New imac review. iMac Pro Review (2017) - The most powerful all-in-one PC for professionals. Is it worth buying

This summer Apple showed new line iMac running macOS. Users have been waiting for this update for two years, since the Cupertino company last updated its all-in-one PCs in 2015. How do iMac 2017 differ from its predecessors?

First of all, a few words should be said about what has remained unchanged. The design hasn't changed, the diagonals of the displays haven't changed (they haven't become touchscreen either) or the dimensions of the iMac. And, most importantly, prices have not changed.

The iMac lineup is represented by the same six models with the optional ability to install a reinforced hardware configuration.

How the 2017 iMac differs from previous 2015 models

Now about the changes that apply to all or most iMac models. Firstly, all all-in-one PCs have been converted to modern processors Intel Kaby Lake, introduced earlier this year.

Previous iMacs were based on Skylake CPUs (27'' models) and even earlier Broadwell (21.5'' models). For the latter, accordingly, the performance increase with the transition to Kaby Lake should be more significant.

Secondly, all gadgets with the exception of the cheapest all-in-one PC received high-brightness displays. Apple claims an increase of more than 40% (up to 500 nits).

The amount of RAM remained unchanged. The default on all iMacs, from low-end to high-end, is 8GB. The memory itself, however, has been noticeably upgraded: instead of LPDDR3 and DDR3, fast DDR4 is now used everywhere, operating at a frequency of 2133 MHz in the youngest iMac and at a frequency of 2400 MHz in other monoblocks.

Unlike the MacBook, Apple did not remove ports in the iMac 2017. We still have the same set before us. The only change: the move from Thunderbolt 2 to the much faster and two-way Thunderbolt 3.

Finally, another interesting point is the possibility self-replacement RAM in all but the most basic iMac. This became possible due to the fact that the RAM is now represented by separate modules and is not soldered into the motherboard. It is noteworthy that in the new Apple all-in-one PCs you can even replace the processor yourself.

Having examined the changes common to all iMacs, let’s move on to those differences that are specific to each individual model.

iMac 2017 21.5 inches with Full HD resolution


iMac 2017 21.5 inches

Let's start with an overview of the changes in the simplest of them. Priced at $1100, it has a 21.5’’ display and is the only one whose display resolution is only 1920*1080 pixels, i.e. Full HD.

As before, this model does not have a full-fledged GPU and is content with graphics integrated into the Intel processor.

But the processor frequencies here have increased more significantly than any of the other 2017 iMacs compared to their predecessors.

If in the “simplest” iMac of 2015 there were two cores (with Hyper-Threading) operating at a frequency of only 1.6 GHz, now the base frequency is already 2.3 GHz. When accelerating in Turbo mode clock frequency from now on it can reach 3.6 GHz, although in the previous similar model it “rested” at 2.7 GHz.

iMac 2017 21.5 inches with 4K resolution


iMac 2017 - 21.5 inches with 4K resolution

Let's move on to the second model, the price tag for which is already at $1300. The main change is the appearance of a 4K display instead of Full HD. Previously, only the most expensive 21.5” iMac was equipped with this, but now this high PPI screen is available for a model $200 cheaper.

Another important change is the appearance of a full-fledged graphics processor AMD Radeon Pro 555 with 2 GB VRAM. Let us remind you that in the 2015 iMac lineup there was not a single 21.5” all-in-one that had a separate GPU. All of them relied solely on integrated Intel graphics.

In turn, the older iMac 21.5'' for $1500 can boast of an even more powerful Radeon Pro 560 graphics accelerator, which already has 4 GB of video memory on board. Also available for the first time for this model is the ability to install 32 GB of RAM. Previously, all 21.5” models without exception were limited exclusively to 16 GB of RAM.

And the iMac in question comes by default with a fast hybrid (HDD + SSD) Fusion Drive with a capacity of 1 TB. This was available before, but optionally, that is, for additional money, while by default a regular HDD was offered, and even with a speed of 5400 revolutions. Now Fusion Drive has become the default option.

iMac 2017 27 inches with 5K resolution

Let's move on to the three iMac 27''. The price for the simplest modification here, as before, starts at $1800. For this amount she now also offers Fusion drive Drive instead of a simple HDD.


iMac 2017 - 27 inches with 5K resolution

Very powerful update received a video card: now it is Radeon Pro 570. It is equipped with 4 GB VRAM, which is twice as much as its predecessor. The theoretical performance of this card is, according to AMD, 3.6 teraflops. This is more than three times (!) more powerful than the GPU that was used in a similar iMac model before.

The average version of the iMac 27’’ already costs $2,000 and has two really big differences from its 2015 version, in addition to the Kaby Lake CPU, fast RAM, Thunderbolt 3 and a screen with increased brightness.

