Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) vs Apple iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) compared with iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012)	AppleiMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
Overview
Released
Released	November 2012	May 2011
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-3330S, Intel Core i5-3470S or Intel Core i7-3770S	Intel Core i5-2500S, Intel Core i5-2400 or Intel Core i7-2600
CPU cores
CPU cores	4	4
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	–
Graphics
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M (512 MB GDDR5) or NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (512 MB GDDR5)	AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5), AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) or AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5)
Memory
Memory	8 GB or 16 GB	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB
Storage
Storage	1 TB	1 TB to 2 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.	2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5-2500S or 3.1 GHz quad-core Core i5-2400; the higher model offers a 3.4 GHz quad-core Core i7-2600. Exact identities cross-checked with EveryMac; i5 models have 6 MB shared L3 cache. Intel confirms four threads and up to 3.4 GHz for i5-2400, eight threads and up to 3.8 GHz for i7-2600.
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	Lower model has AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512 MB GDDR5; higher model and optional i7 have Radeon HD 6970M with 1 GB GDDR5, configurable to 2 GB
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.	Four SO-DIMM slots for 1333 MHz DDR3, with 4 GB standard as two 2 GB modules; 8 or 16 GB factory upgrades. Memory is user accessible.
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.	Both base models have a 1 TB 7200 rpm hard drive, configurable to 2 TB and a 256 GB solid-state second drive. Mixed hard-drive-plus-SSD options are described here rather than labelled Fusion Drive or presented as a single SSD; no standalone 256 GB row is inferred from the support sheet's second-drive wording. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning.
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	Glossy LED-backlit IPS widescreen display, millions of colours; optional unpublished refresh rate and brightness omitted
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	–
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	2 × Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, Ethernet, SD card slot, 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	2.1 + EDR
Camera
Camera	FaceTime HD	FaceTime HD camera
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	Two Thunderbolt ports also provide Mini DisplayPort video output; four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 at 7 W, Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC slot, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire and audio input are described here because the main port list has no fields for them; IR receiver built in.
External displays
External displays	Built-in display at native resolution alongside one external display up to 2560 × 1600; extended desktop and video mirroring	Apple publishes full built-in resolution and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; the main count follows that maker statement rather than a higher count tested by Engadget; extended desktop and mirroring, optional DVI/VGA/dual-link DVI adapters
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Stereo speakers with two internal 17 W amplifiers, built-in microphone and support for iPhone headset microphones
Microphones
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, with Magic Trackpad substitution available from the online store
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	5.68 kg (better)	13.8 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 175 × 450 mm	650 × 207 × 517 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	–
Power supply
Power supply	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	Maximum continuous power 310 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight	Aluminium and glass enclosure, arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight; BFR-free and PVC-free components, with PVC-free AC cord availability limited to named regions
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, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Launch press specifies Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '11; the later support sheet lists OS X Lion, reflecting the software update rather than launch software.