Apple Releases New iMacs with Upgraded ATI Radeon HD Graphics Cards

[kyleh613]

I know and accept that heat is an issue, I never said top of the line though. I just want a respectable graphics card. Especially when paired with that huge resolution.

The graphic chips in there are part of ATI's current generation of chips. They have less ram then their desktop counterparts but they are still plenty fast. Coupled with the nice CPUs and ram, I really don't think these chips will have issues playing most games on Windows bootcamp, and as we already know, OpenGL support currently is pretty spotty on a lot of newer games for the mac. Once that is fixed, I see these being very capable gaming machines for casual gamers which Apple knows makes up most of its currently small gaming owners.

My suggestion is to just buy a console if you want to game. Gaming on the 360 or ps3 is so much better then on a computer, unless you want Starcraft II which you should buy.

 

[Shanpdx]

CPU Pricing from intel at 1K quantities

i7-870 (8M L3 cache, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 2.93 GHz 45nm) $294
i7-860 (8M L3 cache, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 2.80 GHz 45nm) $284 - old iMac BTO
-
i5-760 (8M L3 cache, 4 Cores,4 Threads, 2.80 GHz 45nm) $205
i5-750 (8M L3 cache, 4 Cores,4 Threads, 2.66 GHz 45nm) $196 - old iMac Std
-
i5-680 (4M L3 cache, 2 Cores,4 Threads, 3.60 GHz 32nm) $294
-
i3-550 (4M L3 cache, 2 Cores,4 Threads, 3.20 GHz 32nm) $138
i3-540 (4M L3 cache, 2 Cores,4 Threads, 3.06 GHz 32nm) $117

 

[iSee]

How does this compare to the 2.8ghz intel core i7 imac I bought on the last refresh?

Sadly, your iMac is now a tired-out piece of old garbage.
I'd junk it... I know that's what I'm doing with mine


But seriously, the SSD option is probably the bigest speed boost, though it comes at a steep price. At the high-end the difference between a 2.8 i7 and 2.93 i7 is probably not that noticeable. It's a nice boost, but you wouldn't get too excited about it either way.

I can't comment on the updated GPU. That's the kind of thing where certain people are a lot about it and others barely at all.

 

[Corbin052198]

The new imac update is really great. Whiners gonna whine about everything. 90% of the people on this forum have never owned a mac anyways and just come here to cry because they have nothing better to do with their time. It's really pathetic. The imac in relation to other all-in-one desktop computers is a great deal.

I'm typing this on a iMac G5 iSight.

 

[gorgeousninja]

These iMacs look good for the average consumer - for example, they'll know what 3ghz is, not what an i3 is, but I suspect they're not going to be much faster than a midrange Core 2 Duo from last year's model.

And no, the graphic cards are still typical Apple anemic. They're not bad, but they're not great either. I think the 56xx series came out 6 months ago.

No USB 3.0 or Blu-ray either. This update just reeks of Apple taking the leftover or bargain bin components and putting them into a shiny enclosure and calling it a day, especially the CPU's.

EDIT: The 4670, which comes in the base model, is no good. The card's about 18 months old, but probably more than good enough if all you try to do is play crappy console ports through cider. The 5670 is better and more usable, but it's still a low end graphics card that goes for < $100 right now. The 5750 is a reasonable card for a new higher end computer, but this card belongs in a $1200 machine, not a $2000 machine.

This is Apple making older macs less usable by hindering something about them, to convince people to buy new models instead of a used mac. In a year, no one will mind a 3ghz machine, but no one will want a 4670 graphics card.

Yay! Apple have released new models and you get a chance to tell everyone how incredibly awful they are... You must be happy?

It does seem that for a very vocal minority no matter what Apple does or doesn't do is simply not good enough anymore. 'I wanted this!' and 'I need this!' and 'This isn't good enough!'.

Have we really turned out to be such an endlessly whining bunch who are so spoiled, and have such a bloated self-importance that we will never be satisfied? .. it seems so...

I know that it's just a computer in a monitor (duh Apple! ugly beige boxes are so much better), but the 27" i7 seems just the thing for me .... wallet please....

 

[Mr. Strategery]

Is it just me, or does the Quad i7 2.93GHz iMac seem like it carries a much better price/performance ratio than the new lineup of Mac Pros?

 

[pondosinatra]

No matte display = I will not be upgrading!

 

[iSee]

Does anyone know how they are doing the second hard drive on the 27" iMac?

I would think they are removing the optical drive to get the SSD in there but it doesn't say anywhere on the site that I could find.

I'm pretty sure they just made room for a 2.5" SSD somewhere in there. Hopefully there's just a standard esata port there where anyone who wants to open up their iMac could stick one in.

 

[grum]

Seems like a nice solid update - think I will be getting a 27" i7 in the next few weeks. Especially if it is easy enough to put in your own SSD.

All the people whinging about games performance - if you want a top of the line games machine then iMacs are not for you. Please go elsewhere.

 

[cmaier]

I'm pretty sure they just made room for a 2.5" SSD somewhere in there. Hopefully there's just a standard esata port there where anyone who wants to open up their iMac could stick one in.

Presumably so. Hopefully easy to access.