Firstly, for the first time ever, the user is offered an optional option, instead of the base 8 GB of RAM, to install not only 16 or 32 GB, but also an impressive 64 GB. For the average user, this is unlikely to be particularly interesting, but people working with professional applications for video editing and other things may pay attention to such an extreme version of the amount of RAM.

Secondly, here, as in almost all new iMacs 2017, the graphics have received a huge increase. The new product is equipped with Radeon Pro 575. Compared to its predecessor from 2015, it has doubled both in video memory (now 4 GB) and in theoretical performance (4.5 teraflops).

Finally, the latest, most expensive version of the new iMacs costs $2,300. It can also install up to 64 GB of RAM and is also remarkable Radeon video card Pro 580, equipped with 8 GB of video memory. This is four times more than its predecessor. The performance of such a card is 5.5 teraflops. Almost twice as much as the most expensive iMac 2015.

Notably, this new iMac is the first that Apple officially recommends for headsets. virtual reality, such as HTC Vive.

iMac prices for the 2017 model range

Three models have a 21.5'' display and price tags of $1,100, $1,300 and $1,500. Three more iMacs are equipped with a large 27-inch display and cost $1,800, $2,000 and $2,300. In the CIS countries, translated into local currencies and taking into account taxes, all these prices will be significantly higher.

In this text, we indicate the price in dollars rather as a guide so that you do not get confused about the available modifications of Apple all-in-one PCs, since they do not have any additional designations.

This is an overview of the changes in the new 2017 Apple iMac line.

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 away new MacBooks Pro with 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 completely new iMac Pro presented 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, made 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 should add an updated building 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 case is damn 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 will say - large 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's 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 free space there will be even more. 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's missing?

After iPad Pro 2017 with a ProMotion display (screen refresh rate 120 Hz versus 60 Hz previously), all other displays, even the iPhone, seem somewhat sluggish.

120Hz is SUPER smooth movement on the screen. To understand my feelings, you can remember the difference between 30 fps and 60 fps.

Today from Apple products only new iPads 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 use new iPad I can say that the 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.

The 2017 iMac has the best 5K display on the market. In terms of brightness and number of displayed colors, it is significantly superior to the recently released LG UltraFine 5K Display 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 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, 2TB Fusion Drive: iMac 5K 2017, 1TB SSD: As we can see, there is no difference in read 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.

Hard drive:

27-inch iMacs, unlike younger models, come with a fast 7200 rpm hard drive.

Their development also does not stand still. Maybe. 🙂

In practice high performance 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.

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 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.

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.

i5 3.4 GHz - enough 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.

🚀 Graphics

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 per second a given computing system performs.

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 speed, 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 has introduced a new graphics engine, Metal 2. If game creators step up their game and start releasing 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 a wild overpayment. Apple branded brackets are many times more expensive with similar characteristics.

📦 PCI-E SSD According to the iFixit report, the SSD strips are not soldered to motherboard. This means that, theoretically, they can be replaced with more capacious ones. Didn't study model range from third party manufacturers, possibly on at the moment they do not exist yet and they will appear in the future. Or they won't show up. We need to wait and see.

📦 Hard drive

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.

📦 Processor

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.

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 new iMac is the best in terms of price/feature ratio.

And we need to remember: we are paying not only for hardware, but also for one of the most advanced 5K displays to date. Monitor with similar and even less current characteristics from third-party manufacturers may cost more than one iMac.

iMac Review 2017: brighter, faster and more powerful.

The iMac has been a key product in Apple's line of computers for many years. However, over the past two to three years, iMac updates have been average, almost weak. As it turned out, Apple was preparing us for a major update in 2017. With a brighter, more colorful Retina 5K display, versatile Thunderbolt 3 ports, and unmatched performance, the new 27-inch iMac is here to change the game once again.

Design

The appearance of the new 27-inch iMac remains virtually unchanged from the radically updated 2012 version. Apple's latest all-in-one PC features the same exceptionally thin aluminum body, tapering at the edges to just 5mm thick. The iMac's dimensions are the same: height 51.6 cm, width 65.0 cm, weight 9.44 kg. The thickness of the stand is 20.3 cm.

The only noticeable changes include two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the rear surface and the absence of holes for two standard iMac microphones, as well as the microphones themselves. Apple replaced them with one for which there is not even a hole made on the case, which is why its location cannot be detected.

I don’t want to criticize the iMac 5K 2017 for its previous design. The all-in-one design can be described as genre-defining, and if Apple decided to introduce drastic changes for no particular reason, it would certainly cause more negative reviews.

The package contents of the new iMac have not changed. The box with the all-in-one includes a Magic Keyboard and a mouse Magic Mouse 2, Power cable and Lightning/USB cable

Display

The 27-inch iMac of 2017 received Retina display 5K with a resolution of 5120x2880 pixels and a wide color gamut (P3), like the previous 5K model. However, there is still a difference with its predecessor. Firstly, the maximum brightness of the new iMac is a record 500 nits (cd/m2) for all-in-one PCs. And secondly, the display has increased color rendering quality - a billion colors.

