By Daniel A. Begun
21/12/2007
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/pcperipherals/0,39051161,41014942p,00.htm

The 24-inch iMac comes in two standard configurations. The S$2,988 system includes a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. The higher-end configuration costs S$3,898 and comes with a dual-core 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.

We tested the fastest-available, 2.8GHz version with the optional 750GB hard disk, which added about another S$256.80 to the price tag, bringing the total cost of our configuration to S$4,154.80. For more on the design, features, and service and support of the fourth-generation iMac, check out our in-depth review of the 20-inch, 2.4GHz iMac.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Strengths

When we tested the 20-inch, 2.4GHz iMac, we came away impressed by its application performance, with it more than holding its own against competing Windows-based, mainstream desktops. The same can easily be said for the 24-inch, 2.8GHz iMac.

With its faster processor, the 24-inch, 2.8GHz iMac is expectedly faster than the 20-inch, 2.4GHz iMac on all of our application benchmarks--as well as many similarly priced Windows machines.

Of particular note is the 2.8GHz iMac's performance on our multimedia multitasking test--perhaps our most punishing benchmark. The test performs simultaneous video and audio encoding, which typically taxes the resources of most systems. The 24-inch, 2.8GHz iMac's best-of-class performance on this test is an excellent indicator of the iMac's potential for tackling processor-intensive applications and juggling the demands of multiple applications concurrently vying for system resources.

Weaknesses

The only performance area in which the iMac disappoints is with its 3D gaming proficiency--or lack of it. We were surprised to see the 24-inch turn in even lower scores on our Quake 4 test than we saw with the 20-inch model. This disparity is still a mystery for us as both systems use the same graphics engine.

Regardless, while the bigger model nets you a larger screen, a faster processor, more memory and bigger hard drive, there are no options for speedier graphics.

Conclusion

The ultimate question is whether the 24-inch, 2.8GHz iMac is worth spending almost S$1,000 more than the 20-inch, 2.4GHz version for a 16 percent improvement in performance and 30 percent more screen real estate.

Serious multitaskers and some prosumers can definitely gain additional screen area to support more open applications on the desktop, and the modest performance bump can make a difference during longer video or audio renders. Perhaps the ideal user is someone who needs as much processing power as possible from a Mac but can't justify the much costlier Mac Pro.

 



 



 







System configurations:
Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz)
Apple OS X; 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700; 2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics chip; 320GB 7,200 rpm hard drive;

Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz) Apple OS X 10.4.10; 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics chip; 750GB 7,200rpm hard drive

Apple Mac Pro Apple OS X 10.4.10; 2x2.66GHz Xeon X5355 (note that this is not a production configuration); 2GB 667MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM; 5126MB ATI X1900 graphics card; 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive

Sony Vaio TP1 Living Room PC
Windows Vista Home Premium; 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5600; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 32MB (shared) Intel 945GM integrated graphics chip; 300GB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive