Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) vs Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Early 2013)

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iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, Early 2013)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Early 2013)
Overview
Released
Released	June 2017	March 2013
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-7360U	Intel Core i3 3.3 GHz (iMac Early 2013)
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Memory
Memory	8 GB or 16 GB (better)	4 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 1 TB (better)	500 GB
CPU
CPU	2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz; Geekbench identifies the exact processor as Core i5-7360U	3.3 GHz dual-core Core i3 confirmed by the US maker education price list and contemporary Apple-store coverage. A conflicting New York state price-list row says 3.1 GHz; the corroborated US maker row is used. Exact secondary EveryMac identifies i3-3225, but the chip record retains the maker clock name.
GPU
GPU	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option	Intel HD Graphics 4000, sharing system memory; maker price list confirms the graphics model.
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB	4 GB in two 2 GB modules confirmed by the maker price list; 1600 MHz DDR3 and internal-only memory access according to EveryMac. Secondary reports of higher memory options are not expanded into an unverified factory matrix.
Storage type
Storage type	1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB SSD	500 GB hard drive confirmed by the maker price list; EveryMac specifies 5400 rpm Serial ATA. No built-in optical drive. Unspecified alternative storage capacities are omitted.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	21.5″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1920 × 1080	1920 × 1080
Panel
Panel	–	IPS LCD
Display type
Display type	21.5-inch LED-backlit display; 1920 × 1080 with support for millions of colours. Apple does not identify the panel technology, native refresh rate or brightness in its specification sheet; Retina model display figures do not apply.	EveryMac specifies an IPS LED-backlit display with laminated cover glass and antireflective coating. No retained exact maker technical sheet was found; panel technology comes from this named exact-model secondary source. Brightness and refresh rate are unpublished.
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	4 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 2	–
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11ac	802.11n (EveryMac)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.2	4.0 (EveryMac)
Camera
Camera	FaceTime HD	FaceTime HD camera (EveryMac)
Back ports
Back ports	Four USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5 mm headphone jack and Kensington lock slot. Thunderbolt 3 supports DisplayPort, up to 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt and up to 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 Gen 2; Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA require adapters.	According to EveryMac: four USB 3 ports, two first-generation Thunderbolt ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet and headphone/optical digital output with iPhone headset microphone support.
External displays
External displays	Built-in display at native resolution alongside one 5120 × 2880 display at 60 Hz with one billion colours, two 3840 × 2160 displays at 60 Hz with one billion colours, or two 4096 × 2304 displays at 60 Hz with millions of colours	–
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Built-in stereo speakers and dual microphones, according to EveryMac.
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphone	–
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Lightning to USB cable and polishing cloth; configurable with Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad or Magic Trackpad	Wired Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and traditional Apple Mouse, according to EveryMac.
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	5.44 kg	–
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 175 × 450 mm	–
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was available.	–
Power supply
Power supply	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	–
Noise
Noise	Apple reports operator-position sound pressure of 11 dB at idle and during wireless web, and 12 dB during hard-drive seek, tested on the Core i5 with 8 GB memory and 1 TB hard drive	–
Materials
Materials	Aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-, BFR- and beryllium-free with regional exceptions for PVC-free power leads	–
In the box
In the box	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Lightning to USB cable, polishing cloth and power lead. Apple's current support page describes the later macOS Big Sur release.	Education-only model confirmed by Apple documentation. Maker price list confirms the stock 3.3 GHz/4 GB/500 GB configuration; other detailed figures come from the named exact-model EveryMac source. March 2013 month precision follows contemporary Apple-store coverage and maker pricing; initial orders quoted 5–7 business days, not confirmed delivery on 5 March.