Just a couple of years ago, the Apple company surprised the computer market by introducing its first device with a Retina screen to the public. To date, there have been several generations of MacBookPro, which were equipped with displays of the highest possible resolution, but the company only got to all-in-one PCs last year.
The iMac series has always attracted users with its appearance and contents: wide screen, stylish and attractive design, excellent performance - all this makes the device an excellent tool for working in any field. Almost all of the company’s solutions are universal products, so the range of equipment will allow any specialist and amateur to realize their potential.
It’s not for nothing that the idea has developed that the best videos are edited on a Mac, smart photographers use Macs, designers and other people with a rich and unconventional imagination use gadgets from Apple. Whatever you say, it’s fashionable, expensive and beautiful, and at the same time there is an opportunity to count yourself among a narrow circle of admirers of exclusive technology. Although, judging by independent statistics, it is not so narrow: even despite the decrease in total sales of personal computers, it is the Apple company that is demonstrating, if not confident, then clearly positive sales growth.
Model positioning
During the presentations of the Apple iMac 27″ Retina 5K, the company paid increased attention to those whom it considers a priority representative of its audience. Photo processing and complex video editing will become much more enjoyable, and at the same time productive, when using the new device from Apple.
The iMac 27″ Retina 5K quickly reached the Russian markets. Now you don’t have to wait long weeks or even months to try out an interesting new product in action. Let's try to figure out what exactly the company offers in the form of such a high-tech device, because a screen with such a high resolution is very difficult to come across. Let's evaluate the advantages of the new model over its predecessors and analyze the technical characteristics of the iMac 27″ Retina 5K. Reviews about the device are very positive, so you can evaluate the performance of the device in general terms, and specific merits or shortcomings will be indicated below.
So, the hero of today's review is the new all-in-one iMac from Apple. Let's try to identify all the strengths and weaknesses of the model, taking into account the opinions of experts and reviews of ordinary users.
Specifications
The all-in-one PC is powered by a 4-core Intel Core i5 3.5 GHz processor with the ability to overclock to 3.9 GHz. There is 8 GB of DDR3 RAM on board, with a frequency of 1600 MHz (the basic configuration is equipped with two 4 GB sticks). Hard drive - 1 TB Fusion Drive type (the main volume is for HDD, the rest is accelerated space for SSD). Graphic video accelerator from AMD "Radeon" R9 M290X with 2 GB of fast GDDR5 memory.
Screen - 27’’, with a resolution of 5120x2880 pixels, IPS matrix with a glossy finish. Communication is provided by Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth version 4 wireless protocols. Connection interfaces - 4 x USB 3.0, RJ-45 Internet port, two Thunderbolt 2 connectors, 3.5 mm microphone, SD slot and mini-port. Dimensions are 516 by 650 mm with a weight of 10 kg.
Design
The general appearance of the candy bar itself has remained unchanged since 2012. Someone may condemn this approach of the company, but, on the other hand, why change what pleases the eye to this day: precise lines, beautiful shapes and graceful outlines create the image of, if not the most attractive candy bar, then certainly one of the most stylish exactly.
The iMac 27 with a Retina 5K display will certainly appeal to aesthetes who are not used to cluttering their desktop with a bunch of wires and connectors and simply love high-quality technology. The company notes that the new monoblock is the thinnest to date, and the thickness of the device is only 5 mm (sidewalls).
Assembly
The monoblock is held on the surface by a durable aluminum leg, which is easily adjustable in terms of viewing angle, but, alas, you cannot change the height. The display is framed by a glossy black frame of quite impressive size, under which you can see the company logo.
The body itself is made entirely of aluminum, and the appearance of the Apple iMac Retina 5K inspires confidence, it is simply pleasant to look at, no matter from which side. The weight of the candy bar remains the same and, if desired, you can take it on short trips around the house or office - it is not heavy at all.
Screen
The all-in-one, as in the case of previous generations, can be optionally available with diagonals of 21 and 27", but in order to experience the fullness and depth of the new model, it is better to use the flagship version in the form of the iMac 27" Retina 5K. User reviews about quality This screen is entirely positive in nature, which is why we will consider it.
“Retina” is a rare representative of devices of this class, and if previously 2560 by 1440 pixels was considered a good resolution, then with the new screen it has quadrupled and is 5120 by 2880 pixels. Accordingly, the pixel density has also increased and now, instead of 106 ppi, it is 218 ppi.
You can look at the new iMac with Retina 5K display forever, simply admiring the rich colors and images presented. The icons remained the same, not decreasing in size at all, the picture just became clearer due to the very high bit depth of the display.
By the way, it is worth noting that the company conducted independent research and proved that the new screen consumes 30% less energy than devices of previous generations. There were no complaints from users regarding the cooling of particles, so this pleasant fact of reduced power consumption can be attributed to the advantages of the iMac Retina 5K.
A review of the monoblock showed that the company once again proves a very scrupulous attitude to the image quality of its monitors. Since the IPS matrix in liquid crystal technologies can no longer be overclocked beyond the limit, and the factory settings are already considered the standard of quality, the company decided to improve the only parameter that can be increased - resolution. Instead of the usual Quad HD scan, the monoblock received ultra-precise 5K resolution at 5120x2880 pixels with a corresponding increase in pixel density. Such parameters are comparable to smartphone screens, while in front of us is almost a 27-inch device.
The innovation for the Apple iMac 27″ Retina 5K is especially noticeable when working with the main desk, as its capacity has greatly increased, which immediately affects the performance of graphics and video applications such as Final Cut. Processing ultra-HD files in 2160p has become much more convenient, since 100% of the frame is displayed, plus there is enough space for placing tools and other useful applications.
The iMac 27″ Retina 5K screen has a very enviable brightness reserve - about 450 cd/m2, which is quite enough to work on the brightest and sunny day. In a normal room, the screen brightness can be safely set to 50% (if not lower), and the contrast, even with such settings, does not drop to the minimum level - approximately 1200 to 1 (a certain ceiling for an IPS matrix).
