Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I've never understood why Apple tries to make the iMac thinner, it's not really useful to have a thin iMac.
Because apple is obsessed with making things thin. I agree with you, that its not needed, yet here we are.

as for the GPU being a mobile flavor of it. The thickness (or lack there of) of the iMac is not the reason. They've long had mobile GPUs in iMacs, well before they made the iMac insanely thin. Many reasons were bantered about in this old thread and to be honest, I think its just because they decided to do it. Maybe the heat, maybe the cost, who knows.
 
  • Like
Reactions: navaira
The chip of a mobile graphic card is no different from its desktop counterpart. However, due to the thermal and power limit, the gpu will be throttled when the temperature got too high. You just need to do some research and know what you get.
 
The chip of a mobile graphic card is no different from its desktop counterpart. However, due to the thermal and power limit, the gpu will be throttled when the temperature got too high. You just need to do some research and know what you get.
Unfortunately that's not really the case. For example, the 970M has 1280 CUDA cores while the 970 has 1664. It's not just about throttling.

Because apple is obsessed with making things thin. I agree with you, that its not needed, yet here we are.

as for the GPU being a mobile flavor of it. The thickness (or lack there of) of the iMac is not the reason. They've long had mobile GPUs in iMacs, well before they made the iMac insanely thin. Many reasons were bantered about in this old thread and to be honest, I think its just because they decided to do it. Maybe the heat, maybe the cost, who knows.
I doubt anyone at Apple even knows why they just keep needlessly making their desktop computers thinner, it just sounds like a good idea in the boardroom to the nontechnical MBA types who have taken over in the last few years.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
1. This is a zombie thread from back in 2012 and deserves to die die die. Please stop resurrecting it.
2. The iMac is NOT a desktop computer. It is an All-in-One. The form factor makes it need a mobile graphics chip -- as has been stated many, many times for both cooling and cost.
3. This argument is irrelevant because Apple is moving towards all integrated graphics and the new debate will be why doesn't apple include dedicated graphics chips in their designs. Well, see number 2 -- heat and cost.

If you want the latest desktop GPU, get a desktop computer. Nuff said.
 
Unfortunately that's not really the case. For example, the 970M has 1280 CUDA cores while the 970 has 1664. It's not just about throttling.
When I say counterpart, I mean
R9 380X and R9 M395X
R9 285 and R9 M395
etc.

970, 395 are just numbers for marketing purposes. The real name of the chips are different.
R9 380X and R9 M395X use the exactly same Tonga chip! No difference if you take an X-Ray photo of the die. Frequency can be set to any value AMD deems reasonable.
 
1. This is a zombie thread from back in 2012 and deserves to die die die. Please stop resurrecting it.
2. The iMac is NOT a desktop computer. It is an All-in-One. The form factor makes it need a mobile graphics chip -- as has been stated many, many times for both cooling and cost.
3. This argument is irrelevant because Apple is moving towards all integrated graphics and the new debate will be why doesn't apple include dedicated graphics chips in their designs. Well, see number 2 -- heat and cost.

If you want the latest desktop GPU, get a desktop computer. Nuff said.

You say heat, but as I've said - there is enough space in the 27" models with SSD to be able to fit in some serious cooling. It is perfectly feasible for Apple to fit in an unthrottled GeForce Titan X if they wanted. But then what would the Mac Pro be for?

When I say counterpart, I mean
R9 380X and R9 M395X
R9 285 and R9 M395
etc.

970, 395 are just numbers for marketing purposes. The real name of the chips are different.
R9 380X and R9 M395X use the exactly same Tonga chip! No difference if you take an X-Ray photo of the die. Frequency can be set to any value AMD deems reasonable.

Exactly. The M385X is the same as the desktop R9 380X!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
but if apple and nvidia will figure out how to put the 990M into the iMac...we can say that will be no longer a "desktop" gpu with that power
i mean even the M295X and M395X are on par with desktops 660TI which are more bigger than dGPU and so on.
But that 990M oh my god, i think its on par with desktop 980 but half the size, with a very strong cooling, maybe Apple will reinvent the cooling system :)
 
Bear in mind that massive heatsinks on a lot of graphics cards are a bit of a marketing ploy :)
I dunno. A lot of it is still necessary if you intend to overclock. I know some people who think the factory heatsinks are wimpy and will put on some massive liquid nitrogen cooling system, or some such mechanism lol.
 
Why did Apple put a mobile Graphic Card on the iMac?!



CNgVhykUwAABb-i.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: sparkie1984
Unfortunately that's not really the case. For example, the 970M has 1280 CUDA cores while the 970 has 1664. It's not just about throttling.

Yes, more than just throttling, but may be still the same chip.

e.g. some 970 chip has defective CUDA cores, so Nvidia disable some cores and sell them as 970M.
 
Last edited:
I dunno. A lot of it is still necessary if you intend to overclock. I know some people who think the factory heatsinks are wimpy and will put on some massive liquid nitrogen cooling system, or some such mechanism lol.
You indirectly touched on what matters and what doesn't matter. For people intent on over clocking, tinkering with the system, or putting liquid cooling to squeeze every little cycle out of the computer, the iMac isn't for them.

For the majority of consumers, who do buy the iMac and I count myself in that category, the current dGPU selection is fine.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.