Yesterday Apple introduced its first Sandy Bridge based iMacs. Thanks to @siromega I was pointed at iFixit's teardown of the new 21.5-inch iMac, which pointed out that the new system is actually first to use Intel's Z68 chipset - ahead of Intel's official launch of the chipset.

 


I
mage courtesy iFixit

It's a unique choice for Apple given that Z68 incorporates features that Apple doesn't seem to use in the new iMac (SSD caching, overclocking). But perhaps we will eventually see Apple embrace SSD caching in future models?

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  • headbox - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link

    Actually iMac overclocking is very popular, but not many people know about it. If you hold down the "O" key when booting up, you can get to the EFI cpu settings screen. The only thing you can't tweak is voltage. Here's a video of my 27" iMac running @ 4.2 GHz
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
  • aguilpa1 - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link

    and YO mama is a virgin..., that's funny to.
  • vol7ron - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link

    haha got me, kinda (recognized the link lol).

    it's funny how now there's an add on the video. you have to wait to be rick rolled.
  • ArKritz - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link

    Well played, worthy adversary.
  • clanmacleod - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link

    nice, havn't been rick rolled in awhile thats so 2008 lol
  • jurasofish - Thursday, May 5, 2011 - link

    well played indeed, so nostalgic :)
  • Cpt. Insano - Friday, May 6, 2011 - link

    "Hold down O?" ZING!!
  • Kristian Vättö - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link

    I noticed the same today too. Well, the SSD versions aren't shipping yet (showing 4-6 weeks) so it is possible that Apple uses the Smart Response Technology (BTW, there will be more about this and a lot other stuff tomorrow or the day after ;-))
  • tipoo - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link

    If they were using that tech, they would mention it. Right now a buyer would think he's getting two separate drives, not one drive and one invisible cache drive.
  • Kristian Vättö - Thursday, May 5, 2011 - link

    SRT can be set up later on with reinstalling or anything like that. Maybe it is a feature that will be implemented later on (e.g. in Lion), any software update could add that. Of course, might be that Apple isn't using it at all.

    BTW, I don't think you can use the IGP and thus QuickSync unless you have a monitor connected to the IGP. You would need GPU switching system (such as Synergy or Virtu) to use both, the IGP and the dGPU with only one monitor.

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