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More Quad-Core iMac Benchmarks Show Substantial Performance Gains

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Following up on early benchmarking tests that showed Apple's new quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 iMacs boasting significant performance improvements compared to their Core 2 Duo-based counterparts, Macworld has utilized its own Speedmark suite of real-world tests and found similar results.
Speedmark is Macworld Lab's standard test tool for benchmarking new and upgraded systems running Mac OS X. It uses real-world applications and everyday tasks. It is a general-purpose suite that includes tasks everyone from a high-end user to a new user performs every day.

Macworld Lab follows a detailed script to perform the 17 tasks. Each task is performed three times. We compare the results to a 2.13GHz MacBook with 2GB RAM (Mid 2009), which is assigned a score of 100. We then take the geometric mean of the normalized scores.
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Macworld's tests compared the new quad-core iMac models with the base-level Core 2 Duo-based 21.5" and 27" models, as well as the entry-level 2.66 GHz previous-generation 24" iMac, revealing the expected significant performance improvements. Macworld also compared the new models to Apple's latest entry-level quad-core and 8-core Mac Pro models, with both new quad-core iMacs even out-performing the Mac Pro in this real-world battery.


161754-macworld_imac_tests_500.jpg


Speedmark 6 Composite Scores
Detailed scores for individual tasks available in article
As Macworld notes, the new iMac is an attractive option for even professional users, comparing extremely favorably with the company's latest Mac Pro models.
With the new 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac and the 2.8GHz Core i7 iMac, Apple has not only blurred the line between consumer and professional systems, it's darn near erased it. The 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac offers faster performance at most tasks than the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro. The Core i5 iMac also has more memory and more storage space than the 2.66GHz Quad-Core Mac Pro, while being $500 less (plus you get a 27-inch screen with the iMac). Unless you absolutely require additional PCI cards, multiple internal hard drives, or a lot of RAM, the Core i5 iMac makes a strong case for the being the go-to system for most Mac professionals.
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Article Link: More Quad-Core iMac Benchmarks Show Substantial Performance Gains
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/20/more-quad-core-imac-benchmarks-show-substantial-performance-gains/
The gap between the Mac Mini and the iMac increases still further.

When will we get a headless Mac?
 
Unfortunately the RAM on the iMac caps out at 16GB and will run you a premium. $600 for 16GB on a MacPro, Just under $1000 for 16GB on the iMac.
 
Beric said:
The gap between the Mac Mini and the iMac increases still further.

When will we get a headless Mac?
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When that happens, sales will go through the roof! But it won't happen.

PS : is it me, or is the new macbook better than the macbook pro 13"?

I need a new laptop but i think the macbook pro will have an update soon, because on the pc side you see already i7 laptops....
 
porky said:
When that happens, sales will go through the roof! But it won't happen.

PS : is it me, or is the new macbook better than the macbook pro 13"?

I need a new laptop but i think the macbook pro will have an update soon, because on the pc side you see already i7 laptops....
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Depends what you mean by better. Its certainly cheaper and comes with a larger hard drive as standard but it lacks a few features of the pros. You have to decide if you need those features though 😉
 
geez, stop kissing apple ass, it's Intel's chip that did everything, apple just used it (should've used it sooner, as with their gfx options with Ati).
 
porky said:
When that happens, sales will go through the roof! But it won't happen.

PS : is it me, or is the new macbook better than the macbook pro 13"?

I need a new laptop but i think the macbook pro will have an update soon, because on the pc side you see already i7 laptops....
Click to expand...

It definitely won’t happen. Such a machine would probably cannibalize the Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro all at once, except for people who specifically want a small computer, all-in-one, or workstation. And it probably wouldn’t have the same margins as their current computers.

As for laptops…*I’d wait. It’s already been 5 months since the last refresh and the processors aren’t even really that different from the original Feb 2008 Penryn MBPs. The GPUs are over a year old, too. The next update will probably be significant performance-wise.
 
My i7 iMac is well good, I notice a huge difference re my 2 GHz Black MacBook, opening apps, nice to see the benchmarks confirming this, but being UK based pounds for bangs this is a great box. Leaves my wildlife photographers early MacPro for dead, and the display is top drawer...you have to sit three feet away from the rascal and wear sunglasses😱
 
porky said:
When that happens, sales will go through the roof! But it won't happen.

PS : is it me, or is the new macbook better than the macbook pro 13"?

I need a new laptop but i think the macbook pro will have an update soon, because on the pc side you see already i7 laptops....
Click to expand...

Just cheaper, and larger hard drive at base model.

MacBook Pro's screen blows the MacBooks out of the water. Also, light-up keys and aluminum case seals the deal for me. White plastic is just so... icky.
 
Furrybeagle said:
As for laptops…*I’d wait. It’s already been 5 months since the last refresh and the processors aren’t even really that different from the original Feb 2008 Penryn MBPs. The GPUs are over a year old, too. The next update will probably be significant performance-wise.
Click to expand...

Wasnt their a article on here about mobile i5's being released in January?
 
Now if only mine would get here! The first one I got was DOA, but I should finally get my i7 iMac on Monday... I think. Come on, FedEx!
 
Wicked.

If it had USB 3.0, I'd be ordering one instead of posting here. I'm holding out on my next pro machine until I can get a higher-speed interface for talking to RAIDs. FW800 and USB 2.0 just don't cut it.
 
LOL, someone rated this negative.

Yeah, it must suck that a new iMac performs substantially better than its predecessors.
 
For most users the power gains won't be noticeable. Although I suppose if you are buying the $1699 27" iMac then yeah might as well step up to the i5/4850.


ONly thing I would notice is video encoding. And even then it still takes an hour. I probably would still encode a few video overnight like I currently do.

IF you're a pro and encode 8 hours or more of video per day it sure could help save you time and money.
 
knewsom said:
If it had USB 3.0, I'd be ordering one instead of posting here. I'm holding out on my next pro machine until I can get a higher-speed interface for talking to RAIDs. FW800 and USB 2.0 just don't cut it.
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There isn't anything even available to utilize those speeds right now! You may be waiting for a while
 
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