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"The 27-inch 5K iMac may not have Apple Silicon, but it is still the best all-in-one you can buy."

• Better memory and RAM options

• Improved graphics

• Significantly improved performance

• Nano textured glass is revolutionary

• Speakers and webcam are top notch

• Outdated design

• No Apple Silicon

Apple Silicon Macs are coming. They'll be here before the end of the year, just in time for you to regret buying an Intel Mac.

Why would Apple do this to us? Why release an Intel-based Mac while trying to improve support for the upcoming processor transition? Your guess is as good as any other. In a strange year of product delays, we now have an updated 27-inch 5K iMac that isn't part of Apple's grand vision that was unveiled at WWDC. It will be remembered as the swamp – the last of the old guard.

As a potential iMac buyer, you are in a difficult position. Why spend thousands of dollars on a system that is on the verge of extinction? Shouldn't you just wait for the next generation iMac?

Possibly. However, based on my time with and testing Apple's latest 27-inch iMac, this old dog managed to learn some new tricks.

design

The iMac has evolved internally, but stagnated on the outside. It's still a beautiful piece of hardware – just not one that looks like it was designed in 2020. It has absolutely massive bezels, a stand that cannot adjust its height, and a fairly thick case. Put a 2020 iMac next to a 2015 iMac and you won't be able to tell the difference between the two.

All-in-one devices like the Dell Inspiron 27 7790, the HP Envy 32 All-in-One, and the Microsoft Surface Studio 2 ensure that the current iMac feels a bit clunky. None of these Windows PCs are as sophisticated and low-key as the iMac, but a redesign is long overdue. Even the rounded shape of the corners and the back looks a bit out of date for Apple's current design language. As with Apple Silicon, you'll have to wait until at least 2021 to get a fresher look. That's a bitter pill to swallow when you're spending more than $ 3,000 on a computer.

The ports are still in the far right corner, making them difficult to get to, especially if you're standing against a wall. The choice of ports includes an Ethernet jack, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a full-size SD card slot. Here you can connect an external monitor and at the same time supply power to accessories or external drives.

Do I wish Apple had added two more Thunderbolt 3 ports for the Mac mini and MacBook Pro? Naturally. All-in-one devices like the HP Envy 32 even have an HDMI input if you want to connect a Nintendo Switch, for example. Still, it's a nice selection of ports old and new, and far less controversial than what Apple offers for other products.

For an additional $ 100, Apple is also offering a 10 Gb Ethernet connection. This is faster internet than most people know what to do with it – but faster connections are never a bad thing.

display

Most of the improvements to the 2020 iMac are under the hood. The screen is the only exception. The 5K panel itself hasn't changed, but Apple now offers an option for "nano-texture" glass, a feature first introduced as a $ 1,000 upgrade to the Pro Display XDR. Even as a $ 500 upgrade to the iMac, you might be wondering how on earth could that cost be worth it.

Here's what it does: you get the same brilliant brightness and contrast from a glossy screen with no reflections. The upgrade reduces glare almost completely, even when the brightness is lowered. The combination of 497-nit brightness and nano-textured glass makes for an insanely bright, clear screen. Even next to a bright window, you will find it difficult to find a single reflection or glare.

I want nano-textured glass on every other device I use. It's so cool

You have to see for yourself, but there really is nothing like it. An anti-reflective coating or layer is often used on matte displays, which can reduce the visible contrast on the screen. This is not a good thing when you are doing precise color editing or even trying to enjoy the full color range of a video.

It's hard to tell if it's worth $ 500 or not, but after using it I've wanted it on every other device I use.

The panel itself has not changed from the previous models, regardless of whether you opt for the nano-textured glass or not. It is a 16: 9 "5K" screen with a total resolution of 5,120 x 2,880. Even though it's a couple of years old, it's still a clear screen. However, it is no longer the champion of pixel density. The Microsoft Surface Studio 2 has a larger and more pixel-rich screen, as does the 6K Pro Display XDR. There are even 27-inch external monitors available these days that match the resolution of the iMac.

The iMac display still scores across the board. The color gamut is fantastic at 93% Adobe RGB, the colors are very accurate, and the contrast is decent too. It's neck to neck with the Surface Studio 2, the only other all-in-one that can compete on this level.

Am I eagerly awaiting a redesign that will reduce the size of the front panel, increase the resolution and maybe even switch to mini-LED technology? Absolutely. However, the iMac's display is still one of its highlights for now.

