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Definition: PowerPC


A family of RISC-based CPU chips developed by IBM, Apple and Motorola. PowerPC chips have been used in a wide range of applications from embedded systems to supercomputers. They were used in Apple's Power Macs up to the G5, before Apple switched to Intel processors. Various models of IBM's System i and System p computers used PowerPC chips, and Freescale Semiconductor (formerly the Motorola chip division) features the Power Architecture for embedded systems in a variety of industries.

Although mostly compatible before, starting in 2006 with Power ISA 2.03, PowerPC chips were united in a common instruction set architecture (ISA) with IBM's POWER chips. See Power Mac, G5, POWER CPU, Power Systems, Apple-IBM Alliance and CHRP.

                Word
 PowerPC        Size  Tran-
 Model   Year  (bits) sistors  Notes

 Qor
 series  2008     64           Comms

 eSeries 2006  32-64           Automotive

 970     2003     64    52M    Mac G5

 7400    1999     32  10.5M    Mac G4

 750     1997     32   6.4M    Mac G3
 740     1997     32   6.4M    Mac G3

 604e    1996     32   5.1M
 603e**  1996     32   2.6M

 603     1995     32   1.6M
 604     1995     32   3.6M
 602**   1995     32     1M

 601     1993     32   2.8M

  ** low power for laptops