Apple has designed its new iMacs, which feature graphics processors separate from the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs, to appeal to avid gamers.
The new iMacs all feature discreet ATI graphics processors aimed at providing gamers with a faster, crisper and more powerful gaming experience.
"Games scream on iMac, thanks to advanced ATI graphics, boasts Apple in a tout on the Apple website. "The discrete ATI Radeon HD 4670 processor delivers faster performance compared to the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M processor in the previous-generation iMac."
"That’ll keep you on your game, even inside the complex 3D environments of Call of Duty 4 or EVE," adds Apple. "For faster graphics performance, choose an iMac with the ATI Radeon HD 5670 or ATI Radeon HD 5750."
The 21.5-inch iMac comes with either the ATI Radeon HD 4670 with 256MB of dedicated memory or the ATI Radeon HD 5670 with 512MB of memory.
The 27-inch iMac offers the option of a ATI Radeon HD 5670 with 512MB of memory or a ATI Radeon HD 5750 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory.
The ATI graphics processors mark a break from Apple's use of NVIDIA as the standard graphics processor for the last generation of iMacs.
"Cupertino has spoken, and NVIDIA is no longer the preferred GPU supplier of One Infinite Loop’s polished white and aluminum desktops," says Phillip Jaenke in a post on the Icrontic website titled Apple Switches to ATI Exclusively for iMac.
"Apple’s newly introduced 21.5” and 27” iMacs based on the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors will be the exclusive realm of ATI’s Radeon family. This not only ends the latest run of NVIDIA as the default GPU for the iMac, but is the first time since early 2008 that ATI will be the sole option for graphics on the iMac," Jaenke says in the blog post.
Apple's new Mac Pro also features ATI graphics with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory as the baseline standard.
"Going forward, the soonest you can expect to see NVIDIA returning to Apple’s desktop line would be 2012," Jaenke says in the blog post. "Apple likes to maintain fairly long product cycles -- about two years for the iMac, and about 18 months for Mac Pros based on history. And with Apple’s continually increasing market share, NVIDIA just might feel the pain from this one."
|
Six Hot Business Apps For iPhone And iPad The Mobile Apps Showcase returned to MacWorld/iWorld for the third consecutive year, with exhibitors demonstrating the latest business apps and services for the iPad and iPhone. |
|
An Inside Look At The New Macworld/iWorld Macworld launched its 27th annual conference with a new name and a focus on entertainment and movie and music creation on the iPhone, iPad and Mac. |
|
10 Incredible Stats From Apple's Q1 Earnings Apple's first quarter earnings announced Tuesday far exceeded the market's expectations. Here are ten reasons why we were so blown away. |
 More
Slide Shows |
