The PowerPC 7xx is a family of third generation 32-bit
PowerPC
PowerPC (with the backronym Performance Optimization With Enhanced RISC – Performance Computing, sometimes abbreviated as PPC) is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architecture (ISA) created by the 1991 Apple Inc., App ...
microprocessor
A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circu ...
s designed and manufactured by
IBM and
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
(spun off as
Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. was an American semiconductor manufacturer. It was created by the divestiture of the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola in 2004. Freescale focused their integrated circuit products on the automotive, embed ...
bought by
NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXP) is a Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The company employs approximately 31,000 people in more than 30 countries. NXP reported revenue of $11.06 billion in 2 ...
). This family is called the PowerPC G3 by its well-known customer
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...
, which introduced it on November 10, 1997. The term "PowerPC G3" is often, and incorrectly, imagined to be a microprocessor when in fact a number of microprocessors from different vendors have been used. Such designations were applied to
Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...
computers such as the
PowerBook G3
The PowerBook G3 is a series of laptop Macintosh personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1997 to 2001. It was the first laptop to use the PowerPC G3 (PPC740/750) series of microprocessors, and was marketed as t ...
, the
multicolored iMacs,
iBook
iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-en ...
s and several desktops, including both the
Beige
Beige is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached no ...
and
Blue and White Power Macintosh G3s. The low power requirements and small size made the processors ideal for laptops and the name lived out its last days at Apple in the
iBook
iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-en ...
.
The 7xx family is also widely used in embedded devices like printers, routers, storage devices, spacecraft, and video game consoles. The 7xx family had its shortcomings, namely lack of
SMP support and
SIMD
Single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) is a type of parallel processing in Flynn's taxonomy. SIMD can be internal (part of the hardware design) and it can be directly accessible through an instruction set architecture (ISA), but it should ...
capabilities and a relatively weak
FPU. Motorola's
74xx range of processors picked up where the 7xx left off.
Processors
PowerPC 740/750
The PowerPC 740 and 750 (codename Arthur)
[ Gwennap 1997] were introduced in late 1997 as an evolutionary replacement for the
PowerPC 603 The PowerPC 600 family was the first family of PowerPC processors built. They were designed at the Somerset facility in Austin, Texas, jointly funded and staffed by engineers from IBM and Motorola as a part of the AIM alliance. Somerset was opened ...
e. Enhancements included a faster
60x system bus (66 MHz), larger L1 caches (32 KB instruction and 32 KB data), a second integer unit, an enhanced floating point unit, and higher core frequency. The 750 had support for an optional 256, 512 or 1024 KB external unified L2 cache. The cache controller and cache tags are on-die. The cache was accessed via a dedicated 64-bit bus.
The 740 and 750 added
dynamic branch prediction and a 64-entry branch target instruction cache (BTIC). Dynamic branch prediction uses the recorded outcome of a branch stored in a 512-entry by 2-bit branch history table (BHT) to predict its outcome. The BTIC caches the first two instructions at a branch target.
The 740/750 models had 6.35 million transistors and were initially manufactured by IBM and Motorola in an aluminium based fabrication process. The die measured 67 mm
2 at 0.26 μm and it reached speeds of up to 366 MHz while consuming 7.3 W.
In 1999, IBM fabricated versions in a 0.20 μm process with
copper interconnect
In semiconductor technology, copper interconnects are interconnects made of copper. They are used in silicon integrated circuits (ICs) to reduce propagation delays and power consumption. Since copper is a better conductor than aluminium, ICs usi ...
s, which increased the frequency up to 500 MHz and decreased power consumption to 6 W and the die size to 40 mm
2.
The 740 slightly outperformed the
Pentium II
The Pentium II brand refers to Intel's sixth-generation microarchitecture (" P6") and x86-compatible microprocessors introduced on May 7, 1997. Containing 7.5 million transistors (27.4 million in the case of the mobile Dixon with 256 KB ...
while consuming far less power and with a smaller die. The off-die L2 cache of the 750 increased performance by approximately 30% in most situations. The design was so successful that it quickly surpassed the
PowerPC 604e The PowerPC 600 family was the first family of PowerPC processors built. They were designed at the Somerset facility in Austin, Texas, jointly funded and staffed by engineers from IBM and Motorola as a part of the AIM alliance. Somerset was opened ...
in integer performance, causing a planned 604 successor to be scrapped.