Thanks to the perfectly balanced anti-reflective coating, the image is presented in full depth and has a very convincing appearance. The viewing angles of the iMac Retina 5K deserve all sorts of praise, they are as wide as possible and video with friends will only be a joy.
Areas of application
Factory settings can offer the owner impeccable color balance and calibration with excellent accuracy, so there is simply no need to adjust or correct anything - just sit down and work. came almost close to the sRGB standard, which is a very big plus for the average consumer, but some professionals sometimes complain in their reviews that the display cannot cover Adobe RGB and DCI P3, and together with them the Rec standard, but this is already The requests are so specific that it’s difficult to add them to the general list of minuses.
The overall brightness characteristics of the iMac 27″ Retina 5K can be considered a benchmark for an IPS matrix, and color rendering is the peak of the monitor’s capabilities. So we can say with complete confidence that the screen of the new all-in-one is an excellent starting point for working with video and photographic materials. And if professionals may still doubt the work with “Ultra” HD, then ordinary device owners should be completely delighted with the natural and truly beautiful image on a 27-inch all-in-one with double clarity.
Performance
The Apple iMac 27″ Retina 5K all-in-one is equipped as standard with a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with a clock frequency of 3.5 GHz and the ability to overclock in Turbo Boot mode up to 3.9 GHz. There is 8 GB of RAM on board of the DDR3 variety with a frequency of 1600 MHz, and if there is a need or just a desire, it can be increased to 32 GB.
To store and work with data, the all-in-one PC has a Fusion Drive hard drive. The hard drive has two partitions - one is a regular HDD, and the other is a high-speed SSD. The basic package includes a 1 TB hard drive, but you can choose a more expensive option with 3 TB of memory (0.512/1 TB for SSD).
As a graphics video accelerator, the company equipped the iMac Retina 5K with a solution from AMD in the form of the Radeon R9 290MX with one gigabyte of memory. Variable versions can be equipped with a similar M295X series, but with four GB and high-speed GDDR5 memory.
It is important for owners and future owners of the iMac Retina 5K to remember that upgrading on their own is practically impossible. The only thing that the company “allowed” to be increased in the candy bar was the RAM, everything else will remain the same and cannot be improved.
In practice, the device easily copes with any tasks in such a demanding program as processing a very significant amount of data without any brakes or freezes. The same indicators also apply to working with the powerful photo editor Lightroom, where the processing of libraries in the RAW format is flawless.
The new iMac Retina 5K is a very, very fast all-in-one PC. When making a comparison with its closest competitors, it turned out that when editing the same video in a resolution that supports 4K, the speed of the Apple device is higher than the others - a minute and 14 seconds versus almost 10 minutes of processing for similar devices.
Those who work with video formats that support 4K resolution will surely like that the entire image can be displayed on the screen. In principle, the same applies to amateur photographers, who can freely and comfortably edit their photographs taken in high resolution. Professionals working with powerful graphics packages, as a rule, connect another monitor to open the window to full screen, and in the case of a new all-in-one PC, such actions will be unnecessary - everything is perfectly visible on one device.
Interfaces
Behind the monoblock there are four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 2.0, an RJ-45 connector for wired Internet, a slot for a regular SD card, and there is also a jack for external headphones and an additional 3.5 mm microphone.
Users in their reviews sometimes complain about the inconvenient location of the ports, which is why constantly working with peripherals causes a certain discomfort, so for such purposes you have to buy a separate card reader, which will always be at hand, and there will be no problems with memory cards or flasks.
Video communication is provided by a good FaceTime HD camera, which works with sound via two microphones. Access to wireless protocols is provided by the Wi-Fi module at 802.11ac and Bluetooth version 4.
Summarizing
The new monoblock, like its predecessors, is available in several modifications, and the option with a “regular” screen has also been retained, so if there is no need to purchase a display of this quality, you can save a very decent amount.
The company offers a ready-made and fully configured solution, so to get started you just need to connect the cable and the system is ready to use. The only fly in the ointment (and for some, on the contrary, stability and successful consistency) that concerns almost all products of the Apple company is the impossibility of upgrading. All that is available for improvement is RAM, and nothing more.
The device surprises with its resolution and picture quality, and the pixel density per inch can compete with any mobile gadgets. The practical benefits of the new screen will certainly be felt by professionals in their field - amateur photographers and video makers, and ordinary users will feel the richness of the picture in any modern games.
As for the surcharge for such a high resolution, it can be called quite reasonable, especially when comparing competing models from famous brands. Just one monitor will cost the owner about 2 thousand euros, and this does not take into account other components without which it is useless.
The average cost of an iMac Retina 5K (price as of February 2016) ranges from 100-180 thousand rubles and depends on the modification. An inexpensive model with a 21-inch screen and an average graphics card (GTX775M) costs about 90,000, and Pro models with all the bells and whistles reach 200,000.
Should I buy or not?
Is it worth paying that much money for a new screen? If you have money that you can spend on a purchase, then there are no downsides to such a solution, and the quality that you receive will please you for a very long time. And although some professionals involved in video or photo processing prefer specially configured options to suit their needs, the universal solution in the form of a new all-in-one PC will certainly be noticed and in demand by specialists. In any case, after purchasing an iMac, you will receive an excellent computer with an excellent screen and powerful hardware.
Advantages of a monoblock:
- stylish and original design;
- only high quality materials from a well-known brand;
- productivity “with a reserve” for several years;
- the highest screen resolution to date.
Disadvantages of the device:
- there is no possibility of connecting as a second screen;
- high price for the average buyer of computer equipment.
My father, being an excellent radio electronics engineer, assembled my first computer, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48 kb. I am sure that it is not worth talking about it in detail, since Spectrum is familiar not only to the older generation, but, I hope, also to young people: a simple operating system, loading programs and games from cassettes (how can you forget the unusual loading sound), color image, control over Kempston joystick and so on.
