New Low-Cost iMac 40% Slower in Multi-Core, Comparable in Single-Core Benchmarks

Following today’s launch of a new entry-level iMac model curiously featuring an ultra-low voltage Intel processor actually used in the MacBook Air, the new iMac appears to have shown up in Geekbench’s benchmarking database.

As expected, the new machine posts relatively low 32-bit scores of 2820 in single-core mode and 5435 in multi-core mode. These scores are marginally better than the 2476/4690 scores posted by the current-generation MacBook Air running the same chip and actually fairly close to single-core scores from the previous low-end model, which remains available, at 2882.

But where this new low-end iMac unsurprisingly falls far short of the previous low-end model is in multi-core performance, where the older model clocks in at 9204. This major difference is due primarily to the chip used in the new low-end model being a dual-core chip, while the older low-end chip is quad-core.

The new low-end iMac comes in $200 cheaper than the previous entry-level model, but for that savings users will sacrifice some CPU and graphics performance and will have a 500 GB hard drive rather than the 1 TB drive included in the more expensive low-end model.