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There’s rumors about a quad-core iMac, and others about just faster dual-core iMac.

Maybe we will see another scenario: a physicial dual-core iMac that execute 4-threads at once?

Intel released the Core i7 Quad-Core/8-Threads processor with fast 3-way DDR-3 memory interface and plan to release a low-end version with Dual-Core/4Threads and 2-way DDR-3 memory interface, that consume far less power (dissipate less heat too ) and maybe the best fit to offer faster iMac (up to 50% faster) while retaining the current design.

So if Apple choose the Core i5, it will offer the performance-level of first generation MacPro (4×2.0Ghz basic confi), while being slower than actual 2.66Ghz real Quad-Core actual MacPro.

Desktop, General, Hardware, iMac Core i5, Core i7, iMac, intel

You probably have heard of AMD/ATI project to create chip that integrates a CPU and a GPU on a single die, an AMD Phenom X2 CPU associated to an ATI Radeon 3xxx GPU. It’s interesting and it’s a future trend. But maybe not the way AMD intended to be!

The major part of my computer use is to read and answer emails, use instant messengers, visit web pages, type some texts, thing that don’t need a dual-core 2.4Ghz CPU with a GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and could be handled by a 400Mhz single-core CPU associated with an integrated GPU.

For me, the next trend to improve autonomy and reduce consumption will be to aggregate a 400Mhz x86 cpu core inside the chipset, associated with an integrated GPU core similar to theGeForce 9400M found in new MacBook line-up.
Intel doesn’t announce anything, nor AMD, but both have great economics x86 cores to put into a chipset, and even nVidia has x86 cpu cores that could fit into their chipsets

The main idea is to put the main CPU, or CPU+GPU couple in deep sleep mode as frequently as possible and let a low-cost processor handle some low-level actions, such as scrolling on a web page, handling mouse events, maybe even enter text on email client or lightweight word processor, to play music, to view a movie, to be able to extend the battery life as long as possible.

In this case, the integrated GPU will play a major role, not because of it’s graphic ability but for it’s programmability (CUDA, OpenCL, …), decompressing music, decompressing movie and accelerating the display, decompressing JPEG or PNG and generating displayable bitmaps, etc.
The GeForce 9400M integrated GPU for example could deliver quasily the same level of raw computing power of a dual-core Core2 Duo at 2.4Ghz, consuming far less, and giving a 400Mhz x86 cpu core the ability to do basic multimedia functions (including movie play even in H.264 or MPEG-4) without relying on a main CPU.

All these things are actually working, existing technologies that are just waiting to be put together to deliver better autonomy to our laptops

General amd, ati, cpu+gpu, fusion, Geforce 9400M, intel

The new Intel Core i7 is a quad-core CPU that executes 8 threads in parallel, with the help of hyperthreading.

To put it shortly, the Core i7 is amazing, offering nearly the performance-level of bi-Xeon (2×4 cores) in the prosumer-level, and twice (2X) the performance of the best AMD quad-core processors while consuming less power!

I could not wait to have a bi-core (4 threads) or even quad-core (8-threads) Core i7 on the iMac that will offer the performance level of current MacPro

Technologies amd, Core i7, hyperthreading, intel