iMac 2017 Release, Specs Update: iMac 2017 Releasing In August, New 'Server-Grade' iMac To Have Intel Xeon CPU, 64GB RAM, & More
Apple's new iMac 2017 is said to launch in the second half of 2017, most probably in the month of August. The latest iMac 2017 will include a "server-grade" model to provide for the high end creative professional market, as per the Taiwan-based supply chain sources.
The latest report from Taiwan offers hints on what could be in store for creative pros and puts a more specific timeframe for Apple iMac 2017. According to the latest report, production of two new iMacs is said to begin next month, with a view to launching the consumer desktops between August and a "server-grade model" at the tail end of 2017.
From Taiwan, DigiTimes has reported that the upcoming iMac 2017 will mirror the screen sizes of the existing models - 21.5-inch and 27-inch - but an exacting build will boast of premium specs and will be designed to compete with Microsoft Surface Studio.
Moreover, the technical details from the supply chain line up with previously leaked specs for Apple's upcoming upgrades. According to Taiwan source claimed that the high-end iMac will boast Intel's as-yet-unreleased Xeon E3-1285 v6 processor and will have options for 16 to 64GB error-correcting ECC RAM. iMac 2017 will also have up to 2TB NVM Express PCI-e solid-state storage, and more ambiguously, a "latest discrete graphics card," as reported by Mac Rumors.
Characteristically, iMacs include a mobile-class GPU rather than a desktop-class card, so this last specification could refer to either, while AMD has a contract with Apple to supply the discrete graphics chips for future high-end 27-inch iMacs. The new iMac 2017 is said to be manufactured by Quanta Computer that is expected to remain the largest all-in-one PC maker in 2017.
Apple is also rumored to fit a standalone keyboard with a Touch Bar and Touch ID in the upcoming iMac 2017 In a related report, it was said the iMac AIOs will also release models that in a run on Intel Kaby Lake processors, purposely the Core i5 and i7 variants and in quad-core configurations.
The original source of the iMac 2017 tech specs, Pike's Universum has claimed that Apple is working on an 8K external display, which will be as part of the company's highest end iMac offering. All iMacs of 2017 are expected to ship with USB-C ports and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity.