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Core i7-Based 27" iMac Benchmarks Show Significant Improvements
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Good thing gaming isn't the only thing we CAN do with our computers.
Ha ha, the iMac will kick your hackincrap's ass when it comes to driver support and software updates without finger crossing.I like a when my real Mac doesn't get bricked after a software update.
There certainly are major disadvantages to running OSX on a PC in terms of compatibility and support, however in your arrogance you completely missed my point.
I can buy or build a PC that will trounce an iMac costing twice as much in terms of performance. I am a very happy macbook owner, but when it came to replacing my desktop, my mere interest in playing new games automatically ruled Apple.
It is insane to think you can spend $2000+ on a desktop computer that cannot run new games- ARMA 2 for example. A mobile 4850 card is inescapably CRAP.
I desperately want an 27 inch iMac, and hopefully one day soon Apple will incorporate desktop graphics, so that can happen. For the time being however, I will be sticking with my PC, along with millions of others who want to make the switch, but can't, because they'd also like to be able to play a game that comes out in within the next year.
The rest of your post was hopeless trash that I can't be bothered to address as I've done it so many times, but this bit takes the piss. How many posters on this board do you think you have just described? To how many of them could you just as easily say "Enjoy your Snow Leopard but leave the proselytizing to Apple's marketing department?"
Double standards are so common on this board that they almost deserve a forum of their own.
what "switch"? for games, sure, i build a PC box and run windows.
for getting work done, or surfing the web, which is 99% of the time I am using a computer, the mac is the first place I go.
choose the right tool for the job. Mac OS on a standardized hardware platform is a much better tool than Windows or Linux, generally speaking.
You've been boobing about Apple since the day you joined MacRumors. Perhaps you need a forum of your own?
You've been boobing about Apple since the day you joined MacRumors. Perhaps you need a forum of your own?
Just the sort of dim witted reply to be expected. You think that because I criticise Apple I am automatically in love with Windows. Oh and the site is called MacRumors, not MacBlindlyinLovewithAppleMustHateEverythingMSdoes
my MacPro is almost 2 years old and still runs on par with the i7, and it will continue to run for 2-3 more years.
and I paid just a couple a hundred more for it (had the monitor already)
MacPro Makes more sense to me.
let's see what happens to these scores after about a year of heavy use. That thing runs way too hot, tried it out in the store and the stationary units were hot to the touch.
and I paid just a couple a hundred more for it (had the monitor already)
MacPro Makes more sense to me.
let's see what happens to these scores after about a year of heavy use. That thing runs way too hot, tried it out in the store and the stationary units were hot to the touch.
27 is too big...
It looked great when I played with it at Future Shop, but its too big for my purposes. When the i7/ix comes to the 21.5 inch, then I'll be interested. Probably not in 2010 though?
It looked great when I played with it at Future Shop, but its too big for my purposes. When the i7/ix comes to the 21.5 inch, then I'll be interested. Probably not in 2010 though?
Hilarious. We have a bunch of Beta testers at work and honestly apart from some 'eye candy' wows none of them were very impressed. After all Windows 7 is just XP with a different interface and XP is just a GUI for DOS.
If you're not a system builder then it's basically impossible to "trounce" an iMac at half the price. A comparable Dell system is roughly the same price and costs slightly more once you include $400 for Vista Junior Ultimate (aka Windows 7 Ultimate).
If you are a system builder then congratulations; you are in the minority of the population who builds systems to save money. Just like a carpenter can build his own furniture and not pay retail. And a mechanic can fix his own car rather than pay somebody else to change the oil
But that's hardly something to crow about. Of course it's cheaper if you're willing to invest several hours for research, and purchasing, and building, and then installing the OS, and then installing the drivers... and at the end you still don't have a Mac.
I'll just buy the Mac. You can go run your benchmarks and crow about how much money you saved. But you're still not running a Mac.
I just have to say that the above is one of the most useful, knowledgeable and well written posts I've ever read here. Thank you.
to bad most of it is false. Read my reply..
Boy did you get ripped off on the bucket. Should have bought it from the dollar store
Screw that - Polyethylene shopping bags, right out of the recycle bin, are free. You'd have to be a blind idiot fanboi to fork over such a high premium for an overpriced,
underpowered bucket, which is only capable of carrying 3/4s of what a single shopping bag can, not to mention, the Dollar Store obscenely rapes you by pilfering a .68 profit
for each dollar spent. It never ceases to amaze me how many gullible suckers we've got here on this forum - losers.
I can get legal copies of 7 for free... I'm still being ripped off!
Come to think of it, you are
You're generalizing your personal experiences and preferences. That seems to be the issue.
Yes I am. He made an assumption that was incorrect, typical of the mindset here but held as fact because the majority believe it. If you're referring to the second part of my statement I think you'll find he started the bold for emphasis thing (also based on a false assumption).
Somebody has to point out the hypocrisy.
Oh, and for sure you have also nearby the same quality ensuring contracts with every single component manufacturer as Apple has. In reality there will be paybacks for every failing component, and so manufacturers will really ensure the very best parts (by quality control by measure heat, vibrations and more) for the bigger companies.
