Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)

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iMac 24″ (M1) compared with iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)

	AppleiMac 24″ (M1)	AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
Overview
Released
Released	May 2021	June 2017
Performance
Processor
Processor	Apple M1	Intel Core i5-7400, Intel Core i7-7700 or Intel Core i5-7500
CPU cores
CPU cores	8	4
CPU threads
CPU threads	–	4 or 8
Graphics
Graphics	7-core GPU or 8-core GPU	Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) or Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM)
Memory
Memory	8 GB or 16 GB	8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 2 TB (better)	256 GB to 1 TB
CPU
CPU	8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores	3.0 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz, or 3.4 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.8 GHz; both configurable to 3.6 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.2 GHz
GPU
GPU	7-core GPU in the two-port model; 8-core GPU in the four-port model	Radeon Pro 555 with 2 GB VRAM in the 3.0 GHz base; Radeon Pro 560 with 4 GB VRAM in the 3.4 GHz base
Memory type
Memory type	–	2400 MHz DDR4; 8 GB standard, configurable to 16 GB in the lower base or 16/32 GB in the upper base. Two SO-DIMM slots require removal of the glued display and logic board to access (iFixit).
AI engine
AI engine	16-core Neural Engine	–
Storage type
Storage type	SSD; two-port model configurable to 512 GB or 1 TB, four-port model to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB	Lower base: 1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB SSD. Upper base: 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	24″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	4480 × 2520 (better)	4096 × 2304
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	60 Hz	–
Brightness
Brightness	500 nits	500 nits
Display type
Display type	4.5K Retina display; actual diagonal 23.5 inches; IPS panel and 60 Hz refresh rate confirmed by Notebookcheck	LED-backlit Retina 4K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet
Pixel density
Pixel density	218 ppi	–
Display features
Display features	1 billion colours; wide colour (P3); True Tone; anti-reflective coating	Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × USB4, headphone jack	2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	–	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 1	Up to 2 (better)
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6	802.11ac
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	4.2
Camera
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	Two-port model: two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 up to 40 Gb/s, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; optional Gigabit Ethernet. Four-port model adds two USB 3 ports up to 10 Gb/s and includes Gigabit Ethernet. Both have a 3.5 mm headphone jack.	Four USB 3 ports; two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports with DisplayPort, Thunderbolt up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet and 3.5 mm headphone jack; Kensington lock slot. Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA require separately sold adapters.
External displays
External displays	One external display up to 6K 60 Hz, alongside the built-in display at full resolution	Built-in display at full 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
Camera
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera; advanced image signal processor with computational video	–
Speakers
Speakers	High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo sound; spatial audio with Dolby Atmos	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Microphones
Microphones	Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming; Hey Siri	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard; keyboard has Touch ID on the four-port model and optionally on the two-port model; Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad available instead	Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	4.46 kg (better)	5.66 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	547 × 147 × 461 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. A built-in VESA mount version was also available.
Power supply
Power supply	143 W external power adapter with magnetic connection; Gigabit Ethernet built into the adapter where fitted	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Noise
Noise	7 dBA sound pressure at idle and during Apple's wireless web test (operator position)	–
Materials
Materials	Recyclable, low-carbon aluminium enclosure	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
Colours
Colours	Two-port model: Blue, Green, Pink, Silver. Four-port model also comes in Yellow, Orange and Purple.	–
In the box
In the box	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, 143 W power adapter, 2 m power lead, USB-C to Lightning cable	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable