Thu, 18 Oct 2012 New iMac release date, rumours, and pictures

Welcome to our new iMac release date, rumours and pictures article. We'l be bringing you everything we know about the new iMac release date, spec rumours, and iMac pre-production leaked images too. So sit back and relax we're got the new iMac covered.

iMac was last updated in May 2011. That’s some time ago. Understandably Mac users are getting impatient to get their hands on a new model with new processors and maybe even a Retina Display.

New iMac release date

Rumour has it that Apple will launch a new iMac at its special event on 23 October, alongside an iPad mini and new 13in MacBook Pro with Retina display.

New iMac rumours

Reports claim that the new iMac will have a redesigned body with a thinner profile. 

As for the screen, there are new iMac rumours that the new iMac will gain a Retina Display like the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. There are also analysts claiming that it claiming that the new iMac will not have the Retina display.

READ: Retina display shortage delaying new iMac

Developers also suggested that the new iMac might not have the Retina display that many are expecting. This is because, as screen sizes get larger, the graphics card requirements also increase. The 27in iMac currently has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 - the Retina display resolution on that model would need to be 5,120 x 2,880 and that would require a powerful graphics processor. Read: No Retina display for new iMac rumours, sources.

Other new iMac rumours suggest that will have anti-reflective displays, which will please many a designer frustrated by the iMac’s glossy screen. Read: New iMacs to have 'anti-reflective displays.

New iMac leaked images and features

What can we expect from the new iMac rumours in terms of power? Intel unveiled its new Ivy Bridge processor back in April and the iMac is an ideal candidate for these chips.

Because of the iMac's all-in-one design, we could see new iMacs with Ivy Bridge's Desktop Low Power processors. It's possible that the Core i7 Extreme Edition processor could be featured as a build-to-order option for the top-of-the-line 27-inch iMac.

Sources suggest that the new iMac will have 8-core i7 processors

Intel has eight Core i7 processor models: two for the desktop, two designated as Desktop Low-Power, and four mobile models. The Ivy Bridge processors are the first processors that are created using Intel's 22 nanometer (nm) process technology, which are smaller, and consume less power, according to Intel.

More info here: Intel releases Ivy Bridge: New Mac models coming soon?

For yet more insight into what the new iMac rumour offers, check out these benchmarks for an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM quad-core running at 2.7GHz, that appeared in Geekbench’s database.

The new iMac will have a built-in GPU

Another major change to the Intel processor line up is the built-in graphics-processing unit (GPU). Previous Core processors had built-in GPUs, so the fact that Ivy Bridge has a GPU isn't new. But the built-in GPU isn't usually considered a GPU that's ideal for games or graphically demanding work. Macworld Lab's experience is that the Sandy Bridge GPU (the Intel Graphics 3000) is enough to meet the minimum requirements of some games and graphics apps, but not enough for more demanding software.

So will the new iMacs use discrete GPUs, or will they take advantage of Intel’s latest integrated graphics? The current iMac uses discrete GPUs, but older iMac models have used integrated Intel graphics. Will Apple go for the Ivy Bridge's Intel Graphics 4000 in some iMac models? And if it does, will those graphics processors be able to provide at least the minimum performance needed for some games and graphics apps.

One thing seems certain; an integrated graphics card wouldn’t have the oomph to support a Retina Display in the iMac. However, Intel has revealed that its Ivy Bridge processor is built for Retina display computers. Kirk Skaugen, Intel's Vice President and General Manager of the PC Client Group, revealed that the new processors are built for Retina display at the Intel Developer Forum that took place on 11 April.

We’ll keep you posted about developments as they happen, so stay tuned to this story for the latest updates.

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