Testing of the iMac 5K display showed an average brightness of 463 nits, with a center-center brightness of 496 nits. This matches Apple's stated brightness of 500 nits for its new all-in-one PC. The 2017 iMac 5K easily outperforms its competitors in this regard. The Dell XPS 27 has an average brightness of 316 nits, while the Microsoft Surface Studio has an average brightness of 354 nits. Less expensive all-in-one PCs such as Asus Zen AiO Pro (247 nits) and Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 910 (226 nits) make little sense to compare with the iMac 5K in terms of brightness. And not because monoblocks come in different price categories, but because the latter do not have the same and stable brightness levels.

The color accuracy of the iMac 5K 2017 display is also commendable. It is almost perfect - 0.06 in the Delta-E benchmark (perfect accuracy - 0). The situation is worse for competitors: Asus Zen AiO Pro - 0.28, Microsoft Surface Studio - 1.0, Dell XPS 27 - 5.06 and Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 910 - 1.8.

The new iMac's 5K display looks great on all content, but its real advantage is in resolution. For example, you can edit 4K video in full format and still have everything at your fingertips necessary panels, sliders or even small windows.

The only drawback of the iMac 5K 2017 display, just like all previous iMac models, is the lack of a touchscreen. Apple executives always say that the company does not see the point of equipping the iMac with a touchscreen and macOS is optimized specifically for a keyboard and mouse, but competitors’ solutions have this same touchscreen.

Connectors

The iMac 5K has two Thunderbolt 3 (aka USB-C) ports, allowing you to connect one external display with a 5K resolution (5120x2880) at 60 Hz and support for one billion colors, or two external 4K UHD (3840x2160) displays at 60 Hz and the same billion colors. You can use an external monitor simultaneously with the iMac's built-in 5K display.

Thunderbolt 3 ports also support DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps), and HDMI, VGA, and DVI via optional adapters that are not included with the iMac 5K.

In addition to two new Thunderbolt 3/UBS C ports, the new iMac, like previous models, includes four standard USB port 3, which greatly simplifies connection peripheral devices or iOS devices via Lightning cables without the need for any special adapters. Note that the iMac comes with one Lightning cable, which can be used to charge the wireless Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2.

The traditional 3.5 mm headphone output, Ethernet module and SDXC card slot in the iMac 5K remain. All connectors and ports, as before, are located on the back of the all-in-one body, which has always been called one of the disadvantages of the iMac. But there’s nothing to be done, this is the price you have to pay for such a thin body and flawless appearance monoblock front panel.

As for other features, the iMac 2017 received support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. The all-in-one comes with the previously mentioned wireless devices input - Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2.

CPU

If the iMac 2017 has not changed externally, then absolutely everything has changed inside. The base 27-inch iMac 5K features a 7th-generation Intel Kaby Lake Core i5 quad-core processor clocked at 3.4 GHz. A notable point is that the 2017 iMac chip has a frequency 100 MHz lower than the Haswell Core i5 processor used in the fall 2014 iMac. However, this does not have a detrimental effect on performance indicators, as we will clearly show below.

An important feature of processors from the Kaby Lake line is the ability to hardware accelerate HEVC/H.265 - the new photo and video codecs that Apple will use in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11. Hardware acceleration lets you cut your 4K video file size in half! On slightly older models Mac computers, even on a MacBook Pro from the fall of 2016, it will not be possible to achieve such indicators. Thanks to new codecs, the size of media files will, of course, decrease, but it will not be so impressive.

The top version of the 27-inch iMac 2017 is equipped with a quad-core Kaby Lake Core i5 processor clocked at 3.8 GHz. When tested on the Geekbench benchmark, this model scored 19,774 multi-core points and 5,736 single-core points, which are 16% and 9% respectively higher than the previous flagship 5K version of the iMac introduced last year. Its indicators are 16975 and 5263 points, respectively.

Despite the decent improvement, the difference cannot be called a serious jump in performance. Not the biggest difference in performance Intel processors two different generations explains why Apple is increasingly focusing on making Macs faster software and using a graphics chip.

However, there has been an increase in power in the iMac 5K. In this regard, it was quite unexpected to record a decrease in the fan rotation speed. The faster processor and graphics chip in the 2017 iMac are cooled by dual 2,700 RPM fans, 150 RPM slower than the previous iMac. On the other hand, fans also produce less noise.

