Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) vs Apple iMac (21.5-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 2013) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
Overview
Released
Released	September 2013	May 2011
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-4570R, Intel Core i5-4570S or Intel Core i7-4770S	Intel Core i5-2400S, Intel Core i5-2500S or Intel Core i7-2600S
CPU cores
CPU cores	4	4
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 or NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M (1 GB GDDR5)	AMD Radeon HD 6750M (512 MB GDDR5) or AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5)
Memory
Memory	8 GB or 16 GB	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 1 TB	500 GB to 2 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz, or 2.9 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz; the upper configuration supports a 3.1 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz	2.5 GHz quad-core Core i5-2400S or 2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5-2500S; the higher model offers a 2.8 GHz quad-core Core i7-2600S upgrade. Exact model identities cross-checked with EveryMac; the i5 has 6 MB shared L3 cache. Intel confirms the i7 has eight threads and up to 3.8 GHz Turbo Boost.
GPU
GPU	Integrated Intel Iris Pro graphics on the 2.7 GHz configuration; NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 1 GB GDDR5 on the 2.9 GHz and optional Core i7 configurations	2.5 GHz model has AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512 MB GDDR5; 2.7 GHz and optional i7 models have Radeon HD 6770M with 512 MB 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 is not user-accessible	Four SO-DIMM slots, 1333 MHz DDR3; 4 GB standard as two 2 GB modules. Base model offers an 8 GB factory upgrade; higher model offers 8 or 16 GB. Memory is user accessible.
Storage type
Storage type	1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive; optional 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB or 512 GB flash storage on either base processor. Apple's launch notice confirms PCIe flash storage.	Base model has a 500 GB 7200 rpm hard drive. Higher model has a 1 TB 7200 rpm 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″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1920 × 1080	1920 × 1080
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 and anti-reflective coating; Target Display Mode via a separately sold Thunderbolt cable. 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	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	802.11ac	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; Kensington lock slot. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI need separately sold adapters.	One Thunderbolt port also provides 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	Full built-in resolution and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; 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; optional Magic Trackpad	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)	9.3 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 175 × 450 mm	528 × 188.5 × 451 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 also available.	–
Power supply
Power supply	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	Maximum continuous power 205 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase
Noise
Noise	Apple's operator-position sound pressure: 12 dB at idle and during hard-drive access	–
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.