantee that the Mac Pro have graphics enabled TB even if you change the graphics card.


It does appear that way. I don't know why you got downvoted, btw, because I think part of Apple's delay in releasing a new Mac Pro may be related to this problem exactly. Unlike far too many here, I don't expect Apple to drop the Mac Pro, though lengthy update timeframes are probably going to be the norm.

jW
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
bungiefan89
96 months ago

External GPU's are a bit way ahead. Can't do that with 10mbit TB. Need around 200Mbit for that.

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's TP supposed to be capable of closer to 10GB speeds instead of a mere 10MB?
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
Dr FranknFurter
96 months ago

Seems like the new Macbook Pro is just around the corner :)


That looks awesome!:)
Rating: 2 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]