Updated Skylake 27" iMac this fall?

[Inksworth]

My guess is no event in October. I don't think they'll put out a lot of fanfare about adding a lesser (but still better than current) screen to the 21" model. New screen is a single bullet point, and they already talked extensively about the fancy screen controller twice now (both last year with the riMac, and this year with the iPad Pro.)

That said, what with El Capitan coming out the 30th, they'd be boasting about new features post-release. They don't really do that, either. So, unless they've got that Magic Keyboard or a force touch mouse/trackpad... I have my doubts. Even those aren't really press-conference worthy. I mean, I hope they release this year.

I'm in the process of wiping my rMBP 15 for my Dad; his laptop crapped out. So I'm gonna be Mac-less until they release the new iMac. I've been wanting to go desktop again for a long time, and held off on the first-gen retina.

So... any time now, guys!

 

[Melodeath]

Yeah, I'm buying the retina 27" as soon as they update, but not before. So I hope it's soon. No way I'm spending $3k on a year-old computer, even if it would still obviously be a drastic step up from my aging 2010 MBP.

 

[jetjaguar]

im in the market for a retina 27"iMac as well but I'm holding out of the update .. hope they go nvidia as well

 

[johnnyturbouk]

My guess is no event in October. I don't think they'll put out a lot of fanfare about adding a lesser (but still better than current) screen to the 21" model. New screen is a single bullet point, and they already talked extensively about the fancy screen controller twice now (both last year with the riMac, and this year with the iPad Pro.)

That said, what with El Capitan coming out the 30th, they'd be boasting about new features post-release. They don't really do that, either. So, unless they've got that Magic Keyboard or a force touch mouse/trackpad... I have my doubts. Even those aren't really press-conference worthy. I mean, I hope they release this year.

I'm in the process of wiping my rMBP 15 for my Dad; his laptop crapped out. So I'm gonna be Mac-less until they release the new iMac. I've been wanting to go desktop again for a long time, and held off on the first-gen retina.

So... any time now, guys!

Agreed entirely, especially about a family member waiting for my 2014 rMBP as I'm waiting for the sky lake rImac.

Yeah, I'm buying the retina 27" as soon as they update, but not before. So I hope it's soon. No way I'm spending $3k on a year-old computer, even if it would still obviously be a drastic step up from my aging 2010 MBP.

Same here, was very cautious about the 1st gen RImac, usually I'm very happy to be an early adopter, got the 1st gen iPhone, iPad, rMBP all on release date. My gut feeling told me to hold off the rImac and I was very cautious about the amd gpu.

im in the market for a retina 27"iMac as well but I'm holding out of the update .. hope they go nvidia as well

I hope to got that they at least offer an nvidia 990 as a BTO option.

 

[johnnyturbouk]

I don't see Thunderbolt 3 or DDR4 making any significant near-term difference for typical or even higher-end iMac workloads. Longer-term Thunderbolt 3 might eventually be nice, once those devices become commonplace and once you get over the pain of having to use an adapter for older devices. Likewise the performance difference of DDR4 is microscopic in most situations: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8959/...-3200-with-gskill-corsair-adata-and-crucial/8

There are a few cases where the upgraded Quick Sync in Skylake could be of significant benefit -- in narrow, highly specific scenarios such as H.265 encode/decode.

Interesting viewpoint, what kind boost to cpu will skylake bring I keep hearing conflicting accounts ranging from skylake being the holy grail to negible real world differences.

 

[Liffey]

Yeah, I'm buying the retina 27" as soon as they update, but not before. So I hope it's soon. No way I'm spending $3k on a year-old computer, even if it would still obviously be a drastic step up from my aging 2010 MBP.

Same here. Got 3k sitting here ready at a moment's notice.

 

[Buerkletucson]

Yeah, I'm buying the retina 27" as soon as they update, but not before. So I hope it's soon. No way I'm spending $3k on a year-old computer, even if it would still obviously be a drastic step up from my aging 2010 MBP.

Call me a rebel....
I pulled the plug and spent a butt-load on a 27" retina....due next week.
I need a new computer now and can't wait for the unknown.......I figure since late last year was the major update to the 27" retina that any updates this year will be very minor.
Looks like the emphasis is on the 21"

 

[EnesM]

Call me a rebel....
I pulled the plug and spent a butt-load on a 27" retina....due next week.
I need a new computer now and can't wait for the unknown.......I figure since late last year was the major update to the 27" retina that any updates this year will be very minor.
Looks like the emphasis is on the 21"

Damn, you brave bro!

 

[mosher]

waiting for skylake because of future-proofness (thunderbolt 3)

 

[jordanz]

waiting for skylake because of future-proofness (thunderbolt 3)

exactly the same reason I'm waiting too. Gonna be splurging on a TB hard drive array shortly after the iMac -- TB3 options would be nice to have, whether they're ready soon or even later down the road.

