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Intel 4000
- Thread starter nlr
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It still sucks...
Any GPU that is Intel branded and made sucks... that is how it has always been.
Any GPU that is Intel branded and made sucks... that is how it has always been.
Why do you doubt it? We're talking the top 27" for that card. They used the best available mobile GPU in 2011. Why not in 2012?
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I would guess that 650M for both 21", and then 660M for low 27" and 680M for top 27".
The Intel HD4000 comes bundled inside of the Ivy Bridge Core i updates. When the iMac is bumped it will likely get Ivy Bridge updates, which means HD4000 updates.
Apple most likely will not sell the machine with just HD4000 and no discrete GPU. At the price point the iMac sells at the machines come with desktop like GPUs performance (i.e., at least entry level PCI-e cards GPU).
The 680M is doubtful only because there aren't other options.
The 670M and 765M are just re-badged last years tech. Apple isn't likely to select re-treads. If they didn't pick them last year, what makes you think this year will be different? After that you fall all the back tothe same class as in the MBP. That's somewhat lame for a something that is plugged into a wall socket.
Apple will likely want some family of GPUs where they can offer "good, better, best" option of three. AMD's 7770M , 7850M , 7870M line up would offer three options and not bust out of the 45W TDP range. dropping the 7770M at the low and putting 7970M would still be lower than the 680M's TDP ( 100W ).
Apple hasn't rolled out Ivy Bridge because ....
1. Ivy Bridge was late. So ran into Mountain Lion rollout.
2. It simplifies things to just release it after Mountain Lion comes out.
3. Releasing too many models at once only increases the chances they will screw something up (e.g., the quirk with the Thunderbolt Ethernet connectors ).
4. laptops are more strategic (to Apple and frankly to the overall PC business ) than desktops so they went first.
There are other major PC vendors just releasing Ivy Bridge all-in-ones over the last several weeks. Apple isn't that particularly "late" by delaying until the end of July (or even early August). The world isn't going to end and their earnings aren't going to collapse.
The 680M? Highly doubt it. Apple has historically never used the high end GPUs for their mainstream macs like the iMac. At most it'll be the 660M
I have no information regarding benchmarks to compare. So at this point all I can do is ask two people who have the different computers run and game and see...
At 100W, it is wishy-washy that this is a mobile CPU. It is put into the category marketing wise but it is running at 2x the TDP of the CPU. There are not going to be many laptops where thin and lightweight is a high priority that are going to take those in their design.
iMac has had long term issues with its current thermal envelope. I don't see Apple revamping the iMac design around a GPU. It is more likely going to be more so a match of the GPU to the iMac's design. There is more to Mac design than flipping through the future product catalog and picking the hottest parts available.
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Current models have same GPU in high end 21" and low 27", so if you're close, I'd think 660M in high end 21".
At the time the 2011 iMac was released, the 6970m WAS the best available. This year's 660M just barely keeps up with it.
Edit: In fact, the 6970m outperforms the 660M by quite a bit. The 670M (last year's Fermi architecture) is about even, the 675M (also Fermi) is a bit ahead, and then the Kepler 680M jumps out quite a bit (being 80-100% faster than 6970m). If Apple is going Nvidia, there really isn't another choice than the 680M for the top 27".
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The 6970m is also 100W.
The 680M, being 28nm, also runs pretty cool. You should check out some reviews on it. No it's not going to be in any ultrabooks, but several gaming laptops are shipping with it.
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Well actually I'd want iMac to be able to switch between iGP and discreete. It's much more efficient, you don't need discrete when you're on desktop, or doing light tasks, or even watch 1080p videos?
If people want to force discrete or iGP they can always use something like gFXCardStatus.
Doesn't mean much or as crucial on a desktop, but saving a bit energy is nice, plus it keeps your machine cooler, which means it keeps the fans low. I thought Apple loves efficiency?
If people want to force discrete or iGP they can always use something like gFXCardStatus.
Doesn't mean much or as crucial on a desktop, but saving a bit energy is nice, plus it keeps your machine cooler, which means it keeps the fans low. I thought Apple loves efficiency?