Later there were gaming television consoles Dendy and Sega, which were very captivating, but did not interrupt the craving for the world of “big” computers.
Around the age of 12, I, like most of my peers at that time (the 90s), began to get interested in computer technology, fortunately there was a lot of literature, television programs and various sales salons. However, financially, computers were not as accessible as they are today, so for many they remained a dream. Same for me. But then one day at SUT (the Station for Young Technicians, which I visited), I overheard a conversation between two boys, one of whom boasted that he had a computer at home, but it seemed incomprehensible to him and too difficult to use, so he offered to exchange it for a console with his friend Dendy. This kind of barter was not interesting to the guy, so I jumped into the conversation with a counter offer: at that time I had the most sophisticated ZX Spectrum 128 kb with two disk drives and a Yamaha music processor, a huge number of floppy disks with games and applications. That is, I offered to exchange the Spectrum for a PC unknown to me. He reasoned like this: even if the boy has the weakest computer, in any case it will be a PC with DOS or even Windows! Surprisingly, the boy agreed, and we agreed to meet for an exchange.
Having opened the case of the “cherished” computer at his home, I was somewhat disappointed to find inside a motherboard with an Intel 80286 processor. Frankly speaking, I flattered myself with hopes of seeing at least the “386th”, but in the end I came to terms with the fact that that the 286th will still be better than the outdated Spectrum.
The funny thing is that the PC did not have a monitor, and connecting it to the TV seemed almost impossible, unlike the same Spectrum. However, my father was still able to find a way out of the situation for the first time: he soldered some kind of board and eventually connected the “286th” to the “Electronics” TV. The plus was that the image appeared, but the minus was that it was only in DOS, and in Windows the picture was only at the top of the screen :)
Later, gradually gaining experience, I assembled a PC from components. By the way, the day recently passed the announcement of the legendary 3DFX Voodoo Graphics video card, which appeared in 1995, which I also used in my Windows computer. Basically, I have been using this operating system almost until the present day.
Actually, such a long preface was created not only because of the emotions and nostalgia that surged during the writing of the article, but also so that you understand that I am from that generation that takes a serious and thorough approach to any technical devices, especially if it concerns them purchases.
The crux of the matter
For about 7-8 years I have practically not replaced anything in my PC, because at that time I had assembled good hardware, and if it weren’t for the games (which I don’t play), I could still use it to this day. However, at some point I thought that I didn’t need powerful components, I was a little tired of the noise of the coolers, the huge case was taking up space, there were a lot of wires around the table - it was simply ugly (a year ago I carefully put them together, but there are still a lot of cables). Therefore, I decided to take a closer look at all-in-one PCs running Windows. It turned out that there weren’t many beautiful, productive solutions on our market, and besides, we really wanted something new. Therefore, the choice fell on the Apple iMac (friends and colleagues persuaded me to take it): nice, fast (according to friends) and without a ton of wires.
Frankly, I have (I think, like many reasonable people) a psychological barrier in front of a certain amount, for example, I’m not ready to spend more than 500 rubles for communication services, on a smartphone - no more than 40,000 rubles, on a computer - no more 80,000 rubles and so on.
Taking into account the “barrier”, I was ready to spend about 80,000 rubles on an iMac. For this amount they offered me an Apple iMac 21.5’’ FullHD with weak hardware. This situation did not suit me, since the Mac in this situation was no different from my PC, and the screen was also smaller.
I had to overcome myself and put up a psychological barrier worth about 130,000 rubles. That’s exactly how much the “friendly store” BiGeek Apple iMac 27’‘5K with Fusion Drive agreed to sell me for. In general, I came to BigGik, called Apple, clarified that the “machine” was certified, and went home.
Bugs, oddities and other things
I unpacked the box, set it on the table, and turned it on. The first thing I noticed was a slight flare on the screen at the top right when it was filled with black. I grabbed my heart and quickly looked for it, no, not Corvalol, but an explanation - on the Internet. It turned out that the phenomenon is common and there is no need to panic. As they say, “the spoons were found, but the sediment remained”...
Having connected the keyboard and mouse, I began to study the system.
The second thing that confused me was Magic Mouse. For me it turned out to be extremely inconvenient, since I was used to working with a large mouse that has at least two adequate mechanical buttons. By adequacy I mean the following: if you click on the left, then it is a left click, on the right, it is a right click. In Magic Mouse, the right click must be done completely to the right at the top, which is inconvenient. Probably a matter of habit. Without various software accelerators, the speed of moving the needle on a 27-inch monitor turned out to be agony: I had to move the mouse on the table from side to side. As a result, I installed MouseZoom, and everything fell more or less into place. However, in any case, I never got used to the ergonomics of the MM design.
I tried replacing MM with other mice. There were three options at home. They all worked haphazardly, the biggest killer was the scrolling: sometimes it’s slow, sometimes it’s very fast, sometimes it skips a lot of pages, sometimes it doesn’t respond to smooth scrolling. In short, I stayed on Magic Mouse, temporarily.
While I was setting up the system, checking the functionality of the applications, when playing a video (any - youtube, movie) I noticed a strange feature. It’s quite difficult to describe it in words, but the gist is something like this: in the video, with relatively sharp movements of contrasting objects, the edges moved unsmoothly, slightly jagged, approximately like not the best response time. There was something to compare with: there was a monitor nearby (24’’ FullHD) connected to a PC. On it, the same videos looked much smoother, and the picture itself was perceived as more pleasing to the eye.
Before calling Apple, I decided to look at the iMac of my configuration in one of the showrooms from the re-store (the employees will forgive me, but most of them have practically no understanding not only of Apple hardware, but also of the system). To my surprise, it turned out that the screens there behave similarly in terms of the strange thing I discovered. Moreover, I checked with the employees whether they saw the same thing as me. Yes, they do. Just wanted to make sure I'm not going crazy :)
Having somehow come to terms with the situation, I discovered another unpleasant moment for me personally - scaling. The fact is that the 5K image looks great on 27 inches, but the entire interface is too small. It's easy to select a larger format in the settings. However, the entire interface becomes slightly cloudy and blurry. Question: why use 5K if the picture looks bad? Since I didn’t want to be made a fool again, I asked the store consultant if he saw blurry fonts and icons. The answer was again in the affirmative.
