PowerPC 970 posts lower RC5 scores than dual 1 GHz G4

IBM has posted a presentation PDF delving into some additional details of the anxiously awaited PowerPC 970 64-bit processor that may eventually make its way into a future Macintosh model.

According to the PDF, a single PowerPC 970 running at 1.8 GHz delivers a lower score (based on preliminary estimates) than Apple's current Power Macintosh G4 with dual 1 GHz processors. The PowerPC 970 is predicted to crunch 18 million keys pers second, while a dual 1 GHz Power Macintosh G4 can process just over 21 million per second.

The new PDF also compares the size of the PowerPC 970 to its server-relegated cousin, the Power 4. Not only is the 970 about half the physical size of the Power4, it also uses less power, and features an SIMD which is referred to in this PDF as a "Vector Engine." The 162 instruction-set is essentially similar to AltiVec.

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