Apple's iMac Update Brings Impressive Hardware, Including the Intel Haswell Processor

Apple Inc. unveiled the updated iMac computer on Tuesday, which features a new Intel Haswell processor, a new Nvidia GPU, and a much faster storage drive. The updated iMac brings next generation WiFi and a few other features as well.

Apple's ridiculously thin-screened iMac already packed a lot of hardware, and the new version continues on that trajectory. "iMac continues to be the example that proves how beautiful, fast and fun a desktop computer can be," said Philip Schiller, Apple Inc.'s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement. "Inside its ultra-thin aluminum enclosure, the new iMac has the latest Intel processors, faster graphics, next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage."

Of course, depending on what you want to pay, you'll get varying levels of performance. But all of them feature Intel's new Haswell (Core i5) processor.

The entry-level version of the iMac features a 21.5-inch IPS LED display with 1080p HD resolution. Apple also says its displays reduces glass reflection by up to 75 percent. It's run by a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 "Haswell" processor, which is touted to be faster while also consuming less energy. This entry-level model can clock up to 3.2GHz with Apple's Turbo Boost.

The top-level iMac features a 27-inch screen with a 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, which can be clocked up to 3.8GHz (and you can switch out a more powerful Intel Core i7, clocked at 3.5GHz at an additional cost).

In between those two models are a 2.9GHz 21.5-inch iMac and a 3.2GHz 27-inch iMac. All non entry-level iMacs come with NVIDIA GeForce 700 series graphics, which has twice the video memory and up to 40 percent faster performance than the previous generation of GPUs. On the 27-inch iMacs, you can choose a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M with 4GB of video memory to up the ante even further.

All iMacs also come with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, capable of bus speeds up to 1600MHz. But the upper-level iMacs are upgradable to up to 32GB. Apple's iMac line also features 1 terabyte hard drives across the board, but for an extra price, you can configure a 1TB Apple next generation Fusion Drive - which is a hybrid that mixes a hard disk drive with NAND flash for faster performance.

And If you really want a fast computer, and have the money to burn, you can configure the top iMacs for up to 1TB of pure flash storage - the kind of solid state drives that the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro Retina carry.

Apple packs in all of this hardware in an all-in-one computer that features an SDXC card slot, 4 USB 3 ports, and two ultra-flexible, ultra fast Thunderbolt ports. The new iMacs also support next generation 802.11ac WiFi, and have an Ethernet port (if you still use Ethernet). All of this fits into a computer that's - at its deepest (including the stand) only 8 inches deep -and at its thinnest, on the sides, just 5 millimeters.

However, for all of this hardware, you'll be paying top dollar. The cheapest new generation iMac costs about $1300, and the baseline for the most hardware-packed 27-inch model (not including upgrades like the SSD drive or extra RAM) starts at $2000.

Do you think the iMac is a good deal? Or are you worried that an all-in-one computer, no matter how good the hardware, will too soon be outpaced by other, upgradeable, computers. Let us know in the comments.