The iMac Graphics Firmware Update will update the graphics firmware on your iMac.
More info and download link (683 KB) here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Hope it works!
Some of the 21.5″s have the ATI Radeon HD 4670, too. No update for them yet, apparently.
Hopefully this means they will start shipping the iMacs again! Mine is still on back order!
this update would be nice if I had my 27″ iMac.
I could be wrong, but I think the back order is due to popularity. When I ordered mine, it was 3-5 days, then I saw the store was saying 5-7 days, then it went up again.
Mine shipped three days after ordering and arrived a couple days later. This thing is awesome. I can say this is probably the greatest computer ever made in terms of price/performance.
I have always bought PowerMacs/MacPros, but not this time…..and I am NOT unhappy about the switch!
I’ve had my 27″ iMac from the very beginning (purchased from the local Apple Store). No problems whatsoever . . . but little is ever heard from those with perfect hardware, huh?
Applied the update this afternoon anyway. Still perfect.
One would have to pry this machine from my cold, dead fingers to take it away. It is a dream come true.
I have the problem on my 21.5″ and know that the problem is not as widespread. Hope they do an update soon.
Would you guys shut up?!
I’m dyin over here.
Order Status:
Not yet shipped
Product: IMAC 27″ Qty. 1
Ships: Jan 5
Delivers: Jan 8
(sigh)
Is there a difference between a firmware, and a software update?
Does this mean that the problem is not really the graphics card?
Cause if it was you’d have to replace all of them I guess.
@cw
Firmware is located in non-volatile, programmable memory. In the old days this was called EEPROM. Software is loaded into volatile memory (RAM requires periodic refresh to retain contents).
Wikipedia probably has a better explanation.
“Is there a difference between a firmware, and a software update?”
Yes- a firmware update has to do with modifying the embedded program on the components of a hardware device directly.
A software upgrade is at the operating system level- how the OS or a “driver” within the OS ‘talks’ to the hardware device.
What are all of you complaining about? Back in 2005 when apple intruduced the mac mini at macworld jan 2005, I immediately placed my orderwhen they opened the ordering page for it. Wasn’t until April 15th when they invoiced it. I recieved it on April 23rd almost 2 1/2 months. this was the time where They shipped out 10.4 tiger. Since it was invoiced on April 15th, I qualified for the $14.95 update for tiger since my mini came with 10.3.9 Panther it.
would suk if apple intro something out of this world by the time some of you finally get ur iMacs in 2010.
So, it does have a problem with flicker. Not good.
With this kind of issue, it takes all the steam out of the claim that what we have is better than the other guys.
What’s next? Price cuts to compete with Windows machines since this Mac model acts like one of theirs?
Dont get your panties in a ruffle…
Its a simple problem that was easily fixed.
I just installed the firmware update on my 27″ i7… but never had the display problems to begin with…
The estimated ship time on my 27″ iMac had been December 24th. But I was surprised to get a shipment notice last week an it arrived last Friday, a week early. No problems with flicker or anything else (so far, knock on wood). I went with the i7 processor and 8GB of RAM and the performance (over my 2007 iMac) is remarkable. Adobe CS apps are particularly improved. But my favorite thing is the new magic mouse. HUGE improvement over the previous iteration.
@ Not Good
Mac users don’t have it better than the other guys. You just have better software.
Your hardware is the same, at best, as the other guys. Your 27″ iMac has last year’s ATI GPU. So out of the gate you’re behind and you can never upgrade. And Jobs has dictated that you never will.
Steve Jobs is a genius. And NextSTEP er OS X is the best. Too bad you’re always stuck with paying through the nose for outdated graphics.
“The iMac Graphics Firmware Update will update the graphics firmware on your iMac.”
I’m a huge fan of Captain Obvious and his poetry.
Why didn’t Apple use the 5xxx series? It’s been out for ages now.
“Why didn’t Apple use the 5xxx series? It’s been out for ages now.”
Apple hardware is always a generation behind, and the first 3 months of production units have inexplicable problems which are masked, not fixed, by firmware updates.
That’s why.
To all you “why didn’t Apple use… blah blah” types. Do you really think Apple makes these choices 2 weeks before a model is released? They probably have to shop, choose, negotiate and purchase their components a year in advance. I think they do a mighty impressive job of delivering incredibly functional products with great style at pretty good prices considering what they are.
Raskol and Good Luck and iSee,
Good luck with buying a 27 display with the same resolution as the 27″ iMac. It should be easy since that is “last year’s technology”
I have had several first generation Macs that were from the first 3 months of production and had no problems, or have any of my acquaintances.
No Apple hardware isn’t the same “at best” as other guys. Dell and HP actually use a lot of cheaper components.
By the way if it is truly a hardware problem a firmware change will rarely fix it or cover it up.
Your hardware is the same, at best, as the other guys
Yeah, that’s why Apple should have a custom graphics chipset.
Or build the graphics right into the CPU, so it works at the SAME speed. A custom CPU/GPU.
Then get the memory to work at the same speed as the CPU/GPU combo.
And call it the Amiga 5000. Of course it would have to have a card edge, so it could use expansion slots later, if you wanted.
Each add-on card would have 4 (4 core) CPUs PER card, for a total of 16 CPUs. Then you should be able to use up to FOUR cards, for a total of 80 CPUs, counting the four core CPU that comes with the computer. Impossible? Who’s heard of the transputer computers Atari, and Amiga where working on.
@ cw,
Good to know that some people visiting this site have been around long enough to remember the early days and what could have been.