 

[nickarmadillo]

i compared a Dell to the more expensive 21.5" and it was $1388 for the Dell compared to $1579 for the iMac with education discount.

iMac has the low voltage i5-660 CPU's which are more expensive and some parts are more expensive than what you get from Dell or build yourself. i have a 22" Acer monitor at work but it's not LED backlit and no where near as good as the iMac screens even though it cost $180

That's the problem. You are looking at overpriced Dells. You can build an equivalent PC (yes ... I get it. You lose OSX and it doesn't look as nice) for about $800 with monitor

At one point, around the time of the Intel transition, Apples were competitively priced (given their build quality and extras), but now it has just gotten stupid. These machines are worth nowhere near this price.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Damn!! Regent Street don't have the Magic TrackPads in yet. First tech product in years that I actually really want, and I have to bloody wait!!


It's OK really. Not that desperate

Life's a bitch ain't it?

 

[rowanmmcdonald]

Oh and one thing I don't think anybody has picked up on.

Pretty sure the new 27" display had something about 49 watt speakers and a subwoofer.

Any thoughts on why Apple would still leave in the 17 watt speakers in the latest iMac update?

 

[Joko]

The amount of spoiled brats complaining as usual is amazing, but also expected. If you don't like what Apple does, just don't buy it..it's quite simple.

 

[CrownJewell]

Back to School Sale

I've been waiting a few months for the imac to update. I've been planning on buying my girlfriend one and im ready to make the move now. the problem is i want to utilize the back to school sale for the free ipod touch. i graduated 2 years ago and no longer have a valid letter of enrollment or valid .edu address. is it possible to still get the benefits of the sale by using her current enrollment letter or .edu email address and still be able to finance it in my name on my own card through best buy for example? any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nickarmadillo]

This post never fails to pop up during every Apple refresh, and every time it's still just as ridiculous.

First of all, prices/per hardware piece that you list are exaggerated. Second of all, consumers do not build PCs - they buy them. Third, you assign absolutely no value to the quality of the physical machine, Mac OSX, Mac OSX bundled software, or any and every other feature, such as the iSight cam, bluetooth, airport wireless, etc, etc. Not even to mention the support/customer service and general Apple product ecosystem that comes as part of your purchase.

You even say, "Yes I will be flamed," because you know it yourself. You can't compare the cost of a Mac to a home built piece of junk that has some of the same off the shelf equipment.

What I'm saying is that IF you are willing to build your own computer, you can get an approximately equivalent (you lose OSX, aluminum enclosure, etc) machine for much, much less. You do, however, gain in other areas, such as overclocking, customization, etc.

 

[Uvitra]

Which is better?

Which is a better option?

3.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 4MB level 3 cache; supports Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost

OR

2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor with 8MB level 3 cache; supports Turbo Boost

 

[maz-o]

Was the previous iMac 27" and 21.5" also 16:9? Weren't they 16:10 or am I totally wrong?
Never had an iMac but probably getting one now

 

[nickarmadillo]

I'm guessing your 25" monitor is either 1920x1080 or 1920x1200. If you got a comparable monitor to the iMac's, which has a resolution of 2560x1440, your total would be over $2000.

I'd much rather have a lower res monitor but actually have the vid card to drive it than a high res monitor that you can't do much with and have to run everything at non-native crappy res

 

[ahostmadsen]

That's the problem. You are looking at overpriced Dells. You can build an equivalent PC (yes ... I get it. You lose OSX and it doesn't look as nice) for about $800 with monitor

At one point, around the time of the Intel transition, Apples were competitively priced (given their build quality and extras), but now it has just gotten stupid. These machines are worth nowhere near this price.

I compared the 27" iMac with a Dell, as similarly equipped as possible (quad core i5, slighly slower, 24" screen), and it came out at more than $2000 even in the education store. Maybe the iMacs are competitively priced. Until now I have used a Dell desktop and a Mac laptop, but maybe the Macs are reasonably priced, so I will consider the iMac.

 

[emptyCup]

is it possible to still get the benefits of the sale by using her current enrollment letter or .edu email address and still be able to finance it in my name on my own card through best buy for example?

Yes, the computer is for her. Apple does not care who pays for it. Can you get the back-to-school deal through Best Buy? I don't know.

 

[CrownJewell]

back to school sale

I've been waiting a few months for the imac to update. I've been planning on buying my girlfriend one and im ready to make the move now.

the problem is i want to utilize the back to school sale for the free ipod touch. i graduated 2 years ago and no longer have a valid letter of enrollment or valid .edu address.

is it possible to still get the benefits of the sale by using her current enrollment letter or .edu email address and still be able to finance it in my name on my own card through best buy for example? any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dchanso]

No. It takes a surprising amount of power to max out SC2 especially for 3s and 4s online. However, the game looks amazing even on medium settings, and you can probably run medium/high for the campaign with no lag. And honestly, if you're looking at the pretty graphics in an online match, you've already lost hehe

I've been playing SC2 on Ultra at 1920x1080 on my last generation i5 4850 without any lag or framerate problems whatsoever. I cannot possibly imagine the 5750 will be WORSE than this. Granted, it may not be BETTER, but it certainly will be able to run SC2 at ultra at those settings.

Granted, this isn't max res for the screen, but it's pretty damn good. And man does the game look ABSOLUTELY AMAZING at those settings

 

[leman]

I am a bit puzzled by the prices in the German Apple store... it seems that they just put € instead of $ with base quad-core iMac costing 1,999€?! There are also some irregularities, like strange page redirection and multiple versions of the same page... do you think that the site is just being rebuilt right now or did they really upped the price by 200+ €?

 

[cmvsm]

Glad I bought the i7 at the first of the year. Not enough smut to upgrade this time around.

Besides, who plays games on their PC???