The available quad-core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 “Nehalem” processor in the 27-inch iMac puts four processing cores on one die, so data doesn’t have to travel far to get from core to core. This boosts application performance up to 2x over the previous-generation iMac. And unlike systems that connect memory to the processor through a separate controller, these quad-core processors connect memory directly to the processor, improving memory bandwidth up to 2.5x.
Turbo Boost.
A quad-core iMac also benefits from Turbo Boost. If you’re using an application that doesn’t need every core, Turbo Boost shuts off the idle cores while simultaneously increasing the speed of the active ones.
Built for more cores.
Mac OS X Snow Leopard is designed to take advantage of this advanced processor architecture, so every Intel processor reaches its full potential on iMac.
Faster graphics.
Options for everyone.
iMac offers graphics options designed to make the most of every pixel. Whether you’re an amateur filmmaker or an avid gamer, iMac gives you faster, smoother, clearer graphics across the board.
Start with advanced graphics.
The 21.5-inch iMac offers great graphics performance with the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor or the ATI Radeon HD 4670. The 27-inch iMac comes with dedicated high-performance ATI graphics across the line.
Upgrade to top-of-the-line graphics.
The ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor delivers up to 4x faster performance than the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M — ideal for 3D games and graphics-intensive applications.3 For the ultimate in graphics performance, choose a 27-inch iMac with the ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics processor.
SPEC CPU2006 Results
Up to 2.4x faster than previous-generation iMac
24-inch iMac3.06GHz Core 2 Duo (previous generation) |
27-inch iMac2.8GHz Core i7 |
 |
|
| SPECfp_rate_base2006Floating-point calculation (estimate) | 31.7 | 75.4 | 2.4x |
| SPECint_rate_base2006Integer calculation (estimate) | 41.8 | 99.9 | 2.4x |
Up to 4.4x improvement with ATI Radeon HD 46703
Times faster than NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.
21.5-inch iMac Graphics Performance
27-inch iMac Graphics Performance
Up to 1.8x improvement with ATI Radeon HD 48504
Times faster than ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics.
iMac does more, faster.
Viewing and editing photos.
The new iMac is faster at importing photos and performing basic editing tasks — things like removing red-eye and erasing small blemishes — in iPhoto. If you’re a photo fanatic who loves the power and precision of more professional applications, the 2.8GHz quad-core iMac gives you up to 2x faster performance with Arperture.
Productivity.
iMac makes quick work of work. Create complex transitions in a Keynote presentation. Add 3D charts to a Numbers spreadsheet. Design a beautiful document in Pages. Powerful Intel processors across the iMac line make iWork fast and responsive.
Video editing.
Shot some video you want to edit fast and share with friends? Large iMac displays and powerful processors are perfect for editing and stabilizing shaky video in iMovie. For more complex editing and encoding tasks, upgrade to the 2.8GHz quad-core processor and get up to 2.3x faster performance with Final Cut Studio
Playing games.
Games scream on iMac, thanks to advanced ATI graphics. The discrete ATI Radeon HD 4670 processor delivers up to 4.4x faster performance than the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M processor.3 That’ll keep you on your game, even inside the complex 3D environments of Call of Duty 4 or Doom 3. Or choose the ATI Radeon HD 4850 processor for the ultimate in iMac graphics performance.