ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro vs. nVidia GeForce 9400M

[Star Destroyer]

So i looked at the refurb store (Canada) and noticed the title says "Refurbished iMac 20-inch 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo" and the GPU says "ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory"

When you click the link and scroll down to the tech specs part the GPU reads ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory"

So is that to say the 2600 XT IS the 2600 Pro everyone here is talking about? or is it a typo and thats actually a different chip ?
I dont want to buy it thinking im getting one thing and it ships with something less.
I checked the 2.8ghz refurb and it says 2600 Pro in both locations, so what does the 20inch 2.66ghz refurb imac come with ?

heres the link http://store.apple.com/ca_edu_115679/product/FB324LL/A?mco=MjE0NjA3MA

 

[NorrisKillsKids]

I'm fairly positive that it is a typo and the one listed in the spec overview is the real one. So yeah it should be the XT. That's a pretty significant typo though, someone should tell em.

 

[mikesjo]

Do the older iMacs max out at 6GB system ram even though it says 4GB on the site? I thought I read some discussions on this. Can someone clarify?

Thanks.

 

[megastuff999]

Older iMacs max out at 4GB memory. I think you are thinking of the Alu (Oct 2008 onwards) MacBooks which can do 6GB with a 4GB and 2GB SODIMM.

That 4GB limit on the 2008 iMacs is one mark against it I suppose but the thing is, by the time 4GB DDR3 is a sensible price, they'll probably be somthing better on the scene anyway. I think the refurb 2.8 with upgraded memory definitely seems like a better/more cost effective set-up.

 

[mudenza]

Older iMacs max out at 4GB memory.

Wrong. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/607076/

RADEON HD 4850 (new iMac) >8800GS (old iMac) > GT 130 (new iMac) > GT 120 (new iMac)= RADEON 2600 PRO (old iMac) > GEFORCE 9400M (new iMac and Mini) > RADEON 2400 XT (old iMac) > INTEL GMA 950 (old Mini)

Thats how I look at it. The 9600M is twice as fast as a 2600 Pro, but thats at 1440x900, not at 1900x2000. Furthermore, ATI just does the pro apps better.

 

[megastuff999]

Wrong. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/607076/

Excellent - you learn something everyday!

 

[Ashmanspice]

from reading this, I get the sense that buying my imac in january, i got a better computer than I would of if I spent the same amount on an imac today. am I right?

 

[binh514]

Oh so i did a great choice to buy my Imac 24" in november back then !

 

[Eidorian]

But know this: RADEON HD 4850 (new iMac) > GEFORCE 8800GS (old iMac, thanks to Jack Flash) > GT 130 (new iMac) > GT 120 (new iMac) > RADEON 2600 PRO (old iMac) > GEFORCE 9400M (new iMac and Mini) >= RADEON 2400 XT (old iMac) > INTEL GMA 950 (old Mini)

Glad I'm not the only one that knows what's going on.

 

[kockgunner]

OK, here is how I rank those iMacs:

1: The new 2.66 one [IF YOU UPGRADE TO GT 130 (better) OR RADEON HD 4850 (by far the best)] (best video + more RAM)
2: The refurb exactly as you made it IF YOU GET MORE RAM! (OK video + more RAM)
(tie): The new one exactly as you said. (more RAM but crap video)
(tie): The old one exactly as you said. (better VIDEO but less RAM)

But know this: RADEON HD 4850 (new iMac) > GEFORCE 8800GS (old iMac, thanks to Jack Flash) > GT 130 (new iMac) > GT 120 (new iMac) > RADEON 2600 PRO (old iMac) > GEFORCE 9400M (new iMac and Mini) >= RADEON 2400 XT (old iMac) > INTEL GMA 950 (old Mini)

Thanks for the clarification. It seems like Apple is a bit too happy putting in the 9400s in all their machines. The iMac has the same gpu as the Macbooks now. They also don't come with Apple remotes anymore. WTF.

 

[avihappy]

My General Take On This...

Thanks for the clarification. It seems like Apple is a bit too happy putting in the 9400s in all their machines. The iMac has the same gpu as the Macbooks now. They also don't come with Apple remotes anymore. WTF.

Yah, it seems to me that on the "flagship" iMac, these new models may be something of a graphical DOWNGRADE. Also, this is the only option the "flagship" model has. (ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro to 9400M)

On the "low end" iMac, the GPU is not that much different in terms of power. (ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT to 9400M)

However, on the "high end" iMacs, this is a bump (not a leap) up! (ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro to GT 120)

Finally, on the "ultimate" iMac, from what I hear it is not that much better (perhaps worse). (nVidia GeForce 8800 GS to GT 130)

Now, for a very important detail, the "high end" and "ultimate" iMacs have the option to go to a Radeon 4850! This is a very significant improvement! It will run circles around the other chips. However, it is a "build to order" option. Also, the "low end" and "flagship" iMacs are excluded from this.