Are you further sure, that neilTc plays in the same league, or do you see now, that your computers must be more a B-Quality?
Does the iMac have the ability to use four disk drives which can be installed in a minute?
Can I watch movies on my display and on my 52-inch TV?
Mid-range Mac that can be used with one's own display? What about the mini?
Boy, that DIY all-in-one is BOOTIFUL! Send me the plans immediately. But can the box be smaller so it isn't plainly visible behind the display?
Those iMac fans/heat sinks do not attribute appreciably to its weight since they are aluminum and plastic.
If you really want to use a plunger to remove the iMac glass, I would use Goop to cement a bottle cap on it to release the pressure/vacuum when finished.
Can I watch movies on my display and on my 52-inch TV?
Mid-range Mac that can be used with one's own display? What about the mini?
Boy, that DIY all-in-one is BOOTIFUL! Send me the plans immediately. But can the box be smaller so it isn't plainly visible behind the display?
Those iMac fans/heat sinks do not attribute appreciably to its weight since they are aluminum and plastic.
If you really want to use a plunger to remove the iMac glass, I would use Goop to cement a bottle cap on it to release the pressure/vacuum when finished.
Nonsense.
You cannot build an inch thick whisper quiet PC with a 27" LED screen, Quad Core i7 Processor, 4GB Ram, 1TB HD, Web Cam, Bluetooth, wireless N Networking, built in Microphone, gigabit ethernet, firewire 800, Digital Audio Sound card, speakers, Slot loading dual layer DVD writer & 4850 Graphics card, wireless Keyboard & multi touch laser mouse for $600.
Oh & dont forget the ability to be able to use the screen as a display too.
You're not comparing like for like.
So your argument is totally flawed
The alleged 35% increase in performance is hardly believable.
Either Geekbench is not a very realistic benchmark or the i7 model contains important other improvements over the i5 model. I suspect the former. Pretty much all other tests under real-world conditions have shown that the i7 860 is not very much faster than the i5 750. Usually not more than 5-10%. Read up on Anandtech, Ars Technica, Tomshardware etc. Not even synthetic or highly specialised benchmarks like Cinebench have shown such a big performance gap, especially not mixed benchmark suites.
HyperThreading (as present in the i7) is overrated in the Core CPU architecture and brings about between -2 to 10% performance increase, highly depending on the application. Usually it is about 5% in multithreaded applications, and 0% in single core application. The benefits of HT were much bigger in the old Pentium 4. In most games it is even causing performance LOSSES.
There are no differences between i5 750 and i7 860 other than the slightly higher CPU clock and HT.
Either Geekbench is not a very realistic benchmark or the i7 model contains important other improvements over the i5 model. I suspect the former. Pretty much all other tests under real-world conditions have shown that the i7 860 is not very much faster than the i5 750. Usually not more than 5-10%. Read up on Anandtech, Ars Technica, Tomshardware etc. Not even synthetic or highly specialised benchmarks like Cinebench have shown such a big performance gap, especially not mixed benchmark suites.
HyperThreading (as present in the i7) is overrated in the Core CPU architecture and brings about between -2 to 10% performance increase, highly depending on the application. Usually it is about 5% in multithreaded applications, and 0% in single core application. The benefits of HT were much bigger in the old Pentium 4. In most games it is even causing performance LOSSES.
There are no differences between i5 750 and i7 860 other than the slightly higher CPU clock and HT.
Since it seems that the i7 quad core iMac is filling a hole between the previous iMacs and MacPros (in terms of capability and price) then I think it may cannibalize some MacPro sales. I can imagine that some quad core MacPros are being sold to people who found that the previous iMacs were not capable enough.
If Apple feels too many MacPro sales are being picked up by the new 27" iMacs, then - here is my question - what will Apple do to the MacPros to make them more attractive. New features not found in an iMac? Lower pricing? Presumably Apple has already thought about this, and has its answer already. I doubt they are going to drop the pricing.... would have done that already. They just did a hardware upgrade on the MacPros, so probably not a hardware update. How about a software feature that is exclusive to MacPros - a feature that is so compelling for a certain type of user that they will ignore speed capabilities of the i7 iMac because they need this particular feature?
Sometimes we get so focussed on one particular piece of hardware, that we forget that Apple considers everything in context to everything else.
Just ruminating.
If Apple feels too many MacPro sales are being picked up by the new 27" iMacs, then - here is my question - what will Apple do to the MacPros to make them more attractive. New features not found in an iMac? Lower pricing? Presumably Apple has already thought about this, and has its answer already. I doubt they are going to drop the pricing.... would have done that already. They just did a hardware upgrade on the MacPros, so probably not a hardware update. How about a software feature that is exclusive to MacPros - a feature that is so compelling for a certain type of user that they will ignore speed capabilities of the i7 iMac because they need this particular feature?
Sometimes we get so focussed on one particular piece of hardware, that we forget that Apple considers everything in context to everything else.
Just ruminating.
Theres no difference between ATi's mobility and desktop. There is however a difference between Nvidia's Desktop and the Go/M variant.