Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

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iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014) compared with iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014)	AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
Overview
Released
Released	June 2014	October 2015
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-4260U	Intel Core i5-5675R or Intel Core i7-5775R
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	4
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 5000	Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200
Memory
Memory	8 GB	8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 1 TB	256 GB to 2 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache; Ars Technica identifies the exact processor as Core i5-4260U	3.1 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz; configurable to 3.3 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.8 GHz
GPU
GPU	Integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000	–
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory; no memory configuration or upgrade option	1867 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory; 8 GB standard, configurable to 16 GB at purchase
Storage type
Storage type	500 GB 5400-rpm hard drive; configurable to a 1 TB hard drive, 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB PCIe-based flash storage	1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive; optional 1 TB or 2 TB Fusion Drive, or 256 GB or 512 GB SSD. The 1 TB Fusion Drive combines a hard drive with 24 GB of flash; the 2 TB version has 128 GB of flash.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	21.5″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1920 × 1080	4096 × 2304 (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 Retina 4K display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours
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.	P3 colour gamut; 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 2, 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	802.11ac	802.11ac
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; Kensington lock slot. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI need separately sold adapters.	Four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt 2 ports with Mini DisplayPort output, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5 mm headphone and optical digital audio output; Kensington lock slot. HDMI, 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 4096 × 2304; 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; optional Magic Trackpad	Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Trackpad 2 with Force Touch
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	5.68 kg	5.68 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 175 × 450 mm	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 also available.	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration. A built-in VESA mount version was also available.
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 is 11 dB at idle, during hard-drive seek and during its wireless-web test	Apple's 3.1 GHz Core i5, 8 GB, 1 TB hard-drive test configuration: operator-position sound pressure 11 dB at idle and wireless web, 11.5 dB during hard-drive seek
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-free LED backlight
In the box
In the box	iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and power lead; OS X Mavericks and the listed iLife apps were included	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable