Features of Apple’s 27-inch iMac in 2020

Vintage design with a 2010 flavor

Apple has not renewed the design of its iMac for too many years. In fact, it has already become an iconic and tremendously recognizable aesthetic. Although tastes are something very personal, the truth is that you cannot say that this design is ugly. In fact, we could say that at the time it was ahead of the time, introducing a futuristic as well as minimalist design, very much with the hallmark that has characterized the Californian company so much since Steve Jobs took back the reins at the end of the years. 90.

The classic silver aluminum material and black edges continue to characterize this 27-inch iMac as they have been for more than a decade, with a flat screen and a certain curvature on the back that serves as an indication that on the inside you will find all the components that are stored in the tower in other computers. Returning to the frames, it must be said that it is not something dramatic and that when one gets used to the computer they end up forgetting to give prominence to the 5K screen. However, with such advanced technology as today, it is strange that they have not been diminished and even eliminated as it happens in screens like the XDR that Apple recommends for professional computers.

The reason for not having changed the design could be linked to the Mac with Apple Silicon, the processors with ARM architecture that the Cupertino company has designed for its future computers. Perhaps the transition strategy for this component includes an external design change as well so that completely new iMac can be seen in every way to the public.

Intel 10th Gen Processors

This is possibly the last iMac in history that has processors developed by Intel, so Apple has wanted to make sure that these are the most current and that they generate the best possible performance for the machine. Depending on the configuration chosen, we can find the following chips:

• 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with six cores at 3.1 GHz and up to 4.5 GHz with Turbo Boost.
• 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor with 3.3 GHz six cores and up to 4.8 GHz with Turbo Boost.
• 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with 3.8 GHz and up to 5 GHz with Turbo Boost.
• 10th Gen 10-core Intel Core i9 processor at 3.6GHz and up to 5GHz with Turbo Boost.

Little downside can be found in this section, since from the most basic to the most advanced processor, more than enough performance can be obtained to run any process without any problem. In addition, this will guarantee a longer useful life in terms of software , since it is expected that this team can update its version of macOS for many years. There have come to be Macs with up to 8 years of updates, so this will not be a problem on this computer either.

An almost perfect screen

The main (and only) panel of this computer consists of a Retina screen with 5K resolution and a diagonal that reaches 27 inches . Its specific resolution is 5,120 x 2,880 and it supports one billion colors. Its brightness is 500 nits , with a wide P3 color gamut, True Tone technology and even the possibility of configuring it with nanotextured glass as in the XDR Display.

Those are the technical specifications, but what happens when push comes to shove? Well nothing bad really. The screen looks really good in any type of ambient light situation, standing out positively in the reproduction of multimedia content or the most meticulous editing of images in which the color palettes are the protagonists. It is really difficult for someone to be unhappy with the screen if we forget the aforementioned frames that surround it. Ç

The problem that we find and that could be the only one is the material with which it is built. Not that this is bad at all and in fact it offers great performance as we have already commented. However, we could miss more current technologies such as OLEDs that we already find in many monitors, televisions and even competing computers. However, this could also respond to the same strategy by which it has not been chosen to change the entire design.

It should be noted that in terms of graphics we find very powerful options:

• Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory.
• Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB GDDR6 memory.
• Radeon Pro 5700 with 8GB of GDDR6 memory.
• Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB of GDDR6 memory.

Goodbye to Fusion Drive in internal memory

Fusion Drive was a very valid option a few years ago, being a mix between classic storage with HDD and the new and fast SSD. However, it had been a somewhat obsolete function in recent times, even causing a new Mac to slow down to inconceivable points considering the high price paid for it. In this 27-inch iMac this possibility has already disappeared and all configurations include ultra-fast SSD in capacities of 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB and 8 TB .

RAM memory and our advice

This iMac has the following options in terms of RAM storage, although in the following lines we will warn you about something related to this component.

• 8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory.
• 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory.
• 32GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory.
• 64GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory.
• 128GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory.

And what is our recommendation? That those who are going to buy this equipment opt for the most basic and cheap memory, the 8 GB. This is because it is cheaper in Apple authorized technical services to change this capacity later for a higher one than if we opt for it as standard during the purchase process. The way to change this component is easy as it is not sealed to the plate as it happens in the 21.5-inch models, so the process will not take too long for the technical service you take it to.

Other components and accessories included

We highlight below a list with other aspects to highlight of this 27-inch iMac, with some configurable components as were the previous ones.

Audio

• Stereo speakers.
• Three high signal-to-noise ratio studio-quality microphones with directional beamforming technology.
• 3.5 mm jack connector for audio.
• “Hey Siri” voice command support.

Camera

• 1080p FaceTime camera.

Connectors

• SDXC (UHS-II) card slot
• 4 USB-A ports.
• 2 Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for DisplayPort, Thunderbolt up to 40 GB / s, USB 3.1 Gen 2 with up to 10 GB / s and Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA (with adapters).
• Kensington security slot.
• Configurable Ethernet connector
  • Gigabit Ethernet.
  • 10 GB Ethernet.

Accessories included

• Eligible peripherals:
  • Magic Keyboard.
  • Numeric Magic Keyboard.
  • Magic Mouse 2.
  • Magic Trakcpad 2.
  • Power connection cable.

software

• macOS 10.15 Catalina
• Eligible software:
  • Final Cut Pro X.
  • Logic Pro X.
• Pre-installed apps:
  • App Store.
  • Apple Music.
  • Apple Podcast.
  • Apple TV.
  • Bag.
  • Search for.
  • Calendar.
  • House.
  • Contacts
  • FaceTime.
  • Garageband.
  • iMovie.
  • Keynote.
  • Books.
  • Mail.
  • Maps.
  • Messages.
  • Notes.
  • Voice Notes.
  • Numbers.
  • Pages.
  • Photo Booth.
  • QuickTime Player.
  • Reminders.
  • Safari.
  • Siri.
  • Time Machine.
  • Preview.

Accessibility features

• Voice control.
• VoiceOver.
• Zoom.
• Increase contrast.
• Reduce movement.
• Siri and dictation.
• Button control.
• Optional subtitles.
• Text to speech.

Connectivity

• Bluetooth 5.0.
• 802.11ac WiFi compliant with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n standards.

Requirements for its operation

• Voltage 100 to 240 V AC.
• Frequency 50 to 60 Hz single phase.
• Recommended ambient temperature: from 10 to 35ºC.
• Recommended maximum altitude: 5,000 m above sea level.

High price, but fair?

The official prices offered by Apple for this 2020 27-inch iMac start from 2,099 euros in its most basic version and reach 11,437.88 euros if the highest-end components are added and the eligible software is added. This price varies depending on the configuration, so we find the following prices for each section.

From 2,099 euros

• Processor
  • 10th Gen 3.1GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 (up to 4.5GHz with Turbo Boost).
• screen
  • Standard glass.
  • Nanotextured glass: 625 euros added.
• Internal memory
  • 256 GB of SSD storage.
• RAM
  • 8GB of DDR4 at 2,666MHz.
  • 16 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 250 euros added.
  • 32 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 750 euros added.
  • 64 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 1,250 euros added.
  • 128 GB of DDR4 at 2.66 MHz: 3,250 euros added.
• Graphics:
  • Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB GDDR6 memory
• Ethernet connection
  • Gigabit Ethernet.
  • 10 Gb Ethernet: 125 euros added.
• Keyboards
  • Magic Keyboard 2.
• Mice and trackpads
  • Magic Mouse 2.
  • Magic Trackpad 2: 64 euros added.
  • Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2: 149 euros added.
• software
  • Final Cut Pro X: 329 euros added.
  • Logic Pro X: € 229 added.

From 2,299 euros

• Processor
  • 10th Gen 3.3GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 (up to 4.8GHz with Turbo Boost).
  • Tenth generation 3.6 GHz 10-core Intel Core i9 (up to 5 GHz with Turbo Boost): € 625 extra.
• screen
  • Standard glass.
  • Nanotextured glass: 625 euros added.
• Internal memory
  • 512GB of SSD storage.
  • 1 TB of SSD storage: 250 euros added.
  • 2 TB of SSD storage: 750 euros added.
• RAM
  • 8GB of DDR4 at 2,666MHz.
  • 16 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 250 euros added.
  • 32 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 750 euros added.
  • 64 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 1,250 euros added.
  • 128 GB of DDR4 at 2.66 MHz: 3,250 euros added.
• Graphics:
  • Radeon Pro 5300 XT with 4GB GDDR6 memory
• Ethernet connection
  • Gigabit Ethernet.
  • 10 Gb Ethernet: 125 euros added.
• Keyboards
  • Magic Keyboard 2.
• Mice and trackpads
  • Magic Mouse 2.
  • Magic Trackpad 2: 64 euros added.
  • Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2: 149 euros added.
• software
  • Final Cut Pro X: 329 euros added.
  • Logic Pro X: € 229 added.

From 2,599 euros

• Processor
  • 10th Gen 3.8GHz 8-core Intel Core i7 (up to 5GHz with Turbo Boost).
  • Tenth generation 3.6GHz 10-core Intel Core i9 (up to 5GHz with Turbo Boost): € 505 added.
• screen
  • Standard glass.
  • Nanotextured glass: 625 euros added.
• Internal memory
  • 512GB of SSD storage.
  • 1 TB of SSD storage: 250 euros added.
  • 2 TB of SSD storage: 750 euros added.
  • 4 TB of SSD storage: 1,500 euros added.
  • 8 TB of SSD storage: 3,000 euros added.
• RAM
  • 8GB of DDR4 at 2,666MHz.
  • 16 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 250 euros added.
  • 32 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 750 euros added.
  • 64 GB of DDR4 at 2,666 MHz: 1,250 euros added.
  • 128 GB of DDR4 at 2.66 MHz: 3,250 euros added.
• Graphics:
  • Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB GDDR6 memory
  • Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory: 375 euros added.
  • Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory: 625 euros added.
• Ethernet connection
  • Gigabit Ethernet.
  • 10 Gb Ethernet: 125 euros added.
• Keyboards
  • Magic Keyboard 2.
• Mice and trackpads
  • Magic Mouse 2.
  • Magic Trackpad 2: 64 euros added.
  • Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2: 149 euros added.
• software
  • Final Cut Pro X: 329 euros added.
  • Logic Pro X: € 229 added.

This aspect is possibly the most controversial, but also the most subjective depending on what benefits each user is looking for and how much they are willing to pay. In general terms, it must be said that it is still in the average of the prices set for previous generations of this iMac, so in this sense we cannot highlight a price drop but neither can we complain that it has risen. In any case, it must be taken into account that they are high prices, although the public to whom it is directed could take it as fair since they are usually professionals.