iMac Core 2 Duo Benchmarks

[flopticalcube]

Just like the "good" old days all over again.

68000 32-bits inside, 24-bits (16MB) address outside.
8088 16-bits inside, 20-bits (1MB) address outside.

Software (excepting some parts of the OS) doesn't care. Merom is somewhat of a milestone in its 64-bit internals. Down the road there will be an OS release that will not support a 32-bit CPU like Yonah. Of course, 18 months later the next release probably won't support Merom (or Woodcrest) either.

 

[QCassidy352]

With the decent graphics and these C2D's they make the iMac a formiddable machine. Alot of PowerMac's are going to be replaced by these new iMac's i feel. Probably Apple's most impressive, solid and reliable machine at the moment

No one who needs powerful graphics could go for anything except maybe the 24". The x1600 is pretty low-end for a mid-range desktop by now, and the nvidea 7600 is not bad but certainly not a powerhouse. And why would you say that the imacs are more "impressive, solid, and reliable" than the mac pros? Better values, maybe, but more impressive, solid, and reliable?

 

[AidenShaw]

Napa64 is not "Santa Rosa"

Napa is the hardware-platform, composed of Yonah, Intel Mobile 945-chipset and Intel Pro Wireless. AKA third generation Centrino. And since the CPU used in that platform is 32bits, the platfom can be called a 32bit platfom. Note: this has nothing to do with the bitness of the logic-board. Napa64 (or rather: Santa Rosa) is Fourth generation Centrino that uses Merom and new chipset.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Forum/tm.asp?m=126194&mpage=1&key=&#126194

"Santa Rosa is currently developed by Intel as successor of the current "Napa" platform. Napa will receive a 64-bit refresh in September of this year ("Napa64") to support the launch of the Merom processor. Napa64 will be replaced by Santa Rosa in the first or second quarter of 2007.

Compared to Napa and its Calistoga chipset, Santa Rosa and the Crestline chipset will not be just an evolutionary update, but bring several new features to the user."​

There is no "Napa chipset". Like I said, Napa is a hardware-platfom...

My bad, thanks for the correction. Obviously I've been talking about the 945 (Calistoga) chip.

However, isn't Napa a "set of chips"? There's no "Napa chip", but there is a Napa chipset. Since Apple isn't using the Centrino brand, it's probably not a Napa platform per se.

 

[steve_hill4]

That's almost 100% a hardware malfunction that causes Windows to restart after a serious failure. The default setting in Windows is to restart when it encounters a serious system failure and this can be disabled in the control panel to aid in seeking out the failing hardware. But I guess this is too late to fix now, since it sounds as if you sold the machine.

Stevie doesn't sell machines, especially one's he can still use daily.

When I can be bothered, I will scrub both drives on it clean and reinstall XP and Fedora Core 5 on there. It still won't get used as much as my Mac though.

 

[vd0t]

Is one of the 512MB RAM on the iMac soldered on??

 

[levitynyc]

No one who needs powerful graphics could go for anything except maybe the 24". The x1600 is pretty low-end for a mid-range desktop by now, and the nvidea 7600 is not bad but certainly not a powerhouse. And why would you say that the imacs are more "impressive, solid, and reliable" than the mac pros? Better values, maybe, but more impressive, solid, and reliable?

AMEN

Do you realize the Dell XPS 700 is capable of running 2 Nvidea GeForce - 1GB 7950 GX2 Quad SLI card for a total of 2 GB of Video

The fact that the new 24" Imac is only capable of handling a 256MB Video card is an embarassment as far as I am concered.

 

[MacinDoc]

You mean Powerbook hinges, iBook logic boards, MacBook Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS), eMac logic boards, Powerbook memory slot, White spots and lines on Powerbook screens, chipping paint, cracked cubes, iMac G5 video and power problems,Apple repair extensions,...

I see your point!

Umm, sorry, but according to Consumer Reports' survey of 49,000 laptop users, Apple was tied for the third fewest number of laptop repairs since 2001, at 17% (compared to Sony and IBM at 16%, a negligible difference). And, according to their survey of 85,000 desktop users, all other desktop manufacturers had at least 36% more repairs than Apple, and Gateway had a whopping 91% more repairs than Apple.