The same cannot be said of the sad 1080p 21.5-inch model that Apple unfortunately still sells.

performance

The original iMac started with a focus on balance and beauty, not performance. It was the computer you put at the front desk desk, not in the back of the office where the developers, artists, and engineers sit.

When the use of the Intel Core i9 processors began in 2018, that changed. iMacs have evolved into powerful desktops with surprising performance.

The latest iMac continues that trend. My test device came with a 10th generation Intel Core i9-10910 processor that contains 10 cores and 20 threads. We are grateful to Intel for these two additional cores this year that offer a significant improvement in photo editing, video rendering, and most other forms of content creation. Outside of the iMac Pro, there isn't another all-in-one PC that even tries to use a chip this powerful. Up to 128 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage space are permitted. That makes the 5K iMac a completely unique computer in terms of form factor and performance.

Very hot chips are of course useless if the system cannot cool them properly. I ran Cinebench R20 and Geekbench to see how the processor performance compares to other computers I tested. This new iMac was again 20% faster than the previous year's model in the Geekbench 4 multi-core test thanks to the additional cores and threads. It destroys a Core i7 All-in-One like the HP Envy 32 and circles around the slow Surface Studio 2.

To further test the processor, I turned to video encoding in Handbrake, a processor-limited application. The iMac was extremely fast, completing H.265 encoding 20% ​​faster than the HP Envy 32, 28% faster than the Dell XPS 17 (with the 8-core Core i7-10875H), and 19% faster than that iMac from last year. A beefy gaming desktop or workstation PC with the same chip is likely to outperform it, but the iMac's unique form factor completely puts it in its own category.

The iMac outperformed last year's video video export by a whopping 48%.

However, I knew that a real performance test had to include the GPU upgraded to AMD's latest Radeon Pro 5000-series graphics. My device came with the fastest card in the AMD arsenal, the RX 5700XT. Adobe Premiere Pro can use a powerful graphics card to speed up project export. I've seen this on laptops like the Dell XPS 17 and Microsoft Surface Book 3. This new iMac outperformed last year's model in the same video export by a whopping 48%. That's a fantastic improvement on last year.

However, other solutions are also improving quickly. I was surprised to see that the XPS 17 was barely faster when exporting the same 4K project to ProRes 422. The XPS 17 was equipped with an Intel processor with eight cores and the powerful Nvidia RTX 2060.

Still, the 27-inch iMac is a very capable workhorse for content creation and would likely be even faster when running Apple's own proprietary applications like Final Cut Pro. Meanwhile, the system stays calm and cool and its fans only hum a little under the heaviest loads.

Gaming performance

The iMac is not a gaming PC, especially not for fast-paced shooters or 3D action games. The Radeon Pro RX 5700XT is a fantastic GPU for gaming, but the screen isn't designed for high frame rates. Take a game like Fortnite, for example. It plays flawlessly and can record an average of 60 fps (frames per second) at Epic settings, even at a resolution of 1440p. However, because the screen is locked at 60Hz and doesn't have adaptive sync technology, I've constantly struggled with the screen tearing and stuttering. Even with Vsync, the gaming experience wasn't as smooth as you'd expect from the graphics card.

However, a game like Civilization VI was a better experience. It plays at 1440p with settings at Ultra without skipping a beat and hovering just below 60 fps. The same goes for most of the lighter games you can find in the Mac App Store or with Apple Arcade.

The game library at your disposal is far sadder than the iMac's gaming performance. That's not a bug with this particular iMac – it's in no way, shape, or form a priority for Apple. The light at the end of the tunnel for Mac games comes in the form of Apple Silicon, which could open many new ways for developers to bring their games to the Mac. Now, of course, that won't help you, and it will never help this Intel-based iMac.

What about Apple Silicon?

As one of the last Macs to not run on Apple's own silicon, the durability of this new iMac is likely to be an issue. For most people considering a new iMac, this is a shadow over the potential excitement of buying a new iMac. However, if you fall into the target market of this powerful iMac, it might not be as important as you might fear. Apple is determined to make the transition to the ARM system architecture as smooth as possible from both an app and a performance perspective. That means replicating the Intel experience comes first for Apple, and not trying to change anything dramatically.

