New iMac models – same, same but 2.4 times faster
by Paisal Chuenprasaeng
“The all-in-one design looks elegant and sleek. Everything – display, processor, graphics, storage and memory – is contained inside one simple enclosure.”
More powerful yet just as slim and sleek as earlier models, Apple’s new iMac is now powered by 8-core Intel 9th-generation processors and its graphic horse power is unleashed by superfast Radeon Pro Vega graphics. There are two new series, one with a display size of 21.5 inches and the other 27 inches. The standard configurations of the 27-inch new iMac feature 6-core Intel Core i5 processors across the line with up to 3.7 GHz base close speed. And this series can be configured up to an 8-core Core i9 processor. Compared to the previous generation, the new 27-inch iMac’s performance is up to 2.4 times faster.
The new 21.5-inch iMac, meanwhile, comes with Retina 4K display and its standard configurations feature quad-core Intel Core i3 and 6-core Intel Core i5 processors with 3.6 GHz and 3.0GHz base clock speed respectively. It can be configured up to a 6-core Intel Core i7 processor. Compared to the |previous 21.5-inch iMac, |the new model is up to 60 per cent faster.
In terms of graphic horsepower, both series feature powerful Radeon Pro 500X-series discrete graphics with Polaris architecture for faster gaming 3D graphics and video editing.
The new 27-inch iMac comes with Radeon Pro 580X and 8GB of video memory while the new 21.5-inch iMac has Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of video memory.
For faster graphics rendering, you can opt to configure the 27-inc iMac with a Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics with 8 GB of HBM2 (Hind-Bandwidth Memory), which is up to 50 per cent faster than Radeon Pro 580X.
And for the 21.5-inch iMac, you can opt for Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics with 4GB of HBM2 memory that provides up to 80 per cent more speed than the Radeon Pro 560X. The Mojave OS is fast and smooth. It’s intuitive to use and the system never froze during the test.
I found that the new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display handled business applications at high speed. LibreOffice ran fast and web pages, photos and videos were also rendered very fast.
Apple says the new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display can edit 4K video using Final Cut Pro X: Multicam editing of Simultaneous 4K streams up to nine times faster than a baseline quad-core iMac.
The Retina 4K display is really great for viewing photos and watching videos so you can use the new 21.5-inch iMac for both working and entertainment. With 1 billion colours and 500 nits of brightness, graphics leap off the screen. Text is razor-sharp and photos really do come to life. Films and TV shows look amazing and graphics and games have terrific detail.
Key specs
OS: macOS Mojave
Processor: 3.0GHz 6core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz)
Memory: 8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory; Configurable to 16GB, 32GB
Storage: 1TB hard drive
Display: 21.5inch (diagonal) 500nit LEDbacklit Retina 4K display 4096by2304 resolution with support for 1 billion colours
Camera: FaceTime HD camera
Wireless: 802.11ac WiFi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology
Audio: Stereo speakers, Microphone, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Connections and expansion: Two Thunderbolt 3 (USBC) ports, Four USB 3 ports, 10/100/1000BASET Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Input: Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2; Configurable with Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Dimensions: 45.0×52.8×17.5cm (HxWxD)
Weight: 5.60 kg
In the box: 21.5inch iMac with Retina 4K display Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, Power Cord, Lightning to USB Cable
