On Tuesday , Apple announcedanew genesis of iMac models , running at fastness up to 3.4 GHz and power by the next generation of Intel Core i5 and Core i7 central processor . The manikin also build in support for the new Thunderbolt high - speed peripheral link interface that debut in Apple ’s MacBook Pro line earlier this year .
The watchword of the young good example is “ functioning , ” thanks to improvements in the central processing unit line , graphic computer architecture , and Thunderbolt porthole .
In terms of processors , Apple has shifted to Intel ’s 2nd - coevals Core engineering — codenamed “ Sandy Bridge”—for the iMac line . “ What Intel has done is very tightly engineer the CPU , the nontextual matter , the cache , and the computer memory controller on a individual die , ” said Apple ’s David Moody , vice Chief Executive of hardware product marketing . Moody say this accelerates data transfer between processor element , result in some impressive performance gain .
In addition , the mainframe architecture upgrade has enable a transition to quad - core processor configurations across the iMac line — in comparison , the former iMac line had only a single quad - core configuration on the high - execution model .
“ What we see as a outcome of moving from dual - core to quad - core and quondam architecture to new computer architecture is 70 percent faster carrying out than the honest-to-god model , ” say Apple ’s Moody . “ Even in the top - death , moving from the sometime quad - core configuration to the new quad - essence configuration has take care 30 pct faster performance . “
Processors are n’t the only place that the iMac has seen a significant boost ; the desktop production line now sports the latest propagation of AMD Radeon HD discrete graphics processors . The high - end Radeon HD 6790 M boasts 1.3 teraflop of performance and is up to 80 per centum faster than the late generation . Moody key out the technology as “ Mac Pro - class graphics ” and said it ’s the “ first time we have the same spirit level of operation in the iMac that you ’d have in a Mac Pro . ” The gains are n’t limited to gamy - end either ; even the entry - tier version ’s Radeon HD 6750 thou graphics central processing unit clocks in at three time quicker than the previous configuration .
For external connectivity , the Modern iMacs sport the same Thunderbolt port precede inApple ’s unexampled MacBook Pro dividing line released in February . Co - developed with Intel , Thunderbolt offers two bi - directional canal that can transfer datum at up to 10Gbps each—12 time faster than the theoretic maximum of FireWire 800 . The applied science is based on the PCI Express communications protocol that most Macs role for internal I / O , but via adapters it can support pretty much any other type of connectivity communications protocol , including FireWire , USB , and Gigabit Ethernet .
The smaller iMac romp a single Thunderbolt porthole while the larger interpretation includes two — Moody affirm that those ports are independent as well , meaning that users essentially have four 10Gbps channel . That allows , for the first metre , the 27 - in iMac to drivetwoexternal video display — and that ’s in accession to other gamey - speed peripherals . Moody also said that the borrowing of Thunderbolt is come on , with several vendors foretell plans for compatible computer peripheral at the NAB show last month .
As with the MacBook Pro refresh also earlier this year , the iMac line also now has a FaceTime HD camera for video conferencing . The photographic camera supports 720p high - definition video in a 16 by 9 widescreen data formatting , and supports a wide of the mark viewing angle to make it easier for multiple mass to get in the picture . High - definition telecasting shout are only supported between Macs with a FaceTime HD camera , such as the iMac and MacBook Pros — calls with other Macs or iOS gadget are limited to standard definition .
The raw machine comes in four canonical configurations : two 21.5 - in models with a 2.5GHz Quad - Core Intel Core i5 and 2.7GHz Quad - Core Intel Core i5 central processor respectively , and two 27 - inch models with a 2.7GHz Quad - Core Intel Core i5 and 3.1GHz Quad - Core Intel i5 . Apple is also offering build - to - order WWW - only options to bump the 21.5 - inch model to a 2.8GHz quad - magnetic core Intel Core i7 , and the 27 - column inch mannikin to a 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 ; the i7 processor upgrades add $ 200 to the cost .
The low - end 21.5 - inch mannequin sport a 500 GB hard drive and an AMD Radeon HD 6750 M with 512 MB of video random memory , while the more powerful 21.5 - in conformation has a 1 TB hard private road and an AMD Radeon HD 6770 M with 512 MB of video random access memory . Both versions feature a 1920 by 1080 pixel showing and 4 GB of memory . They retail for $ 1,199 and $ 1,499 severally .
Both of the 27 - in models rollick a 1 TB backbreaking ride , 4 GB of RAM , and a 2560 by 1440 pixel presentation . The 2.7GHz model has an AMD Radeon HD 6770 M with 512 MB of picture tup , while the 3.1GHz model has an AMD Radeon HD 6970 M with 1 GB of video RAM . They cost $ 1,699 and $ 1,999 respectively .
extra progress - to - fiat option include 2 TB strong drives , an extra 256 GB substantial - state drive instead of or alongside the main drive , and up to 16 GB of DDR3 storage . Customers can choose a Magic Mouse , a Magic Trackpad , or both with their order .
The new iMac also meets the Energy Star 5.2 requirement and achieves EPEAT Gold military rank , concord to Apple . The computer is build with component that are loose of mercury , arsenic , PVC , and bromate flame retardants .
