Mac Product Guide: 17-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/1.83GHz

17-inch iMac Core 2 Duo/1.83GHz

The iMac plunges below the $1,000 threshold with this model, whose specs bear a strong resemblance to the 1.83GHz iMac Core Duo that Apple sells to education institutions. The main difference: this iMac is powered by the next-generation of dual-core Intel chips, the Core 2 Duo. Otherwise, this 17-inch model has many of the same features, including integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics that share RAM with the main memory and no built-in support for Bluetooth. It's also worth noting that memory on this model tops out at 2GB, as opposed to 3GB on the other Core 2 Duo iMac configurations. Apple's remote is a build-to-order option for this iMac.

	Reviewed	Full Review

If you want a low-cost iMac to have around the house for everyday use, the 1.83GHz iMac is a nice system for the price (even factoring in a RAM upgrade from Apple). It also makes for an appealing system for many students, who can buy one for the same $899 price as the education iMac. However, the other iMac Core 2 Duo models out-perform this system.

Pros: Attractive price; good performance.

Cons: 2GB RAM limit; lack of free RAM slot makes for costlier memory upgrades; limited internal expansion options; missing some features of other models.

Basics

Reviewed Price: $999

Processor: 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Information about this system on Apple's website

Price Comparison

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Lab Tests

Speedmark 4.5 Score	202
Cinema 4D XL 9.5.21	1:13
iMovie 6.0.2	1:02
iTunes 6.0.4	1:10
Photoshop CS2	2:17
Compressor	3:07
Unreal Tournament 2004	21.7fps
Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.4.7, 1GB of RAM

Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.4.7, 1GB of RAM
Display	flat-panel; 17-inch; 1,440-by-900 pixels
Processor	1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Cache	2MB Shared L2
Frontside Bus Speed	667MHz
Memory	512MB DDR2 SDRAM ; 2GB maximum - 667MHz
Graphics Card	Intel GMA 950 with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory; Maximum resolution:1,920-by-1,200 (digital), 2,048-by-1,536 (analog); Port(s):Mini-DVI (DVI, VGA, S-video, and composite video via adapter); built-in iSight camera
Hard Drive	160GB Serial ATA, 7,200 rpm
Optical Drive	24x DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive
Ethernet	10/100/1000BASE-T
Wireless	AirPort Extreme built-in None
Peripheral Ports	Firewire: 2 FW 400 ports; USB: 3 USB 2.0 ports
Audio	Inputs: Audio line in, built-in microphone;Outputs: 1 headphone jack/optical digital out
Expansion Slots	None
Dimensions	16.8 x 16.9 x 6.8 inches
Weight	15.5 pounds