How much faster are the “Early 2009” Aluminum iMac Core 2 Duo models than the “Early 2008” models?
Please note that all iMac models mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The “Early 2009” Aluminum iMac models were replaced by the “Late 2009” models on October 20, 2009. Review a comparison of the “Early 2009” Aluminum iMac models — the iMac “Core 2 Duo” 2.66 20-Inch (Early 2009), 2.66 24-Inch (Early 2009), 2.93 24-Inch (Early 2009), and 3.06 24-Inch (Early 2009) — to the “Early 2008” models that they replaced, and it becomes quickly apparent that performance related differences are modest. Processor clockspeeds and configurations are similar — but the “Early 2009” models use 1066 MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 memory compared to 800 MHz PC2-6400 DDR2 on the models replaced with twice the official maximum capacity and the high-end models have improved graphics (the lower-end models have integrated graphics but support a larger external display). With similar clockspeeds but faster memory one would expect modestly improved performance, but the precise differences can only be uncovered thr