Rumor Mill: NVIDIA Graphics to Power New iMacs

According to the latest round of rumors on the Internet, Santa Clara, California-based NVIDIA might be powering some of Apple's upcoming iMac desktop computer systems. The most recent rumor could also point to some new graphics solutions on the part of the GPU maker, as all-in-one iMac computer systems are known for being built using hardware components designed for high-end portable PCs.

A picture posted in a recent article on macrumors.com appears to be indicating that new Apple iMacs are on the way and that NVIDIA will be providing the PC maker with the graphics chips that will be powering the new systems. The picture points to a configuration that includes an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, high-performance NVIDIA graphics, glossy widescreen display, built-in Wi-Fi and the familiar built-in iSight camera. Currently, iMacs provide a choice of either an ATI 2400 XT, an ATI 2600 Pro GPU or an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics processor.

 

It's still early to say if the rumors are correct, but given that Apple is expected to refresh its iMac system lineup, the picture appears to only further increase the speculations around the company's upcoming iMacs. In addition, we already know that Apple has recently partnered with NVIDIA for the graphics solution in the company's new MacBook portable systems. The most recent rumor is only consistent with previous speculations according to which the new iMacs will be based on NVIDIA motherboards, like the recent MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops.

 

Unfortunately, there aren't any details on when the new iMac systems will make their debut, but it would appear that Apple is close to the release of its fresh new all-in-one models. This is also good news for the green chip maker, which will see a new market segment open before its eyes. However, until any official reports regarding the new systems will be provided, NVIDIA is currently expected to unveil at least one more GeForce GT200-based graphics card at this year's CeBIT show in Hanover, Germany.