Previous iMac models used a thermal throttle when CPU load reached 100%. In iMac 2017, Apple did not abandon this solution. About 15 seconds after the processor was fully loaded, its temperature reached 99 degrees, and the frequency was reduced from 4.4 GHz to 4.3 GHz, a few seconds later to 4.2 GHz. Over the next ten minutes of the test, the chip temperature remained at 97 degrees, and the nominal frequency was 4.2 GHz. Compared to the old iMac model, the new product has improved. To prevent overheating, last year's iMac reduced the processor frequency to 3.8 GHz.

Fortunately, unless you are transcoding 4K video, you are unlikely to be able to load the processor to 100%. And during encoding, the chip reaches peak load for only a split second. Practical testing (transcoding several 4K videos) showed that the processor does not slow down when performing this task, even though the fans begin to make a fair amount of noise.

Graphic component

The initial version of the 2017 iMac 5K received an improvement over previous model graphics chip - AMD Radeon Pro 570 with 4 GB of video memory versus the previous AMD Radeon R9 M380x with 2 GB of video memory. The top version of the new iMac has a Radeon Pro 580 chip with 8 GB of video memory. For the first time since 2010, Apple offered top-end desktop-class graphics chips in the iMac.

The 8GB Radeon Pro 580 video chip is the real star of the new iMac, its main feature and the very characteristic for which professionals will want to buy an all-in-one PC. In the BruceX (Final Cut X) benchmark, it was 75% faster than last year's iMac's flagship GPU, rendering in just 15.5 seconds versus 27 seconds. In live video editing tests, the new iMac was anywhere from 21% to 80% faster, depending on the type of task. Moreover, the new iMac “likes” more resource-intensive tasks - it was able to complete them the fastest. In other words, the new iMac 5K can save you a ton of time when working, especially over long distances.

It so happens that Apple computers have never been famous for their ability to run modern games. The 2017 iMac challenges this conventional wisdom, again thanks to its new graphics chips. When testing Battlefield 1 with settings set to its absolute maximum, the game ran at a solid 50-70 frames per second, with the FPS remaining above 60 the vast majority of the time. For a resolution of 1440p (2560x1440), these numbers are quite impressive.

Moreover, the iMac 5K 2017 can be played for long periods of time. After two hours of playing Battlefield 1, the monoblock did not have any problems with overheating, only the fans began to work a little more actively. Note that, as before, the iMac is not a computer for games. But if you want to relax after a long day of work with some latest games, Apple's new product will freely provide you with this opportunity.

Memory

All three new 2017 iMac 5K models use a faster RAM architecture: 2400MHz PC4-19200 DDR4 instead of the previous 1867MHz PC3-14900 DDR3L. In the basic configuration, each version of the iMac is equipped with 8 GB of RAM (two 4 GB modules), with a total of four slots available in all-in-one PCs. The maximum amount of RAM, at the request of the buyer, can be 64 GB.

Separately, we note that the new iMac provides easier user access to slots for RAM modules. Adding RAM in the future will not be a problem even for people who are far from computer technology.

When it comes to storage, all 2017 iMac 5K models come standard with Fusion Drives. In the basic and medium versions of the monoblock, their capacity is 1 TB, in the most expensive one - 2 TB. The write speed of the drives is 348.9 MB/s, the read speed is 339.7 MB/s. Fusion Drive drives noticeably fall short of SSD performance, as before.

Mouse and keyboard

The mouse and keyboard included with the 2017 iMac 5K have not been improved. There are no complaints about the Magic Keyboard, incredibly thin, comfortable for most users and with an impeccable design, as before. TO Magic mice Mouse, with excellent accuracy, balance and confident clicks, there is a complaint, but only one. It is connected with the unchanged charging method, which involves connecting the Lightning cable to the connector on the bottom of the “rodent”. Thus, while charging, Magic Mouse 2 will not be able to be used.

However, we consider this minus, which only the lazy did not talk about after the mouse was released, is far-fetched. Just two or three minutes of charging Magic Mouse 2 and the mouse is again ready to work for several hours. When fully charged, Magic Mouse 2 works autonomously for a whole month.

Audio

The iMac 5K 2017 doesn't feature any improvements in terms of audio. Let us note that there was no strong need for this. The sound of the new iMac is very high quality, rich, and most importantly, loud. Watching movies on your iMac is an exceptional experience.

Webcam

The webcam hasn't changed in the new iMac either. It's all the same FaceTime camera HD with 720p resolution. Apple hasn't gone after some competitors that equip their all-in-one PCs with higher-resolution cameras (for example, the Surface Studio has a 1080p camera) and, most likely, is doing the right thing. The iMac 5K 2017 camera is quite enough for normal communication via video calls.

Comparison with competitors

Despite all the flattering words about the iMac 5K 2017, alternatives to the all-in-one PC exist. They are presented in the same price category, so you won’t be able to save money on an all-in-one computer. It is worth noting that competitors are truly competitive, as indicated by benchmark testing.

Multimedia Multitasking Test 3.0

Note: A lower number means best result in seconds.