A high-quality matrix is good: excellent brightness, rich colors, natural white and high contrast. If you don’t spend days working with text, then the iMac 27’’5K is a cool “machine”. My profession is related to writing texts, so I sit at the computer for hours. In this regard, small font, thin letters and interface elements, coupled with high contrast, played a cruel joke: after 30-40 minutes, the eyes quickly get tired of peering at a small image. Yes, you can try to come up with something with the font, with the brightness of the backlight, with other things, but overall nothing good came of it for me!
Next, I decided to test the speed of the video editing application iMovie and Final Cut. The first program somehow passed the tests and did not slow down particularly, but in the second timeline it “groaned” with unpleasant brakes on the moving clip. In the end, I suffered more than I edited the video. I know such things as Optimization and Proxy, but they are used slowly.
Here, most likely, Fusion Drive is to blame, that is, it was necessary to take an iMac with an SSD, but this is no longer 130,000 or even 150,000 rubles. At this rate it would be possible to get to 200,000 rubles. For that kind of money it’s already easy to buy a space PC.
I won’t talk about the oddities of the OS, because from the very beginning I was ready to put up with the lack of many convenient applications. Even pirated programs - try installing them if, as a rule, they are not supported by the new version of the system.
What does it cost just to save data to your hard drive if it worked with Windows :) The Page text editor constantly had problems: when writing text, the letters could not keep up with the speed of my typing. From time to time, turning to full screen was accompanied by lags.
If someone tells you stories about bug-free OSX, then do not believe in these tales. Of course, if you only use your Mac for social networks and the Internet, then most likely there will be no problems. This is also true for Windows.
As a conclusion
Here I will summarize why I bought a cool Apple computer and was dissatisfied with it and even somewhat disappointed:
- Not the most convenient, in my opinion, mouse control. But this is generally what happens in the system. “Understanding and forgiving” is difficult...
- Strange behavior of the video on the screen - lack of smoothness.
- Poor scaling. I think Apple should be ashamed of making a 5K screen and using low-quality upscaling.
- The small interface, coupled with high contrast and harsh white color, hits the eyes, making it difficult to work with text for a long time.
- Brakes in Final Cut and other minor bugs.
Giving advice is a thankless task, but before buying an Apple iMac, think carefully about whether the game is “worth the candle,” try to get a gadget somewhere and use it for at least a few days. However, it took Evgeny Vildyayev about 4 months to get used to the OS...
Roma is a hater! :)
For almost 4 years I worked on a 15-inch MacBook Pro: creating music, editing videos, retouching photos, writing articles.
I liked everything about him and doted on him. Except for one thing: it was a laptop.
It spent 99.9% of its life on my desk, connected to an adapter, and in fact was used as a desktop.
Yes, I made the wrong choice. I needed an iMac. I promised myself not to look into the new MacBook Pro with a touchbar and ordered this beauty:
Meet the new 27-inch iMac 5K 2017
Huge, powerful, with a bomb display and the ability to upgrade.
The thin iMac came out at the end of 2012. The design has not changed since then. I was expecting a radical update this summer, but it didn’t happen. Even the brand new iMac Pro in the same case, only in Space Gray color.
Or did it happen? Let's compare it with a similar 2015 model:
Advantages of the iMac 5K 2017 over the iMac 5K 2015
1. Thunderbolt 2 is everything. Now the show is ruled by a connector with a distant and bright future: two multifunctional USB-C with support for Thunderbolt 3. The speed has doubled - to a crazy 40 Gbps.
New devices and accessories with USB-C will connect to it without adapters.
2. Updated display using new technology. 10-bit dithering is supported and a billion colors are displayed. And most importantly: one and a half times brighter. No glare.
3. Up to 50% faster than SSDs (including Fusion Drive), switched to PCI-E 3.0 standard. SSD configurations up to 2 TB are supported.
4. Fusion Drive is installed in all basic configurations.
5. New 7th generation processors with increased frequencies in all modes. Supports hardware decoding of 10-bit HEVC video.
6. The maximum amount of RAM has doubled: 64 GB. But the most important thing is the new DDR4 strips (versus DDR3 in the previous generation). The frequency increased to 2400 MHz (versus 2133 MHz).
7. More powerful graphics (up to 5.5 teraflops) with a maximum video memory of 8 GB (versus 4 GB previously).
Is this a pretty good list? :)
Mmmm, I’d like to add an updated body here... Although, wait a minute. Is this so important for a candy bar? With a time-honed and time-tested design that is still relevant today?
I don’t like to use the word “ideal,” because nothing is perfect. But, yes: this building, damn it, perfect.
In addition, the Magic Keyboard 2, updated in 2015, gives the computer a certain newness that you feel with every interaction.
The keyboard is very comfortable. On the new MacBook Pro, the keys are literally pressed into the body and are almost on the same level with it; here they are slightly raised. 
You might say – big frames. There is such a thing. Only if on smartphones you need to strive to get rid of every millimeter for the sake of their compactness, on a candy bar this is not important. I even like it: the black frames visually separate the content from everything that is behind the body.
Bottom line: For me, these innovations are a big leap for the iMac line. Not huge, but big. There is no point in waiting for something completely new; no one is in a hurry to update the design. This is confirmed by the presentation of the iMac Pro in the same case, which has not even gone on sale yet.
And also - a new, thinner and more compact case would undoubtedly “hit” the price tag. Now Russian resellers have quite reasonable prices for iMac.
We've sorted out the lineup. Now it’s time to talk about it in detail after a month of work and testing.
Display. He's great
It is very big. So much so that for comfortable operation applications only need to occupy 40-50% of its space.
