MacCentral posted a first look at the new Core 2 Duo iMac along with some early benchmarks.
The new iMacs which were released on Wednesday incorporate the latest Core 2 Duo processor from Intel. The Core 2 Duo represents the continuation of the Core Duo line which first made its appearance in Apple computers in January. Intel has maintained that the new chips would provide roughly 20% improvement in performance.
MacCentral tested the new 17" 2GHz iMac and 20" 2.16GHz iMac and compared them to the previous 20" 2GHz Core Duo and the 2.66GHz Mac Pro.
The most direct comparison between the two processors comes between the 17" 2GHz Core 2 Duo iMac and the 20" 2GHz Core Duo iMac. The overall score was 10% better in the new model while the individual tests showed gains up to 20%.
As expected, the 2.66GHz Mac Pro (Woodcrest processor) outperformed the new iMacs, but the reviewers were still impressed how well the iMac fared:
With twice the number of processor cores, all running faster than the iMac, the Mac Pro had a definite advantage in this match up. But because not all applications and tasks take full advantage of the Mac multiprocessing capabilities, most results showed the Mac Pro between 20 and 30 percent faster than the 2.16GHz iMac.
Sunday August 23, 2026 11:36 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is readying new iMac models with an upgraded chip and new color options, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says the new version is likely to be an updated 24-inch model with an M6 chip, replacing the existing M4 model that arrived in October 2024.
New colors are also said to be on the menu, though Gurman does not say what they...
Tuesday September 15, 2026 12:53 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today added the 2019 4K iMac to its list of vintage products, which means repairs can only be done if Apple has the parts available.
Products are added to the vintage list five years after they were last distributed for sale, and they're moved to the obsolete list at the seven-year mark. Vintage products can be repaired at Apple Stores and by Apple Authorized Service Providers if the...
Tuesday August 25, 2026 5:31 pm PDT by Juli Clover
BenQ today announced the launch of the iScreenBar, which it says is the first monitor light bar built for the iMac.
The iScreenBar is meant to look like an extension of the iMac, offering desk lighting that does not clash with the iMac's design or block the camera or microphone. It's made from aluminum and lights an area of 33.5 by 19.7 inches at 500 lux. A glass touch panel is available for ...
