Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) | AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | March 2019 | October 2015 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i3-8100, Intel Core i7-8700 or Intel Core i5-8500 | Intel Core i5-6500, Intel Core i7-6700K or Intel Core i5-6600 |
| CPU cores | 4 or 6 | 4 |
| CPU threads | 4, 6 or 12 | 4 or 8 |
| Graphics | Radeon Pro 555X (2 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 560X (4 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 20 (4 GB HBM2) | AMD Radeon R9 M380 (2 GB GDDR5), AMD Radeon R9 M390 (2 GB GDDR5), AMD Radeon R9 M395 (2 GB GDDR5) or AMD Radeon R9 M395X (4 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB | 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 1 TB | 256 GB to 3 TB (better) |
| CPU | 3.6 GHz quad-core Core i3 without Turbo Boost, or 3.0 GHz six-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz; both configurable to 3.2 GHz six-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz | 3.2 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz in the M380 and M390 models; 3.3 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz in the M395 model. Only the M390 and M395 bases support the 4.0 GHz Core i7 upgrade, with Turbo Boost up to 4.2 GHz. |
| GPU | Radeon Pro 555X with 2 GB GDDR5 in the lower base; Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB GDDR5 in the upper base, configurable to Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4 GB HBM2 | AMD Radeon R9 M380 or M390 with 2 GB GDDR5; M395 with 2 GB GDDR5 in the upper base, configurable to M395X with 4 GB GDDR5 only in that base |
| Memory type | 8 GB standard, configurable to 16/32 GB; lower base uses 2400 MHz DDR4 and upper base 2666 MHz DDR4. Memory is not readily user-accessible. | 1867 MHz DDR3; 8 GB standard as two 4 GB modules, configurable to 16 GB or 32 GB; four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots |
| Storage type | The current Apple sheet lists 256 GB SSD or 1 TB Fusion Drive for both bases, and these are the configurations shown. Apple made SSD storage standard in August 2020. Launch reviews describe a 1 TB hard drive in the lower base and 1 TB Fusion Drive in the upper base, with larger SSD options (Macworld and TechRadar); these historical options are not flattened into the current matrix. | M380 base: 1 TB 7200-rpm hard drive, 1/2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB SSD. M390 base: 1/2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. M395 base: 2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. The 1 TB Fusion Drive has 24 GB of flash; 2/3 TB Fusion Drives have 128 GB. |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 21.5″ | 27″ |
| Resolution | 4096 × 2304 | 5120 × 2880 (better) |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Brightness | 500 nits | – |
| Display type | LED-backlit Retina 4K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet | LED-backlit Retina 5K display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours |
| Display features | Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours | P3 colour gamut; Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in this model's specification sheet |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack | 2 × Thunderbolt 2, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s | 1 Gb/s |
| External displays | Up to 2 | Up to 2 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Camera | FaceTime HD | FaceTime HD |
| Back ports | Four USB-A 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. | 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 | 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 | Built-in display at full native resolution alongside up to two 4096 × 2160 displays, or one 5120 × 2880 dual-cable display; extended desktop and video mirroring |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone |
| Microphones | Built-in microphone | Dual microphones |
| Keyboard and mouse | Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2 | 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 | 5.48 kg (better) | 9.54 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 528 × 175 × 450 mm | 650 × 203 × 516 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Dimensions include the stand; current Apple sheet lists 5.48 kg and warns that weight varies by configuration. Launch reviews tested heavier hard-drive/Fusion configurations. 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 | 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase | 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase |
| Noise | – | Apple's 3.3 GHz Core i5, 8 GB, 2 TB Fusion Drive and Radeon M395 test configuration: operator-position sound pressure 15.5 dB at idle, wireless web and hard-drive seek |
| Materials | Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight | Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-free LED backlight |
| In the box | iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable | iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable |
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