All in all from a GPU angle, I think that the "low end" iMac got not very much, the "flagship" got screwed up completely, the "high end" got an OK bump, and the "ultimate" got no improvement. The "high end" and "ultimate" allow an optional (but worthwhile) upgrade to an excellent GPU however, and this refresh will really benefit them.

For iMac lovers in general, this is a bittersweet update.

 

[PurpleCliff]

Okay, I need everyones help!
I want to get an iMac which is as powerful as possible - I hope to do quite a bit of gaming and video editing. I have two options which are the same price:

The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
or
The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO

Which one is more powerful?
Which one will last longer?
And does it matter that the RAM in the new one is DDR3? Is that loads and loads better?
Anything else I should be aware of?
Hope someone can give me answers! Thanks!

 

[avihappy]

Okay, I need everyones help!
I want to get an iMac which is as powerful as possible - I hope to do quite a bit of gaming and video editing. I have two options which are the same price:

The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
or
The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO

Which one is more powerful?
Which one will last longer?
And does it matter that the RAM in the new one is DDR3? Is that loads and loads better?
Anything else I should be aware of?
Hope someone can give me answers! Thanks!

"The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO" is better than the "The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M". While the DDR3 is a benefit of the new one, it just won't be enough to overcome the fact that the 9400M sucks compared to the Radeon HD 2600 PRO.

HOWEVER, if you really want to "get an iMac which is as powerful as possible", then try to get the one of the new ones that have the Radeon 4850!

My rankings:
1: If you can get it, the new high end iMac with the Radeon 4850
EDIT 2: An old iMac with a GeForce 8800GS
3: The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO
4: The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M

 

[PurpleCliff]

"The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO" is better than the "The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M". While the DDR3 is a benefit of the new one, it just won't be enough to overcome the fact that the 9400M sucks compared to the Radeon HD 2600 PRO.

HOWEVER, if you really want to "get an iMac which is as powerful as possible", then try to get the one of the new ones that have the Radeon 4850!

My rankings:
1: If you can get it, the new high end iMac with the Radeon 4850
2: The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO
3: The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M

Thanks!
I can't get the Radeon 4850 seeing as it is about $3000 Australian Dollars to get an iMac with it ... ouch.
I'll try and get an old iMac with the Radeon HD 2600 PRO - you don't have any recommendations where do you? Any online Australian stores that still have them? If you don't know don't worry I'll go to the nearby shops and hunt 'em down!
Now all I can say is - You better be right! Let's hope this Radeon HD 2600 PRO is good!

 

[avihappy]

Thanks!
I can't get the Radeon 4850 seeing as it is about $3000 Australian Dollars to get an iMac with it ... ouch.
I'll try and get an old iMac with the Radeon HD 2600 PRO - you don't have any recommendations where do you? Any online Australian stores that still have them? If you don't know don't worry I'll go to the nearby shops and hunt 'em down!
Now all I can say is - You better be right! Let's hope this Radeon HD 2600 PRO is good!

If the Radeon is too expensive, try getting an old one with an 8800GS! It's basically the "next best thing" to the Radeon 4850. Because I don't consider the Radeon HD 2600 PRO to be an excellent gaming card.

I'm not an aussie, but I'll try, here is one with the Radeon HD 2600 PRO: http://www.buymac.com.au/product/imac-20-266ghz-intel-core-2-duo-mb324xa-clearance

I'm having a hard time finding any with an 8800GS. Maybe keep an eye on the Apple Online Refurbished Store?

 

[QCassidy352]

"The Old 20-inch 2.66GHz TI Radeon HD 2600 PRO" is better than the "The New 20-inch: 2.66GHz with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M". While the DDR3 is a benefit of the new one, it just won't be enough to overcome the fact that the 9400M sucks compared to the Radeon HD 2600 PRO.

A few other differences: the new one dropped a FW 400 port and added a 4th USB 2 port; the new one has display port; the new one has an 8 GB RAM limit.

All told, I would rather have the old 2.66 20" (which I do have! ) than the new 20" 2.66. Just be aware of the differences.

 

[Krasnall]

OK and what about OpenCL, will Radeon 2600 PRO run better than GF 9400M?

I'm just trying to decide if I should go for a 2008 iMac 2.66/2GB/Radeon 2600 PRO or the 2009 2.66/2GB/GF 9400M since the new one is over $200 more expensive (in Poland).

 

[PurpleCliff]

OK and what about OpenCL, will Radeon 2600 PRO run better than GF 9400M?

I'm just trying to decide if I should go for a 2008 iMac 2.66/2GB/Radeon 2600 PRO or the 2009 2.66/2GB/GF 9400M since the new one is over $200 more expensive (in Poland).

I'm trying to choose between exactly the same ones as you! I'm struggling.
The old one has FW400, Radeon 2600 and is cheaper - whereas the new one has better RAM and iLife 09. HELP!?

