What to expect from iMac 2012 - Discussion

[Digital Skunk]

Yes, I think everyone understands this, or at least I hope. The only thing I seem to be growing tired of is the "Sandy Bridge Evangelists" throughout these iMac forums.

Yes, those of you who bought SB iMacs should be quite satisfied with your purchase for the coming years. Those of you who are buying Ivy Bridge iMacs will also be satisfied for years to come.

SB iMac owners should not be discouraging those who excited to be purchasing IB iMacs. The same should be said for future IB owners, SB iMacs are still more than capable machines and I believe everybody should just be happy with what they have.

Enough said...

Well said, and might I add that many users on these forums seem to exude this type of "buyer's remorse" no matter how long they've had their machines.

Tons of threads about how happy someone is for not waiting, and threads asking: "who's staying with previous generation _____" and so forth. There's only one time in my tech career that the jump from one chip to another increased performance SO MUCH that it warranted an immediate system switch and that is when Apple went to Intel . . . . and ONLY if you owned a laptop system.

 

[forty2j]

Fair point but if you can spend the big money on an iMac that you do surly battery shouldn't be a problem, Right? How much difference will it make? Don't think that much to warranty waiting, Just for minor/minimal gains.

It's not a money issue, it's a convenience issue. Changing batteries often is a poor user experience; things that "just work" without me having to think about the battery is a positive user experience.

Is BT4 on its own a feature worth waiting for? No, but it's a nice perk, if you've got some other feature you were considering waiting for anyway. My #1 is GPU (primarily to increase the life of the system, not because I need the power now), and my #2 is the possible anti-glare screen (as I can only use my 2007 model with the lights off or I get headaches). BT4 would be around #4 or #5 on my list of reasons to wait.

 

[TheWalrus]

Uh, I have a "new version" of the 2011 iMac and it is not prone to problems. I purchased it on release day.

The iMac can always be more powerful. One thing I've noticed about my 2600k is that it never registers more than 50C in intensive CPU tasks, which means the cooling mechanism in the iMac can certainly take on a 4.5-5ghz chip.

The GPU on the other hand, is 2 generations behind. It already gets up to 77-80C on games, I so I assume Apple wants to keep that thermal limitation. A 50-100% performance bump here is needed.

I'm not saying that ALL new versions/models will have problems but some will or could. That is why I said 'prone'...this means they 'could' be more likely as a whole, this doesn't mean that each individual machine is likely to have problems but the batch cod and of course there are always exceptions to every rule and theory...this is basic English!

Yes maybe for some more power is a must but for me what you can get now is enough. My car can do a top speed of 150 mph but I never go that fast!

 

[MacOG728893]

If you currently have a Sandy Bridge processor is it worth going out and getting an Ivy Bridge for an alleged 8%-15% performance increase? Personally I don’t think so.

I would also agree, but many people upgrading to Ivy aren't coming from Sandy, they're coming from much older generation processors and thus, it is most certainly worth the upgrade.

Also for those people, things like USB 3.0/BT 4.0 will just be extra perks.

Should people wait? As always, yes and no. If you're completely without a computer and rely on one to make money and/or do business, then of course, grab a SB setup and like I said, it's more than plenty for years to come.

But for people like me that have Nehalem and have chose to pass up other refreshes, Ivy is gladly welcomed.

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Well said, and might I add that many users on these forums seem to exude this type of "buyer's remorse" no matter how long they've had their machines.

Tons of threads about how happy someone is for not waiting, and threads asking: "who's staying with previous generation _____" and so forth. There's only one time in my tech career that the jump from one chip to another increased performance SO MUCH that it warranted an immediate system switch and that is when Apple went to Intel . . . . and ONLY if you owned a laptop system.

Right, I understand that many people are trying to justify their recently purchased iMacs and as much as I know why, I don't necessarily agree with that. If one is trying to justify their purchase, it is more than likely that those very people are experiencing some form of buyer's remorse.

Those who bought SB iMacs and haven't even had one thought about the imminent refresh are the ones who are truly satisfied with their purchase and should be for very good reasons.

 

[AppleDApp]

I would also agree, but many people upgrading to Ivy aren't coming from Sandy, they're coming from much older generation processors and thus, it is most certainly worth the upgrade.

Also for those people, things like USB 3.0/BT 4.0 will just be extra perks.

Should people wait? As always, yes and no. If you're completely without a computer and rely on one to make money and/or do business, then of course, grab a SB setup and like I said, it's more than plenty for years to come.

But for people like me that have Nehalem and have chose to pass up other refreshes, Ivy is gladly welcomed.

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I had a core 2 duo macbook pro and sold it for the upcoming iMac. For the time being I'm using my dad's macbook pro. Having my own computer will be great.

 

[mzjin]

I'm not saying that ALL new versions/models will have problems but some will or could. That is why I said 'prone'...this means they 'could' be more likely as a whole, this doesn't mean that each individual machine is likely to have problems but the batch cod and of course there are always exceptions to every rule and theory...this is basic English!

Yes maybe for some more power is a must but for me what you can get now is enough. My car can do a top speed of 150 mph but I never go that fast!