The PowerPC 740 is completely pin compatible with the older 603, allowing upgrades to the PowerBook 1400, 2400, and even a prototype PowerBook 500/G3. The 750 with its L2 cache bus required more pins and thus a different package, a 360-pin
ball grid array
A ball grid array (BGA) is a type of surface-mount packaging (a chip carrier) used for integrated circuits. BGA packages are used to permanently mount devices such as microprocessors. A BGA can provide more interconnection pins than can be p ...
(BGA).
The PowerPC 750 was used in many computers from Apple, including the original
iMac
iMac is a family of all-in-one Mac desktop computers designed and built by Apple Inc. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its debut in August 1998, and has evolved through seven distinct forms.
In it ...
.
RAD750
The RAD750 is a
radiation-hardened
Radiation hardening is the process of making electronic components and circuits resistant to damage or malfunction caused by high levels of ionizing radiation ( particle radiation and high-energy electromagnetic radiation), especially for environ ...
processor, based on the PowerPC 750. It is intended for use in high
radiation
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes:
* ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...
environments such as experienced on board
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
s and other
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
. The RAD750 was released for purchase in 2001. The
Mars Science Laboratory
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed ''Curiosity (rover), Curiosity'', a Mars rover, in Gale (crater), Gale Crater on August ...
(
''Curiosity''),
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...
, and
Mars 2020
Mars 2020 is a Mars rover mission forming part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program that includes the rover ''Perseverance'', the small robotic, coaxial helicopter '' Ingenuity'', and associated delivery vehicles. Mars 2020 was launched from Ear ...
(
''Perseverance'') spacecraft have a RAD750 on board.
The processor has 10.4 million transistors, is manufactured by
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
using either 250 or 150 nm process and has a die area of 130 mm². It operates at 110 to 200 MHz. The CPU itself can withstand 200,000 to 1,000,000
Rad
RAD or Rad may refer to:
People
* Robert Anthony Rad Dougall (born 1951), South African former racing driver
* Rad Hourani, Canadian fashion designer and artist
* Nickname of Leonardus Rad Kortenhorst (1886–1963), Dutch politician
* Radley R ...
s and temperature ranges between −55 and 125 °C.
The RAD750 packaging and logic functions has a price tag in excess of
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
200,000 : the high price is mainly due to radiation hardening revisions to the PowerPC 750 architecture and manufacturing, stringent quality control requirements, and extended testing of each processor chip manufactured.
PowerPC 745/755
Motorola revised the 740/750 design in 1998 and shrunk die size to 51 mm
2 thanks to a newer aluminium based fabrication at 0.22 μm. The speeds increased to up to 600 MHz. The 755 was used in some
iBook
iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-en ...
models. After this model, Motorola chose not to keep developing the 750 processors in favour of their
PowerPC 7400 processor and other cores.
PowerPC 750CX
IBM continued to develop the PowerPC 750 line and introduced the PowerPC 750CX (code-named Sidewinder) in 2000. It has a 256 KiB on-die L2 cache; this increased performance while reducing power consumption and complexity. At 400 MHz, it drew under 4 W. The 750CX had 20 million transistors including its L2 cache. It had a die size of 43 mm
2 through a 0.18 μm copper process. The 750CX was only used in one iMac and iBook revision.
PowerPC 750CXe
750CXe (codename Anaconda), introduced in 2001, is a minor revision of 750CX to increase its clock speed to 700 MHz and memory bus from 100 MHz to 133 MHz. The 750CXe also features improved floating-point performance over the 750CX.
Several
iBook
iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-en ...
models and the last G3-based iMac have this processor.
A cost reduced version of 750CXe, called 750CXr, has lower frequencies.
Gekko
Gekko is the IBM's custom central processor for the
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
game console. Based on a PowerPC 750CXe, it adds about 50 new instructions and a modified
FPU capable of some
SIMD
Single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) is a type of parallel processing in Flynn's taxonomy. SIMD can be internal (part of the hardware design) and it can be directly accessible through an instruction set architecture (ISA), but it should ...
functionality. It has 256 KiB of on die L2 cache, operates at 486 MHz with a 162 MHz memory bus, is fabricated by IBM on a 180 nm process. The die size is 43 mm
2.
