Apple Releases New iMacs

[Wild-Bill]

Anyone know how the 8800 GS card performs over the radeon? Is it worth the 150 bux for the upgrade?

My irs money is coming sometime this week and it is already burning a whole in my pocket

Probably not worth 150 bucks. I'll bet you anything that it's a downclocked 8800GS, like its ATI 2600 and 2400 predecessors.

 

[g-7]

Good to see they also realised that 1 EUR is not equal to 1 USD

 

[seanster]

I don't know the old prices anymore. Did Apple take into account that the dollar is pretty much worthless these days, are the europeans still paying a hefty premium for living on this side of the atlantic?
It's difficult to compare directly, since the US-prices do not include taxes. Anyone here with some financial acumen?

I had previously 'recorded' a maxed out version of the 24 inch so I would be able to compare....
Previous generation build 2.8 Ghz Extreme plus
4GB Ram
1TB HD
was Euro 2789.99

New version is now priced at Euro 2,278.99....... And this is for the 3.06Mhz Penryn plus upgraded graphics card

 

[iFizz]

This is why Intel is doing away with the front side bus (and AMD did long ago).

Can you explain how a computer can work without a FSB? I'm serious, not kidding.

 

[mtrctyjoe]

What kind of update is this?

No 3G and nothing about GPS..... ??? What gives??

 

[Jabba1974]

They took the euro:dollar ratio only partly into account:

24" 3,06 = 1919€ (germany)

1 euro = 1,56 $

So germans pay 2993,64 $.

Without 19% tax it's 2424,84 $

 

[runithome]

Anyone know when these will hit other stores like Amazon or Best Buy? Is there way to find out the model numbers for these new ones (e.g. MA87xx)? It makes finding the newest models easy at online store.

thanks.

 

[Pressure]

Now that the iMac has reached 3 Ghz, isn't this really the defining moment for Intel where Jobs forsaked IBM and the G5 because they did not reach 3ghz when promised, back a couple of years?

It might be.

Looks like IBM and Intel were both limited by technology and materials at the same time.

Rocketman

Why? Intel have been at 3.0Ghz for several years.

This is the first time a mobile chip runs at over 3.0Ghz though

Oh yeah and I can only wonder why they would take the End of Life Geforce 8800 GS chip, which has been replaced by the much better and power effective Geforce 9600GT. I guess NVIDIA had a bunch of these chips laying around and sold them for chips

 

[ditzy]

I guess this a continuation question to my last. Would you now buy extra ram from apple or wait until you can get third party?

 

[TheGodfather]

Can you explain how a computer can work without a FSB? I'm serious, not kidding.

The Intel QuickPath Interconnect or simply "QuickPath"[1][2] (the official legal name for Common System Interface or "CSI") is a point-to-point processor interconnect being developed by Intel, as a competitor to HyperTransport. QuickPath technology also includes an integrated memory controller.[3] It will replace the Front Side Bus (FSB) for Xeon and Itanium platforms. It is expected to be released in late 2008 and will first be used by Intel's Nehalem[4] and Tukwila[5] processors.

Performance numbers for QuickPath are reported to be 4.8 to 6.4 Gigatransfers per second (GT/s) per direction, and a link can be 5, 10 or 20 bits wide in each direction. Therefore the bandwidth provided by a full width link amounts to 12.0 to 16.0 GB/s per direction, or 24.0 to 32.0 GB/s per link.[6]

Initial Nehalem Implementation uses a 20-bit wide 25.6 GB/s link (as reported in the Intel Nehalem Speech on IDF). This 25.6 GB/s link provides exactly double the amount of theoretical bandwidth as Intel's FSB 1600 used in the X48 Chipset.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_QuickPath_Interconnect

 

[ditzy]

No 3G and nothing about GPS..... ??? What gives??

Sorry imac update not iphone

 

[MagicWok]

Nice little speed bump and all - but really, where is the blu-ray already Apple?

Since it's all integrated, it's not a simple user replaceable part. Oh well.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Can you explain how a computer can work without a FSB? I'm serious, not kidding.

By using what's known as a Hypertransport system first developed by AMD 5 years ago. Intel's Nehalem Processors will be able to use a similar system called Quick Connect later in the year.