This means that using multi-window mode is a real pleasure. You work in two programs at once and don’t feel any pressure. The only thing that bothers me, like many people, is the implementation of the Split View mode in macOS. I'm sure Apple knows this and will rethink it in future updates.
The native resolution of 5120 x 2880 can be increased to 6400 x 3600 pixels, and there will be even more free space. True, the fonts will be very small and slightly blurry.
In your monitor settings, you can select the sRGB profile to unlock the full potential of the expanded color gamut. The picture becomes very juicy, while everything looks natural. The profile is not suitable for work, just flexing muscles.
The backlight is VERY bright. At maximum settings it blinds the eyes. You can forget about glare and other problems due to daylight.
What is missing?
After the iPad Pro 2017 with the ProMotion display (screen refresh rate 120 Hz versus 60 Hz previously), all other displays, even the iPhone, seem somewhat sluggish.
120Hz is SUPER smooth screen movement. To understand my feelings, you can remember the difference between 30 fps and 60 fps.
Today, only the new iPads from Apple products support this technology. They didn't deliver it to Mac. It’s a pity, moving windows around the screen and flipping through lists would be more enjoyable. If you've ever seen the new iPads, you'll understand what I mean. :)
UPDATE: After a month of using the new iPad, I can say that my eyes have already become accustomed to this smoothness and almost do not notice it. Those. I don’t feel any discomfort when working with other displays, as I did in the first days after purchasing the tablet.
Bottom line
Installed on iMac 2017 best 5K display on the market. In terms of brightness and number of displayed colors, it is significantly superior to the one recently released for $1300. The price is relevant only in the States; here it is much more expensive.
SSD and Fusion Drive
I chose the top-end base configuration with 2TB Fusion Drive. It comes with a 128GB PCIe SSD and a 2TB hard drive.
Models with 1 TB Fusion Drive are equipped with a 32 GB SSD; this may not be enough for super-resource-intensive tasks.
The question is brewing: does it make sense to overpay and wait for a custom iMac configuration with a more capacious SSD, but without a hard drive?
⚔️ Fusion Drive vs SSD:
Let's compare the read and write speeds of an iMac with a 2TB Fusion Drive and an iMac with a 1TB SSD.
iMac 5K 2017, 2 TB Fusion Drive:
iMac 5K 2017, 1 TB SSD:
As we can see, there is no difference in reading speed. Only minor test error. Recording – yes, the model with a 1 TB SSD is much faster due to its larger capacity.
But you need to understand two things: firstly, the reading speed, which is identical for them (starting the system, programs, opening files and projects), has priority (but not the main thing), secondly, the write speed of 800 MB/sec is more than good indicator.
Last argument:
2 TB Fusion Drive – $0 (price included in configuration price)
2 TB SSD – plus $1400. For Russia, add another 30%. About 115,000 rub. to the cost of the computer.
Yes, there is nothing to argue about here; in terms of performance, a 2 TB SSD is inferior to a 2 TB Fusion Drive. But if the tasks are not super-serious, the difference will not be fundamental and very noticeable. Sometimes it will not be noticeable at all (the speed of starting the system, programs, navigation in the system, work in most applications, and so on).
Let's now take a look at the hard drive that comes with the Fusion Drive.
HDD:
27-inch iMacs, unlike younger models, come with a fast 7200 rpm hard drive.
Their development also does not stand still. Maybe. :)
These are far from SSDs, which receive noticeable performance gains every year. But the test results are encouraging:
206 MB/sec read! Like an old SSD.
In practice, the high performance is very noticeable. Previously, my Logic Pro tools resided on an external 5200 RPM hard drive connected via USB 3.0. Now I have transferred them to the iMac hard drive. The launch speed has increased by 2-3 times, the response is almost instantaneous.
Result:
For excellent performance in professional tasks, a 2 TB Fusion Drive will be enough. There are additional tips for increasing the speed of Fusion Drive.
If you need an iMac for office tasks, working in Photoshop, GarageBand, small projects in Logic and Final Cut, you can take a closer look at the model with a 1 TB Fusion Drive. Today, officials sell it for only 131,990 rubles. In this case, the system and applications will launch instantly.
Processors
I will not devote a large amount of text to this section, because detailed tests of processors and graphics systems, if necessary, can be found on specialized resources. I will provide only the necessary minimum.
Everything is simple here: the more expensive the equipment, the more powerful the processors and graphics. Let's try to make a choice.
There are three iMac 5K 2017 configurations:
1.
Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz + Radeon Pro 570 with 4 GB of video memory
2.
Intel Core i5 3.5 GHz + Radeon Pro 575 with 4 GB of video memory
3.
Intel Core i5 3.8 GHz + Radeon Pro 580 with 8 GB of video memory
... and custom modification with i7:
Intel Core i7 4.2 GHz + Radeon Pro 570/575/580
Which processor should you choose?
Let's look at the results of the popular GeekBench 4 test:
All processors in the i5 line are the same, plus or minus. The i5 3.4 GHz is a little behind, but the result is also good. The i7 takes the lead in performance, the difference with the top-end i5 is obvious.
So:
i5 3.4 GHz is a fairly powerful processor by modern standards. Will cope with all tasks.
i5 3.5 GHz – for working on heavier projects.
i5 3.8 GHz - like i5 3.5 GHz, only overclocked.
i7 4.2 GHz - it will tear everyone apart and fly into space.
Again, if a more detailed assessment is important, I recommend reading reviews of the processors themselves.
Graphic arts
It is now fashionable to demonstrate graphics performance in teraflops.
Flops is a non-system unit used to measure computer performance, showing how many floating point operations a given computing system performs per second.
(Wikipedia)
For example:
Playstation 4 1,8
teraflops;
PlayStation 4 Pro (4K) – 4,2
teraflops;
Xbox One X (new, 4K) – 6
teraflops;
GeForce GTX 960 – 2,4
teraflops;
Geforce GTX 1060 with 6 GB – 4,4
teraflops;
GeForce GTX 1070 – 6,5
teraflops;
GeForce GTX 1080 – 9
teraflops.