PowerPC 750FX
The 750FX (code-named Sahara) came in 2002 and increased frequency up to 900 MHz, the bus speed to 166 MHz and the on-die L2 cache to 512 KiB. It also featured a number of improvements to the memory subsystem: an enhanced and faster (200 MHz) 60x bus controller, a wider L2 cache bus, and the ability to lock parts of the L2 cache.
It is manufactured using a 0.13 μm copper based fabrication with
Low-K dielectric and
Silicon on insulator
In semiconductor manufacturing, silicon on insulator (SOI) technology is fabrication of silicon semiconductor devices in a layered silicon–insulator–silicon substrate, to reduce parasitic capacitance within the device, thereby improving perfo ...
technology. 750FX has 39 million transistors, a die size of 35 mm
2 and consumes less than 4 W at 800 MHz at typical loads. It was the last G3 type processor used by Apple (employed on the iBook G3).
A low powered version of 750FX is available called 750FL.
750FX powers NASA's
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.
Orion is using Honeywell International Inc. flight computer originally built for Boeing's 787 jet airliner.
PowerPC 750GX
750GX (codenamed Gobi), revealed in 2004, was a 7xx processor from IBM. It has an on-die 1 MB L2 cache, a top frequency of 1.1 GHz, and support for bus speeds up to 200 MHz among other enhancements compared to 750FX. It is manufactured using a 0.13 μm process with copper interconnects,
low-K dielectric, and
silicon on insulator
In semiconductor manufacturing, silicon on insulator (SOI) technology is fabrication of silicon semiconductor devices in a layered silicon–insulator–silicon substrate, to reduce parasitic capacitance within the device, thereby improving perfo ...
technology. The 750GX has 44 million transistors, a die size of 52 mm
2 and consumes less than 9 W at 1 GHz at typical loads.
A low-power version of the 750GX is available, called the 750GL.
PowerPC 750VX
750VX (codenamed "Mojave") is a rumored, not confirmed and canceled version of the 7xx line. It would be the most powerful and featured version to date with up to 4MB of off die L3 cache, a 400Mhz DDR front side bus and the same implementation of
AltiVec used in the
PowerPC 970
The PowerPC 970, PowerPC 970FX, and PowerPC 970MP are 64-bit PowerPC processors from IBM introduced in 2002. When used in PowerPC-based Macintosh computers, Apple referred to them as the PowerPC G5.
The 970 family was created through a collab ...
. It was expected to clock as high as 1.8 GHz (starting at 1.5 GHz) and reported to have additional pipeline stages, and advanced power management features. It was reported to be finished and ready for production in December 2003, but said timing was too late for it to get significant orders seeing Apple's iBook line had switched to G4s in October the same year, and thus it quickly fell off the roadmap. It was never released or heard from since.
There were follow up chips planned, such the 750VXe, which would have surpassed 2 GHz.
PowerPC 750CL
The 750CL is an evolved 750CXe, with speeds ranging from 400 MHz to 1 GHz with a system bus up to 240 MHz, L2 cache prefetch features and graphics related instructions have been added to improve performance. As the added graphics-related functions match closely the ones found in the Gekko processor it is very likely that the 750CL is a shrink of the same processor for general purpose use. The 750CL is manufactured using a 90 nm copper based fabrication with
Low-K dielectric and
Silicon on insulator
In semiconductor manufacturing, silicon on insulator (SOI) technology is fabrication of silicon semiconductor devices in a layered silicon–insulator–silicon substrate, to reduce parasitic capacitance within the device, thereby improving perfo ...
technology and features 20 million transistors on a 16 mm
2 die. It draws up to 2.7 W at 600 MHz, 9.8 W at 1 GHz.
Broadway
The CPU in
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
is virtually identical to the 750CL but it runs at 729 MHz, a frequency not supported by stock 750CL. It measures only 4.2 x 4.5 mm (18.9 mm
2). This is smaller than half the size of the "Gekko" microprocessor (43 mm
2) incorporated in the GameCube at its first release.
