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When do you expect an iMac redesign?

  • 4rd quarter 2019

    Votes: 34 4.1%
  • 1st quarter 2020

    Votes: 23 2.8%
  • 2nd quarter 2020

    Votes: 119 14.5%
  • 3rd quarter 2020

    Votes: 131 15.9%
  • 4rd quarter 2020

    Votes: 172 20.9%
  • 2021 or later

    Votes: 343 41.7%

  • Total voters
    822
  • Poll closed .

CWallace

macrumors G5
Aug 17, 2007
12,127
10,889
Seattle, WA
It will probably be the 2032 iMac and Pro Display XDR, but when MicroLED production is to the point they can make panels in the low four-figure range (as opposed to the current low-six figure range)... ?

 

Freida

Suspended
Oct 22, 2010
4,077
5,870
Looks great but the price is mainly due to the size. Possibly around 4-5x more expensive tech than MiniLED

so in about 3-5 years it should be down to usable level :)


It will probably be the 2032 iMac and Pro Display XDR, but when MicroLED production is to the point they can make panels in the low four-figure range (as opposed to the current low-six figure range)... ?

 

neuralengine

macrumors regular
Jul 13, 2020
133
63
I wonder if the new iMac will follow the MacBook Pros’ transition to 254 ppi. That would put it at 5,966px, just a few pixels shy of 6K, at 27".
 

Onimusha370

macrumors 6502a
Aug 25, 2010
921
1,264
I wonder if the new iMac will follow the MacBook Pros’ transition to 254 ppi. That would put it at 5,966px, just a few pixels shy of 6K, at 27".
I was just thinking about this today… I feel like they have a history of doing this in prior retina macs (using identical PPIs) in order to drive efficiencies in production of the displays. Makes a lot of sense and hopefully keeps the cost sensible.

Not sure how it’d work with scaling though, presumably the size of UI elements will be smaller than the old iMacs, barring any scaling tweaks?
 

Freida

Suspended
Oct 22, 2010
4,077
5,870
And by the looks of it we won't see >30" iMac in 2022 either. 27" it seems - which I feel is a shame.
Unless they do 27 and 32.

30" ACD was perfect back then. Either way, we only have few more months to go. By WWDC we will probably know everything : )




Question:
"Will a >30" redesigned iMac arrive in 2021?"

Answer:
It didn't.
 

neuralengine

macrumors regular
Jul 13, 2020
133
63
I was just thinking about this today… I feel like they have a history of doing this in prior retina macs (using identical PPIs) in order to drive efficiencies in production of the displays. Makes a lot of sense and hopefully keeps the cost sensible.

Not sure how it’d work with scaling though, presumably the size of UI elements will be smaller than the old iMacs, barring any scaling tweaks?
The change to the UI scale would be greater on the iMac than on MacBook Pros, and possibly too much for the iMac. Going to a 5966 width would make the logical width 2983. Assuming they go to 254 ppi and keep the same ratio (no notch), that would make the default logical resolution 2983 × 1677, so the UI elements would be a size that is somewhere between the two current “More space” scaled resolutions, closer to the first one (2880 x 1620).

Recent generations of MacBook Pros have defaulted to a scaled resolution that wasn’t true 0.5x, so the jump to 254 ppi there didn’t result in big UI size changes. The previous 13" ran at a logical 1440 × 900 and the current 14" is at 1512 × 982. The math is a bit more complicated because of the ratio change and the notch but the UI didn’t shrink too much.

Personally I would like the iMac to go to a greater pixel density because I find the current default of 2560 × 1440 only works great for apps designed to take up the whole screen, like Logic or Final Cut – but it’s a little small if you have a workflow where it’s better to have a few windows up without overlapping. The scaled resolutions handle this better but the tradeoff is a noticeable decrease in sharpness. A native 0.5x resolution of around 3000px wide would be ideal for this, but would probably make the UI elements too small for Apple’s taste.

As for panel efficiencies, one argument against that is that currently the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro panels are different ppis despite having similar specs otherwise.

So I’m actually now also starting to think that it will probably just be the same pixel density as the current one.
 

Freida

Suspended
Oct 22, 2010
4,077
5,870
Thats great. Probably not something I'll get as I'm sure the price will be crazy but I hope we get bigger display too. If that was the case and we had 27" and 32" then perhaps I could find the funds as that would make a big difference for me. Otherwise, 27 Max with 32gpu is most likely what I'll get :)
I really hope we get black bezels and not the awful white ones

New rumor 12 core imp possible.
 

CWallace

macrumors G5
Aug 17, 2007
12,127
10,889
Seattle, WA
I wonder if this new 12-core model means no "M1 MAX Duo" option or if those high-core-count SoCs will not be available until the end of the year and Apple still wants to get this iMac Pro out in 1H 2022 and this 12-core model would allow Apple to position it above the M1 MAX in the MacBook Pro line.
 
Last edited:

Freida

Suspended
Oct 22, 2010
4,077
5,870
I somehow feel that this Duo setup will be for the Mac Pro rather than iMac. Unless we are really getting 27 and very high end 32 (literally like the Pro was)

Not sure, somehow I don't see it for iMac but we will find out soon.

Ideally, I would like to get mac mini and Apple display. With the advancements of AS it may be a wise solution as its easier to update the mini than the whole iMac. :)

I hope we get the new Apple displays at WWDC :)

I wonder if this new 12-core model means no "M1 MAX Duo" option or if those high-core-count SoCs will not be available until the end of the year and Apple still wants to get this iMac Pro out in 1H 2022 and this 12-core model would allow Apple to position it above the M1 MAX in the MacBook Pro line.
 

