Apple updates iMac with Haswell CPUs, 802.11ac Wi-Fi & GeForce 700 series graphics
Apple on Tuesday issued an update for its all-in-one iMac desktop, bringing Intel's latest-generation Haswell processors, speedy 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Nvidia's new GeForce 700 series graphics.
The new iMac also sports faster PCIe flash storage options to boost performance. It comes in the same thin design debuted by the company last year.
"iMac continues to be the example that proves how beautiful, fast and fun a desktop computer can be," said Philip Schiller, Apple?s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Inside its ultra-thin aluminum enclosure, the new iMac has the latest Intel processors, faster graphics, next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage."
The entry-level 21.5-inch iMac features a 2.7-gigahertz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and new Iris Pro integrated graphics. It starts at $1,299.
The high-end 21.5-inch model and both 27-inch models feature quad-core Intel Core i5 processors up to 3.4 gigahertz and Nvidia GeForce 700 series graphics with twice the video memory and up to 40 percent faster performance than the previous generation.
Apple's new top-of-the-line iMac is a quad-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 3.5 GHz and Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M series graphics with up to 4 gigabytes of video memory. It starts at $1,999.
The updated iMac also supports next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi. When connected to an 802.11ac base station, iMac delivers wireless connectivity up to three times faster than the previous generation 802.11n.
Apple's new iMac also features support for PCIe-based flash storage that makes Fusion Drive and all-flash storage options up to 50 percent faster than the previous generation. Fusion Drive option combines the large storage capacity of a hard drive with the high performance of flash to deliver shorter boot times and faster access to apps and files. Customers can configure their iMac with a 1-terabyte or 3-terabyte Fusion Drive, and all-flash storage options are now available in configurations up to 1 terabyte.
iMac comes standard with 8 gigabytes of memory and a 1-terabyte hard drive, and customers can choose to configure their iMac with up to 32 gigabytes of memory and up to a 3-terabyte hard drive. iMac also comes with two Thunderbolt and four USB 3.0 ports for connecting to external storage and other high performance peripherals.
iMac also meets Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieves an EPEAT Gold rating. The desktop features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac includes PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, and uses highly recyclable materials and material-efficient packaging designs.
iMac ships with OS X Mountain Lion, bringing Messages, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, AirPlay Mirroring, Dictation, Game Center and Gatekeeper security.
The new iMac is available today through the Apple Online Store, Apple?s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and Intel Iris Pro for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US).
The 27-inch iMac is available with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 755M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.4 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.8 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US). Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/imac.
Internet orders for Apple's newly updated iMacs will be processed by MacMall in the order they are received, and the reseller currently indicates that they will be able to start shipping 3 of the 5 models on Wednesday (tomorrow). We'll continue to update the Mac Price Guide with additional models and retailers throughout the week as the units begin to show up in their inventory systems.
The new iMac also sports faster PCIe flash storage options to boost performance. It comes in the same thin design debuted by the company last year.
"iMac continues to be the example that proves how beautiful, fast and fun a desktop computer can be," said Philip Schiller, Apple?s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Inside its ultra-thin aluminum enclosure, the new iMac has the latest Intel processors, faster graphics, next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage."
The entry-level 21.5-inch iMac features a 2.7-gigahertz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and new Iris Pro integrated graphics. It starts at $1,299.
The high-end 21.5-inch model and both 27-inch models feature quad-core Intel Core i5 processors up to 3.4 gigahertz and Nvidia GeForce 700 series graphics with twice the video memory and up to 40 percent faster performance than the previous generation.
Apple's new top-of-the-line iMac is a quad-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 3.5 GHz and Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M series graphics with up to 4 gigabytes of video memory. It starts at $1,999.
The updated iMac also supports next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi. When connected to an 802.11ac base station, iMac delivers wireless connectivity up to three times faster than the previous generation 802.11n.
Apple's new iMac also features support for PCIe-based flash storage that makes Fusion Drive and all-flash storage options up to 50 percent faster than the previous generation. Fusion Drive option combines the large storage capacity of a hard drive with the high performance of flash to deliver shorter boot times and faster access to apps and files. Customers can configure their iMac with a 1-terabyte or 3-terabyte Fusion Drive, and all-flash storage options are now available in configurations up to 1 terabyte.
iMac comes standard with 8 gigabytes of memory and a 1-terabyte hard drive, and customers can choose to configure their iMac with up to 32 gigabytes of memory and up to a 3-terabyte hard drive. iMac also comes with two Thunderbolt and four USB 3.0 ports for connecting to external storage and other high performance peripherals.
iMac also meets Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieves an EPEAT Gold rating. The desktop features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac includes PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, and uses highly recyclable materials and material-efficient packaging designs.
iMac ships with OS X Mountain Lion, bringing Messages, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, AirPlay Mirroring, Dictation, Game Center and Gatekeeper security.