IBM Broadway RISC Microprocessor User’s Manual, v0.6
Espresso
The CPU in Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
is believed to be an evolution of the Broadway architecture. The largely unconfirmed characteristics are a triple core CPU which runs at 1.24 GHz and a 45 nm process.
Future
IBM has ceased to publish a roadmap to the 750 family, in favor of marketing themselves as a custom processor vendor. Given IBM's resources, the 750 core will be produced with new features as long as there is a willing buyer. In particular, IBM has no public plans to produce an ordinary 750-based microprocessor in a process smaller than 90 nm
The 90 nm process refers to the level of MOSFET (CMOS) fabrication process technology that was commercialized by the 2003–2005 timeframe, by leading semiconductor companies like Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, IBM, Intel, Fujitsu, TSMC, Elpid ...
, effectively phasing it out as a commodity chip competitive in such markets as networking equipment. However IBM did make the Espresso processor for Nintendo, which is a 750 based design with improvements such as multiprocessor support (the part is a triple core), new 45 nm fabrication process and eDRAM instead of regular L2 cache; it's unknown if further changes were made to the design.
In 2015 Rochester Electronics started providing legacy support for the devices.
Freescale
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. was an American semiconductor manufacturer. It was created by the divestiture of the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola in 2004. Freescale focused their integrated circuit products on the automotive, embed ...
has discontinued all 750 designs in favor of designs based on the PowerPC e500
The PowerPC e500 is a 32-bit microprocessor core from Freescale Semiconductor. The core is compatible with the older PowerPC Book E specification as well as the Power ISA v.2.03. It has a dual issue, seven-stage pipeline with FPUs (from version ...
core ( PowerQUICC III).
Device list
''This list is a complete list of known 750 based designs. The pictures are illustrations and not to scale.''
See also
* iMac G3
The iMac G3, originally released as the iMac, is a series of Macintosh personal computers sold by Apple Computer from 1998 to 2003. The iMac was the first major new product release for Apple under Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO and cofound ...
, the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Computer, Inc.
* iBook G3
iBook is a line of laptop computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted entry-level, consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-e ...
, the first two models of the iBook line of personal computers made by Apple, later replaced by the white Macbook (non-pro), it was the last mass-produced personal computer to use the G3 (discontinued October 2003).
* PowerBook G3
The PowerBook G3 is a series of laptop Macintosh personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1997 to 2001. It was the first laptop to use the PowerPC G3 (PPC740/750) series of microprocessors, and was marketed as t ...
, a line of laptop Macintosh computers made by Apple Computer between 1997 and 2000.
* Power Macintosh G3
The Power Macintosh G3 (also sold with additional software as the Macintosh Server G3) is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from November 1997 to August 1999. It represented Apple's first step tow ...
, commonly called "beige G3s" or "platinum G3s" for the color of their cases, was a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from November 1997 to January 1999
* Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)
The Power Macintosh G3 (also sold with additional software as the Macintosh Server G3) is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from November 1997 to August 1999. It represented Apple's first step towa ...
, series (commonly known as the "Blue and White G3", or sometimes just the "B&W G3" (to distinguish it from the original Power Macintosh G3) was a series of personal computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer Inc. as part of their Power Macintosh line
* Nintendo GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
, a sixth-generation game console sold by Nintendo.
* Nintendo Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
, a seventh-generation game console sold by Nintendo.
* Nintendo Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
, an eighth-generation game console sold by Nintendo.
* List of Macintosh models grouped by CPU type This list of Mac models grouped by CPU type contains all central processing units (CPUs) used by Apple Inc. for their Mac (computer), Mac computers. It is grouped by processor family, processor model, and then chronologically by Mac models.
Motoro ...
Notes
References
* Gwennap, Linley (17 February 1997). "Arthur Revitalizes PowerPC Line". ''Microprocessor Report
''Microprocessor Report'' is a newsletter covering the microprocessor industry. The publication is accessible only to paying subscribers. To avoid bias, it does not take advertisements.
The publication provides extensive analysis of new high-perfo ...
''. pp. 10–13.
{{Motorola processors
7xx
7xx
IBM microprocessors
Motorola microprocessors
Freescale microprocessors
Superscalar microprocessors
32-bit microprocessors