Cinebench R15 OpenGL

Price and upgrade options

Official prices for 27-inch iMacs with 5K display in Russia:

  • 27-inch iMac 5K, 3.4 GHz processor, 8 GB RAM, Radeon Pro 570 - RUB 131,990.
  • 27-inch iMac 5K, 3.5 GHz processor, 8 GB RAM, Radeon Pro 575 - RUB 146,990.
  • 27-inch iMac 5K, 3.8 GHz processor, 8 GB RAM, Radeon Pro 580 - RUB 168,990.

Like all previous iMacs, the new 27-inch 5K 2017 iMacs can be upgraded during the build process. Upgrade options include increased RAM and storage capacity, storage type, and processor in the case of mid-range and top-end iMacs.

Basic version (Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz + Radeon Pro 570)

Memory

Storage

Medium version (Intel Core i5 3.5 GHz + Radeon Pro 575)

CPU

  • 4-core Intel Core i7 4.2 GHz - + 21,000 rub.

Memory

  • 16 GB DDR 2400 MHz - + 14,000 rub.
  • 32 GB DDR 2400 MHz - + 42,000 rub.

Storage

  • Fusion Drive 2 TB - + 14,000 rub.
  • Fusion Drive 3 TB - + 21,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 256 GB - + 7,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 512 GB - + 21,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 1 TB - + 49,000 rub.

Top version (Intel Core i5 3.8 GHz + Radeon Pro 580)

CPU

  • 4-core Intel Core i7 4.2 GHz - + 14,000 rub.

Memory

  • 16 GB DDR 2400 MHz - + 14,000 rub.
  • 32 GB DDR 2400 MHz - + 42,000 rub.
  • 64 GB DDR 2400 MHz - + 98,000 rub.

Storage

  • Fusion Drive 3 TB - + 7,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 256 GB - + 7,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 512 GB - + 21,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 1 TB - + 49,000 rub.
  • SSD drive 2 TB - + 98,000 rub.

In total, the most sophisticated model of the 27-inch iMac 5K of 2017 is estimated at 378,990 rubles.

Is it worth buying?

If you want an all-in-one PC with the best display, incredibly powerful desktop-class graphics, Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, and unparalleled design, the 2017 iMac 5K is your choice.

If you need a touchscreen, a video card from Nvidia, Touch Bar and Touch ID and the ability to freely upgrade hardware characteristics, the iMac 5K 2017 will not suit you.

Conclusion

The new 27-inch iMac 5K is a significant improvement over its predecessors. The new product received increased performance, especially in terms of graphics, an amazing display with unsurpassed picture quality and all the necessary ports. If you've been using your iMac for three or more new model 2017 has every good reason to upgrade.


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The most productive version of the Apple iMac arrived in our test laboratory - and this is not one of the basic configurations, but an option that is only available when ordering through the website (at the time of writing, this option did not yet work in Russia). In particular, the processor in it is replaced with a Core i7-7700K, the amount of RAM is increased to 64 GB, and a two-terabyte SSD is used as a drive (instead of a standard hybrid drive). The cost of the proposed configuration in the US can be seen in the screenshot below.

On the one hand, this is, frankly speaking, a niche and highly specialized option, designed for those people who really need the most from a computer and are willing to pay serious money for it. Of course, there are not many such people (in percentage terms). But on the other hand, for us this particular option is of interest as a certain maximum that Apple computers are capable of today (not counting the Mac Pro, which with its server filling is a completely different story, and the iMac Pro, expected only in December).

Here is a detailed list technical characteristics the model that will be discussed below.

Apple iMac 27″ (Mid 2017)
CPU Intel Core i7-7700K (4 cores, 8 threads, 4.2 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 4.5 GHz)
Chipset N/A
RAM 64 GB DDR4, 2400 MHz
Integrated Graphics Intel HD Graphics 630
Discrete graphics AMD Radeon Pro 580 (8 GB)
Screen 27 inches, IPS, 5120×2880, 218 ppi
Storage SSD, 2 TB
Optical drive No
Network interfaces Wired network Gigabit Ethernet
Wireless network 802.11a/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.2
Interfaces and ports USB 4 × USB 3.0
HDMI 1.4
VGA no (support via adapter available)
Thunderbolt 2 × Thunderbolt 3 (via connectors USB Type-C)
Memory card support SDXC
Microphone input yes (combined)
Headphone output yes (combined)
Audio line out No
Line audio input No
Input devices Keyboard included (Magic Keyboard)
Touchpad By default, Magic Trackpad 2 is not included, but can be included instead of Magic Mouse 2
Additional input devices Touch Bar No
Touch ID No
IP telephony Webcam FaceTime HD Camera (720p)
Microphone There is
Battery No
Dimensions (cm) 51.6×65.0×20.3
Mass without periphery 9.44 kg

