Intel today officially announced its lineup of 10th-generation “Comet Lake” desktop processors, which includes a number of new processors that could find their way into Apple’s next-gen iMac and iMac Pro lineups.
At the top of the list is the flagship Core i9-10900K that Intel calls the world’s fastest gaming processor. The i9-10900K features 10 cores and a base frequency of 3.7 GHz, while Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost can push single-core speeds to 5.3 GHz. It’s also the successor to the i9-9900K chip currently used in the highest-end iMac configurations, so it’s likely the new chip will make its way into Apple’s lineup…
Natural replacements for the 21.5-inch iMac lineup include the new Core i3-10100, Core i5-10500, and Core i7-10700, while the 27-inch iMacs would see the Core i5-10500, Core i5-10600, and Core i5-10600K, in addition to the high-end i9 option.
While these are reasonable guesses at what we might see in the next-generation iMac, there’s no guarantee that Apple will go with direct successor chips at each spot in the lineup. That’s particularly true since rumors are pointing to a “substantial” refresh of the lineup with a potential redesign, including a rumored 23-inch model.
Dr. Ian Cutress for AnandTech:
The range of 32 (!) new processors from Intel will vary from two core Celeron parts at 35 W all the way up to ten-core Core i9 hardware rated for 125 W, with per-unit pricing from $42 to $488. The standard rated TDP is 65 W, with the overclocked models at 125 W, the low-power T models at 35 W, and Pentium/Celeron at 58 W. All of the Core i3, i5, i7, and i9 processors will have HyperThreading, making the product stack a lot easier to understand. Certain models will also have F variants without integrated graphics, which will have a slightly lower per-unit cost.
Check out Intel’s full “Comet Lake” lineup via Anandtech here.
MacDailyNews Take: If so, hopefully it’s the last time we see Intel processors in iMacs.
Big, hot, and power-hungry is no way to go through life, Mac.
Bring on the Apple-designed ARM-based Macs, Apple!