Apple to Switch to AMD's Ryzen Chips for iMac 2017?

By Amee Florence Payno, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, March 08, 2017

The current iMac is one of several products in Apple's lineup that is in dire need of an update. Aside from its occasional marginal updates, the tech giant has yet to exert a grand effort to put its iconic all-in-one desktop computer back at the top of a very competitive computer market. However, if recent rumors are to be believed, it looks like Apple will be making a huge change in the iMac 2017 when it comes to its processor and graphics card.

It was previously speculated that the iMac 2017 would feature Intel's 7^{th-generation Kaby Lake processors. However, with the recent launch of AMD's top-tier Ryzen chips, latest rumors now suggest that the iMac 2017 will be switching to AMD's processor chips.}

AMD's Ryzen 7 1800X has set a new record in benchmark tests, proving to have formidable performance per watt. It was even compared to Intel's top-tier Core i7 processor and AMD's processor chip was revealed to be 30 percent more power-efficient, and can also deliver a slightly better performance than the i7.

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Hence, with its combination of power and efficiency, the Ryzen chip is believed to be perfect for Apple's computers.

Another rumor suggests that although the iMac 2017 will be running on the latest Kaby Lake processor, the desktop computer will be using AMD's graphics chips. This is further supported by Apple's existing contract with AMD which was agreed upon in October last year. This agreement between the two companies involves AMD supplying two types of Polaris graphics cards to Apple: the Radeon Polaris 10 and the Polaris 11.

Because of their deal, it is expected that Apple will be using the two Polaris graphics chips in its future iterations of desktops and laptops.

Aside from rumors surrounding its possible processing chip and graphics card, there are speculations which suggest that the iMac 2017 will be equipped with virtual reality (VR) support. With the Radeon Polaris graphic chips, VR programs will be able to run on Apple's upcoming all-in-one desktop computer.

Apple has yet to issue any official update about the development of the iMac 2017.