Just because Apple offers extended service programs for computers beyond their warranty period does not mean that its computers are low quality, it only means that Apple is making an exceptional effort to maintain the loyalty of its customer base by doing more than the minimum required. Have you ever tried to get free service on a computer beyond its warranty period from another manufacturer?

 

[speakerwizard]

Dont know if anyone will bother reading this far in but these new imac core2duos still have the same 667mhz bus speed as before, we wont see new bus speeds till nearly a year from now i hear, that sucks, this system could probably warp ahead with a better bus speed, i wanna upgrade from my g5 dual 2.7 (1.35ghz bus speed if i remember right) but im not sure how much diffference it would really make to me, and going mac to an imac from a powermac is a bit odd for me (im a 3d animator) there are pros and cons but im still tempted, main think holding me back is an intel maya, although i could always bootcamp windows and use that version!

 

[Evangelion]

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Forum/tm.asp?m=126194&mpage=1&key=&#126194

"Santa Rosa is currently developed by Intel as successor of the current "Napa" platform. Napa will receive a 64-bit refresh in September of this year ("Napa64") to support the launch of the Merom processor. Napa64 will be replaced by Santa Rosa in the first or second quarter of 2007.​

Wanna bet that Napa64 is 100% identical to ordinary Napa, apart from the fact that the CPU is Merom, instead of Yonah? Since Napa is a platform, just chaning the CPU to something else would mean that the platform has been refreshed.​

 

[MacinDoc]

Is one of the 512MB RAM on the iMac soldered on??

It was on a previous version of the iMac, not the current one.

 

[MacinDoc]

AMEN

Do you realize the Dell XPS 700 is capable of running 2 Nvidea GeForce - 1GB 7950 GX2 Quad SLI card for a total of 2 GB of Video

The fact that the new 24" Imac is only capable of handling a 256MB Video card is an embarassment as far as I am concered.

Sorry, but that's a ridiculous comparison. The only Mac you can reasonably compare the XPS 700 to is the Mac Pro, which has a lot more computing power for that kind of money.

 

[50548]

You again with your ludicrous claims? What makes you think that Mac Pro is the fastest desktop there is? What is the secret ingredient that makes it faster than other machines, considering that it uses same components than others do? And since Mac Pro supports less RAM (16GB vs. 64GB) than Dell does (for example), how could you say that it's "the most powerful"? Compared to Dell, it will be dog-slow for tasks that require a lot of RAM.



Now, I hate Windows and I use it at work because I have no choice. An there are plenty of bad things in it. But I don't get any BSODs. I really don't. Back when I used a desktop, I sometimes left the machine running for weeks and I had no problems.

When was the last time you used Windows? Back in Windows ME-days?

Seriously: I think you should take a chill-pill an dial-back that fanboyishness of yours.

Evangelion, I was picking on Aiden (as I always do) and we are normally able to exchange silly arguments with no fighting...

Could you just calm down and shut up for now? Really, go spend your posts on other people...no need to worry about my "fanboy" behavior...after all, this is a forum devoted to Mac fans and rumors...so please leave if you don't like it.

 

[AidenShaw]

Hey Multi-Media - Kentsfield - Core 2 Quadro !

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/09/09/preview_kentsfield_processor/

Tom's Hardware benchmarks Intel's first quad-core "Kentsfield"

Culver City (CA) - Intel's first quad-core processor "Kentsfield" has found its way into the Tom's Hardware test lab. Several weeks before Intel will provide evaluation processors to the press, Tom's Hardware was able to obtain a qualification sample: The quad-core was sent through the entire test parcours and showed impressive performance.
...
Kentsfield, which industry sources refer to as "Core 2 Quadro," arrived as a 2.67 GHz version with a 266 MHz/1066 MHz FSB. The test engineers were able to adjust the FSB to 1333 MHz - which is still supported by the 975X chipset - and overclock the CPU by about 25%. The benchmarks were conducted with clock speeds ranging from 2.0 GHz to 3.33 GHz.

Kentsfield easily shattered previous benchmarks records and highlighted its horsepower especially in threaded applications such as audio and video processing.

