iMac (Intel)
From Mac Guides
The Intel-based iMac was announced at Macworld San Francisco on January 10, 2006 and began shipping immediately. The first Intel based iMacs used a Core Duo processor and came in an identical form factor to their predecessor. They were available for the same price (depending on country), but were, according to Apple, up to 2-3 times faster than the iMac G5. Later iMacs used Core 2 Duo processors, and the current revision comes in an aluminum and glass form factor similar to the iPhone.
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Rev. D
Overview
The Revision D iMacs were released silently on April 28, 2008. The biggest change was the introduction of Intel's latest processors based on the Montevina platform which is officially scheduled for release in June 2008. Other changes included faster RAM, the inclusion of Bluetooth 2.1, a high-end graphics card option (8800 GTS with 512 MB GDDR3 memory), a price drop on the high-end model and 2 GB standard on the high-end 20" and low-end 24" model.
Specifications
| Low-end 20" | High-end 20-inch | Low-end 24-inch | High-end 24-inch (online only) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (USD) | $1,199 | $1,499 | $1,799 | $2,199 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.66 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.8 GHz | Intel Core 2 Extreme at 3.06 GHz |
| 1066 MHz system bus, 6 MB shared L2 cache | ||||
| Memory | 1 GB (1x1 GB) 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-6400) | 2GB (2x1 GB) 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-6400) | ||
| Supports up to 4 GB (2x2 GB) | ||||
| Storage | 250 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 320 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 500 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | |
| BTO options of up to 500 GB | BTO options of up to 750 GB | BTO options of up to 1 TB | ||
| Media | Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x Dual Layer burn (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) | |||
| Display | 20" 1680x1050 800:1 contrast glossy LCD | 24" 1920x1200 750:1 contrast glossy LCD | ||
| Graphics | ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128 MB GDDR3 memory | ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256 MB GDDR3 memory | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512 MB GDDR3 memory | |
| No BTO options | BTO option of NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512 MB GDDR3 memory | No BTO options | ||
| Audio | Analog/Optical Out, Analog/Optical In | |||
| Wireless | AirPort Extreme (a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR | |||
| Front Row | Yes - Apple Remote included | |||
| Modem | No - Upgrade option for Apple USB Modem | |||
| Other | Gigabit Ethernet, iSight camera, New Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Cleaning Cloth | |||
Benchmarks
- BareFeats - Radeon HD 2600 Pro vs. GeForce 8800 GS on Rev. D iMacs
- BareFeats - CPU tests
- BareFeats - Core Image Performance
Rev. C
Overview
Introduced at a media event on August 7, 2007, the new iMac marked the first major redesign for an Intel-based Mac. The new aluminum and glass combination as well as the addition of FireWire 800 was designed to make the iMac appear to have more in common with Apple's professional product line. Glossy displays were introduced to the iMac line, which offer improved contrast but a more reflective surface.
Specifications
| Low-end 20" | High-end 20-inch | Low-end 24-inch | High-end 24-inch (online only) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (USD) | $1,199 | $1,499 | $1,799 | $2,299 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.0 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz | Intel Core 2 Extreme at 2.8 GHz | |
| 800 MHz system bus, 4 MB shared L2 cache | ||||
| Memory | 1 GB (1x1 GB) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) | 2GB (2x1 GB) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) | ||
| Supports up to 4 GB (2x2 GB) | ||||
| Storage | 250 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 320 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 500 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | |
| BTO options of up to 500 GB | BTO options of up to 750 GB | BTO options of up to 1 TB | ||
| Media | Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x Dual Layer burn (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) | |||
| Display | 20" 1680x1050 800:1 contrast glossy LCD | 24" 1920x1200 750:1 contrast glossy LCD | ||
| Graphics | ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128 MB GDDR3 memory | ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256 MB GDDR3 memory | ||
| Audio | Analog/Optical Out, Analog/Optical In | |||
| Wireless | AirPort Extreme (a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR | |||
| Front Row | Yes - Apple Remote included | |||
| Modem | No - Upgrade option for Apple USB Modem | |||
| Other | Gigabit Ethernet, iSight camera, New Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Cleaning Cloth | |||
Benchmarks
- BareFeats - Benchmarks in Adobe Applications
- BareFeats - Benchmarks in Professional Applications
- BareFeats - Gaming Benchmarks
Rev. B
Overview
The Revision B iMac re-introduced 64-bit processors to the iMac line. Apple decided to use the mobile variant of the Core 2 Duo (Merom), which offers slightly slower speeds in exchange for lower power consumption and lower heat output when compared to the desktop variant (Conroe). Maximum RAM was increased to 3 GB on all models except low-end 17" iMac. Firewire 800 was also included on the new iMac, making it the first consumer Mac to feature Apple's high-speed port.
The Revision B also introduced a new high-definition 24" model with a resolution of 1920x1200.
Specifications
| Low-end 17" | High-end 17-inch | 20-inch | 24-inch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (USD) | $999 | $1,199 | $1,499 | $1,999 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo at 1.83 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.16 GHz | |
| 667 MHz system bus, 2 MB shared L2 cache | 667 MHz system bus, 4 MB shared L2 cache | |||
| Memory | 512 MB (2x256 MB) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) | 1 GB (2x512 MB) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) | ||
| Supports up to 2 GB (2x1 GB) | Supports up to 3 GB (1x1 GB and 1x2 GB) | |||
| Storage | 160 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 250 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | ||
| BTO options of up to 500 GB | BTO options of up to 750 GB | |||
| Media | Slot-loading 24x Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) | Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x Dual Layer burn (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) | ||
| Display | 17" 1440x900 500:1 contrast LCD | 20" 1680x1050 800:1 contrast LCD | 24" 1920x1200 700:1 contrast LCD | |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64 MB of shared memory | ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3 memory | NVIDIA GeForce 7300GT with 128 MB GDDR3 memory | |
| No BTO options | BTO option of X1600 with 256 MB GDDR3 memory | BTO option of 7600GT with 256 MB GDDR3 memory | ||
| Audio | Analog/Optical Out, Analog/Optical In | |||
| Wireless | AirPort Extreme | AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR | ||
| Front Row | Yes - Apple Remote sold separately | Yes - Apple Remote included | ||
| Modem | No - Upgrade option for Apple USB Modem | |||
| Other | Gigabit Ethernet, iSight camera, Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse | |||
Benchmarks
- BareFeats 20" and 24" iMac Core 2 Duo benchmarks - General tasks
- BareFeats 20" and 24" iMac Core 2 Duo benchmarks - High-resolution gaming
Rev. A
Overview
Announced at January 10, 2006, the new iMac was one of Apple's first Intel-based Macs. There were no design changes made so from the exterior it looks identical to the iMac G5, but there were some key differences inside. Its processor was dual-core unlike the iMac's G5, however it isn't 64-bit capable like the G5 in iMacs. Also the iMac G5 could include up to 2.5 GB of RAM whereas the Intel iMac only had support for 2 GBs. Despite these two shortcomings, Apple claimed the Intel iMac was several times faster than the G5s. However, as very few pieces of software were completely universal and dual-core aware at the time, the Intel iMac's performance would vary wildly between different applications.
On July 5, 2006, Apple introduced a new education-only model of the iMac. Priced at US $899, it was touted as a replacement to the eMac. It came in a 17" form factor and was similar to the traditional 17" model but had a smaller hard disk drive (80 GB), a Combo Drive rather than SuperDrive and a GMA 950 graphics card. Bluetooth and an Apple Remote were not included as standard.
Like all other Macs of the time, the extremely outdated AppleWorks suite was dropped as a standard feature to encourage iWork sales.
Specifications
| 17" (Education Only) | 17-inch | 20-inch | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (USD) | $899 | $1,299 | $1,699 | |
| Processor | Intel Core Duo at 1.83 GHz | Intel Core Duo at 2 GHz | ||
| 667 MHz system bus, 2 MB shared L2 cache | ||||
| Memory | 512 MB (2x256 MB) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) | |||
| Supports up to 2 GB (2x1 GB) | ||||
| Storage | 80 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 160 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | 250 GB Serial ATA at 7200 rpm | |
| BTO options of up to 500 GB | ||||
| Media | Slot-loading 24x Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) | Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x Dual Layer burn (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) | ||
| Display | 17" 1440x900 500:1 contrast LCD | 20" 1680x1050 800:1 contrast LCD | ||
| Graphics | Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64 MB of shared memory | ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3 memory | ||
| No BTO options | BTO option of X1600 with 256 MB GDDR3 memory | |||
| Audio | Analog/Optical Out, Analog/Optical In | |||
| Wireless | AirPort Extreme | AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR | ||
| Front Row | Yes - Apple Remote sold separately | Yes - Apple Remote included | ||
| Modem | No - Upgrade option for Apple USB Modem | |||
| Other | Gigabit Ethernet, iSight camera, Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse | |||
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| Models with Intel processors | |
|---|---|
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iMac | Mac Pro | Mac mini | MacBook | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | Xserve | |
