PowerPC 970

PowerPC 970
Artist's rendering of a PowerPC 970 CPU
General information
Launched2002
Designed byIBM
Common manufacturer
Performance
Max. CPU clock rate1.0 GHz  to 2.7 GHz 
Cache
L1 cache64 KB instruction
32 KB data
L2 cache512–1024 KB
Architecture and classification
ApplicationDesktop
Technology node130 nm to 90 nm
Microarchitectureppc970, POWER4
Instruction set32/64-bit PowerPC 2.01
Physical specifications
Cores
  • 1-2
Products, models, variants
Variant
  • 970, 970FX, 970MP
History
PredecessorPOWER4

The PowerPC 970, PowerPC 970FX, and PowerPC 970MP are 64-bit PowerPC CPUs from IBM introduced in 2002. Apple branded the 970 as PowerPC G5 for its Power Mac G5.

Having created the PowerPC architecture in the early 1990s via the AIM alliance, the 970 family was created through a further collaboration between IBM and Apple.[1][2] The project was codenamed GP-UL or Giga Processor Ultra Light, where Giga Processor is the codename for the POWER4 from which the core was derived. When Apple introduced the Power Mac G5, it stated that this was a five-year collaborative effort, with multi-generation roadmap. This forecast however was short-lived when Apple later had to retract its promise to deliver a 3 GHz processor only one year after its introduction. IBM was also unable to reduce power consumption to levels necessary for laptop computers. Ultimately, Apple only used three variants of the processor.

IBM's JS20/JS21 blade modules and some low-end workstations and System p servers are based on the PowerPC 970. It is also used in some high end embedded systems like Mercury's Momentum XSA-200. IBM is also licensing the PowerPC 970 core for use in custom applications.

  1. ^ "Apple Unleashes the World's Fastest Personal Computer—the Power Mac G5". Apple. June 23, 2003. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "Apple and IBM Introduce the PowerPC G5 Processor". Apple. June 23, 2003. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2017.