 

[Eidorian]

Wanna bet that Napa64 is 100% identical to ordinary Napa, apart from the fact that the CPU is Merom, instead of Yonah? Since Napa is a platform, just chaning the CPU to something else would mean that the platform has been refreshed.

I'm a little skeptical about Napa64 as well. I did read the previous links and articles on it. Why make Merom backwards compatible with Yonah?

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/09/09/preview_kentsfield_processor/

Tom's Hardware benchmarks Intel's first quad-core "Kentsfield"

Culver City (CA) - Intel's first quad-core processor "Kentsfield" has found its way into the Tom's Hardware test lab. Several weeks before Intel will provide evaluation processors to the press, Tom's Hardware was able to obtain a qualification sample: The quad-core was sent through the entire test parcours and showed impressive performance.

Nice information there. I wanted a little heads up on Kentsfield. Still, isn't it dual Conroe's with separate cache and then over the front side bus?

 

[50548]

You mean Powerbook hinges, iBook logic boards, MacBook Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS), eMac logic boards, Powerbook memory slot, White spots and lines on Powerbook screens, chipping paint, cracked cubes, iMac G5 video and power problems,Apple repair extensions,...

I see your point!

No, I mean the lowest repair/return rate of the whole industry, and the highest praise in terms of support and reliability of the whole market...care to take a look around, perhaps?

We all know how public problems with Apple may get...1 PowerBook down is worth 1000 DOA Dells that never make it to the news...or perhaps you think the existence of MacFixIt means all Macs are cracked...right?

 

[Eidorian]

No, I mean the lowest repair/return rate of the whole industry, and the highest praise in terms of support and reliability of the whole market...care to take a look around, perhaps?

We all know how public problems with Apple may get...1 PowerBook down is worth 1000 DOA Dells that never make it to the news...or perhaps you think the existence of iFixIt means all Macs are cracked...right?

Fixed!

I have to repair an iBook G3 this week.

 

[wizard]

Sounds like a set of chips to me

dave

There is no "Napa chipset". Like I said, Napa is a hardware-platfom, composed to CPU (Yonah), chipset (Intel Express 945) and WLAN ()Intel PRO/Wireless). The amount of RAM might be limited due to timing-issues and the like.

 

[Evangelion]

Could you just calm down and shut up for now? Really, go spend your posts on other people...no need to worry about my "fanboy" behavior...after all, this is a forum devoted to Mac fans and rumors...so please leave if you don't like it.

Well, since I have to suffer from your rabid fanboyishness as well (and it seems that I'm not the only one), then surely I can say something? I mean, it's not like your posts are invisible or something. Besides, if you post public messages on a public web-forum, do you REALLY have any grounds to complain if someone replies to your post?

 

[Eidorian]

Sounds like a set of chips to me

dave

Napa isn't a chipset. It's a grouping on Intel components (processor, northbridge/southbridge, and wireless) that make up the Napa platform.

Apple only uses the processors and northbridge/southbridge from Intel. Chipset normally ONLY refers to the north/southbridge.

 

[Evangelion]

Sounds like a set of chips to me

dave

By "chipset" people usually refer to the southbridge/northbridge-combo. In this case that is the Intel Express 945.

 

[MacinDoc]

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/09/09/preview_kentsfield_processor/

Tom's Hardware benchmarks Intel's first quad-core "Kentsfield"

Culver City (CA) - Intel's first quad-core processor "Kentsfield" has found its way into the Tom's Hardware test lab. Several weeks before Intel will provide evaluation processors to the press, Tom's Hardware was able to obtain a qualification sample: The quad-core was sent through the entire test parcours and showed impressive performance.
...
Kentsfield, which industry sources refer to as "Core 2 Quadro," arrived as a 2.67 GHz version with a 266 MHz/1066 MHz FSB. The test engineers were able to adjust the FSB to 1333 MHz - which is still supported by the 975X chipset - and overclock the CPU by about 25%. The benchmarks were conducted with clock speeds ranging from 2.0 GHz to 3.33 GHz.

Kentsfield easily shattered previous benchmarks records and highlighted its horsepower especially in threaded applications such as audio and video processing.

