Power and Pixels – All about Apple’s new 27” iMac
Apple’s all-in-one desktops now equipped with cutting-edge hardware & best displays in the business.
At this year’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, announced alongside the updated iPad Pro, there was the new lineup of all-in-one desktop iMacs with refreshed hardware options. Featuring a stunning 21.5 inch 4K display option, or if you’re looking for more, the 27 inch 5K screen that we tested.
Fantastic Display
At first glance, the new 27” iMac looks identical to the model it replaces. It features the standard exceptionally well-crafted sleek metal body with 5mm edges, compact footprint, and highly adjustable stand. This will probably be ignored though, as you focus on the stunning 5K retina display this new iMac packs.
At 5,120 x 2,880 pixels, the 27” 5K Retina display is the sharpest in its class. Incredibly accurate color reproduction is achieved through the panel’s support of P3 color space. The finally cherry on the cake is the 500 nits of brightness this panel delivers, allowing its quality to be enjoyed in even the brightest of workplaces.
In summary, the new iMac’s 5K Retina display is a visual treat, bringing life & enjoyment to even the simplest, most mundane computing task. Whether for home or work, the screen alone makes the new iMac worth buying.
Down to the Hardware
The 27” iMac is offered in a variety of quad-core, 7th gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. RAM options are also abundant, ranging from 8GB to 16GB and 32GB, and satisfying power users with 64GB options. Upgrading to 64GB will put you back $1,260 on its own however.
AMD provides all the graphic chip options for the 27” iMac. These include the Radeon Pro 570 and Radeon Pro 575 with the standard 4GB memory, or the more powerful Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB. With this last option, the iMac is capable of gaming and powering a high-end VR headset, as well as taking care of your heavy-duty video and image processing.
Storage options come in the shape of a Fusion Drive (conventional HDD and small SSD), or the ultra-fast SSD. Default options include a 1TB Fusion Drive.
On the back you’ll find your wired connection options – a quartet of USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, SD card slot, and Ethernet connector. You can seamlessly connect two 4K monitors through the Thunderbolt 3 support, or even an additional 5K display. There’s also a standard audio jack available.
When it comes to wireless features, we have Bluetooth 4.2, and speedy Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac. Finally, we have stereo speakers, a microphone, and a FaceTime HD camera.
With every iMac bundle you also receive a wireless Magic Mouse 2, and Apple’s always excellent Magic keyboard. For an extra $50 you can upgrade to the magic Trackpad 2, which we really recommend considering how well it’s suited to working with macOS.
Excellent Performance
We took an entry-level iMac with Intel Core i%, 8GB RAM, and Radeon Pro 570 graphics for a spin. Even with these base configurations, the 27” desktop performed excellently on most occasions.
The iMac is capable of editing large photos, running multiple browser tabs and productivity software, all whilst simultaneously streaming in your tunes of choice. The quad-core Core i5 CPU and Radeon graphics chip made sure everything was run as smooth as possible across the Retina display’s millions of pixels.
The 27” iMac, even in basic configurations, will provide all the processing power most home users will require. For demanding professionals out there, you can spec this desktop up into a beast, at a price of course.
Worth it?
We found the 27” iMac the best in its class when it came to all-in-one desktops. The 5K retina display is enough by itself to justify the price tag. Fantastic performance & multiple upgrade options make this case even stronger.
We would have preferred smaller screen bezels, but we enjoyed the fantastic display regardless. We’d also wish Apple’s base configuration offered 16GB of RAM as 8GB is on the lower end, but at least you can upgrade if you so choose.
For the entry-level 27” iMac (Inter Core i5, 8GB RAM) expect to pay $1,699 – a fair price for an all-in-one at this high-end. Our recommendation is a 16GB RAM upgrade, and possible upgrade to i7 CPU if your work demands it, for $2,079 – a fair price considering the product segment. The productivity beast, fully loaded with Intel Core i7, 65GB RAM and 2TB SSD will set you back just shy of $5,000.