Juuro

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
404
397
Germany
I wonder if this new 12-core model means no "M1 MAX Duo" option or if those high-core-count SoCs will not be available until the end of the year and Apple still wants to get this iMac Pro out in 1H 2022 and this 12-core model would allow Apple to position it above the M1 MAX in the MacBook Pro line.
I wonder if this 12-core chip IS the "M1 Max Duo" just with two M1 Max where only six cores each are turned on. That way they could have an even higher yield from their M1 Max production. I think it wouldn't make sense for Apple to create a new chip just for the hight iMac Pro configuration. :rolleyes:
 

CWallace

macrumors G5
Aug 17, 2007
12,127
10,889
Seattle, WA
I wonder if this 12-core chip IS the "M1 Max Duo" just with two M1 Max where only six cores each are turned on. That way they could have an even higher yield from their M1 Max production. I think it wouldn't make sense for Apple to create a new chip just for the high iMac Pro configuration. :rolleyes:

I think that is a plausible idea:

Offer a 12-core (10P/2E) model for the "consumer/prosumer" iMac 5K.
Offer a 14-20 core model for the "professional" iMac 5K Pro.
 

JouniS

macrumors 6502a
Nov 22, 2020
614
377
I wonder if this 12-core chip IS the "M1 Max Duo" just with two M1 Max where only six cores each are turned on. That way they could have an even higher yield from their M1 Max production. I think it wouldn't make sense for Apple to create a new chip just for the hight iMac Pro configuration. :rolleyes:
It's better to assume that Apple does chip binning by disabling perfectly functional CPU/GPU cores. The cores take such a small fraction of the die that it's unlikely that any defects would hit something that can be conveniently disabled rather than something non-redundant. That's a drawback of the SoC approach – in a traditional CPU/GPU chip, cores take much larger fraction of die area.
 

Juuro

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
404
397
Germany
I think that is a plausible idea:

Offer a 12-core (10P/2E) model for the "consumer/prosumer" iMac 5K.
Offer a 14-20 core model for the "professional" iMac 5K Pro.
That would be great. ? Ich think the already existing M1 Pro and M1 Max will also be definitely an option in the bigger iMac. Would be a nice surprise if those were the lower power options. ?
It's better to assume that Apple does chip binning by disabling perfectly functional CPU/GPU cores. The cores take such a small fraction of the die that it's unlikely that any defects would hit something that can be conveniently disabled rather than something non-redundant. That's a drawback of the SoC approach – in a traditional CPU/GPU chip, cores take much larger fraction of die area.
Yeah, I'm sure they also use some of the perfect SoCs as binned ones but don't forget that they don't only bin the CPU, but also the GPU and the RAM.
 

Juuro

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
404
397
Germany
Yes the tweet noted that there would be lower-level options, as well, which would almost certainly be M1 Pro and M1 Max.
I know, I just expected the iMac until now to have maybe one super high end option with some kind of "M1 Max Duo" option. If your idea with the 12 core being the normal model and a 14-20 core option being the high end option comes true the M1 Pro and Max would only be the really low level options.
Unless they will release a lineup with M1 Pro, Max and 12-core Duo this spring and top it up later in the fall or winter with a 20-core Duo.
 

JouniS

macrumors 6502a
Nov 22, 2020
614
377
Yeah, I'm sure they also use some of the perfect SoCs as binned ones but don't forget that they don't only bin the CPU, but also the GPU and the RAM.
I mean binning perfectly fine chips is the norm and salvaging chips with defects by disabling some cores is the rare exception. Apple may not even bother doing that, because chips with salvageable defects may be so rare that could be more cost-effective to simply discard them.

RAM is unrelated to binning, as it's on separate chips designed by another company and manufactured separately using a different process.
 

Juuro

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
404
397
Germany
I mean binning perfectly fine chips is the norm and salvaging chips with defects by disabling some cores is the rare exception. Apple may not even bother doing that, because chips with salvageable defects may be so rare that could be more cost-effective to simply discard them.
Is it known how high Apple's yield is? I remember that around ten years ago some yields of Intel and Nvidia were 60% or even lower. Maybe the manufacturing processes also gotten much better and we don't know what Apples yields are. But if they're around 60% it would make sense to automate the checking of the dies and use the not perfect chips.
RAM is unrelated to binning, as it's on separate chips designed by another company and manufactured separately using a different process.
Whoops, you're absolutely right of course. I messed that up.
 

JouniS

macrumors 6502a
Nov 22, 2020
614
377
Is it known how high Apple's yield is? I remember that around ten years ago some yields of Intel and Nvidia were 60% or even lower. Maybe the manufacturing processes also gotten much better and we don't know what Apples yields are. But if they're around 60% it would make sense to automate the checking of the dies and use the not perfect chips.
Roughly speaking, 1/4 of an M1/Pro/Max chip consists of CPU/GPU cores, while 3/4 is something else. By naive estimation, 3/4 of chips with a single defect must be discarded, because the defect broke something non-redundant. And if the defects occur in clusters instead of being independently distributed, the fraction of chips with at least one defect that must be discarded is even higher.

Intel and Nvidia produce chips where most of the area is covered by CPU/GPU cores. When defects occur, they are far more likely to hit something that can be disabled rather than unique special-purpose modules.
 
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