Apple one-upping Microsoft's Surface Studio seems a tall order following the critical acclaims that greeted the new Windows 10 desktop machine. But if the MacOS Sierra-Windows 10 showdown will boil down to the processing chip prowess then the rumored iMac 2016 update appears to enjoy a key advantage.
As everything about the next iMac beast remains speculative, Apple fans can only guess what the upcoming package will include. But one thing is sure, according to BGR, the iMac 2016 will be fired up by Intel's Kaby Lake processor even as the same was skipped by Apple with the Skylake-powered MacBook Pro 2016.
And running on the 7th-generation Intel chip, the next iMac is a solid candidate to mighty up with the Core i7-7700K chip. Running on normal clock speed, the i7-7700K is already a beast in the making with the processing steam reaching a dizzying pace of 4.2GHz or more than enough to make the iMac 2016 a topnotch computing machine.
But more power can actually be extracted from the Kaby Lake chip, according to Tom's Hardware, and the key is overclocking which the Core i7-7700K can very well take. The chip is listed by Intel with baseline frequency of 4.2GHz with the Turbo Boost capped at around 4.5GHz.
The paper specifications though can still be stretched as the chip itself, which is the top of the Kaby Lake family, is deliberately designed for overclocking. That would mean extra mileage of computing power when desired and required.
Tom's Hardware said that beyond the Turbo Boost limit, i7-7700K can reach an overclocked speed of 4.8GHz.
Now there is little doubt that with Kaby Lake Core i7-7700K running the iMac 2016 show, the desktop is a formidable machine in the making. But it remains a big question how exactly the MacOS Sierra computer will match or even surpass the following Surface Studio killer features: gorgeous form factor and super-slim design, touch input function and stylus support and the draw feature that lets users to push down the device and rest on the desk like a giant sketch pad.
But really the bigger question is: Will the iMac 2016 release date happen anytime soon or is it an early 2017 event?