New iMac 5K:
Radeon Pro 570 with 4 GB: 3,6
teraflops;
Radeon Pro 575 with 4 GB: 4,5
teraflops;
Radeon Pro 580 with 8 GB: 5,5
teraflops.
By the standards of 2017, the performance is very decent, especially for the 580 and 575. If you are going to play modern games via Bootcamp, I would recommend these models.
Test results for iMac with Radeon Pro 580, resolution 2560x1440:
But even the lowest 570 reaches 60 fps in GTA V with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 at maximum settings, so for many this will be more than enough.
It's important to understand that these graphics cards are polished and designed primarily for professional graphics applications and are tightly integrated into macOS. And Nvidia cards will perform better in games on Windows.
With macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced a new graphics engine, Metal 2. If game creators step up and start producing content natively for macOS, we will see a noticeable performance boost. And if earlier everything was bad with gaming on Mac, now there is a certain increase in attention from Apple and developers.
What upgrade opportunity did you mention at the beginning of the article?
The list is below. But the main idea is at the very end.
RAM
You definitely need to take the configuration with 8 GB of memory. Because everything else is wild overpayment. Apple branded brackets are many times more expensive with similar characteristics.
You can install additional memory yourself by opening the cap on the back. The user will not lose any warranty. Turn off the power, press the button, the cap pops out.
I trust Kingston brackets; on the official website you can find a 100% compatible model specifically for your iMac. Not an advertisement.
PCI-E SSD
According to the iFixit report, the SSD sticks are not soldered to the motherboard. This means that, theoretically, they can be replaced with more capacious ones. I haven’t studied the lineup from third-party manufacturers; perhaps they don’t exist at the moment and they will appear in the future. Or they won't show up. We need to wait and see.
HDD
Need a larger hard drive? We replace the standard one. If desired, you can install a SATA SSD instead to store various libraries. Or even assemble a Fusion Drive based on a super fast PCI-E SSD and a capacious SATA SSD and get an evil rocket. In general, there are many options.
CPU
Yes, it can be replaced too. On i7, for example. Or perhaps an even cooler one, which will be presented later. Subject to compatibility. In addition, prices will drop in a couple of years.
But the main question...
Why and when to upgrade?
Disassembling an iMac does not mean unscrewing a couple of screws and removing the cover from the PC system unit. The process is labor-intensive and requires certain tools and skills.
You should only think about an upgrade when it’s time to clean your iMac from dust and replace the thermal paste. Then, at the same time, you can update its components, because anyway the case has already been opened.
When will this moment come? Depends on specific conditions of use and operating mode. Maybe in 2 years, maybe in 5. If the iMac begins to make noise and the coolers accelerate more often and more strongly, this is a sure sign of the need for maintenance. Also, within a couple of years, under high load conditions, a hard drive can noticeably sag.
Summary and my thoughts
The 2017 iMac is a completely polished and polished solution. Apple did not remove standard USB connectors and slots, as it did with the MacBook Pro line (for which it receives portions of hype to this day), but replaced Thunderbolt 2, which never gained widespread popularity, with more versatile and powerful USB-C with support for Thunderbolt 3. The result is that there is no need to buy additional adapters and no fuss, everything works right out of the box.
Buy today or wait for a global update? I'm for the first option. From a technology point of view, the new iMacs received the most up-to-date hardware for 2017 and 2018. And we switched to DDR4 memory, many were waiting for this.
Yes, the design has not been updated since the end of 2012, but there are advantages to this: the body is polished to perfection, and the prices are not inflated. I think the new iMacs are the best in terms of price and features.
And we need to remember: we are paying not only for hardware, but also for one of the most advanced 5K displays to date. A monitor with similar or even less current specifications from third-party manufacturers can cost more than one iMac.
Plus the “magic” Keyboard 2 and Mouse 2 included. And a Lightning cable for charging them, which obviously won’t be superfluous in your home arsenal (a small thing, but a nice bonus).
In mid-2015, an updated Apple all-in-one model appeared on the technology markets - a 27-inch iMac with a Retina 5K display. Not many devices are produced with 4K screens; Apple products have gone even further. You can view 4K quality images on the display, there will just be some free space on the sides. This is a convenient bonus for those who do editing, photo processing, or like to play modern computer games.
It is important to note that in 2015 only the 27-inch monoblock received an update. The appearance of the box remains the same. It has an irregular shape, narrowed at the top and flared at the bottom. The bottom base has a large stable surface. The box is easy to disassemble and it is easy to remove the product. Save the packaging and receipt so that if you sell or transfer the product to another person, they will not be superfluous.
Foam molds hold the device firmly inside. The iMac 27 5K is covered with films, which protects it from accidental minor damage. The protective film is removed without a trace. iMac 27 Retina 5K includes: Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse , instructions, stickers and power cable.
The look of iMac with Retina 5K display
The appearance of the device does not differ from the models released in 2012. The dimensions of the device have not changed in comparison with its predecessor and are: 51.6 (height), 65.0 (width), 20.3 cm (stand thickness). The device weighs 9.54 kg. Communication connectors are located on the rear side of the case. These include: 4 USB 3.0 connectors, a pair of Thunderbolt ports , Ethernet port , SD/SDXC format card reader , mini-Jack 3.5 mm.
27 inch iMac with Retina 5K Display
The screen resolution, which is 5120 × 2880 pixels, deserves special attention. The screen is protected by a glass plate. The surface is mirror-smooth. The display is equipped with an anti-glare filter. Bright objects located near the screen do not interfere with the perception of the image. The picture is displayed brightly, clearly and without “grain”. The surface has an oleophobic coating, which makes it easy to remove greasy stains and prevents their appearance.
The matrix used in the iMac is IPS. Operating system X Yosemite is used . The screen is capable of separating shades of color that are located next to each other in the color palette. The color gamut of the matrix is slightly different from sRGB . But since the deviations are too small, it does not affect the display of natural color saturation. When iMac with Retina 5K display is turned off or in standby mode, the power consumption is 0.07 watts. Energy consumption spikes of up to 2 W may occur.
