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Want a better card in your new 24in iMac? READ HERE

C

capran

macrumors member
Nov 28, 2003
93
0
Here's my letter I sent them:
First, I have to say, I love the Mac OS, and I've had several over the last 13 years. But I also like to play games, mostly in Windows. I've been wanting to buy a Mac that can double as a gaming machine, that doesn't cost as much as the Mac Pro.

So it was with a great deal of waiting and anticipation that's brought me to this. At June's WWDC, Mr. Jobs brought out EA Games and ID's John Carmack to talk about the future of games on the Mac. So I figured, maybe this is a change of heart for Apple, who seem to have snubbed the gaming community for ages.

So I continued to wait. Then finally August 7th came, and I was hoping the new iMac would be what I was waiting for. But, I have to say, I'm severely disappointed in Apple's choice of GPUs for this new line of iMacs.

The ATI Radeon 2000 series is a disappointment, this is according to nearly all technical reviews. They are completely outclassed by Nvidia's Geforce 8000 series, which in most cases are actually cheaper than ATI's product.

In addition, Nvidia's Geforce 8600 GT and GTS cards are available in fanless models, using heatsinks for cooling. Such a graphics card would seem to me perfect for the iMac.

I would like Apple to at least offer, as a CTO option, the Geforce 8600 GT or GTS in the new iMacs. I for one would jump at the chance to buy one.

As it is, I simply can't justify replacing my G4 Mac Mini and Windows gaming PC with an Mac at this time. The only Mac that really meets my needs is the Mac Pro, which costs quite a bit more, and is of course a workstation using server class CPUs and RAM. I can't afford one of these, and even if I had the money, quite frankly, I'd still pass it up.

So, in conclusion, Apple, please offer someone like me a Mac that's affordable and has at least a Geforce 8600 GT.

Thank you.
Click to expand...
 
G

Grenadier

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2006
106
0
Good job. Keep the complaints coming.
Infact, I think I will go and post a link to this thread on AppleInsider and a variety of other Apple news sites just so perhaps, with a LOT of luck, it will hit someone in Apple HQ "Wait...perhaps these GPUs do suck"
 
cpnotebook80

cpnotebook80

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2007
1,228
550
Toronto
sent complaint too!
is it possible to upgrade the card by removing it out totally or is that impossible with the new imacs?
 
BlackMax

BlackMax

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2007
901
0
North Carolina
I just placed the following "iMac Feedback" on the Apple website. It is an edited comment I placed in another thread in this forum. Perhaps if enough folks write Apple with similar feedback they will offer another GPU upgrade option for the new iMac. I know it is a long shot, but if Apple doesn't hear our opinion and desires they will never know.

BlackMax said:
Hi,

I wanted to give you some feedback on the new iMac.

I like the new design. I like that it is thinner and has cleaner lines than the previous iMac. I like the bump up in processor, the lower price points and the new keyboard looks promising as well. But I am disappointed in the GPU options.

I was really hoping Apple would bump up the graphics performance of these new iMacs a little more than you did.

I have been waiting to purchase a new iMac as a replacement for an old aging PC my kids are using. Now that my kids are older and playing more games, this iMac would need to keep up with their current games, like Oblivion. These iMacs will do that (barely, at a reasonable frame rate), but they do not have a lot of "future gaming potential" in them.

It just appears Apple does not consider the gaming niche a market it is interested in going after. I'm sure there were a lot of trade-off considerations made (overall cost, heat, energy consumption, noise, etc.) when you chose the ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO as your top of the line GPU for the new iMac. I just wish Apple could have offered one more GPU upgrade option, perhaps the Nvidia GeForce 7900 GT or GTX, just to see how well it sold. Even the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT would have been better. Perhaps only if in the 24" model?

I'm sure these new iMacs will sell just fine as they are and I believe they are great machines for everything except gaming. I just think you are missing a large and growing segment of the Mac community. Please don't forget about us Mac gamers who don't want to or can't afford to purchase a Mac Pro to meet their gaming needs.

I'll still end up purchasing a new iMac once Leopard is released, because the alternative is a PC with Vista and I'm not going that direction. I am just disappointed because of what these new iMacs "could have been"


***** Please consider another GPU upgrade option for the new iMac *****
Click to expand...
 
M

Mollemand

macrumors regular
Aug 1, 2007
147
0
The gfx problem is not solely related to iMac. The Mac Pro lineup is just as pitiful:

- the 7300 GT has been a joke for a while in a graphics 'Workstation'
- Adding 4 of them just quadruples the joke... no SLI to make it sensible
- the X1900 XT is a $249 upgrade 40% as fast as a 8800 Ultra (before SLI)
- And then you can get the $1649 upgrade to a Quadro FX 4500???

Where is the missing middle between an overpriced ATI has-been, and a severely overpriced Pro-3D-workstation has-been??? Quadro FX 4500 is outperformed by 8800 Ultra.

Has Apple signed a deal to clean out old stock and get rid of HW-poo from BOTH Ati and nVidia?
 
V

VortexOfPain

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 29, 2006
42
0
FleurDuMal said:
You'd be suprised. As far as Apples concerned, the type of people who would complain about the standard of GPU in the iMac are not its target audience.
Click to expand...