Here is information about this model in the OS X operating system:




So, the basis of the model that came to us for testing is quad core processor Intel Core i7-7700K (Kaby Lake). This processor has a base clock speed of 4.2 GHz; in Turbo Boost mode the frequency can increase to 4.5 GHz. Its L3 cache size is 8MB and its rated maximum power is 91W. The processor has an integrated graphics core Intel HD Graphics 630, the base clock frequency of which is 350 MHz, and the maximum (in Turbo Boost mode) is 1.15 GHz. The discrete graphics appropriate for a top-end monoblock is AMD Radeon Pro 580 (8 GB). The monoblock is equipped with 64 GB of DDR4 RAM. The memory in the new iMac operates at 2400 MHz. And the SSD storage capacity is 2 TB.




The standard configuration of this model uses Core processor i5 with a base frequency of 3.8 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 4.2 GHz), 8, 16 or 32 GB of RAM and a hybrid Fusion Drive with a total capacity of 2 or 3 TB.

The communication capabilities of the monoblock are determined by the presence of dual-band wireless (2.4 and 5 GHz) network adapter, which complies with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac specifications. The monoblock is also equipped with a built-in 720p webcam.

We will not describe the design and equipment, since they have not changed compared to previous generation iMac, so we suggest you read our articles about the 5K iMac and the 2015 iMac 4K. In this article we will focus on the performance that we will test using our new method and the quality of the display.

You can find a detailed description of the performance testing methodology and, so in this article we will not justify the need for certain test scenarios, as well as explain their order and tasks, but will move directly to a description of the results.

Performance testing in Final Cut Pro X and Compressor


In our main test set, the results were quite interesting. In 4K video stabilization, the new iMac significantly outperformed the previous record holder - the MacBook Pro 15″ (Late 2016). True, we cannot compare the performance of the new product with its immediate predecessor - the 2015 iMac 27″, since we did not yet have this technique. But the superiority in stabilization tests over today's most powerful laptop with discrete graphics is still impressive.

But the next two tests already show very strange results. When creating picture-in-picture video, the iMac was inferior to the 2016 MacBook Pro 15″, and in the final rendering via Compressor it was inferior even to the laptop from last year. What's the matter? Most likely the problem is throttling. An all-in-one PC equipped with desktop hardware (and not laptop hardware, as is usually the case with all-in-one PCs, including the iMac), overheats in stabilization tests, and when it comes to the last tests of the method, the frequencies drop and the result turns out to be worse than expected.

What does this mean in practical terms? That although the performance of the 2017 iMac 27″ is indeed record-breaking for models with macOS (with the exception of Mac Pro), long work under maximum load is not optimal in terms of results: the monoblock overheats and drops frequencies.

BlackMagic DaVinci Resolve

Another professional video editing application is BlackMagic DaVinci Resolve. We used version 12.5. And this is what happened:



Here, too, the result is predictable, although one cannot say that the difference is significant. But still, together with the other results, this one is also quite eloquent.

Browser benchmarks: JetStream

Now let's move on to benchmarks. Let's start with the browser-based JavaScript benchmark JetStream. Safari was used as the browser.



And here the situation is repeated.

Geekbench


Geekbench confirms that the processor and video accelerator used in the new iMac 27″ are faster than anything previously used in Apple computers.

GFX Benchmark Metal

Below are detailed test results.


GFX Benchmark 3 iMac 27″ (Mid 2017) MacBook Pro 15″ (Mid 2015)
1440р Manhattan 3.1.1 Offscreen, fps 217,8 68,5 44,5
Manhattan 3.1, fps 47,0 32,0 24,9
1080p Manhattan 3.1 Offscreen, fps 358,6 120,1 55,8
Manhattan, fps 68,5 48,9 38,8
1080p Manhattan Offscreen, fps 422,8 163,6 60,1
T-Rex 119,5 105,6 59,0
1080p T-Rex Offscreen, fps 712,8 301,9 103,1

Let us remember that in Offscreen mode all participants are rendering the same picture (resolution 1440p or 1080p, as indicated in the name of the test). So this is a pure performance comparison, and the AMD Radeon Pro 580 is head and shoulders above the competition. Paired Onscreen tests use the test subjects' native screen resolution, meaning the test shows how well they handle the game in real-world conditions. Here, too, there is a noticeable superiority of the iMac 27″ over the old MacBook Pro, but the difference is smaller, that is, the 5K resolution is harder to “pull” (which is logical).

CompuBenchCL

The latest benchmark testing GPU performance is Compubench. Here, among other things, the ability to test OpenCL performance of any GPU (discrete and integrated) and CPU is important.




So here are the results. The first number is the test data using a powerful discrete accelerator, the second is the integrated GPU, and the last number is the CPU.