 

[Jack Flash]

Okay, I've arranged these GPUs in order of performance and grouped them by similar performance, along with their 3DMark05 score.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 (new iMac) 14594

nVidia 8800M GTS (old iMac) 11777
nVidia GT 130M (new iMac) 11836

nVidia 9600M GT (New MacBook Pro) 9372
nVidia GT 120 (new iMac)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT (old iMac) 8769
nVidia 8600M GT (old MacBook Pro) 6175

nVidia 9400M (new iMac and Mini) 3930
ATI Mobility Radeon 2400 XT (old iMac) 3091

Intel GMA 950 (old Mini) 455

Benchmarks from notebookcheck.net

 

[wdc-sam]

Do the right thing - I think

Newbie putting things in basic terms here....(basic caused by shallow knowledge I may add)

I've been umming and arring whether to shell out on a new Imac.

I'm no way a technical whizz. But the only MAJOR difference between the old 20" 256, and the new 20" 9400m, was exactly that - the card(except a firewire slot, display connection, the new one can take 8gb, but for the next 3 years 4gb will do me fine!). It did strike me as odd so I've checked out this here forum and the consensus seems to be the older is the better.

Therefore I've just got hold of the 'old one' £180 cheaper than a brand new one (whats a £ worth these days anyway ). So not only have I saved myself some cash I'm thinking I've got myself a better machine??

These deals are out there and mine came with warranty! I'll report back here if I find anything different. Thank you mac forums for making my mind up for me. I hope this helps other people in a similar position to me make a decision. I'll be using my mac for web design so this machine should be perfect for the next 3 yrs at least! I can now hand down the scratched 12inch Powerbook G4 to my nagging GF and double my production rate!

It feels good - get the better machine - AND cheaper!

 

[Krasnall]

Okay, I've arranged these GPUs in order of performance and grouped them by similar performance, along with their 3DMark05 score.

Benchmarks are easy to find, my question is if ATI Radeon 2600 PRO is going to be supported by Snow Leopard (I mean OpenCL)

I'll be using my mac for web design so this machine should be perfect for the next 3 yrs at least! I can now hand down the scratched 12inch Powerbook G4 to my nagging GF and double my production rate!

Still using my 4 years old iBook G4

 

[adammelancon]

Benchmarks are easy to find, my question is if ATI Radeon 2600 PRO is going to be supported by Snow Leopard (I mean OpenCL)

That is the question I have.
Instead of getting the latest upgrade, I opted to get the 24" 2.8Ghz with the HD 2600 Pro. I've been waiting to get an iMac since my computer died in October. The 24" 2.8 refub for $1199 was just too hard to pass up!

But I'm wondering if the 2600 Pro will work with OpenCL and be able to take advantage of the features coming in Snow Leopard.

 

[Paper&Plastic]

same goes for me

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm not gaming with my machine, I just want to make the most out of Snow Leopard when it comes out and know that the programs I'm using (mostly print & web design) are going to handle it to boot.

I too am trying to decide between the 2.8Ghz refurb and the newer 2.66 myself. I actually chatted with someone at Apple today about it, but he just basically talked in circles. He wouldn't really comment on Snow Leopard and kept saying that there are no tests done on it yet. Actually, he was pretty cryptic like Mr. Miagi or something. 'The choice you make will be the right one and I'm sure you'll be more than happy with your purchase.' I'm actually wondering if the Apple Chat isn't all just some automated responses.

 

[mudenza]

Benchmarks are easy to find, my question is if ATI Radeon 2600 PRO is going to be supported by Snow Leopard (I mean OpenCL)

I think with Nvidia being the major marketing element in Apple's recent notebook and desktop lineup, people are incorrectly linking Nvidia chips with OpenCL and SL

It is not true that OpenCL is only supported by Nvidia. As long as the chipmakers support OpenCL, which ATI/AMD does, all they have to do is provide the right drivers.

If the 4850 is an option, then, going by everyone's fears here, it wouldn't support OpenCL, but that definitely won't be the case. And won't be the case for the 2600 either

Another thing to point out is that early Intel Mac Pro's had the 2600 as a card option. So, again, going by everyone's logic here, they would leave the Mac Pro dead in the water. Doesn't sound right, does it?

 

[Brazzo79]

OK, here is how I rank those iMacs:

1: The new 2.66 one [IF YOU UPGRADE TO GT 130 (better) OR RADEON HD 4850 (by far the best)] (best video + more RAM)
2: The refurb exactly as you made it IF YOU GET MORE RAM! (OK video + more RAM)
(tie): The new one exactly as you said. (more RAM but crap video)
(tie): The old one exactly as you said. (better VIDEO but less RAM)

But know this: RADEON HD 4850 (new iMac) > GEFORCE 8800GS (old iMac, thanks to Jack Flash) > GT 130 (new iMac) > GT 120 (new iMac) > RADEON 2600 PRO (old iMac) > GEFORCE 9400M (new iMac and Mini) >= RADEON 2400 XT (old iMac) > INTEL GMA 950 (old Mini)

It would be nice from apple if I could choose the GT 130 graphic withe the 2.66 Ghz new IMac, but it`s not possible. I don´t want choose the 2.93 Ghz cause the price