Apple iMac Gets a 2x Performance Boost

[btarunr]

Apple today updated its iMac line with up to 8-core Intel 9th-generation processors for the first time and powerful Vega graphics options, delivering dramatic increases in both compute and graphics performance. From consumers to pros alike, users will notice their iMac is faster for everyday tasks all the way up to the most demanding pro workloads. This boost in performance, combined with its gorgeous Retina display, sleek all-in-one design, quiet operation, fast storage and memory, modern connectivity and macOS Mojave, makes iMac the world's best desktop.

"Customers are going to love the huge boost in iMac performance. With up to 8-core processors and powerful Vega graphics, the iMac lineup is stronger than ever," said Tom Boger, Apple's senior director of Mac Product Marketing. "With its stunning Retina display, amazing design, twice the performance, and macOS Mojave that our customers love, iMac is by far the best desktop in the world."



Up to 8-Core Intel 9th-Generation Processors
With updated processors across the line, customers will experience dramatically faster performance for a wide range of everyday computing tasks, from editing photos to playing demanding games, composing music or even creating a feature film.

• The 21.5-inch iMac now features 8th-generation quad-core, and for the first time 6-core processors, delivering up to 60 percent faster performance.
• The 27-inch iMac now for the first time features up to 9th-generation 6-core and 8-core processors, delivering up to 2.4 times faster performance.

AMD Radeon Pro Vega Graphics Come to iMac for the First Time
Radeon Pro Vega graphics come to the 21.5-inch iMac, delivering up to 80 percent faster graphics performance. The 27-inch iMac with Radeon Pro Vega now delivers up to 50 percent faster graphics performance, ideal for pros with graphics-intensive workloads, such as developing 3D content, editing videos with complex effects or designing high-resolution games.

Industry's Best 4K and 5K Retina Displays
With up to 14.7 million pixels, 1 billion colours, 500 nits of brightness, P3 wide colour gamut and an incredible viewing angle, iMac's Retina display delivers an immersive front-of-screen experience. All these pixels result in text that looks like a printed page, sharper photos with more detail, and the ability to edit 4K video at full resolution.

Unrivaled All-in-One Design Elevates Any Space
With its sleek aluminium and glass enclosure, 5 millimetre-thin profile and beautiful matching keyboard and mouse, iMac delivers a clean and uncluttered desktop experience that allows users to focus more on their content. With everything they need and nothing they don't, customers love how iMac fits seamlessly into so many different environments, from the home, to businesses of all sizes, or even a pro studio.

macOS Mojave
All new Macs come with macOS Mojave, the latest version of the world's most advanced desktop operating system, with features inspired by pros but designed for everyone. In macOS Mojave, Dark Mode transforms the desktop with a dramatic new look that puts the focus on user content, Stacks organizes messy desktops by automatically stacking files into neat groups and FaceTime supports group calling. macOS Mojave also brings iOS apps, including News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home to the Mac and features a redesigned Mac App Store with rich editorial content and the addition of apps from top developers, including Microsoft and Adobe.

Pricing and Availability
The new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display starts at $1,299 (US) and the new 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display starts at $1,799 (US). Both are available to order starting today from apple.com and the Apple Store App, and in Apple Stores and through Apple Authorized Resellers next week. The non-Retina display iMac configuration continues to be available for $1,099 (US).

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[biffzinker]

$1,300 and all you get for storage is a 1 TB Hard Disk Drive for the default configuration?

 

[TheLostSwede]

$1,300 and all you get for storage is a 1 TB Hard Disk Drive for the default configuration?

Spinning rust FTW!

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

twice the performance gain, tenfold of the price one has to pay. XDDD

 

[biffzinker]

twice the performance gain, tenfold of the price one has to pay. XDDD

Wonder how much of that is the 21.5" 4096 × 2304 display though?

 

[Assimilator]

Twice the shittiness.

 

[kastriot]

Some people will always buy them, because of that they are still produced and supported.