Additionally, Apple has promised to support Intel systems for many years – likely longer than you would want to keep using this iMac. So what are some of the goodies you might miss out on staying at Intel? Well, you can't run iPhone apps on your iMac, that's for sure. And if Apple's transition goes particularly well, you might be missing out on some of the apps that support this architecture with exclusive features. However, the apps you know and use every day today are going nowhere, and iMac's performance won't be impacted anytime soon.

Webcams, speakers and microphones

Outside of performance, Apple also made some welcome changes to the quality of life on the new iMac.

I appreciated the upgrade to the FaceTime webcam the most. Going from 720p to 1080p, it's now the best built-in webcam you'll find on a Mac. It also outperforms any laptop webcam you can buy – though that doesn't say much.

Not only does Apple have razor-sharp image quality (thanks to the higher resolution), it also has a few other tricks to improve the image. First, Apple has a new sensor that uses the backlight, resulting in improved low-light performance during late-evening zoom meetings. To sweeten the business, Apple even introduced face recognition for automatic exposure adjustments and tone mapping.

I happily joined my morning zoom scramble and enjoyed having the sharpest video feed for the call. The sensor doesn't overexpose the image like many internal webcams, which means your face may not be as bright as it used to be. You still have to be careful about how bright your background is, but overall, this is a big step up from last year's model.

These speakers surpass the volume and audio quality of many cheap bluetooth speakers.

This greatly improved webcam is of course not just a new camera module. With the T2 co-processor included in the MacBooks (and pro-level Mac desktops), Apple can directly control the camera to make these tweaks and improvements in image quality. It's technically the same camera you'll find in the iMac Pro. So let's hope it will be available for MacBooks at some point.

It is similar with the speakers. The speakers themselves haven't changed, but the T2 allowed Apple to tweak some additional settings. The result is a richer, fuller sound. These speakers surpass the volume and audio quality of many cheap bluetooth speakers.

The microphones also benefit from the T2, although Apple actually introduced new hardware this time around. I was skeptical of the studio-quality three-mic array, especially for anything but the occasional Zoom call. While the system blocks out background noise quite a bit, it's still better to use AirPods or a headset to get the clearest voice quality.

Peripherals

Apple has ignored many aspects of the iMac over the years, but the peripherals are the most frustrating. The Magic keyboard is great, but it lacks many of the features found in MacBook keyabords, such as: B. the touch bar – or even the Touch ID. Unlike every other Apple product you can buy in 2020, you have to rely on an old-fashioned password to sign in with the iMac.

The Magic Mouse 2 is the real kicker. This is a mouse that should have been replaced years ago. It's uncomfortable, only supports a few gestures, and cannot be used while charging. Thanks to the downright hilarious placement of the Lightning connector, it's often referred to as one of the worst-designed products Apple has ever made.

Fortunately, Apple is offering the excellent Magic Trackpad 2 as a $ 50 upgrade that is well worth the money.

Our opinion

The lack of Apple Silicon will no doubt sway a large chunk of opinion about the new iMac – for better or for worse. Sitting on your hands by 2021 to get a redesigned iMac isn't a bad idea, but not everyone can afford to wait. The two additional processor cores and the significantly improved graphics are a tempting upgrade and offer a significant increase in performance compared to the previous year's model.

Plus, some quality of life changes, from the 1080p webcam to the nano-textured glass, are breathing life back into the iMac.

Are there alternatives?

There are a number of solid Windows all-in-ones out there like the HP Envy 32. It's much cheaper, but can't keep up in terms of performance.

The Surface Studio 2 is a beautiful all-in-one with a sophisticated floating hinge. However, it is a severely under-utilized computer based on a laptop processor and outdated graphics.

After all, the iMac and iMac Pro are now closer in comparison than ever before. The iMac's 10-core processor is cheaper than the 1o-core iMac Pro and uses more recent Radeon graphics. Of course, the 18-core iMac Pro is hard to beat if you don't want to question the ultimate in performance and price.

How long it will take?

The 27-inch 5K iMac should last at least five years. It's incredibly well built, and Apple is committed to supporting Intel-based Macs with updates, so don't worry.

Apple of course offers the best warranty and customer support of any computer hardware manufacturer through AppleCare, which covers hardware repair and includes 90 days of free technical support. However, the initial limited warranty is only one year.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you can wait until next year for a redesigned iMac, you'll have more power. In the meantime, the 27-inch 5K iMac remains the best all-in-one computer you can buy.

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