With the new Core i5 and i7-based iMac models, Apple demonstrated that one can offer an All-in-one computer with performance levels similar to those of a workstation as the Mac Pro, while remaining in a rather small enclosure. One can still complain about a small point: one can not change the graphic card/GPU.
This could become possible in a near future with the last product released by NVIDIA:
The Quadro FX 3800M. This graphic card is dedicated to notebook, but sports performance levels of its Quadro sisters. The iMacs are often using GPU dedicated to notebook. The Quadro FX 3800M features a MXM port (as for the iMac) and offering the following specifications:
GPU Specs:
| # NVIDIA Quadro GPUs | 1 |
| Form Factor | 17" |
| CUDA Cores | 128 |
GPU Memory Specs:
| Memory Size Total | 1 GB GDDR3 |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec) | 64 |
So, in summary, one can transform the iMac into a true high-end graphical workstation, well for those who can stand the glossy LCD rendering...
