New iMacs With Up to Xeon E3 Processors, 64GB RAM, AMD Graphics, and Thunderbolt 3 Rumored for Late October

[fokmik]

so this come and kind of confirms the redesigned imac and vega amd
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And... :<

yes i hope for the redesign to rethink the screen ventilation and no more dust particles can get in

 

[TheIguana]

Maybe they will make the new iMac Thicker...........

Buuuut Johnny Ive is obsessed with thinness... What will he possibly do if he can't demand the thing is thinner?!

 

[Andres Cantu]

A Mac mini rumor! *tears of joy*

 

[ike1707]

I never understood why anyone would want or prefer an extremely thin desktop. Its not like people carry them around all the time. The iMacG5/Core2Duo were thin enough IMHO, the latest models are just absurd. Personally, I'd rather get more powerful guts than an unnecessarily thin desktop.

Also, seeing as how Apple's TV plans arent going any where, maybe its time for them to consider something like FrontRow2?

Cheers.

I miss front row so much

 

[konqerror]

Nope, they're not. And AMD drivers are usually better on macOS than nVidia's.

The major problem is that there's a ton of scientific and engineering software written for CUDA.

A Xeon iMac? I don't know why, but I find it hard to believe Apple wants to stuff a Xeon into a chassis like the iMac.

You fell for Intel's marketing. A Xeon 1000-series is nothing more than the top range i7 with ECC RAM turned on. In fact, the Skylake Xeons have lower TDP than the i7 (80 W vs 91 W)

simple reason to go Xeon: these CPUs usually have more PCIe lanes than their i7 counterparts.

They use the same socket, so you're stuck with 16 lanes plus whatever the southbridge gives you.

 

[canadianreader]

Taller Mac Mini ?? UGHHH I hope it won't be as tall as the Airport Extreme

 

[Chupa Chupa]

A bigger Mac mini sounds exciting but also a little like the Cube. Too much to hope it would be as user accessible as the Cube.

 

[Ethosik]

I think AMD is fine for what it is, but lets not Kid ourselves. APPLE makes expensive top of the line products, NVIDIA and INTEL are the only components that make sense for TOP OF THE LINE hardware..

Absolutely not. AMD cards are better for Apple's software

 

[69Mustang]

iMacs - useless to me
Mac Pro - I don't care

Last, the report said the next high-end Mac mini "won't be so mini anymore," suggesting that the most expensive model might have a larger or taller design.

The one product I've been asking for (for 3 years, I've been asking) get's the least amount of attention, but at least it got some attention. Hopefully, it will have modular non-soldered internals that can be upgraded. Not like that last half-assed garbage "update". I wouldn't even mind a larger/taller design. If Apple put out a decent Mini I would even reward them by finally replacing my '11 MBA.

 

[justperry]

I miss front row so much

You can still get Frontrow, example: use Parallels Desktop, install OS X which came wit Frontrow, that's it, enjoy.

 

[redheeler]

A Mac mini rumor! *tears of joy*

Seems more like wishful thinking than a rumor to me... But I am enjoying seeing MacRumors flooded with so many Mac-releated articles again

 

[Zarniwoop]

iMac 2017 - up to Core i7, AMD RX 580 4GB RAM, 32GB DDR4, two TB3, no eth, good old 5k display
iMac Pro 2017 - Xeon E3 v6, AMD Radeon Pro 8GB HBM2, 64GB DDR4 ECC, 4 TB3, Eth, HDR FreeSync 5k Display

I know it's not really powerful machine, but that's Apple's vision. For the rest there's going to be mMP. (modular Mac Pro 2018)

 

[meme1255]

Stop using god damn AMD graphics chips. They're ****

Why are AMD chips *****?

 

[justperry]

Seems more like wishful thinking than a rumor to me... But I am enjoying seeing MacRumors flooded with so many Mac-releated articles again

Seems like it's not, there will be a new Mini, when, only Apple knows.

 

[routine_analyst]

Apple will be courageous and release the all new 5k iMac with only 1 Thunderbolt 3 port.
Because nobody needs more than 1 port.

 

[LordVic]

Nope, they're not. And AMD drivers are usually better on macOS than nVidia's.

Here's the current problem:

AMD's current GPU lineup doesn't currently have a "High End". The 480 is their current "high performance" and it's on par with their flagship from 2 years ago (the 290x and 480 have nearly identical benchmarks).