CompuBenchCL iMac 27″ (Mid 2017) MacBook Pro 15″ (Late 2016) MacBook Pro 15″ (Mid 2015)
Face Detection, MPixels/s 100,5 / 30,7 / 6,56 33,6 / 26,0 / 4,96 25,8 / 17,1 / 4,84
TV-L1 Optical Flow, MPixels/s 23,27 / 4,36 / 2,06 6,56 / 3,17 / 1,60 5,69 / 5,93 / 1.61
Ocean Surface Simulation, fps 1172 / 353 / 105,5 575 / 261 / 75,9 528 / 358 / 84,1
Particle Simulation - 64k, MInteractions/s 636 / 281 / 51,6 284 / 173 / 40,1 220 / 188 / 39,7
Video Composition, fps 112,2 / 20,1 / 3,12 48,1 / 17,7 / 2,13 36,7 / 19,0 / 2,11
Bitcoin Mining, MHash/s 659 / 36,9 / 8,24 163 / 31,0 / 5,61 123 / 30,1 / 5,76

In general, the situation is similar to the GFX Benchmark: the new product is many times ahead of laptops, and the external GPU is again head and shoulders above its rivals, and the advantage of the CPU is more modest, but also clearly recorded. Pay attention to the Bitcoin Mining subtest.

BlackMagic Disk Speed

If the benchmarks listed above help us evaluate the performance of the CPU and GPU, then BlackMagic Disk Speed ​​is focused on testing the drive - the speed of reading and writing files.

Here we also got a very interesting result. Based on BlackMagic Disk Speed, the new SSD-equipped iMac was even slightly faster at reading and writing files than the MacBook, although it did significantly better than previous models.




The table below shows the results of the tested models.



So, in this regard, the 2017 iMac 27″ is also a leader.

Games

To test gaming performance, we use Deux Ex: Human Revolution and World of Tanks: Blitz, launched through the Count It utility. Below you can see the launch schedule for Deux Ex: Human Revolution. The game itself begins where the schedule is more or less even.




During the game itself, the number of frames per second remains mostly above 100 fps. This means the game is at its maximum possible settings(which is exactly what we put up) will be perfectly comfortable.

As for World of Tanks: Blitz, the picture here is just as clear, although the number of frames in the game itself is limited to 60 per second. These are exactly what we observed. The deep drop in the graph below is the moment the splash screen is shown during the launch of the game, so only further data should be taken into account.




In general, the gaming performance of the iMac 27″ (Mid 2017) is currently exemplary for Apple computers, and all games available in the Mac App Store will run on this model without the slightest problem.

True, we note a fairly high level of noise and heating of the monoblock under load, but this concerns games to a lesser extent than video editing.

Screen

The new iMac is equipped with a 27-inch diagonal IPS screen with a resolution of 5120x2880, which gives a pixel density of 218 ppi. The previous iMac 5K 27″ had the same parameters.

The screen is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, and, judging by the reflection of objects in it, it has a very effective anti-glare filter. As a result, very high image clarity is maintained; of course, there is no “crystalline” effect (local brightness variation) and reflections in the screen do not interfere with work. There may be an air gap between the glass and the surface of the matrix, but we cannot say this categorically.

When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 500 cd/m², the minimum was 3.8 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness, even in bright daylight (taking into account what was said above about anti-glare properties), the screen remains readable, and in complete darkness, the screen brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Eat automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (it is located to the left of the peephole front camera). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider - the user uses it to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. By moving the slider in an office environment and in the dark, we managed to achieve an acceptable result: in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 550 lux) - 210-300 cd/m², in complete darkness - 32 cd/m², in a very bright environment (corresponds to clear lighting during the day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) the brightness increases to 500 cd/m². At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

IN given by Apple iMac uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:



For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. Just for illustration, here is a photo in which a test image with an integrated sRGB profile is displayed on the screen of an Apple iMac:




When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened slightly and acquires a slight purple tint. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, but it cannot be called ideal (mouse cursor in the center):




The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - 1000:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 17 ms (10 ms on + 7 ms off), the transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 43 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. Approximating indicator power function equal to 2.24, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve almost does not deviate from the power-law dependence:



These and other results were obtained, unless otherwise noted, using the device's native operating system no change initial settings screen and for test images without a profile or with an sRGB profile. Let us recall that in this case the initial properties of the matrix are precisely corrected programmatically.

Color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:



The spectra show that software correction mixes the primary colors with each other to the desired extent:




Note that such spectra are often found in mobile and not very mobile devices Apple and other manufacturers. Apparently, such screens use LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphors (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows for a wide color gamut. Yes, and the red phosphor apparently uses so-called quantum dots. For a consumer device that does not support color management, a wide color gamut is not an advantage, but a significant disadvantage, since as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (which are the vast majority) have unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. In this case, color management is present, so the output of images in which the sRGB profile is specified or no profile is specified at all is performed with gamut correction to sRGB. As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.

