Macrumors is saying that the current 2.66 ghz Intel Core i7 chip could be replaced pretty quickly by a more powerful, “turbo boost” i7.
According to a road map from Intel, the chip maker plans on manufacturing a Core i7 that will run at a base 2.8 ghz, with the boost rocketing it up to 3.46 ghz when needed.
Much like the 330m video card in Apple’s newest Macbook Pro, the throttling will help to maintain that ever so precious battery life that is the bane of all notebook users. The chip also runs on the same power as the current processor, so we shouldn’t see any significant changes to battery life when the upgrade goes live later this summer.
Don’t expect to see the entire line refreshed this fall, but Apple might slide the option for the new chip in with the custom built Macbooks as the company did with the Mac Pro in December of last year.
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