Core i7-Based 27" iMac Benchmarks Show Significant Improvements
The delivery of the Core i7-based iMacs have generated the usual discussion threads about unboxing, impressions and benchmarks. The performance of the high-end iMacs have been of particular interest due to the new incorporation …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple's fall 2009 iMac refresh was trailed by an August report on rumored compelling new features for the next iMacs; the arrival of Core i7-based 27" units now lets buyers test those claims against real numbers.
The pattern mirrors last year's launch cycle for portable Macs, when gaming benchmarks of the new MacBook Pros became the community yardstick — high-end silicon shipping in a consumer all-in-one again draws the same scrutiny.
First-order effects
- Buyers choosing between the 27" iMac configurations get hard data showing what the Core i7 upgrade actually buys over the standard models, at its price premium.
Second-order effects
- A consumer all-in-one posting workstation-class numbers pressures Windows PC makers to match CPU performance in similarly priced desktops, and squeezes the value proposition of higher-priced towers in Apple's own lineup.
Third-order effects
- If flagship Intel chips keep debuting in consumer desktops rather than workstations first, the distinction between prosumer machines and entry professional systems continues to erode — a trajectory visible across successive iMac generations.
The trend: Consumer desktops are absorbing top-bin Intel silicon faster than ever, pulling workstation-class performance down into all-in-one pricing tiers.