Native to most modern devices Apple's Display P3 color space has slightly richer greens and reds than sRGB. The Display P3 space is based on SMPTE DCI-P3, but has a D65 white point and a gamma curve of approximately 2.2. Indeed, by adding test images ( JPG files and PNG) with the Display P3 profile, we got a wider color gamut than sRGB (output in Safari):



Note that the coordinates of the primary colors coincide almost exactly with those specified for the DCI-P3 standard. This coverage differs from Adobe RGB: red in Display P3 is slightly more saturated, and green can be considered less saturated. Let's look at the spectra in the case of test images with the Display P3 profile:




It can be seen that in this case no significant cross-mixing of components occurs, that is, this color space is native to the Apple iMac screen.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is very good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)




Let's summarize. The screen of the all-in-one Apple iMac (2017) has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used without problems in bright external lighting conditions. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include the absence of flickering of the backlight, good uniformity of the black field, excellent stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane and high contrast. Combined with support from the OS, the Apple iMac screen by default correctly displays pictures with or without the specified sRGB profile (they are considered to be sRGB), and displaying images with a wider gamut is possible within the gamut of Display P3. The screen has no significant flaws.

Conclusions

The new iMac has only one major problem: it overheats under high load, which immediately leads to a performance hit (though not enough to make it uncomfortable or ineffective).

If the time of maximum load is measured (and this is what usually happens, even with video editing), then an iMac equipped with a desktop hardware, and a top-end one at that, will demonstrate its capabilities in all its glory. Until the release of the iMac Pro in December 2017, the model we tested will be the most powerful computer running macOS (with the possible exception of the server-based Mac Pro).

Add to this a magnificent display, as well as a case design that remains relevant, and we get, perhaps, the best all-in-one PC today. And the most expensive, of course. But here it’s worth choosing the optimal solution for your tasks. Such performance as that of the model we tested is only suitable for professional applications - such as video editing. Everything else, including games, can be used with equal success on more affordable iMac configurations.

Apple has historically been coy when it comes to sharing the raw computing prowess of its devices. Cupertino, so we know, is the latest and greatest generation, 20% larger and 2.5 times faster than the previous generation. The graphics processing unit (GPU) built by Apple into the new iMac 2017 is proof of this, however, if you compare the official documentation for the last year - devices with AMD processors Radeon is the most powerful. .

MacBook models Pro and a new iMac feature, AMD Pro called its fourth generation “Polaris”, which has its own graphics core. Accordingly, all GPUs use MacBook laptops Pro and iMac new feature from AMD Pro “asynchronous computing technology, updated shader engines, improved memory compression and new geometry capabilities.”

While Apple in 2016 and 2017 talked about the perfect options from AMD Radeon: 450, 455, 550, 555 or 560 (TOP configuration levels), the company recently introduced iMac computers with a new series from AMD Pro: 570, 575 , or configuration “ top level” 580 GPU. Of course, this is not all that significant, but the tests indicate that quite large changes in speed have nevertheless occurred.

  1. AMD Pro introduces new series 570, 575, 580 processors using exclusively the new 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs.
  2. Specifically, the 570 more than doubles the top-tier performance of the 460 and 560 that power most premium, high-end MacBook pro configurations.
  3. The AMD Pro 580 is used exclusively in the 27-inch iMac 5k, making them 2.9 times faster than its predecessor, the AMD Pro 560.
  4. AMD Pro 570, 575, 580 can achieve peak performance of 3.6, 4.5 and 5.5 GB, and, respectively, compared to the previous generation 550, 555, 560 GPUs, which can achieve only 1.0, 1.3 and 1.9 GB, respectively.

On paper, and even graphically, intensive real-world applications - AMD's latest 570+ family GPUs are among Apple's most powerful and capable graphics units. !

  • Apple's latest 21.5-inch 4K iMac, complete with a 3.0GHz quad-core i5 processor, AMD Pro 555 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1Tb 5400 RPM hard drive, can be yours for $1,299. Upgrading to an Intel i5, 3.4GHz processor, 1TB Fusion drive, and pro Radeon 560 will need to add an additional $200 to the price.
  • Meanwhile, the new 27-inch 5k iMAc, with a 3.4GHz i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 1TB Fusion drive, and Radeon Pro 570, costs $1,799.
  • Apple de la crème, a top shelf iMac, with its mind-blowing 3.8GHz Intel series i5, 2TB Fusion drive, and Radeon Pro 580 can be purchased for $2,299 on the official website.

Features (specifications) of the 21.5-inch iMac 2017

Features (specifications) of the 27-inch iMac 2017

Prices for new iMacs 2017 in Russia:

Prices for 21.5 inch iMac 2017

Prices for 27 inch iMac 2017