Leading up to WWDC 2017, it was no secret among Apple fans that iMacs were in need of a refresh. The last update was in 2015, and while that's hardly ancient, rivals weren't taking a time out, so Apple had to make a move to stay competitive.
Fortunately for the macOS faithful, Apple delivered with three new mainline iMacs, all available for order right now. They bring cutting-edge computing power and improved displays to the 21.5-inch iMac, the 21.5-inch iMac with a 4K Retina display, and the 27-inch iMac with a 5K display.
What's New?
Before you throw down more than $1,000, the big question is whether or not it's worth upgrading if you already have an iMac.
If you own a 2015 iMac, the answer is more nuanced, but if your machine is pre-2015, get yourself some modern hardware. The 2017 updates offer displays that are 43 percent brighter and support 1 billion colors—they really were stunning in person. Plus, Thunderbolt 3 has replaced Thunderbolt 2.
The model names give you a general idea of what you're buying, but getting a thorough answer to the question of worth requires a closer look at the specs from the 2015 and 2017 models.
The 21.5-Inch: A Bump Up In Power
Last time around, the 21.5-inch 4K iMac ($1,499) we tested included a fifth-generation Core i5 processor, Intel Iris Pro 6200 graphics, and 8GB of memory. The 2017 4K model (which starts at $1,299) features a seventh-generation Core i5 processor, the better screen, and most crucially, Radeon 555 discrete graphics.
Discrete graphics outside the highest configuration iMac is a huge addition (the entry-level 2017 iMac will use improved integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics), even if the 555 isn't the most high-end card. Aside from faster content creation, it's capable of running VR and can support gaming, which simply couldn't be said of the previous 4K iMac.
You can further up the power (and price) with 16GB of memory, or pair an even more expensive Core i7 processor with up to 64GB of memory, but the standard new 4K iMac loadout stands on its own. It's not cheap, but its starting price is less than the 2015 version's cost, and if you've been finding your system chugging or could make real use of full graphics power, the 2017 4K iMac is a justifiable expense. At $1,099, the base non-4K 21.5-inch iMac is a money-saving alternative, but you'll get a much lower-clocked processor and a return to integrated graphics.
The 27-Inch: Good for Professionals
Recommending the 2017 27-inch 5K iMac has some slight caveats, but it is ultimately a much more powerful system than the previous edition, and perhaps what many users really want.
The 2015 5K iMac's ($1,999) Intel Core i5-4590 processor is certainly older now, so there's no question the more recent Kaby Lake CPUs will make a big difference in speed and wait times. However, the 2015 model already included discrete graphics in the form of an AMD Radeon R9 M290 card. That makes the 2017 iMac's discrete graphics a bit less transformative, since it was already fairly 3D-capable.
That said, the AMD card is not exactly hot stuff these days, and two years of newer tech and a more powerful GPU will make for a markedly more capable machine in every regard. The Radeon Pro 570 is the base GPU for the new 5K iMac (starting at $1,799), but you can upgrade it to a 575 or 580, and boost the base 8GB of memory and 3.4GHz Core i5 processor to a 4.2GHz Core i7 processor and up to 64GB of memory.
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With the addition of Thunderbolt 3, a superior display, and much better processors and graphics, the new 27-inch is very much a souped-up version of the 2015 model. If you're someone who justified a 5K iMac at the time and are considering an upgrade, there's a fair chance your work is pretty demanding hardware-wise, and that 2015 tech just isn't going to cut it for much longer.
I wouldn't recommend it if you don't truly have a specialized need—it's a very expensive machine—but enthusiasts who have held off and professional content creators will get a lot more power from the new 5K iMac.
In both cases, as long as you do processor-intensive work or have noticed slowdown in normal use, these new iMacs are worth diving into. Although 2015 sounds recent, the tech used in those models has been around even longer, and seems to have aged rather quickly. The average user probably shouldn't splurge on these machines for basic tasks like web browsing and media streaming, but there's definitely a market for this sort of power and feature set.