Uh, that's a terrible analogy. Faster CPU and GPU speeds are felt in all instances, from faster application performance, to more frames per second, to better looking graphics...

If there is a function you don't actually use, like gaming graphics, that would be a fair assumption, but the CPU is always in use, and anything from iPhoto to handbrake to web surfing will benefit.

 

[kitsunestudios]

I would also agree, but many people upgrading to Ivy aren't coming from Sandy, they're coming from much older generation processors and thus, it is most certainly worth the upgrade.

Also for those people, things like USB 3.0/BT 4.0 will just be extra perks.

That would be me. I'm actually still considering getting a clearance i7 27" Sandy Bridge when Ivy Bridge is released, and just waiting for the new specs and potential price drop on refurbs.

Ultimately, the graphics card and the SSD are going to be the real issues for me for this upgrade. Will the 21" models stop using 512GB Tier-2 graphics cards and old SATA-2 Toshibas? Or will I get more bang for the buck with a refurb 27" i7 SB's 6970m and an aftermarket Intel 520 stuffed in?

 

[TheWalrus]

I think there many people on here that need to get out more and realise that this is a computer we are talking about, not life and death.

It sounds to me like it's ruling you and not ther way around. If you need a computer then buy one, pretty simple really!

 

[iEdd]

If you need a computer then buy one, pretty simple really!

And if you don't need one now, wait. Also valid.

What I don't understand are the people that "need one now" and then complain when a refresh comes out. It's incredibly easy to line up when you update your gear with the new releases. I've never bought an Apple product later than about 1 week after launch - why pay the same for old tech vs getting it on launch?

 

[KingJosh]

I think there many people on here that need to get out more and realise that this is a computer we are talking about, not life and death.

It sounds to me like it's ruling you and not ther way around. If you need a computer then buy one, pretty simple really!

I agree but you wouldn't want to go buy an iMac between now and the next one

 

[iSayuSay]

Just like iPhone 4S upgrade for iPhone 4 users, most people who happens to own iMac with Sandy Bridge CPUs shouldn't find 2012 iMac upgrade enticing.

Ivy Bridge bring almost nothing to CPU improvement, Intel focus on less TDP for IB CPUs and hardly improve anything over last year's SB performance. Maybe the major improvement is native USB 3.0 support. That would be the "Siri" aspect for 2012 iMac.

I personally would hold down with my perfectly fine and capable 2011 iMac. But for people out there who find themselves in dire and dying need to always have the latest and greatest, well suit yourself and prepare to sell your "old" 2011 iMac

 

[NextGenApple]

Just like iPhone 4S upgrade for iPhone 4 users, most people who happens to own iMac with Sandy Bridge CPUs shouldn't find 2012 iMac upgrade enticing.

Ivy Bridge bring almost nothing to CPU improvement, Intel focus on less TDP for IB CPUs and hardly improve anything over last year's SB performance. Maybe the major improvement is native USB 3.0 support. That would be the "Siri" aspect for 2012 iMac.

I personally would hold down with my perfectly fine and capable 2011 iMac. But for people out there who find themselves in dire and dying need to always have the latest and greatest, well suit yourself and prepare to sell your "old" 2011 iMac

Agreed with everything above. It's crazy someone would consider losing money on a 2011 iMac just to have a 2012 model. If there are people out there like that plus on this forum then it's clear they need help. Don't care how much money one has using this philosophy will lead to financial ruin. For those upgrading from C2D it's understandable. It's not a cheap product to upgrade yearly. Some will say the offset is you don't lose much, me I like to see differences in performance. Each to their own really.

 

[mzjin]

Just like iPhone 4S upgrade for iPhone 4 users, most people who happens to own iMac with Sandy Bridge CPUs shouldn't find 2012 iMac upgrade enticing.

Ivy Bridge bring almost nothing to CPU improvement, Intel focus on less TDP for IB CPUs and hardly improve anything over last year's SB performance. Maybe the major improvement is native USB 3.0 support. That would be the "Siri" aspect for 2012 iMac.

I personally would hold down with my perfectly fine and capable 2011 iMac. But for people out there who find themselves in dire and dying need to always have the latest and greatest, well suit yourself and prepare to sell your "old" 2011 iMac

Clock for clock Ivy Bridge represents 20% increase in performance, should be lower TDP, run cooler etc.

That means that in an iMac, the Core i7 option will be a 3.5/3.9 part that also represents a 3% gain in clock speed. 23% increase in performance in one year is nothing to sneeze at.

The only reason I would actually sell my 2011 27" Core i7 6970M iMac is if the new GPU is going to represent a 100% gain in performance. Otherwise, Diablo 3 will already run fine on the 6970M (as would Guild Wars 2 and several other big ticket games).

Ivy Bridge is mostly exciting for Macbook Airs, as those should be getting something like 10 hour battery lives... as well as Macbook Pro, given the severely constrained cooling design of the Apple Laptops.

I am most certainly going to pick up a 15" Ivy Bridge MBP.