 

[Caring1]

Of course the director of Apple Marketing is going to tell you it's the best, it's his F###ing job!
One generation behind, overpriced, and no user upgradeable parts without voiding warranty, i'll take ten

 

[Nephilim666]

That 'press release' reads as though people with existing iMacs are about to get a 2x performance boost. How would someone notice their iMac is faster unless it wasn't their iMac but rather a completely new one.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Except the monitor, the specs are crap to say the least. And the price for that config?? Ouch!

 

[Tomgang]

And with a 1 tb hdd, best deal ever.

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

@biffzinker I think it'll cost as much as a 27in 1440p panel, knowing this is Apple here we're talking about.

 

[AmioriK]

Some people will always buy them, because of that they are still produced and supported.

It's kinda why Intel can still charge 500 bucks for the 9900K lmao

Seriously, Intel is basically Apple of the CPU world.

 

[londiste]

While I have no love for Apple, at least the base price is not that outrageous.

Lets try and find the prices of (close enough) parts to the 21.5" $1299 base model iMac:
- That LCD panel alone is half the base price or more. I bet LG 22MD4KA-B is based around the same panel and it is a $750 monitor.
- i3 in base configuration is probably i3-8100, $117
- Radeon 555X PRO is roughly $100
- 8GB DDR4-2666 is $50
- A random motherboard with Wifi/BT is $100, this is ignoring Thunderbolts

750+100+100+50+100 = 1100
- That poor 1 TB HDD is $20-30
- Plus case, power supply, speakers, card reader, webcam, mic and other crap
- I suppose Apple would like to have some profit from their MacOS as well

Optional upgrades, that is where they do charge a lot

 

[Minus Infinity]

How much throttling will it have? Very small space to dissipate heat

 

[randomUser]

users will notice their iMac is faster

Sounds like i have an old Mac and they just upgraded it for me without me noticing it, and suddenly i notice how my Mac starts to perform much better out of the blue.

This is similar to "download more RAM" . They pushed new cpus with their latest OS update to existing Macs

 

[erixx]

so old 2018 mac is -2x the power.... LOL

 

[NdMk2o1o]

So a core i3 pc with 8gb slow ddr4 2666mhz, $40 1tb hdd and a rx 555 got for a measly $1300 where do I sign up and when you can buy a 27" 4k monitor for $400 I refuse to believe that a 21" monitor is anywhere close to being worth $700+ same old overpriced apple taxed crap

 

[jabbadap]

They need to do some serious face lift. Those fat bezels looks so outdated and ugly on today's standards.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Wonder how much of that is the 21.5" 4096 × 2304 display though?

View attachment 119112

Likely not nearly as much as the apple tax. Remember this is the same company that sold $280 (to produce) phones for $650, then $750, then $1100. Apple sheep will buy anything with a half eaten fruit on it, and pay an insane premium to do so. The display is the only really impressive part of these machines, although lord save you if you have to repair this thing in any way.

 

[xtreemchaos]

no bite of the apple for me, you need to sell both kidneys to buy it. if youe a apple cult member "sorry"

 

[Vayra86]

Apple: where yesterday's tech is considered cool and worthy of premium.

 

[timta2]

You can always count on the Apple hating trolls to come out of the woodwork, when there's an Apple post on the front page of TPU. It's unfortunate that poor people are forced to buy expensive hardware that isn't exactly what they want.

 

[biffzinker]

You can always count on the Apple hating trolls to come out of the woodwork, when there's an Apple post on the front page of TPU.

I've never hated Apple but some times things don't align to the Apple narrative. Hell I had a Performa 577 then a Power Computing PowerBase 240 but since then no I've not touch Apple except for the iPod Touch I did have. I've currently resurrected my iPad 2 die shrink for peaks sake after a 2 year slumber only because of Music tied to my Apple ID I missed access too. Turns out my KIA works with the iPod connect feature but I figured it wouldn't work because of Apple changing iOS.

 

[Caring1]

It's unfortunate that poor people are forced to buy expensive hardware that isn't exactly what they want.

I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion as no consumer is forced to buy anything.
But there is that saying: A fool and their money …...

Looking at the performance figures given above has me wondering what quantitative tests they used to qualify those bold statements.
Up to 80% faster Graphics, and up to 2.4X faster Processor ( one generational increase only).
Sounds like crap to me.