Say what you may, but the last lineup was later given the option to add a much better card as a CTO option for those who wanted it. All we are asking is that have that option BACK.
 
S

Shepherd

macrumors newbie
Aug 7, 2007
19
0
Los Angeles
Great idea guys. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was ready with their credit card to buy a new iMac until we learned what gpus were in them. I hope that Apple takes to heart all the feedback and realizes that there are a lot of people out there who will only buy a Mac but have to keep waiting for the options that ought to be available from the start.

-Shepherd
 
gloss

gloss

macrumors 601
May 9, 2006
4,811
0
around/about
Am I the only one who realizes that the screens are glossy because they're glass?

To offer matte screens would kind of conflict with the entire 'glass and aluminum' message they're sending.
 
S

speedballs

macrumors member
Jul 22, 2004
69
0
SLC Utah
Done.
Let's hope they listen!
I don't see why they would have id and EA releasing all these great games simultaneously if we can't even play them!
(I mentioned that in my email)
 
D

dschiller

macrumors regular
May 7, 2007
138
0
This is what I wrote:

I am a huge Apple fan, and I've been saving up to buy an iMac as soon as a new model was released.

I love the looks of the new model, and I really appreciate the higher processor and storage capabilities that are optional, but unfortunately I won't be buying a new iMac, at least for now, and that's due to the GPU chosen be fitted to the iMac.

The current offer just doesn't fulfill my movie editing and gaming needs. Please consider offering a GeForce 7600GT or GTS as a CTO option.

Thank you
Daniel
Click to expand...

BTW, I think the idea of getting as much peple as possible to complain is fantastic. Keep filling the feedback forms!:p
 
solvs

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
What's wrong with the iMac's GPU? It's better than the old ones right? I have one of the newer Santa Rosa laptops, and the video card in it doesn't seem that much faster for most things. Would have been nice to offer an upgrade option, I guess, like they did before, but the ATI chip seems fine for what it was intended for.

Now the Mac Pro on the other hand...
 
M

Mollemand

macrumors regular
Aug 1, 2007
147
0
My Steve Jobs pull-string doll is stuck on: "Let's burn a PC!"
It used to do air-quotes while saying "The megahertz-myth" too, but now all it says is "Lets burn a PC!"

Coming to think of it, it has been a while since I heard him say that in real life...

Perhaps it could be refurbished to say "offering great gaming performance"?
 
H

holland

macrumors newbie
Aug 1, 2006
25
0
Or you guys that want better graphics can buy a Mac Pro which is actually meant for graphics for professionals while the iMac is a consumer computer which don't need top of the line graphics. If the iMac puts in better graphics it will be overkill for most people and it will be like $200 more for an iMac. Again, the Mac Pro is what would want for good graphics.
 
Eidorian

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
holland said:
Or you guys that want better graphics can buy a Mac Pro which is actually meant for graphics for professionals while the iMac is a consumer computer which don't need top of the line graphics. If the iMac puts in better graphics it will be overkill for most people and it will be like $200 more for an iMac. Again, the Mac Pro is what would want for good graphics.
Click to expand...
What are you basing this on? I can get a computer for $400 and get a much video card. Does this mean Apple's entry level is now the Mac Pro?
 
H

holland

macrumors newbie
Aug 1, 2006
25
0
Eidorian said:
What are you basing this on? I can get a computer for $400 and get a much video card. Does this mean Apple's entry level is now the Mac Pro?
Click to expand...

I doubt a $400 computer with a good graphics card. Usually that is the price of the graphics card :p Even dell can't sell a $400 computer with a good graphic card. There graphic card is a Geforce 6150LE intergrated. That is not better than the iMac's graphic card ;)
 
Eidorian

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
holland said:
I doubt a $400 computer with a good graphics card. Usually that is the price of the graphics card :p Even dell can't sell a $400 computer with a good graphic card. There graphic card is a Geforce 6150LE intergrated. That is not better than the iMac's graphic card ;)
Click to expand...
*face palm*

The 8600GT GDDR3 is an option on the Inspiron towers for $100.
 
V

VortexOfPain

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 29, 2006
42
0
holland said:
If the iMac puts in better graphics it will be overkill for most people and it will be like $200 more for an iMac.
Click to expand...

You seem to have missed the many mentions here, that we are simply asking Apple to offer a similar Configure To Order option like they used to on the previous line of iMacs. This did not affect any prices in their standard lineup, but did provide an option for customers to pay extra and choose something much more powerful - the nVideo GeForce 7600GT.
 
D

Dalriada

macrumors 6502
Aug 26, 2004
277
0
Moorlough Shore
Also sent a letter. Great design which blows away the competition so such a pity to stumble on GPU limitations or at least allowing more options.

:apple:Dal
 
M

mahonmeister

macrumors 6502
Jun 9, 2006
297
0
Redlands, CA
Great idea. I sent a message along the lines of your example.

We all know that the Mac Pro is for the real 'professionals.' But all I want to do is play some modern games and do video editing and conversion, the Mac Pro is way overkill for me.

As long as the iMac exists in it's current form, we will likely never get this 'mid-tower' we all hope for.

*sigh*
 
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