As predicted by Rumors, the new iMacs sport Core 2 desktop CPUs that are substantially faster at a given clock rate than the mobile Santa Rosa chips used in the latest Macbook Pros.

An entry-level model clocks in at 2GHz, while the other standard models offer 2.4GHz — with an optional upgrade to a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme CPU for a massive boost of muscle.

Early reports from trusted industry analysts suggest that in the configuration Apple is using, with a FW800-enabled chipset that delivers substantially improved memory, FSB and interconnect/northbridge bandwidth over previous generation iMacs…..the 2.4GHz Duo model could outperform the 2.4GHz Macbook Pro and previous 2.33GHz iMacs by upwards of 50% in average real-world tasks, up to 120% in certain CPU/bandwidth-intensive operations, and the ATi Radeon X2400 (128MB XT on the entry-level model, 256MB Pro on the 24-in) simply crushes previous generation GPUs with benchmark numbers that are two full generations ahead of the X1600 and GeForce 7600 GT used in Core 2 Mobile iMacs. Read more