Mid-2017 iMac with AMD Radeon Pro GPU Blows Away Older Models

Mid-2017-iMac

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Apple’s mid-2017 iMac models, which were unveiled at the company’s WWDC event earlier this month, have already generated record-smashing performance stats over on Geekbench — with early tests indicating the refreshed, 27-inch iMacs boast “up to 15% faster” multi-core CPU performance in comparison to the company’s previous-generation iMac models. While this performance boost has been achieved in part thanks to Intel’s 7th-generation Kaby Lake CPU, raw CPU performance isn’t the only area where Apple’s latest-and-greatest iMacs shine.

The chart below outlines Geekbench’s performance ratings between Apple’s professional-grade, late-2013 Mac Pro, the mid-2017 iMac in a variety of configurations, as well as older 27-inch iMacs such as late-2014 and late-2015 models. Most notably, the graph reveals that Apple’s base-model, late-2015 iMac (complete with a Quad-core Intel Core i5 CPU clocked at 3.2 GHz) scored 12,035 in Geekbench’s multi-core performance tests; while, in comparison Apple’s mid-2017 base-model iMac featuring Intel’s Kaby Lake CPU (clocked at 3.4 GHZ) scored 13,674 — reflecting a multi-core CPU boost of approximately 15%.

Meanwhile, mid-2017 iMac models are outfitted with AMDs latest and most powerful ‘Radeon Pro’ Graphic Processing Units (GPUs), which have already proven to be quite the beasts in Apple’s more portable line of MacBook Pro offerings. When it comes to carrying out essential computing tasks like image processing, for example, Geekbench’s creators over at Primate Labs indicated that they found Apple’s 27-inch, mid-2017 iMacs to push up to 80% improved graphics performance over the company’s previous-generation iMac models.

To determine this remarkable feat, Geekbench employed its all-new GPU Compute Benchmark, which was designed to measure the performance of GPUs when carrying out essential compute tasks such as image processing, physics simulations, and computer vision.

The chart below outlines iMac and Mac Pro performance scores using Geekbench’s OpenCL framework. Notably, Apple’s highest-tier, made-to-order iMac, boasting AMDs premium Radeon Pro 580 GPU, scored an impressive 116989 (or 36% higher performance) over Apple’s late-2015 iMac featuring the AMD Radeon R9 (M395X), which scored 86632.

While Apple’s fastest Mac offering (in terms of multi-core CPU scores) remains the cylindrical, mid-2013 Mac Pro, Geekbench’s John Poole noted that the company’s build-to-order, mid-2017 iMac, boasting Intel’s 4.2 GHz Core i7 CPU, is actually the “fastest Mac ever” in terms of single-core performance.

Of course, while Apple’s refreshed, mid-2017 iMac models provide some of the best performance you can get for the money right now, that all stands to change substantially when the beastly new iMac Pro launches later on this December. A true powerhouse to be reckoned with, the iMac Pro will boast class-leading specifications such as an 18-core Intel Xeon CPU, AMD Radeon Pro Vega graphics, up to 4 TB of SSD storage, and up to 128 GB of ECC RAM.

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