The display does not flicker. Changing the brightness affects the backlight level, but does not affect the brightness of the screen. The screen brightness can be adjusted within wide limits. The user adjusts the glow for comfortable working conditions, both in bright light and in complete darkness. There is automatic adjustment of the brightness level. It is regulated by a light sensor. The sensor can change the brightness parameter, either up or down.
The computer can be “trained” to set the brightness level. Select a comfortable glow level in certain conditions in manual mode. Automatic adjustment must be activated. Based on the specified parameters, the display brightness indicators will be set in the future. Viewing angles are wide, color distortion during indirect viewing is negligible. If desired, color rendition can be further calibrated. You cannot use a peripheral monitor with the iMac Retina 5K 27 inch Late 2015.
OS on iMac with Retina 5K display
The all-in-one runs on OS X 10.10 Yosemite. A special feature of this version of the system is the flat display of the icons. iCloud Drive also appeared , Spotlight the search has become better, the “notifications” panel has expanded. Now to use Spotlight search, the user must click on the center of the display. After the search displays results, the user can view the contents of the found documents or folders.
“Notifications” are located on the right side of the screen. An additional “today” panel has appeared; it will display widgets that can be added and removed. It is convenient to place the calculator application there, so it is always at hand. Through the panel you can make publications on a social network, type and send messages through the iMessage application. Place the “weather” here and always know when to take an umbrella.
With the advent of iCloud Drive, the user can not only synchronize data, but use a full-fledged cloud. The user receives a separate folder, which will appear in the Finder. You can put any copies and place files here. After placement, synchronization will be carried out, and the data will immediately be available from another device (if the connection is made using the same account).
A positive difference from Dropbox is that it provides 5 GB of free space, not 2. A volume of five GB is used for mail materials, personal data saved by the user, and backup copies. Disadvantage of iCloud Drive there is a lack of an application through which the user can view the contents of the cloud. The company's overall focus is on deepening the connection between iOS devices and OS X. Today, a user can receive a call through an Apple iMac Retina 5K directed to an iPhone. iMac 27″ now has viewing and sending SMS functionality . iDevices can continue each other's work from where they left off, be it a PC or a smartphone.
The disadvantages of talking on the phone through the Apple iMac 27″ all-in-one are the external noise of the room and the fact that the conversation will be heard by everyone around. And the user will not be able to move away from the candy bar at this moment. In terms of working with messages, the computer, on the contrary, is very convenient. If you write a long text, it is more convenient to do it on a large screen. If the information received is necessary for work, you will not have to additionally transfer the contents of the message to your computer.
There is an additional option for transferring data from device to device, called “Handoff”. Translated as "transfer". Externally, it is displayed as an additional mail or browser icon to the left of the other icons. The icon will display a small picture of the gadget. This means that a page is open on another i-device and the user can go to the place of work that he left on another gadget. This feature only works inside Apple apps. All system pre-installed programs are adapted to the 5K resolution level and are displayed accordingly.
iMac 5K Review - Specifications
The model is produced in a basic configuration, but in addition, when ordering through the official Apple website, the user can upgrade the processor, RAM, video card and storage device. The computer processor is quad-core. Apple iMac 27 Retina 5K i7 Intel Core and iMac 27 Retina 5K i5 are available. The iMac 27 Retina 5K i5 runs at a clock speed of 3.5 GHz, can be accelerated to 3.9. Does not support Hyper-Threading technology. Intel Core The i7 runs at 4.0 GHz and accelerates to 4.4. The price of the second processor option is 15,000 rubles more expensive. The basic configuration comes with iMac 27 Retina 5K i5 Core.
Level 3 processor cache with 6 MB memory. The user can also select RAM before ordering. Increasing your computer's RAM will increase data processing speed and the device will work faster. Memory for iMac 5K DDR3, available in 8, 16 and 32 GB. A memory capacity of 16 GB will be 12 thousand rubles more expensive, and 32 GB will be 36 thousand more expensive.
Apple aimac's 5K Fusion Drive. Fusion Drive consists of a large number of hard drives that have the high performance of flash drives. The user can choose a Fusion Drive drive of 1 and 3 TB. The price tag for the second drive will be 9 thousand rubles higher. Flash drives with capacities of 256, 512 and 1 TB are also available. The price of the second and third drives will be 18 and 48 thousand more expensive, respectively.
Processor running AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics. Excellent image processing. To improve graphics quality, in addition to the basic configuration with 2 GB GDDR5, the user can buy a card with 4 GB memory. It will cost 15 thousand rubles more. The monoblock is not equipped with an optical drive. Network interfaces are served by wired and wireless Broadcom, Bluetooth version 4.0. The iMac 27″ review shows that the user is presented with a classic desktop PC.
Retina 5K MK462RU/A
Online reviews from consumers are positive. High computer performance amazes creative users such as designers, photographers and editors. The large, high-resolution display delivers images clearly and naturally. For those who work with images, this monoblock is simply a godsend. 5K models are available to users: Retina 5K MK462RU/A, Retina 5K MK482RU/A and Retina 5K MK472RU/A . Prices for the devices are about 130, 160 and 140 thousand rubles, respectively. The most affordable configuration is Retina 5K MK462RU/A.
The Retina 5K MK462RU/A model released in late 2015, not 2016, has the following characteristics: quad-core Core i5 processor , with an operating frequency of 3.2 GHz. In accelerated mode it accelerates to a frequency of 3.6. Has a 27-inch retina screen with a resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels. Desktop wallpapers with such high resolution look detailed, clear and colorful. The processor is supported by DDR3 RAM 8 GB. HDD drive capacity 1 TB. Graphics support is provided by a Radeon R9 M380 video card with 2 GB memory.