Add into that, Apple hasn't used the high end part either. They're opting for mobile. In the MacBook Pro for example, they're using a mobile verson of the 455. Which is far slower and lower than the lowest Nvidia option right now (1050ti or higher). In every single benchmark a mobile 1050 ti will outperform a 455 from Radeon, which is based on Radeon's budget/entry GPU

this problem is further compounded by the technologies available for GPU Compute. OpenCL is open sourced based, and while it's cool and works well enough, it's less capable than CUDA. CUDA's problem is that it's not free, and Apple to develope for it would need to pay license to NVIDIA.

so Apple chose the cheapest option, uses low end GPU's and sticks to OpenCL so that they can keep an "open" platform, that they don't have to license.

the net result is that overall, Apple current offerings using AMD GPU's just cannot keep up with Nvidia's current offerings.


NOW, this is talking about iMacs, and if they can get over the "thinness" obsession, AND Vega finally offers high end GPU power from AMD, than this is all moot,

But currently, AMD's gpu's are not up to snuff with Nvidia.

Not in GPU compute. Not in Gaming.

 

[Stella]

Better specs.

What would be better if the GPU, SSD and RAM could be replaceable. No Glue.

Nvidia would be the better choice over AMD.

There is no reason why specs should be compromised by thinness. If needed, Apple should increase the size of this new iMac as appropriate. This is a Pro machine, not consumer.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Stop using god damn AMD graphics chips. They're ****

That's absolutely not true if you use Apple's Pro Apps (FCPX or LPX). If you're into gaming then sure, NVIDIA's the best choice.

Unfortunately a lot of people think that a GPU which handles a game at a higher framerate than others automatically means it's a better graphics card in every department. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's one of these many myths (along with MHz, core count, megapixels) that needs knocking on the head.

You wouldn't be seen dead with an NVIDIA GPU if you're folding@home, for instance.

 

[redscull]

I never understood why anyone would want or prefer an extremely thin desktop. Its not like people carry them around all the time.

Neither of your statements is wrong, but they are nonetheless contradictory. The thin desktop is actually worse for carrying around. Have you carried a 27" iMac? Thing practically severs your fingers off. It's so thin it's sharp, and however light it may think it is, it's still hefty enough to press those sharp edges into your hands/fingers to the point of pain. I've carried around quite a lot of desktop computers both large and small, heavy and light, and the iMac is far and away the worst one to move.

 

[aaronhead14]

SO HAPPY about all these Mac desktop rumors! (And pre-announcements). This is so great! Can't wait for the new Mac Pro, and this iMac seems pretty good too!

 

[wigby]

I think AMD is fine for what it is, but lets not Kid ourselves. APPLE makes expensive top of the line products, NVIDIA and INTEL are the only components that make sense for TOP OF THE LINE hardware..

You're not taking OS X drivers into account and the fact that Apple gets more control over AMD hardware than Nvidia. Raw horsepower doesn't always equate to faster computing.

 

[Ursadorable]

Why are AMD chips *****?

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html ... enough said.

The best AMD GPU is in 15th spot..

 

[redheeler]

Seems like it's not, there will be a new Mini, when, only Apple knows.

The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming... But I have to remain skeptical when it comes to a Mac mini Pro; judging by Apple's recent treatment of the Mac mini, even quad-core processors and upgradable RAM is a lot to expect.

 

[flyinmac]

A Xeon iMac? I don't know why, but I find it hard to believe Apple wants to stuff a Xeon into a chassis like the iMac. Don't the upper-tier i7-equipped iMacs already struggle with thermal throttling under intense load?

Apple likes to revisit old problems. Just like the Cube, Apple didn't learn and designed the nMP cylinder.

So, it's entirely possible that they'd put a Xeon in the iMac to relive the problematic iMac G5 era.

 

[Ethosik]

That's absolutely not true if you use Apple's Pro Apps (FCPX or LPX). If you're into gaming then sure, NVIDIA's the best choice.

Unfortunately a lot of people think that a GPU which handles a game at a higher framerate than others automatically means it's a better graphics card in every department. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's one of these many myths (along with MHz, core count, megapixels) that needs knocking on the head.

You wouldn't be seen dead with an NVIDIA GPU if you're folding@home, for instance.

Yep. My rule is:

Apple = AMD cards
Windows PCs = NVIDIA if I am building for gaming or programs that use CUDA.