"Front-Side Bus Replacement
The primary use for HyperTransport is to replace the front-side bus, which is currently different for every type of machine. For instance, a Pentium cannot be plugged into a PCI bus. In order to expand the system, the front-side bus must connect through adaptors for the various standard buses, like AGP or PCI. These are typically included in the respective controller functions, namely the northbridge and southbridge.

In theory, a similar computer implemented with HyperTransport is faster and more flexible. A single PCI↔HyperTransport adaptor chip will work with any HyperTransport enabled microprocessor and allow the use of PCI cards with these processors. For example, the NVIDIA nForce chipset uses HyperTransport to connect its north and south bridges"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperTransport

 

[Str8edgepunker]

That is one of the first things that I had noticed as well.

Now, I wish they would bump the laptop RAM to those speeds.

Yeah I'm still waiting for that too, because even though they have an 800mhz bus, it only runs at 667mhz due to the ram.

Oh well, bring on the 3.06ghz iMac! I just wish it was available in the 20" though as 24" is a bit much for me.

 

[jonnos]

looks like this shows intel and apples partnership. they are getting their things early. unless these are not mobile procs. then my info is wrong.

these new procs 2.8 and 3.06 with 1066mhz fsb are the new upcoming penryn chips for the montevina platform. montevina also are using new faster 800mhz ram.

makes me sad that my brand new macbook pro that is not even 2 months old is not as great as this iMac

 

[stagi]

nice little update.

 

[amac4me]

I guess this a continuation question to my last. Would you now buy extra ram from apple or wait until you can get third party?

I suggest 3rd party. I've always purchased my RAM from Crucial and have never had any issues.

 

[iFizz]

The Intel QuickPath Interconnect or simply "QuickPath"[1][2] (the official legal name for Common System Interface or "CSI") is a point-to-point processor interconnect being developed by Intel, as a competitor to HyperTransport. QuickPath technology also includes an integrated memory controller.[3] It will replace the Front Side Bus (FSB) for Xeon and Itanium platforms. It is expected to be released in late 2008 and will first be used by Intel's Nehalem[4] and Tukwila[5] processors.

Performance numbers for QuickPath are reported to be 4.8 to 6.4 Gigatransfers per second (GT/s) per direction, and a link can be 5, 10 or 20 bits wide in each direction. Therefore the bandwidth provided by a full width link amounts to 12.0 to 16.0 GB/s per direction, or 24.0 to 32.0 GB/s per link.[6]

Initial Nehalem Implementation uses a 20-bit wide 25.6 GB/s link (as reported in the Intel Nehalem Speech on IDF). This 25.6 GB/s link provides exactly double the amount of theoretical bandwidth as Intel's FSB 1600 used in the X48 Chipset.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_QuickPath_Interconnect

Got it. So would this eliminate the need for a North Bridge?
What about the GPU? Would it use this new technology too?

 

[KGB]

I'm really starting to get the feeling the White 20" and 24" may be the last Matte screen imac's we see, unfortunately.

Is it known if todays update will change the screen (update the panel) on the ALU 20"?

 

[Aegelward]

There is the realistic possibility that the 8800GS is a 8800GT-M thats underclocked, a little like what apple did with the 2600 XT, underclock it and give it a different name

 

[Adokimus]

This update makes me wish I ever used my computer on a desk.

Come on montevina MBP...

 

[Stingray72]

Price drops in Aus are welcome.

Not a bad update.

Yea mate, can see the price drops in Singapore as well

 

[k2spitfire88]

i thought it was coming tomorrow, not today! RAM price dropped in the store, the remote is back... all in all, a surprising, but great update. It's pretty sweet they got the mobile chip over 3 ghz too.

 

[Mr. Quiet]

Which Crucial (Micron) memory to get?

kaa-ching!!
Just about to order a 24", 2.8 Ghz machine but the Crucial website doesn't show these babies yet. It shows various PC2-6400 800Mhz DDR2 modules, which should I go with (or do I get a BTO with 4Gb)?
Also, I pretty much only run Logic Pro (but with lots of plug-ins), which graphics card option is best?
Any thoughts welcome

 

[Darkroom]

some of apple's test benchmarks: