Just got a new 27 Inch iMac, Feeling Worried About a Refresh!

[boy-better-know]

Nobody knows. Unlikely, imo.

I would say a design refresh next year is extremely likely, if you look at the pattern of past design refreshes, and add to it a lovely new Ivy Bridge chip, I am hoping for one hell of an update.
OP, enjoy your iMac, its beautiful and if you have spent so much money, why have buyers regret?

 

[henrikrox]

A 7970m should be based on a 6950 or something. A 7700 series is too slow for that fake moniker. Time will tell. AMD can do whatever they want with the mobile branding. I'd rather have a fatter case and a REAL desktop GPU.

You are wrong i'm afraid, the new mobile gpu's will be based on 7series desktop cards. The stuff that has been revealed from the mobile 7 series is just up to 7600m. Plenty of cards we dont know nothing about.

The 6970m in the current imac, is based on the 6850, just underclocked etc. So a 7970m, will not be based on a 6950, that i can promise you.

 

[Sjhonny]

You are wrong i'm afraid, the new mobile gpu's will be based on 7series desktop cards. The stuff that has been revealed from the mobile 7 series is just up to 7600m. Plenty of cards we dont know nothing about.

The 6970m in the current imac, is based on the 6850, just underclocked etc. So a 7970m, will not be based on a 6950, that i can promise you.

Actually, the 68xx's were tweaked/rebranded 58xx's, so the 69xxm's were also based on the 58xx's. We can expect the same thing happening with the 79xxm's, but then with 69xx's (with the 6xxx serie, the x8xx serie became the x9xx serie). We'll probably not see a Nvidia GPU in the next iMac, simply because it doesn't look like Nvidia will have one available that suits the iMac by then.

 

[Icaras]

I would say in the fall, summer at the soonest. You could exchange it for a better model.

Fall? You think Apple will overshoot the iMac's average refresh cycle by 6 months? Not likely.

Summer at the latest, not the earliest.

 

[seepel]

Fall? You think Apple will overshoot the iMac's average refresh cycle by 6 months? Not likely.

Summer at the latest, not the earliest.

Wouldn't it ultimately depend on Ivy Bridge? I didn't keep up with the desktop Sandy Bridge how long after its release did the new iMacs come out?

 

[MrNomNoms]

IMHO if you've got an Ivy Bridge iMac then I wouldn't worry about things unless for some magical reason Apple decides to go with ARM and partners up with nVidia on 'Project Denver' ( link ) to bring about a move to 64bit ARM computers from top to bottom. Ivy Bridge is going to be a refinement of Sandy Bridge with most of the benefits really hitting the MacBook Air and those reliant on the integrated GPU more than anything else whilst Sandy Bridge now pretty much addresses all the sort comings of Core 2 ( link ).

As for people talking about USB2 vs. USB3 IMHO I've yet to find something that can flood a USB2 connection - if you really need speed and I mean really raw speed without the CPU hogging abilities of USB then you're better off going with either Firewire or Thunderbolt. I recently bought a 'Western Digital My Book Studio II' and was wowed by the speed when using Firewire 800 - the USB speed was so-so. IMHO I think the hype surrounding USB3 is unwarranted given that most people I know tend to use USB for portable hard disks and thumb drives of which never actually flood the connection fully (the drive can deliver more data per second but is hampered by USB).

As for refreshes - I don't see any major refreshes any time soon, not because Apple is lazy or giving up on Mac but they've pretty much found the ideal design in much the same way that Lenovo has stuck with the iconic Thinkpad design that has existed for almost 20 years with only very minor tweaks, most of which a consumer cannot see (roll cage addition etc). Expect the usual refresh, update of the internal specs but I doubt we'll see something major for at least the next few years. One thing people ignore here is although 'we' get excited about major hardware refreshes the vast majority of people go in and buy something in the price range they can afford and does what they need - benchmarks, specifications and the nitty gritty most people aren't interested in.

 

[Icaras]

Wouldn't it ultimately depend on Ivy Bridge? I didn't keep up with the desktop Sandy Bridge how long after its release did the new iMacs come out?

Ultimately, yes. But do you think Ivy Bridge will be delayed till Fall?

 

[MrNomNoms]

Ultimately, yes. But do you think Ivy Bridge will be delayed till Fall?

Rumour has it that it won't be released until maybe mid to late next year, then there is the time period of getting production into volume so at the least one won't see an update to Ivy Bridge from Apple until December 2012 at the very earliest with early 2013 being the most likely.

 

[MacOG728893]

Rumour has it that it won't be released until maybe mid to late next year, then there is the time period of getting production into volume so at the least one won't see an update to Ivy Bridge from Apple until December 2012 at the very earliest with early 2013 being the most likely.

Right.. exactly

 

[Icaras]

Rumour has it that it won't be released until maybe mid to late next year, then there is the time period of getting production into volume so at the least one won't see an update to Ivy Bridge from Apple until December 2012 at the very earliest with early 2013 being the most likely.