Plus I think theoretically skylake+TB3 means we can use the imac in target display mode finally. And here's hoping it will help a tiny bit with the heating issues too, but either way I'll be buying ^__^

 

[pescartina]

I was torn for months about getting the iMac 5K, but I took the (very expensive) plunge a month ago and am extremely happy that I didn't wait any longer.

For what I do — web programming, gaming, browsing — it's the best computer I've ever owned, and a fantastic experience.

I was tempted to wait by Thunderbolt 3, Skylake, etc., but the things that I really wanted — an external GPU, Target Display Mode — were pretty unlikely, even with those additions.

Ultimately, what made my decision is the 14-day return period. I decided to buy it, and if it met my needs, I'd keep it. If not, I'd return it. Seemed like the best way to figure out whether to wait or not.

 

[jordanz]

I was torn for months about getting the iMac 5K, but I took the (very expensive) plunge a month ago and am extremely happy that I didn't wait any longer.

For what I do — web programming, gaming, browsing — it's the best computer I've ever owned, and a fantastic experience.

I was tempted to wait by Thunderbolt 3, Skylake, etc., but the things that I really wanted — an external GPU, Target Display Mode — were pretty unlikely, even with those additions.

Ultimately, what made my decision is the 14-day return period. I decided to buy it, and if it met my needs, I'd keep it. If not, I'd return it. Seemed like the best way to figure out whether to wait or not.

I thought Target Display Mode is pretty much a guarantee in a skylake iMac update? The only thing holding it back was DP 1.2 only supporting 4K -- taken from an article on this site: "simple plug-and-play support for 5K external displays over a single cable will need the new DisplayPort 1.3 standard, but that won't be an option until Intel's Skylake platform".

If it's now technically achievable with a skylake iMac, I don't see why Apple would disable it. It's not like 27" 5K iMac owners are gonna go out and buy a separate Thunderbolt Display lol.

But hey, I'm sure it's still a beast of a machine and I have no doubt you'll legitimately be happy with your shiny new purchase for a long time. Slightly jealous actually, this wait is excruciating

 

[pescartina]

Thunderbolt 3 doesn't support Displayport 1.3.

However Intel is not implementing the latest version of DisplayPort – DisplayPort 1.3 – in to the Thunderbolt 3 standard

Of course, Apple could definitely modify it somehow, or find another way to do it.

 

[jordanz]

Thunderbolt 3 doesn't support Displayport 1.3.

Of course, Apple could definitely modify it somehow, or find another way to do it.

Oh, thanks for clarifying! That sucks haha :/

 

[Buerkletucson]

Sorry if this is totally off topic for this post.....
But looks like a lot of very intelligent folks in this thread and I got no response by posting this in the proper forum.

Getting my new Imac 27" retina on Tuesday......
Just looking for advice on a UPS......is it a worthwhile purchase?
If so, what model is a good unit?

Sorry for off-topic.

 

[Sirmausalot]

It's not something you need, no. A surge protector is fine. However if you suffer a lot of brown and black outs in your area for some reason, AND you might lose crucial work, then sure. More important: make sure your insurance policy covers theft, fire, flooding, etc.

Sorry if this is totally off topic for this post.....
But looks like a lot of very intelligent folks in this thread and I got no response by posting this in the proper forum.

Getting my new Imac 27" retina on Tuesday......
Just looking for advice on a UPS......is it a worthwhile purchase?
If so, what model is a good unit?

Sorry for off-topic.

 

[johnh57]

I folded. Ordered a 27" 4ghz i7 m295x 16gb 512 ssd from the refurb store today. Should have it Tuesday. Now I can get back to work. Comes with the wireless keyboard and magic mouse - neither of which I want. I have a magic mouse and hate it. I ordered the belkin bluetooth num pad to go with it, maybe that will save / make the wireless keyboard useful. Otherwise I'll use my old dirty keyboard I'm using with the laptop now.

 

[bitserf]

Oh god. I screwed up. When I looked at MacRumors' Buyers Guide I didn't realize the 100 odd days since last release was only for the mid-range update.

I ordered a completely maxed out 5k iMac earlier this week, and it's now in "Preparing For Shipment" (can't be canceled)

Would have preferred Skylake, especially if they're going to be using NVIDIA as the graphics. Oh well, live & learn.

 

[EnesM]

Oh god. I screwed up. When I looked at MacRumors' Buyers Guide I didn't realize the 100 odd days since last release was only for the mid-range update.

I ordered a completely maxed out 5k iMac earlier this week, and it's now in "Preparing For Shipment" (can't be canceled)

Would have preferred Skylake, especially if they're going to be using NVIDIA as the graphics. Oh well, live & learn.

Consensus here is no nVidia any time soon, Skylake maybe

 

[Inksworth]

Consensus here is no nVidia any time soon, Skylake maybe

It's anecdotal, but from what I've heard for OpenCL and some compute tasks AMD is better than nVidia on Mac anyway. It's not the gamer option, but hey, at least it's got a content creation benefit.

