Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) vs Apple iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)

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iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) compared with iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012)	AppleiMac (27-inch, Late 2012)
Overview
Released
Released	November 2012	December 2012
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-3330S, Intel Core i5-3470S or Intel Core i7-3770S	Intel Core i5-3470S, Intel Core i5-3470 or Intel Core i7-3770
CPU cores
CPU cores	4	4
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	4 or 8
Graphics
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M (512 MB GDDR5) or NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (512 MB GDDR5)	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M (512 MB GDDR5), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (1 GB GDDR5) or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX (2 GB GDDR5)
Memory
Memory	8 GB or 16 GB	8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	1 TB	768 GB to 3 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz), or 2.9 GHz quad-core Core i5 (up to 3.6 GHz); the 2.9 GHz model can be configured with a 3.1 GHz quad-core Core i7 (up to 3.9 GHz). iFixit's teardown identifies the base processor as i5-3330S; Geekbench reports i5-3335S on other units, an unresolved component suffix difference.	2.9 GHz quad-core Core i5 or 3.2 GHz quad-core Core i5, both with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz; the upper model supports a 3.4 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz
GPU
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M on the 2.7 GHz configuration, or GT 650M on the 2.9 GHz and optional Core i7 configurations; each has 512 MB GDDR5	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M with 512 MB GDDR5 on the 2.9 GHz model; GTX 675MX with 1 GB GDDR5 on the upper model, configurable to GTX 680MX with 2 GB GDDR5
Memory type
Memory type	1600 MHz DDR3; 8 GB (two 4 GB modules), configurable to 16 GB (two 8 GB modules) at purchase. Memory access requires dismantling the computer.	1600 MHz DDR3; 8 GB (two 4 GB modules), configurable to 16 GB (two 8 GB) or 32 GB (four 8 GB); four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots
Storage type
Storage type	1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive; the upper 2.9 GHz configuration and its Core i7 option support a 1 TB Fusion Drive. This matrix follows Apple's published specification sheet; Ars Technica later reported Fusion Drive becoming available on the 2.7 GHz model.	1 TB or 3 TB 7200-rpm hard drive, 1 TB or 3 TB Fusion Drive, or 768 GB flash storage; all storage options are available with either base processor
Display
Screen size
Screen size	21.5″	27″
Resolution
Resolution	1920 × 1080	2560 × 1440 (better)
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Display type
Display type	LED-backlit display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours	LED-backlit display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours
Display features
Display features	Fully laminated glass with anti-reflective coating; Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in the model's specification sheet	Fully laminated glass and anti-reflective coating; Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in this model's specification sheet
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	2 × Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 1	Up to 1
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11n	802.11n
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0
Camera
Camera	FaceTime HD	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	Four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports with Mini DisplayPort output, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone and optical digital audio output; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI need separately sold adapters	Four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports with Mini DisplayPort output, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone and optical digital audio output; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI require separately sold adapters
External displays
External displays	Built-in display at native resolution alongside one external display up to 2560 × 1600; extended desktop and video mirroring	Built-in display at full native resolution alongside one external display up to 2560 × 1600; extended desktop and video mirroring
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Microphones
Microphones	Dual microphones	Dual microphones
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse; Magic Trackpad available as a configuration option	Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse; optional Magic Trackpad
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	5.68 kg (better)	9.54 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 175 × 450 mm	650 × 203 × 516 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	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process
Power supply
Power supply	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Noise
Noise	–	Apple's operator-position sound pressure: 15 dB at idle on the 2.9 GHz model, 14 dB on the 3.2 GHz model; 15 dB during hard-drive access on both
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight	Recyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight
In the box
In the box	iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife were included at launch	iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife were included at launch