Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac 24″ (M1) | AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | May 2021 | October 2015 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Apple M1 | Intel Core i5-5675R or Intel Core i7-5775R |
| CPU cores | 8 | 4 |
| Graphics | 7-core GPU or 8-core GPU | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 |
| Memory | 8 GB or 16 GB | 8 GB or 16 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 2 TB | 256 GB to 2 TB |
| CPU | 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores | 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 |
| Memory type | – | 1867 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory; 8 GB standard, configurable to 16 GB at purchase |
| GPU | 7-core GPU in the two-port model; 8-core GPU in the four-port model | – |
| AI engine | 16-core Neural Engine | – |
| Storage type | SSD; two-port model configurable to 512 GB or 1 TB, four-port model to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB | 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 | 24″ | 21.5″ |
| Resolution | 4480 × 2520 (better) | 4096 × 2304 |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | – |
| Brightness | 500 nits | – |
| 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 with IPS technology and support for millions of colours |
| Pixel density | 218 ppi | – |
| Display features | 1 billion colours; wide colour (P3); True Tone; anti-reflective coating | P3 colour gamut; Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in this model's specification sheet |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB4, headphone jack | 2 × Thunderbolt 2, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | – | 1 Gb/s |
| External displays | Up to 1 | Up to 1 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Camera | 1080p FaceTime HD | FaceTime HD |
| 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 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 | 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 external display up to 4096 × 2304; extended desktop and video mirroring |
| Camera | 1080p FaceTime HD camera; advanced image signal processor with computational video | – |
| 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 | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming; Hey Siri | Dual microphones |
| 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 Trackpad 2 with Force Touch |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 4.46 kg (better) | 5.68 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 547 × 147 × 461 mm | 528 × 175 × 450 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | – | Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration. A built-in VESA mount version was also available. |
| 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 | 7 dBA sound pressure at idle and during Apple's wireless web test (operator position) | 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 | Recyclable, low-carbon aluminium enclosure | Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-free LED backlight |
| Colours | Two-port model: Blue, Green, Pink, Silver. Four-port model also comes in Yellow, Orange and Purple. | – |
| 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 |
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