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.
Contents |
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 | |||
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).
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 | |||
Notes
- Maximum RAM now 3 GB on all models except low-end 17" iMac
- No Internal Modem - Apple USB Modem optional
- Now features a 64-bit processor
- Firewire 800 included for the first time on a consumer Mac (24" model only)
- No longer includes AppleWorks. For word processing, users would need to purchase iWork or Appleworks separately, or use TextEdit (which is included).
- No support for Classic.
- Apple released Boot Camp on April 5, 2006 to allow other x86-based operating systems (including Windows XP) to be installed directly on all Intel-based Macs. The new software requires a firmware update.
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
Specifications
- 17" 1.83 GHz Core Duo, 512 MB RAM, Radeon X1600 128 MB, 160 GB hard drive, 8x SuperDrive, BT + Airport - $1,299
- 20" 2 GHz Core Duo, 512 MB RAM, Radeon X1600 128 MB (BTO upgradeable to 256 MB), 250 GB hard drive, 8x SuperDrive, BT + Airport - $1,699
On July 5, 2006, Apple introduced a new education-only model of the iMac [1]. 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.
Notes
- No FireWire 800 (Also never offered on iMac G5)
- No Internal Modem - Apple USB Modem optional
- Can't have over 2 GBs RAM unlike the iMac G5 (iSight).
- Whereas the G5 was a 64 bit processor, the Intel Core Duo is strictly 32 bit
- Built-in iSight camera is connected via USB internally and is not compatible with all applications that the external Firewire iSight camera is. (Same as iMac G5 iSight)
- No longer includes AppleWorks. For word processing, users would need to purchase iWork or Appleworks separately, or use TextEdit (which is included).
- No support for Classic.
- Apple released Boot Camp on April 5, 2006 to allow other x86-based operating systems (including Windows XP) to be installed directly on all Intel-based Macs. The new software requires a firmware update.
Benchmarks
- Boot time approximately 18 seconds [2]
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| Models with Intel processors | |
|---|---|
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iMac | Mac Pro | Mac mini | MacBook | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | Xserve | |
