24" processor: socketed or soldered?

[nagromme]

Any confirmed evidence either way? I have seen people claiming both.

(2.33 isn't a huge jump, but if you can never change chips later, it becomes more tempting.)

 

[I'mAMac]

Probably soldered to the board. I think you can replace the vid card though...

 

[BlizzardBomb]

I'd assume it was socketed like the other iMacs. Of course that's just a pure guess.

 

[FFTT]

You might ask the folks over at XLR8yourMac.com

Or the guys over at Barefeats

 

[yoak]

Probably soldered to the board. I think you can replace the vid card though...

No you can´t, it´s a link to a review/story somewhere here on MR. The slot seems to just make it easier for manufacturers to put what ever card they are selling. You can´t do it yourself

 

[mrgreen4242]

No you can´t, it´s a link to a review/story somewhere here on MR. The slot seems to just make it easier for manufacturers to put what ever card they are selling. You can´t do it yourself

Well, I'd imagine you're both wrong. I am sure that if you could somehow find a MXM 7600GT card you could put it in to replace the stock 7300GT, but the trouble with that is you can't buy a replacement card anywhere, so good luck. Additionally, if you could find a replacement part, it would almost certainly have to be either a 7300gt or 7600gt from another iMac or from Apple somehow for reasons of firmware and driver compatibility.

 

[Xander562]

i think the CPU is in a socket, just because EVERY OTHER iMac's is. but that's just me.

for the GPU i have no idea.

 

[NextTuesday]

I too think its socketed, you could always open yours up and find out...

 

[twoodcc]

I too think its socketed, you could always open yours up and find out...

i think socketed also.

 

[nagromme]

I'll await confirmation on the processor

(Re the GPU: I'd consider it a matter of whether a THIRD party ever makes an upgrade. Nothing is certain, but I think it's likely one day, judging by all the unofficial enhancements you can get for other past Macs. It wouldn't be a cheap upgrade, but it would be cheaper than buying a whole new Mac. I like having the potential, anyway.)

 

[mrgreen4242]

I'll await confirmation on the processor

(Re the GPU: I'd consider it a matter of whether a THIRD party ever makes an upgrade. Nothing is certain, but I think it's likely one day, judging by all the unofficial enhancements you can get for other past Macs. It wouldn't be a cheap upgrade, but it would be cheaper than buying a whole new Mac. I like having the potential, anyway.)

It's a matter of drivers, really. Eventually someone will start selling MXM graphics cards separately, and assuming you can find an OS X driver for one, it SHOULD work...

 

[nagromme]

Does the 24" MXM card use a standard MXM connector only... or a standard MXM connector AND form factor? (If the latter, then a custom iMac board need not be made. Just drivers as you say.)

 

[nagromme]

Another relevant Q:

Any guesses what a 2.33-2.66 Core 2 Duo chip will cost, by itself, in one year? (I'm not expecting any faster than that to fit in this socket.)

If it's going to cost $250 anyway, I should just upgrade to 2.33 from the start.

 

[kylepro88]

I talked to Apple and the CPU is soldered so I got my CPU upgrade instead of RAM. RAM can be upgraded but the is the one thing that can't.

-Kyle

 

[nagromme]

Thanks! That surprises me, but (probably) the person at Apple knew what they were talking about.

It's not TOO disappointing, since CPU upgrades would always be very limited: Merom's socket is due to change I believe.

Are ALL the C2D iMacs soldered, I wonder?

 

[Silentwave]

Whatever the case it really doesn't matter seeing as the socket in question will top out at 2.33GHz Core 2. You cannot use the 2.66 etc. desktop chips, nor will it support the next version of the mobiles, with 800MT/S FSB, as it uses a new socket!

 

[nagromme]

Do we know for sure that the current socket will get no chips beyond 2.33? Or is that just assumption?

For instance, they're still making faster and faster Yonahs even though Merom is out. So it seems as though there could be more current-socket Meroms out even after Meroms come out for the new socket.

I wouldn't expect MANY more Meroms for the current socket, but has Intel actually said there will be none?