Pricing & availability
The new iMac is available today through the Apple Online Store, Apple?s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and Intel Iris Pro for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US).
The 27-inch iMac is available with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 755M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.4 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.8 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US). Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/imac.
How to save
Readers who use links in the AppleInsider Mac Price Guide (iMac snippet below) can then manually apply coupon code APPLEINSIDER02 on MacMall's iMac product pages to instantly save an additional 3%, yielding the lowest prices anywhere. Additionally, MacMall only charges sales taxes in California, Illinois, New York, Tennessee, Minnesota, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.Internet orders for Apple's newly updated iMacs will be processed by MacMall in the order they are received, and the reseller currently indicates that they will be able to start shipping 3 of the 5 models on Wednesday (tomorrow). We'll continue to update the Mac Price Guide with additional models and retailers throughout the week as the units begin to show up in their inventory systems.
Comments
1. Mavericks
2. Mac Pro
3. Haswell Macbook Pro Retina (possibly early 2014?)
4. iPad
5. iPad Mini
No iWatch and iTV until next year I think.
Twice the battery life of the old iMac.
Can we hear from the guy who was boasting yesterday about how Microsoft beat Apple to the punch because they claimed that a product to be realeased a month form now might have Haswell?
If you're talking about me I specifically said r-Macbook Pro, and I was hardly 'boasting' considering I called the surface a POS-2 (as it is). How could they beat Apple to the punch when the Air already is Haswell? Pretty idiotic. It was a factual observation we are 15/16 months without a real refresh. Everyone else's high end portables are Haswell, it's time. The battery life will be fantastic I'm sure.
I'm surprised Apple haven't chosen to go for a Mac centric event to get a little more focus back on there computing line.
Just a small event where they could Launch new macbook pro's, these new iMacs and the Mac pro as well as Mavericks at the same time.
Kinda odd to have a silent update without waiting for Mavericks when Mavericks is just around the corner.
With the iPhone still taking up all of Apple's media attention, I would have thought I would have made sense to have a slightly bigger gap and then launch all these products together to help gain some publicity for the computing line.
GeForce 780M - sweet, the fastest mobile GPU on the market (without going to SLI/Crossfire).
No Thunderbolt 2 and no 4K display but I think the Mac Pro will have these though :-) Well we already know it will have TB2.
Thanks.
New MBP will be here soon, you can't rush perfection. Plus there may be a few surprises as far as the refresh goes.
Was the Mac Pro 2013 that runs on ten 64-bit A7 processors released also?
Great! Now I have no reason to wait....except getting the money together!
P.S. What a beautiful machine!
Currently unavailable in the UK Apple store.
I am considering this vs a Mac Pro (dependant on Price vs Performance of the entry level to a spec'ed up iMac)
I wasn't referring to you. Calm down.
But now that YOU bring it up.....
I've tried to do some research into the Iris Pro (and what version they're using in the entry-level iMac), but while I thought it was initially a downgrade from the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M with 512MB, it seems most are saying it's at least equal, if not slightly better. Hard to believe Intel's integrated graphics have gotten so good so fast. Anyone care to weigh in with their thoughts on the change?
Such a shame that the Fusion drive is not standard.
Really? In many ways, this is more expandable than any previous iMac - and possibly more than any previous Mac Pro. You can easily add several large RAID boxes via Thunderbolt and suffer no performance loss. On previous computers, you had to use Firewire, USB, or eSATA - all of which limit performance. You can add a nearly infinite number of external PCI cards with expansion boxes. There are very few things that you'd want to do that you can't expand via TB.
Ad the rest of your rant is simply silly. Not practical? Not functional? Considering that the iMac out of the box does what 95% of users need, how is that not practical?
As always, YMMV. There's no doubt that Intel has made great strides in their graphics performance. That performance will, however, depend on exactly what you're doing. Best to look for benchmarks using the app (and, ideally, the functions) that you will be using. It may be perfectly adequate on Photoshop, but not on hard core games. Or vice versa.