The monoblock is not equipped with an optical drive. Wireless communication is provided by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. There are a pair of built-in speakers, a microphone and a Face Time camera. Communication is provided by: two Thunderbolt ports, four USB connectors (version 3.0 ), one RJ-45, a 3.5 mm headset port, a card reader.
The delivery set includes the monoblock itself, a wireless input panel and pointing device, documents, a pair of stickers, and a power cable. The body color is made of aluminum using Unibody technology. Color: silver. The product weighs 9.54 kg. Dimensions are: 51.6 cm (height), 65 cm (width) and 20.3 cm (depth).
The user can order a device in Moscow through an online store or by visiting an authorized store in the city. The Moscow region is served in the same stores. Many stores provide delivery services within the country. Anyone who has previously purchased Apple equipment knows that the high price of the products is justified by the quality and durability of the devices.
Late last year, Apple updated its iMac line. The new addition is a 21.5-inch iMac with a 4K display. As for the 27-inch iMacs, Apple introduced models with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, leaving only the Retina 5K display. Of course, the updates affected the processor, video card, HDD and SSD combination. Our testing laboratory received the top-of-the-line iMac model.
We are already in October 2014, so we will take many details from the previous review. In particular, there were no changes to the body. As we noted above, processors and other internal components have changed. Apple has switched to Intel processors of the Skylake generation; in Europe, buyers can choose Core i5 or Core i7 processors; in Russia, only preset configurations with Core i5 are available. Four graphics cards are available for 27-inch models: AMD Radeon R9 M380, M390, M395 or M395X. There are no configurations with M395X in Russia. Unfortunately, Apple did not integrate Thunderbolt 3 support into the new iMac with Retina 5K display.
The table shows the existing models:
| 21.5-inch iMacs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 89,990 rubles 1.249 euros |
106,990 rubles 1.499 euros |
122,990 rubles 1.699 euros |
| Technical data | |||
| CPU | Intel Core i5 1.6 GHz Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz |
Intel Core i5 2.8 GHz Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz |
Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Video card | Intel HD Graphics 6000 | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 |
| Display resolution | 1.920 x 1.080 pixels | 1.920 x 1.080 pixels | 4.096 x 2.304 pixels |
| Storage device | 1 TB HDD | 1 TB HDD | 1 TB HDD |
In Russia there is no possibility of an upgrade. In Europe, an upgrade to 16 GB of memory will cost 240 euros, for a 1 TB Fusion Drive you will have to pay 120 euros, for a 2 TB – 360 euros. A 256 GB SSD will cost 240 euros, and for a 512 GB model you will have to pay 600 euros.
| 27" iMacs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 149.990 rubles 2.099 euros |
162,990 rubles 2.299 euros |
189,990 rubles 2.599 euros |
| Technical data | |||
| CPU | Intel Core i5 3.2 GHz Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz |
Intel Core i5 3.2 GHz Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz |
Intel Core i5 3.3 GHz Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Video card | AMD Radeon R9 M380 2 GB video memory |
AMD Radeon R9 M380 2 GB video memory |
AMD Radeon R9 M395 2 GB video memory |
| Display resolution | 5.120 x 2.880 pixels | 5.120 x 2.880 pixels | 5.120 x 2.880 pixels |
| Storage device | 1 TB HDD | 1TB Fusion Drive | 2TB Fusion Drive |
In Russia there is no possibility of an upgrade. In Europe, the 27-inch iMacs can be greatly improved. Upgrading the processor to Intel Core i7 at 4.0 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.2 GHz) will cost 300 euros. Increasing memory to 16 or 32 GB costs 240 or 720 euros. HDD, SSD or Fusion Drive upgrades are identical in price to the “junior” model, but here the option of upgrading to a 1 TB SSD is added for 840 euros. A faster AMD Radeon R9 M395X graphics card with 4GB of video memory is also available for €300.
5K display
The standout feature of the iMac with Retina 5K display is, of course, the display. Meanwhile, several manufacturers have already offered external displays with similar resolutions. The same can be noted. Of course, the issue of connecting such a display cannot be avoided. Typically, two DisplayPort inputs are used.
There are currently no standards for connecting a 5K display at 60Hz resolution. The DisplayPort 1.2 standard can only operate at 30Hz. As with the Dell and Philips monitors mentioned above, two DisplayPort streams are used, which through MST (Multi Stream Transport) provide a seamless picture. So the panel uses a DisplayPort 1.2 connection. But for this connection, not standard DisplayPort connectors are used inside, but eDP, that is, Embedded DisplayPort. Apple also indicates the use of its own TMU controller, but without details. So it's possible that Apple is using some kind of proprietary connection between the GPU and the display, or an overclocked DisplayPort 1.2 connection to ensure there is enough bandwidth for a 5K display. In any case, despite the implementation option, the system works - and this is the main thing.
The advantage of an iMac with a Retina 5K display, which can also be considered a disadvantage, is the sale of a ready-made Apple system with all components. Therefore, upgrading components is problematic. Apple only allows you to add RAM. If you work with your hands, you can replace the SSD. In general, the iMac can be recommended to those users who require a ready-made system and who are not going to upgrade it - at least until the next purchase entirely.
For more detailed information about the display, we recommend that you refer to. The display tests are presented below.
No interface changes
Compared to its predecessor, Apple did not change the interfaces. There is still no trace of Thunderbolt 3, which is not entirely clear since Apple is quite actively promoting this interface. At the back you can see a headphone output, an SDHX memory card slot, 4x USB 3.0, 2x Thunderbolt 2 and 1x Gigabit Ethernet.
The connector for connecting the power supply is located centrally behind the monitor stand; all cables are routed through the stand. On the right rear panel there is a power switch that puts the iMac into standby mode.
The photo does not show wireless interfaces. But you do get Bluetooth 4.0 support (necessary for the Continuity feature in OS X 10.10 Yosemite), 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, and depending on the access point and antenna configuration, speeds range between 433 Mbps and 6.77 Gbps. But for the Apple wireless module, the maximum speed is specified at 1.3 Gbps.