What rumors? A quick search:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/247108/intel_ivy_bridge_chips_launching_early_april_2012.html

All I'm seeing on google searches for Ivy Bridge are news for a projected April release.

 

[MrNomNoms]

Right.. exactly

Yeah because apparently when something is launched it is instantly in volume on day one

What rumors? A quick search:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/247108/intel_ivy_bridge_chips_launching_early_april_2012.html

All I'm seeing on google searches for Ivy Bridge are news for a projected April release.

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/28/ivy-bridge-processors-launching-as-early-as-april-8/

May at the latest, April at the earliest - I simply took the more pessimistic view of when it was going to be delivered. It all comes to when Apple can get it in volume and whether it lines up with all the other things Apple does before a refresh such as the upgraded GPU's in volume, drivers written etc. All of it takes time hence I simply don't see a major refresh any time soon. I could see for example a minor iMac refresh where the CPU's are bumped up, maybe minor bump in the GPU but I don't see it a major refresh anytime soon.

Take the iMac refresh; they were released on 3 May 2011 (according to Mac Buyers Guide) and Sandy Bridge products started shipping January 2011 thus there is approximately a 4 month lead time between CPU launch and appearing in a product. Assuming all things go according to plan it will be at least October 2012 before you see the Ivy Bridge appear in an iMac at the earliest based on past trends.

 

[MacOG728893]

Yeah because apparently when something is launched it is instantly in volume on day one

Haha this made me chuckle.. You honestly think that Apple waits to start any form of production before they actually get their hands on Ivy?

...

Of course not.. They have inside relations with Intel and can begin preparatory manufacturing so that once Ivy is released, all they have to do is add the good old chip right into the logic board.

Edit: I also never said anything about new iMac's being launched on day 1 release of Ivy, you my friend are the one who just said that.. Get your facts straight before spewing outrageous comments!

 

[theSeb]

As for people talking about USB2 vs. USB3 IMHO I've yet to find something that can flood a USB2 connection - if you really need speed and I mean really raw speed without the CPU hogging abilities of USB then you're better off going with either Firewire or Thunderbolt. I recently bought a 'Western Digital My Book Studio II' and was wowed by the speed when using Firewire 800 - the USB speed was so-so. IMHO I think the hype surrounding USB3 is unwarranted given that most people I know tend to use USB for portable hard disks and thumb drives of which never actually flood the connection fully (the drive can deliver more data per second but is hampered by USB).

Is this a serious post? A simple external 7200 RPM HDD will flood a USB 2 connection.

In terms of speed: USB 2 < FW 800 < USB 3 < thunderbolt

But in terms of price: USB 2 < USB 3 < FW 800 < thunderbolt

Do you not see the problem?

 

[derbothaus]

You are wrong i'm afraid, the new mobile gpu's will be based on 7series desktop cards. The stuff that has been revealed from the mobile 7 series is just up to 7600m. Plenty of cards we dont know nothing about.

The 6970m in the current imac, is based on the 6850, just underclocked etc. So a 7970m, will not be based on a 6950, that i can promise you.

Well I did say "should" not "will be". If you want a GPU slower than the 6970m then by all means get exited. I think you meant 78xx not 7770 and the 7600 is not something they are "up to" it does not work linearly like that. I would rather have something on par with 6950 so there is the typical marginal GPU increase in the newer models. The AMD naming scheme by part numbers works out to Series, Performance bracket, feature set. the x7xx is for lower consumer grade. The x8xx and x9xx is for gamers/ enthusiasts.

3DMark11 GPU scores (General):
7770: 3138
6850: 3640
6870: 4250
5870: 4365
6950: 5210
6970: 5570

in DX10, 9 the older cards pick up quite a bit more speed. But since we are focusing on the future...

 

[Schranke]

+1 to that.

I just want an iMac powerful enough to handle Diablo 3 at a decent setting when it comes out.

HAHA the exact same thing i want it to be able to do, can't wait for that game or a new iMac
but think the current line will be good for D3 to

 

[stevelam]

or just build a hackintosh for super cheap and get an ACD. todays hackintosh builds are much easier to install and keep up to date.

 

[beosound3200]

Yeah because apparently when something is launched it is instantly in volume on day one



https://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/28/ivy-bridge-processors-launching-as-early-as-april-8/

May at the latest, April at the earliest - I simply took the more pessimistic view of when it was going to be delivered. It all comes to when Apple can get it in volume and whether it lines up with all the other things Apple does before a refresh such as the upgraded GPU's in volume, drivers written etc. All of it takes time hence I simply don't see a major refresh any time soon. I could see for example a minor iMac refresh where the CPU's are bumped up, maybe minor bump in the GPU but I don't see it a major refresh anytime soon.