 

[lifeguard90]

what gpu options do you guys think are most likely for high end 27"

any chance they'll squeeze in a real desktop gpu somehow

 

[Atomic Ed]

I think some people are thinking because somone doesn't want to wait for the refresh, that it has to be buyers remorse but I believe there are many good reasons people have that are based on other things than some realize. I have been an IT pro for almost 30 years now and one thing I learned, and especially in todays times were quality no longer exists in any fashion close to years ago, any new model released today, regardless of manufacturer, is taking a risk kind of like gambling. There are inevietably going to be problems with new models but to what degree and how long to resolution is the gamble. I had always been one of the people right on the edge with having the latst tech for many years and even used to beta test hardware for major manufacturers. Had to modify my own boards and such to get them working back then. However it was not only extremely expensive but very time consuming as well.

So to me now I can tell you that I still like having newer technology but I will no longer buy the first release of anything. I have been stuck many times over the years with new releases that never got resolved. Even from apple products, like the 8600m gt isssue. Anyway my approach now is to buy one release back towards the end of its life on purpose which gives the manufacturer time to resolve most of the major bugs via ECNs, software pathches etc.

This is my current approach and it doesn,t come with buyers remorse, the ivy release will most likely add up to a 7% increase over sandy bridge, introduce new challenges for the model line and also no one knows for sure what screens will be like and such. If they remove the glossy screen for only a matte one then I would no be interested at all. But thats my taste. So there is also the unknown factor in the new models which may not appeal to everyone.

Funny thing too that reinforces my approach is I am one that also decided not to wait for the refresh becaus of the reasons I just explained, so I got a deal at bestbuy on a new 27" imac, brand new sealed box, and keep in mind this is late in the model life, got it home tried to boot it up and it just kept locking up and rebooting on the initial setup screen. After a few hard resets by pulling the power cord it would no longer even get past the apple logo screen. An obvious hardware issue. So i boxed it p brought it back and they gave me a new one which works great. So case inpoint is that even defects that occur can and still do even late in the model life cycle.

Well while I agree some may truly have buyers remorse on some purchases but keep in mind not everyone does or is crazy buying at the tail end of a model cycle. There are many good reasons and it can save you both time and money as well as alot of headaches you wont need.

 

[forty2j]

what gpu options do you guys think are most likely for high end 27"

any chance they'll squeeze in a real desktop gpu somehow

They would need to thicken the case by about 1.5-2 inches in order to get a desktop gpu with appropriate cooling in there. Don't count on it.

90% chance the top-end GPU will be the AMD 7970m, coming out this month. Nvidia's options are further behind. The same GPU will be on the top-end laptop offering from Alienware.

 

[EntropyQ3]

Clock for clock Ivy Bridge represents 20% increase in performance

Anandtech has already benchmarked Ivy Bridge. It doesn't give any significant improvement whatsoever clock for clock.

It does bring benefits in terms of power draw and (some models) improved integrated graphics.

I'm sure Apple will find other ways to make the new iMacs attractive, although it bears remembering that they probably target new users rather than upgraders.

 

[AppleDApp]

Anyone know when the back to school promo starts? I want to get my Mac during the promo.

 

[forty2j]

Anyone know when the back to school promo starts? I want to get my Mac during the promo.

Probably sometime after school lets out

Isn't it usually August? Maybe last week of July?

 

[AppleDApp]

Probably sometime after school lets out

Then sometime in may probably or june for high school.

 

[theSeb]

Anandtech has already benchmarked Ivy Bridge. It doesn't give any significant improvement whatsoever clock for clock.

It does bring benefits in terms of power draw and (some models) improved integrated graphics.

I'm sure Apple will find other ways to make the new iMacs attractive, although it bears remembering that they probably target new users rather than upgraders.

When did Anandtech benchmark ivy bridge CPUs? Especially the desktop ones?

 

[EntropyQ3]

When did Anandtech benchmark ivy bridge CPUs? Especially the desktop ones?

Here:http://www.anandtech.com/show/5626/ivy-bridge-preview-core-i7-3770k

Very little to write home about indeed. Even the power savings are very modest, but may improve slightly with future steppings. No new memory options either. The main benefit lies in the HD4000 graphics, for those that use it.

Apple would be wise to promote other aspects of the new iMacs.

 

[theSeb]

Here:http://www.anandtech.com/show/5626/ivy-bridge-preview-core-i7-3770k

Very little to write home about indeed. Even the power savings are very modest, but may improve slightly with future steppings. No new memory options either. The main benefit lies in the HD4000 graphics, for those that use it.

Apple would be wise to promote other aspects of the new iMacs.

Seems like quite large improvements to me.

 

[leman]

Here:http://www.anandtech.com/show/5626/ivy-bridge-preview-core-i7-3770k

Very little to write home about indeed. Even the power savings are very modest, but may improve slightly with future steppings. No new memory options either. The main benefit lies in the HD4000 graphics, for those that use it.

Apple would be wise to promote other aspects of the new iMacs.

15% performance improvements paired with 15% less energy usage are great improvements for a die shrink. What did you expect, doubling of CPU performance each year?

 

[Cygnus311]

My 6 year old MacBook's display made some scary flickers and put some odd black lines on the screen for a few seconds last night. This new iMac can't come soon enough!