When you think of the Mac, the computer that often comes to mind is the iMac. The iconic desktop is a good mix of price and performance.
Still, all Macs have their own release cycle, and you should be wondering if it’s a good time to buy one now or should you wait for a new version to come out? Here’s what we know about the 27-inch iMac and our buying tips.
27″ iMac: Price and Specs
Release: August 2020
The 27-inch iMac was, until recently, one of just three Intel-powered Macs left in Apple’s lineup. This model is now over a year old and has been designed for more demanding users than the typical consumer. people who often use high-end creative applications, software development, and other processor-intensive work.
The 27-inch iMac is still the old design, which was replaced by the 24-inch iMac in 2021. It has a silver aluminum body that’s thick in the center but tapers towards the edges. Its bezels are much thicker than the 24-inch iMac, and it has a Retina 5K display.
Apple no longer has this model for sale in its store, but if you can find it in other stores, you can buy it with 10th generation Intel Core i9 processors, which can be replaced by faster Intel CPUs for an extra cost.
For more information, take a look at our review of the 27-inch iMac (2020).
27″ iMac: Why buy it
While the 24-inch iMac’s M1 processor outperforms the standard 27-inch iMac with Intel CPU configuration on many tasks, you have a lot more options with the 27-inch iMac. It’s available with a 3-core 10-core Intel Core i9 processor. .6 GHz, as well as 128 GB of RAM (the 24-inch has a maximum of 16 GB) and the option of a Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. Of course, all this has an additional cost.
If you use programs that rely heavily on the GPU, the 27″ iMac with a high-end graphics card is more suitable. If you choose a 27″ iMac and customize it with a high-end graphics card, you can get a better graphics performance than the 24″ iMac. You also get more ports, including four USB-A ports, and of course, a bigger screen.
Now, all this you will have to find outside the Apple Store.
27″ iMac: Why Wait
The latest 27-inch iMac with Intel isn’t actually that old, but the initial design was introduced on the 24-inch model in 2007 (in 2012 the body became slimmer), so its design is old. You only have to look at the 24-inch iMac to see how old-fashioned the 27-inch model is.
On the other hand, there are the new Apple processors, the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which debuted in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. The new 27-inch iMac is rumored to have these processors (or the M1 Ultra from Mac Studio), as well as a new Liquid Retina XDR display and a new design.
Basically, the upcoming 27-inch iMac will take the professional-grade components from the new MacBook Pros and put them into a desktop computer. This will make the Intel-based 27-inch iMac look even more dated than it already is.
Macworld Recommends: WAIT
The last 27-inch iMac will be replaced, it’s only a matter of time. The new 27-inch iMac is going to be an all-in-one for users who want the highest specs in a desktop Mac.
If you buy an Intel-based iMac now, you’ll regret it when you see the benchmarks of the M1 Pro and M1 Mac models that will replace it. Plus, you’ll miss out on the new design and possibly a new screen with better image quality and smaller bezels.
Hold on a little more. Worth.
Original article published on Macworld.com.
