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Rev B iMac Alum

$

$MacUser$

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 27, 2005
330
22
Los Angeles
Any speculation/guesses as to the specs on the second rev iMac Alum? I've heard things about Penryn, etc. Maybe a graphics card boost?
 
flopticalcube said:
I would expect Penryn and a new video card (HD2650?), especially given the troubles the current ones are having and maybe a higher end card for the 24" as a BTO (8800m?). Maybe even an extra G of RAM. No speed improvements. Probably March(ish).
Click to expand...

Sounds like a new target date for me then - 150 (ish) days and counting :rolleyes:
 
flopticalcube said:
I would expect Penryn and a new video card (HD2650?), especially given the troubles the current ones are having and maybe a higher end card for the 24" as a BTO (8800m?). Maybe even an extra G of RAM. No speed improvements. Probably March(ish).
Click to expand...

Wouldn't Penryn imply a speed boost, even if the clock is the same?
 
hopefully they'll give the 20" a higher quality screen.. i'd like a new imac, but the 20" has poor quality screens, and the 24" is practically too big for my needs
 
Aegelward said:
hopefully they'll give the 20" a higher quality screen.. i'd like a new imac, but the 20" has poor quality screens, and the 24" is practically too big for my needs
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If I could get a 20" with a top of the range CPU/GPU I'd probably spring for it. As it stands, I'm eyeing up the 24". I've seen the older, white 24's in stores, and they are indeed huge. However, people thought I was nuts for getting a 17" powerbook, and that has become standard for me these days (ie: I would never think of getting a screen below 17" on anything).

Also:

"The newest Intel Core 2 Extreme processor that boasts this new core [Penryn] is going to be the Core 2 Extreme QX9650. This chip has a clock speed of 3.0GHz and a FSB of 1333MHz. This new processor features the new SSE4 instructions, though there are currently no programs that utilize this instruction at this time. The SSE4 can greatly speed up tasks such as some key operations in video encoding in applications that use SSE4. The expected release date for the new processor cores is expected to be November 12, 2007."

Given this, and also assuming that Apple now gets first dibs on Intel goodies, might one assume that Rev B can be expected sooner than usual? When one considers the issues with Rev A, it doesn't sound all that far fetched. My guess is sometime between January and March.
 
$MacUser$ said:
"The newest Intel Core 2 Extreme processor that boasts this new core [Penryn] is going to be the Core 2 Extreme QX9650. This chip has a clock speed of 3.0GHz and a FSB of 1333MHz. This new processor features the new SSE4 instructions, though there are currently no programs that utilize this instruction at this time. The SSE4 can greatly speed up tasks such as some key operations in video encoding in applications that use SSE4. The expected release date for the new processor cores is expected to be November 12, 2007."

Given this, and also assuming that Apple now gets first dibs on Intel goodies, might one assume that Rev B can be expected sooner than usual?
Click to expand...

The chip data you quoted is a desktop processor. The iMac has used a mobile processor since the switch to Intel. Mobile Penryn chips won't be out until the first of the year which is too early for an iMac update IMO. I was thinking March but recently changed my mind after reading the Montevina chipset will be released in May. Although it's possible to see updates before Montevina, I'd expect Apple to wait until May to get the faster bus and built-in HD decoding. We'll see though.
 
"The Intel Penryn, a 45 nanometer process quad core CPU at 3 GHz, will ship on November 11th. The mobile derivative, Montevina, will appear in 2008 and form the backbone of Apple's lineup, according to Electronista on Friday"

Ahh yes, everything is clear now. Q2 2008...I'll mark my calender.
 
I really want to hold out for Montevina, though. The bus is almost 40% faster. I hope they come sooner (April) rather than later (who knows).
 
$MacUser$ said:
I really want to hold out for Montevina, though. The bus is almost 40% faster.
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I am not sure what's going on with the bus because Santa Rosa doesn't have a memory controller that can handle memory as fast as the bus. Even if you have a 1333 mHz bus, will memory be limited to the same 667 mHz kit we've got now?

Besides a faster bus, I'd almost prefer to see better connectivity. I want eSATA and HDMI.
 
There are two possibilities here:

!.) The most likely is that the nomenclature has just gotten scrambled, and we will not be seeing an update to the iMac until sometime in 2008.

2.) There has been rumors that the iMac will get a Santa Rosa speed bump before it gets Montevina. The late '07 iMac may be a premature reference to this update. I doubt it though. I don't think it'd be worth the effort to release the minorest of minor speed bumps, and then come out with a whole new chipset three months later.

My money is on the fact that Apple will release revision B sometime between April-May '08. I would expect updated graphics cards and Montevina. It has already been more or less confirmed that Montevina is going to be replacing Santa Rosa in the iMac and Macbook Pro during quarter two '08, the only question is the exact timing
 
$MacUser$ said:
I would expect updated graphics cards and Montevina. It has already been more or less confirmed that Montevina is going to be replacing Santa Rosa in the iMac and Macbook Pro during quarter two '08, the only question is the exact timing
Click to expand...

The obvious upgrades are Penryn and Montevina. A new GPU should be obvious with all the issues Apple's having with the ATI cards, but we'll see. What's less obvious but I think no less important are the other changes.

I really think eSATA has got to make it to Macs sooner than later. I also think HDMI in/out is a must. Recent HD camcorders aren't using FW. I think it's time to ditch FW - at least FW400.
 
The new iMacs are just that, "new". They're way faster than you'll need for anything just now and can be loaded up with 4Gb RAM too. If you want one, why not buy one now? Are speed bumps worth waiting 150 days for? By then, you're probably only another 200 days away from the next speed update.

If you want a new iMac, just buy one. Otherwise you'll never buy any computer if you're always waiting for the next incarnation of something.
 
ascender said:
The new iMacs are just that, "new". They're way faster than you'll need for anything just now and can be loaded up with 4Gb RAM too. If you want one, why not buy one now? Are speed bumps worth waiting 150 days for? By then, you're probably only another 200 days away from the next speed update.

If you want a new iMac, just buy one. Otherwise you'll never buy any computer if you're always waiting for the next incarnation of something.
Click to expand...

If you like OSX, but you also want to do some gaming, then no, the current iMacs are not "way faster than you'll need for anything." The powerbook I have now is more than fine for everything *except* graphics intensive work. The current processors AND the current graphics card are almost there, but not quite. Montevina will have a 40% faster bus speed and double the cores.

You do the math. Montevina is slated to be a HUGE step up from Santa Rosa, and, yes, worth the wait (for me). Plus, with all the bugs with Rev. A, I'm just going to hold out for Rev. B. Given that I don't need a new Mac NOW NOW NOW, it only makes sense that I hold out. The "buy now" mentality you speak of is good for probably 90% of consumers, but not for me.
 
Montevina Professional...

Someone mentioned "the obvious upgrades will be Penryn and Montevina." Isn't Montevina the mobile derivative of Penryn, or is there some other mobile Penryn that I'm unaware of?

Maybe Montevina "Professional" will replace the Core 2 Extreme at the top end, with "Fundamental" being in the lower 24" and the 20s?

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6489
 
I'm amazed that Apple sell any products given how many people always seem to hold off and wait for the next revision which usually gives a minor overall speed increase. The iMac has just had a total revamp, so now is as good a time to buy as you'll get. If you keep waiting for the next revision of computers, you'll never buy anything.

As they stand, an iMac loaded with memory will keep you going for a very long time. If you need something with serious grunt, go for the Mac Pro.
 
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