Around 70 percent faster than Core2Duo models

The first benchmarking tests are in on the new 2011 iMacs, and early results show a fairly consistent 25 percent improvement across the board over the previous models, and a 70 percent average improvement over the last of the Core2Duo iMac models, Primate Labs reports. It should be noted that the company used its own Geekbench 2 to obtain their results, which does not measure video card or storage improvements, being limited to just processor and RAM performance.

The overall conclusions are that the 2011 iMacs are not so dramatically different as to tempt very recent Mac buyers in the short-term, but do offer a substantive performance increase for owners of Core2Duo iMacs and earlier models. The raw benchmark score was -- as would be expected -- about double the scores of dual-core Core i3 iMacs at the same frequency rating, thanks to the new machines having quad-cores as standard.

Direct rankings between similar new and previous models varied, with the top-of-the-line new 27" Core i7 iMac achieving a significantly better score than its direct predecessor, while the 27-inch 2011 Core i5 ran roughly equivalent to the previous "late 2009" Core i7 27-inch model. Differences between new and recent Core i5 models were much less pronounced.

The new models also include the new high-speed connector known as Thunderbolt, which could influence results on overall real-world tests once more Thunderbolt-capable accessories are shipping. The new models also sport significantly improved AMD Radeon graphics cards (HD 6750M or HD 6970M) that more than double the speed compared to the previous model, and the new machines user faster RAM as well.

Apple's own direct-application tests show a roughly 60 percent speed increase for the Core i5 models and a 30 percent increase for the Core i7s over the previous model, and graphics scores on popular games range from 50 percent to more than four times the previous models' graphic speeds depending on the game.

Geekbench 2, the tool used to measure the new iMacs, is available as a free download. [via Primate Labs]

by MacNN Staff