Take the iMac refresh; they were released on 3 May 2011 (according to Mac Buyers Guide) and Sandy Bridge products started shipping January 2011 thus there is approximately a 4 month lead time between CPU launch and appearing in a product. Assuming all things go according to plan it will be at least October 2012 before you see the Ivy Bridge appear in an iMac at the earliest based on past trends.

jesus man, just think a little please... imac was released in may because of its product cycle (cca 280 days), if they released it in january, it would be like 160 days between refreshes, and apple would never do that, take a look at buyer's guide. and if they release it in october, it would be 500+ days, so the bottom line, the imac will be released in next three to four months, with or without ivy bridge, but with new radeons or nvidias and usb3...

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Well I did say "should" not "will be". If you want a GPU slower than the 6970m then by all means get exited. I think you meant 78xx not 7770 and the 7600 is not something they are "up to" it does not work linearly like that. I would rather have something on par with 6950 so there is the typical marginal GPU increase in the newer models. The AMD naming scheme by part numbers works out to Series, Performance bracket, feature set. the x7xx is for lower consumer grade. The x8xx and x9xx is for gamers/ enthusiasts.

3DMark11 GPU scores (General):
7770: 3138
6850: 3640
6870: 4250
5870: 4365
6950: 5210
6970: 5570

in DX10, 9 the older cards pick up quite a bit more speed. But since we are focusing on the future...

radeon 7970m will be based on desktop 7850, 28nm no?

 

[derbothaus]

radeon 7970m will be based on desktop 7850, 28nm no?

Agree.
Either 7850 or 6950 or similar unless they change their numbering schemes once again. They like to recycle for mobile chips. The 78xx's should be real nice and hopefully run fairly cool.

 

[doktordoris]

OP you have made a HUGE mistake, you have bought a rubbish, old, slow, inefficient, ugly, asthmatic, racist, right-wing PC.

My advice is throw it away.


Seriously though what are you asking?

Will there be a refresh? - Yes, there always is.
Will it feature PCs better than your machine? - Very much so as better machines are in the shop now, so next spring the machines will be much, much better than yours.
Does that mean your machine is rubbish? - No. Not at all. Irrespective of what the refresh brings you still have an awesome machine.

Just relax and enjoy your new PC, or get a new one.
Simple.

 

[thekev]

Take the iMac refresh; they were released on 3 May 2011 (according to Mac Buyers Guide) and Sandy Bridge products started shipping January 2011 thus there is approximately a 4 month lead time between CPU launch and appearing in a product. Assuming all things go according to plan it will be at least October 2012 before you see the Ivy Bridge appear in an iMac at the earliest based on past trends.

It's really all over the place. It just depends on the results of initial testing and if bugs pop up in early release models. It can vary based on a number of factors related to both Intel and Apple. 2013 still looks like a more significant release than this year, but I'm going to buy something when Sandy Bridge E hits. I only waited because I thought it would hit sooner (obviously those kinds of delays weren't predicted a year ago), and I didn't have a pressing need to upgrade.

 

[bobright]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

If I don't start hearing rumors or chatter of a new release within 1-2 months I'm pulling the trigger on a current model.

 

[srxtr]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

If I don't start hearing rumors or chatter of a new release within 1-2 months I'm pulling the trigger on a current model.

If you wait 1-2 months, you're gonna get to the point where you'll only have to wait another 1-2 months for the new iMac.

Either get it NOW or wait 3-5 months.

 

[macmastersam]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

OP you have made a HUGE mistake, you have bought a rubbish, old, slow, inefficient, ugly, asthmatic, racist, right-wing PC.

My advice is throw it away.


Seriously though what are you asking?

Will there be a refresh? - Yes, there always is.
Will it feature PCs better than your machine? - Very much so as better machines are in the shop now, so next spring the machines will be much, much better than yours.
Does that mean your machine is rubbish? - No. Not at all. Irrespective of what the refresh brings you still have an awesome machine.

Just relax and enjoy your new PC, or get a new one.
Simple.

I don't see how iMacs can possibly be racist and also how can the imac be old when the OP has bought the current gen iMac!?

And also, macs are pretty fast, especially at that spec.

 

[JonasDK]

OMG. A refresh could be coming soon!!!! Arghgh!!!! I wish someone talented could produce a scary horror movie poster with "THE REFRESH!" as the film's title. Man, it's scary stuff.

If it's such a taxing and scary experience, then I would suggest not buying computers in the future.

Haha, I agree Ironically, I remember being a part of the whole "waiting game"-cirkus and being somewhat "afraid" of new refreshes making my iMac less new.

As many on Macrumors write, you have to find out if you can afford to wait or not. If you need an iMac now - buy now. If you can afford to wait - wait.

My guess is we will see a new iMac Q2 (earliest) - incremental upgrade.

 

[jlyanks85]

If you keep waiting for a refresh you'll never make a purchase on any electronics. The 2011 imac isn't going to run like a windows 95 pc with dialup, just because the 2012 imac came out.

Apple computers have great resale value. You can always upgrade every 2-3 years and not have to pay the full price.

That's what I'll be doing what my 2010 imac.