That should put to rest the ridiculous arguments that Apple made a mistake in making the transition to Intel.

 

[levitynyc]

Sorry, but that's a ridiculous comparison. The only Mac you can reasonably compare the XPS 700 to is the Mac Pro, which has a lot more computing power for that kind of money.

My point is that with the new processors and RAM upgrades, the iMac is headed towards more powerful use that could potentially switch over a PC gamer. If you wanted to do some serious gaming on the 24" iMac you could....if not for the poor video card options.

Throw a dog a bone here and at least give us a 512MB option.

 

[50548]

Am I the only one who's starting to find this petty crusade of yours annoying? Seriously, just drop it. The iMac is a great machine. I loved my G5 and I might well buy another iMac when I upgrade from the Mini I have now. A Mac Pro would be nice too, but we'll see. Anyways, the iMac is not the "most powerful desktop" in the world and no one gives a damn: it's an awesome machine regardless. So please, honestly, just drop it. What you said was false and still is. It's ok. Everyone makes mistakes. But drop it. It's starting to annoy me very seriously and I'd be surprised if I was the only one.

And I don't see what your personal attacks on some fine folks here are adding to the discussion. Along with opinions, AidenShaw - among others - brings a lot of technical expertise and hard facts to the table. I, for one, value that greatly, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Indeed, the reason MacRumors is so awesome is that a fair share of the posters bring more than opinions to the forums: they also bring hard facts and educated guesses. I think that people can discuss respectfully, that people can argue respectfully, and that people can disagree respectfully. Most folks here do, and I'm sure you can do it too if you try even just a little. Thanks.

Sorry, if you are feeling too stressed like a few others, you should know how to draw a difference between "personal attacks" as such, and generic/stupid/playful opinions on Windows and machines.

I love to joke and to make public my fondness for Macs. I participate in this forum for a long time, and have always had my arguments with Mr. Shaw, both in technical and playful terms...his posts are almost always directed at bashing Macs or praising its failures...and I don't care, honestly...I just follow on with the jokes.

I have been receiving personal attacks, instead, because people here can't tell such a difference...they get offended when MACHINES are bashed and then offend a PERSON back...

I don't do that, I bash machines and keep on playing on ad hominem arguments that don't have to be offensive...you may tell it by probably all my posts...so considering you seem to be a slightly more mature person, try to understand it better.

And please, getting "seriously annoyed" because I said the MP was the most powerful desktop? Really, get a grip and live a life outside...if you and others are that sensitive you need a reality check...this is just a damn computer forum, and we talk about damn computers...nothing else.

I have already defined "most powerful" as something more than just the speed of a chip...and I will keep saying it as much as I want, as Apple does, even if you show me a thousand SPECmarks...just leave me with my stupid jokes and don't answer, it's easier.

 

[AidenShaw]

You may be right...

Wanna bet that Napa64 is 100% identical to ordinary Napa, apart from the fact that the CPU is Merom, instead of Yonah? Since Napa is a platform, just chaning the CPU to something else would mean that the platform has been refreshed.

You may be right.

I couldn't find anything in the Intel technical documentation on the 945 to show a new revision or stepping of the chip - in fact most of the 945 docs at the Intel website don't mention the Core 2 at all....

 

[50548]

Well, since I have to suffer from your rabid fanboyishness as well (and it seems that I'm not the only one), then surely I can say something? I mean, it's not like your posts are invisible or something. Besides, if you post public messages on a public web-forum, do you REALLY have any grounds to complain if someone replies to your post?

Yes, I do, when such replies tell of personal offenses and nothing else...just read the rules of the forum. I was writing to Mr. Shaw, bashing PCs and praising Macs...nothing else.

The only remarks that may be close to "offenses" occur exactly when I have to reply to your stressed words that show a really angry and stupid degree of overreaction...relax, this is just a computer forum, and a MAC one for that matter.

Ah yeah, from the Apple Suisse website:

Le Mac le plus rapide jamais conçu.
Depuis l'annonce de la transition vers les nouveaux processeurs Intel, vous rêvez certainement d'un ordinateur de bureau professionnel offrant des performances hors pair.