Crossing my fingers for a Sept 30 or sooner refresh... It's happened before that when the back-to-school promotion ends they push out new hardware, right? I don't even necessarily need Skylake, though target display mode would be nice (not required, of course) if it makes a comeback.

Really, all I care about it getting the most for my money, and the smoothest experience I can get. I'm not planning on gaming on this thing anyway (I've got a PC built for VR stuff), I just want to get into iOS game dev with it (finally.)

Waaagh. Come on, Apple!

 

[Sirmausalot]

Consensus here is no nVidia any time soon, Skylake maybe

Intel just can't seem to get Skylake chips out the door (and barely Broadwell) They can announce them, but real world supplies are LOW. Even worse, the Skylake desktop chip that would head to the iMac is the 6700U which clocks in at 3.4 with a boost to 4.0 -- less than the current high end i7 Haswell processor and might even benchmark less even with performance enhancements. From a marketing standpoint, a huge fail. It also requires a new chipset and new RAM -- expenses Apple might not want to absorb unless they do a redesign and can get a faster clock speed.

The rumored upgrade to the m295X graphics chip is a rebrand to the m395X -- with a slight uptick in clock speed. All we can hope for is the rumored upgrade to the screen -- not just for the 21.5 to 4k, but better color saturation on both models -- perhaps something they can trumpet as Retina HDR.

The top end iMac is Apple's flagship computer and when the retina version came out last year, it was a fantastic computer with a top of the line CPU and a strong (albeit mobile) GPU -- but for the iMac line much stronger than previous versions and really cutting edge. Still, worth waiting a couple of more weeks to see if there is the expected October refresh to both the 21.5 and the 27....

 

[Buerkletucson]

Intel just can't seem to get Skylake chips out the door (and barely Broadwell) They can announce them, but real world supplies are LOW. Even worse, the Skylake desktop chip that would head to the iMac is the 6700U which clocks in at 3.4 with a boost to 4.0 -- less than the current high end i7 Haswell processor and might even benchmark less even with performance enhancements. From a marketing standpoint, a huge fail. It also requires a new chipset and new RAM -- expenses Apple might not want to absorb unless they do a redesign and can get a faster clock speed.

The rumored upgrade to the m295X graphics chip is a rebrand to the m395X -- with a slight uptick in clock speed. All we can hope for is the rumored upgrade to the screen -- not just for the 21.5 to 4k, but better color saturation on both models -- perhaps something they can trumpet as Retina HDR.

The top end iMac is Apple's flagship computer and when the retina version came out last year, it was a fantastic computer with a top of the line CPU and a strong (albeit mobile) GPU -- but for the iMac line much stronger than previous versions and really cutting edge. Still, worth waiting a couple of more weeks to see if there is the expected October refresh to both the 21.5 and the 27....

Excellent information...

As a new customer to Apple iMac I don't know the history of the machines reliability and potential issues on new upgrades.
As mentioned previously I just ordered a 27" Retina and expect it next week and I'm sure I'll be quite happy with it despite any possible updates in the next months. In it's current form it's been out for 10+ months and should be a pretty solid machine.

Have there been teething issues with new iMac releases and upgrades?

 

[MacCurry]

I should have read this thread first. I don't hesitate to buy Macs. As such, I needed to replace my early 2008 24" iMac and ordered the 27" Retina iMac from the Apple Store with local pick up this afternoon. Did I make a mistake and should I cancel? My 2008 iMac is getting slow, but still works, more than likely it is the hard drive more than anything else I suspect.

If you guys could advise me in the next few hours would be great.

 

[Juliemcg1]

From where I sit, at a 2008 Mac Pro, I certainly see value in waiting only depending upon what you do with your Mac. I am perfectly happy with my Pro, but I don't do any video or intensive graphics. I bought what I felt would last the longest as a working computer, not what I thought was the fastest. I wanted to not worry about replacement as I have very limited budget. It has worked out fine and barring disaster with the Pro will serve in a secondary role for some time.

 

[Sirmausalot]

I should have read this thread first. I don't hesitate to buy Macs. As such, I needed to replace my early 2008 24" iMac and ordered the 27" Retina iMac from the Apple Store with local pick up this afternoon. Did I make a mistake and should I cancel? My 2008 iMac is getting slow, but still works, more than likely it is the hard drive more than anything else I suspect.

If you guys could advise me in the next few hours would be great.

It partly depends on what you are doing with the iMac and how badly you need it this week as opposed to waiting until October for more information (not the actual machine because no one know when they are shipping). Certainly it is a very, very bad time to get a 21.5" iMac as all signs point to a major upgrade (retina screen) within weeks. How will you feel if we get three weeks and they announce a minor upgrade to the 27" iMac. How will you feel if you live without a decent machine for three to six more weeks. I am frustrated as hell because I have a movie to edit and don't have a machine to work on. But I will wait until October to see if there is some sort of upgrade.