@ digital mercenary,
Nobody needs a 27″ display on their desktop. HD desktop monitor? Why? So you can watch a Blu-Ray that you don’t have a drive to play it on? LOL So Mac user’s have some kind of bragging rights that they can pay through the nose for an overinduldgent display that can only play last years games.
Dell and HP do use some cheaper components. I don’t consider HP and Dell to be competing with the iMac. Apple actually doesn’t even have any real competition. I compare Apple’s computers to what an enthusiast can build. I know that is unfair. However, if Apple would build a headless, upgradable Mac, enthusiasts would have a real option. As long as PowerMacs use Xeon CPUs with no lower cost option, “enthusiast” computer users are forced to use Windows or Linux or a Hackintosh. Any computer user with average knowledge can buy the parts to put any Mac to shame and put it together themselves. And they do. They don’t buy them from Dell. Nobody buys XPSs and nobody buys PowerMacs! You know what I mean.
For xxxx sake all they have to do is use Core2Duos / i7’s in a tower! And nobody needs a machined aluminum case! Can’t somebody start a petition?
I love Next er uh Apple, unfortunately I cannot justify buying their computers.
@doc e,
If Apple can get Intel to build them custom CPUs why can’t Apple work a deal with ATI? They’ve been partners since when? And they can’t get a decent price on a 5xxx GPU? Come on, no, it’s because Apple needs their margins. Fine, at least give people the option of a 5xxx and let them wait for it to ship or something.
And yes, the firmware update is probably underclocking the the 4850 or the RAM so Apple is “masking” the problem as iSee stated. So NOW, not only do you have an 18 month old GPU, it’s underclocked! Fsck that.
“Good luck with buying a 27 display with the same resolution as the 27” iMac. It should be easy since that is “last year’s technology””
It’s sure hard to find one that’s cracked out of the box and flickers all the time if that’s what you mean.
“By the way if it is truly a hardware problem a firmware change will rarely fix it or cover it up.”
Not so, in many cases it’s possible, like for example as raskol states, running graphics chips at lower than originally designed clock rates to mask the fact that they can’t run full speed. Most fanboys will never notice, or if they do, they will come up with some ridiculous explanation as to why slower graphics are better.
Any you’re right. The $2000 iMac has a slightly better resolution screen than the 27″ PC monitor you buy for $350. Go Figure.
“If Apple can get Intel to build them custom CPUs “
When did that happen. On odd occasion Apple may have been the first (by say 36-48 hrs) to announce a product which uses a new CPU, More commonly Dell, HP etc. announce the products and Apple users wait hopefully for 6-12 months to see the same CPU or graphics chipset come through in a Mac.
“Dell and HP actually use a lot of cheaper components.”
Time after time that’s proved to be BS. Dell, HP, Apple all use the same parts and are built in the same factories by the same people. What sets Macs apart are the prettier cases. There’s no doubt that a Mac case is a more expensive and attractive repository for those same components.
cw: Your hardware is the same, at best, as the other guys
I’m reading this on the 27″ 2560*1440 LED-backlighted screen of my near-silent new i7 iMac and can only smile.
True – there is no hardware component in this machine which the other major manufacturers couldn’t theoretically use as well.
The question just is: Why don’t they bother actually doing it?
The 27″ iMac is actually quite a good value for its price, given the massive high-quality screen it comes with. If you are content with mediocre cobbled-together PCs, that is absolutely your right. But you are sorely mistaken if you believe that a machine like this iMac was a ripoff – it isn’t.
And I can tell – I’ve paid the price and I’ve got the actual machine right here and can judge its quality level and its performance.
cw: Yeah, that’s why Apple should have a custom graphics chipset.
Or build the graphics right into the CPU, so it works at the SAME speed. A custom CPU/GPU.
Then get the memory to work at the same speed as the CPU/GPU combo.
And call it the Amiga 5000. Of course it would have to have a card edge, so it could use expansion slots later, if you wanted.
Each add-on card would have 4 (4 core) CPUs PER card, for a total of 16 CPUs. Then you should be able to use up to FOUR cards, for a total of 80 CPUs, counting the four core CPU that comes with the computer. Impossible? Who’s heard of the transputer computers Atari, and Amiga where working on.
Sorry, but you’re missing any number of snags and problems you’d invite that way.
For one, already the Amiga suffered quite a bit from memory bandwidth limitations exactly because of its tightly integrated video circuitry, and the “shared memory” chipsets we see today usually have the same problem. The Nvidia 9400 is actually a positive exception with its comparatively high efficiency under these circumstances.
But the current-generation multi-core Nehalem CPUs only are as fast as they are because they’ve got all their memory to themselves – they have little bandwidth to spare already when they run full tilt with all their cores.
And faster graphics cards actually have higher memory bandwidth again than CPUs – they would actually be crippled by forcing them to use the CPU bus, even if the CPU itself didn’t interfere at all.
My iMac 27″ can simultaneously drive its own 2560*1440 screen and an external 2560*1600 screen in true colour at the same time, which requires quite a bit of bandwidth to begin with, and that’s just for the static picture – any 3D acceleration comes on top of that again!
Your idea that Apple should make their own graphics hardware doesn’t make much sense either – among other problems that would make it much more difficult to support Windows gaming on their machines, with the users completely dependent on Apple for the GPU drivers. And Apple may not really have their highest priority on providing top performance under Direct X 11 with their custom graphics chips.
Besides: It is much, much harder than you think to produce graphics processors which would actually surpass ATI’s and Nvidia’s offerings. I doubt that Apple could really gain any advantage there, but it is a certainty that it would cost them billions of $ to even try. And for what?