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Other than Haswell, any other expected updates to next iMac?

K

kbutler84

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 26, 2011
128
3
Getting close to pulling the trigger on an iMac, but may hold off another month or so. Not really waiting because of Haswell, but hoping that an update may bring prices down on BTO SSDs. Just wondering what anyone else thinks they may update to go along with the Haswell processors.
 
Last edited:
worth waiting purely for 802.11C.

Haswell is really not going to make a difference in the imac as it runs off a discrete graphics card. My advice, wait!
 
Probably an upgrade of the Discrete Graphics on the GPU front, ie replace the 650 and 680 with 700 series equivalent

It will be interesting to see if keep on nvidia or go amd with the graphics card.

As only just changed the case, then I wouldn't have thought that will be making any changes there.

An upgrade to 802.11ac wifi following the use on the MBA and the new Airport Extreme and Time Capsules.

As there are already BTO on the iMac for Flash Storage, then I take it you mean a lowering of the Price, or the ability to add a second Flash Drive.
Only way I way I see for 2 drives in a BTO is when you buy a Fusion Drive where have 1 Flash and 1 HDD connected as 1 volume in Fusion.

With the MBA, rMBP, and the nMP/iTube all only presenting a single space for disk then I suspect that likely to remain as as single volume offering so just the 1 Flash Disk option. Only the mini server has an option for buying with two volumes now. You want more then one volume/disk then you go external.
 
Nalmond92 said:
worth waiting purely for 802.11C.

Haswell is really not going to make a difference in the imac as it runs off a discrete graphics card. My advice, wait!
Click to expand...

I run my iMac wired, plus I just bought a new Time Capsule that won't support the new spec. It is a nice option for those that do run wireless though.

Other than lower priced SSD options, I can't think of anything else I would be waiting on.
 
(1) Haswell Chipset
(2) 700x Series NVIDIA Graphics
(3) 802.11 AC
(4) Facetime HD 1080p Camera
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
(7) Thunderbolt 2, only will happen if it is released very late this year

Same prices, same screen resolutions. Don't expect anything more than this.
 
zedsdead said:
(1) Haswell Chipset
(2) 700x Series NVIDIA Graphics
(3) 802.11 AC
(4) Facetime HD 1080p Camera
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
(7) Thunderbolt 2, only will happen if it is released very late this year

Same prices, same screen resolutions. Don't expect anything more than this.
Click to expand...

This should be a sticky for a "What is expected for the new iMac thread".
 
zedsdead said:
(1) Haswell Chipset
(2) 700x Series NVIDIA Graphics
(3) 802.11 AC
(4) Facetime HD 1080p Camera
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
(7) Thunderbolt 2, only will happen if it is released very late this year

Same prices, same screen resolutions. Don't expect anything more than this.
Click to expand...

This is very good summation, but most of these upgrades are not particularly important IMO. An update of the GFX card can't give more than about 10-15% improvement (considering higher power requirements which demands more underclocking than the 680MX), which isn't a lot quite frankly. 802.11AC will probably become useful several years down the line, but not really now - unless you have the possibility and money for a superfast/expensive Internet subscription. I don't care about thunderbolt 2, what about giving us a proper display connection that actually works with Windows/PCs? PCI-E flash storage is very interesting though, but I'm not sure how much of a real difference you'll notice - considering IOPS is more important than purely high MB/s output. All in all, if you can stand to wait a few months, then why not of course. However, the real big updates will come during the second half of next year anyway (esp. considering descrete graphics performance).
 
zedsdead said:
(1) Haswell Chipset
(2) 700x Series NVIDIA Graphics
(3) 802.11 AC
(4) Facetime HD 1080p Camera
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
(7) Thunderbolt 2, only will happen if it is released very late this year

Same prices, same screen resolutions. Don't expect anything more than this.
Click to expand...

This is what I am hoping/waiting for, as I plan on updating my 2009 27" iMac when the next update is released (this fall) :D
 
zedsdead said:
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
Click to expand...

This is pretty much an either/or. They won't increate the component cost for the SSD & connector AND make it standard, for the same price as the model they sell now (which is important). I'd bet they go with the faster connector rather than making fusion standard.
 
forty2j said:
This is pretty much an either/or. They won't increate the component cost for the SSD & connector AND make it standard, for the same price as the model they sell now (which is important). I'd bet they go with the faster connector rather than making fusion standard.
Click to expand...
I'd say PCIe based SSDs is pretty much a given. Fusion drive as a standard is possible, but not as likely as most people would like to believe.

zedsdead said:
(1) Haswell Chipset
(2) 700x Series NVIDIA Graphics
(3) 802.11 AC
(4) Facetime HD 1080p Camera
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
(7) Thunderbolt 2, only will happen if it is released very late this year

Same prices, same screen resolutions. Don't expect anything more than this.
Click to expand...
Thunderbolt 2 will not happen until the middle of next year for any Mac except the Mac Pro. Intel will likely not have enough Thunderbolt 2 parts available until early next year for that.

There should be improved graphics. The question is what brand will it be.
 
i think the improve GPU will be better for 21.5" than late 2012 21.5" if they go with 760M or 770M with 1Gb vRam
 
kbutler84 said:
Getting close to pulling the trigger on an iMac, but may hold off another month or so. Not really waiting because of Haswell, but hoping that an update may bring prices down on BTO SSDs. Just wondering what anyone else thinks they may update to go along with the Haswell processors.
Click to expand...

Do you need a new machine, or just want one?

No flaming, just hoping to bring some temperance. Unless you're using your computer for work and you'll be losing money by not upgrading, you may as well wait a month or so until the refresh (if the latest rumor is to be believed; Kuo has a pretty good track record actually):

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/2...-to-coming-later-no-retina-ipad-mini-in-2014/
 
toddzrx said:
Do you need a new machine, or just want one?

No flaming, just hoping to bring some temperance. Unless you're using your computer for work and you'll be losing money by not upgrading, you may as well wait a month or so until the refresh (if the latest rumor is to be believed; Kuo has a pretty good track record actually):

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/2...-to-coming-later-no-retina-ipad-mini-in-2014/
Click to expand...


Kuo also said refresh will be ready by June or July too.... He got 7days left for his first prediction on June10. 2013.

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/10/imac-update-to-haswell-expected-in-june-or-july-as-shipments-sink/
 
Bear said:
I'd say PCIe based SSDs is pretty much a given. Fusion drive as a standard is possible, but not as likely as most people would like to believe.

Thunderbolt 2 will not happen until the middle of next year for any Mac except the Mac Pro. Intel will likely not have enough Thunderbolt 2 parts available until early next year for that.

There should be improved graphics. The question is what brand will it be.
Click to expand...


Agree for the most part. PCIe parts on a scale large enough for Apple don't seem realistic.
1 to 2TB flash on PCIe might end heavy spinning drives inside iMacs for good. Next year.
 
thedeske said:
Agree for the most part. PCIe parts on a scale large enough for Apple don't seem realistic.
1 to 2TB flash on PCIe might end heavy spinning drives inside iMacs for good. Next year.
Click to expand...

I like the sound of that, but if Apple were planning on dumping spinning drives, why would they have even bothered with developing the Fusion Drive? That seems like an awful lot of development work for something that's only going to be featured on one generation of products.
 
zedsdead said:
(1) Haswell Chipset
(2) 700x Series NVIDIA Graphics
(3) 802.11 AC
(4) Facetime HD 1080p Camera
(5) PCI-E Flash Storage Options
(6) Fusion Drive Standard is possible
(7) Thunderbolt 2, only will happen if it is released very late this year

Same prices, same screen resolutions. Don't expect anything more than this.
Click to expand...

If all those things happened, I'd probably upgrade my 2012 model. I just don't see it happening this year. I'd love to be wrong, though. :)
 
Silvereel said:
I like the sound of that, but if Apple were planning on dumping spinning drives, why would they have even bothered with developing the Fusion Drive? That seems like an awful lot of development work for something that's only going to be featured on one generation of products.
Click to expand...

Personally, I do not think FD will be obsoleted in one product generation.

What I do expect, is a continual increase in SSD capacity at ~ constant premium price points. Eventually... we will reach a point where SSD capacity is plenty for most users (still at the premium price points)... at which point, a larger number of systems will be shipped SSD only.

I personally have the 768GB SSD... and I bought it knowing that it would have insufficient capacity without external storage (Pegasus Thunderbolt DAS array). Someday... I will not need an external array anymore.

/Jim
 
thedeske said:
Agree for the most part. PCIe parts on a scale large enough for Apple don't seem realistic.
1 to 2TB flash on PCIe might end heavy spinning drives inside iMacs for good. Next year.
Click to expand...
Why is it not realistic? They did it with the MacBook Airs. I agree that the default option will be either a spinning disk or a fusion drive. SSDs are not yet inexpensive enough for them to become standard on the iMac.
 
Bear said:
Why is it not realistic? They did it with the MacBook Airs. I agree that the default option will be either a spinning disk or a fusion drive. SSDs are not yet inexpensive enough for them to become standard on the iMac.
Click to expand...

I generally agree... but I would clarify as follows: SSDs are not yet inexpensive enough for them to become standard at the capacity iMac users would expect.
 
Mac32 said:
the real big updates will come during the second half of next year anyway (esp. considering descrete graphics performance).
Click to expand...



What makes you say that? Have I missed something, what BIG updates are we expecting next year?
 
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