Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) vs Apple Mac mini (2018)

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iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) compared with Mac mini (2018)

	AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)	AppleMac mini (2018)
Overview
Released
Released	June 2017	November 2018
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-7500, Intel Core i5-7600, Intel Core i7-7700K or Intel Core i5-7600K	Intel Core i3-8100B, Intel Core i5-8500B or Intel Core i7-8700B
CPU cores
CPU cores	4	4 or 6
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	4, 6 or 12
Graphics
Graphics	Radeon Pro 570 (4 GB VRAM), Radeon Pro 575 (4 GB VRAM) or Radeon Pro 580 (8 GB VRAM)	Intel UHD Graphics 630
Memory
Memory	8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB	8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 3 TB (better)	128 GB to 2 TB
CPU
CPU	Quad-core Core i5 at 3.4 GHz (Turbo Boost 3.8 GHz), 3.5 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.1 GHz) or 3.8 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.2 GHz); only the upper two bases support the 4.2 GHz Core i7 upgrade with Turbo Boost up to 4.5 GHz	3.6 GHz quad-core Core i3 with 6 MB shared L3 cache; 3.0 GHz six-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz and 9 MB cache; configurable to 3.2 GHz six-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz and 12 MB cache
GPU
GPU	Radeon Pro 570 or 575 with 4 GB VRAM, or Radeon Pro 580 with 8 GB VRAM; graphics are tied to the three base configurations	Intel UHD Graphics 630; exact i3-8100B model identified by Tom’s Guide; i5-8500B and i7-8700B identified in Apple’s Common Criteria security target
Memory type
Memory type	2400 MHz DDR4; 8 GB standard as two 4 GB modules in four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots. Lower base configurable to 16/32 GB; upper two bases to 16/32/64 GB.	2666 MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM; 8 GB, configurable to 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB
Storage type
Storage type	570 base: 1/2 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. 575 base: 1/2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. 580 base: 2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 512 GB/1/2 TB SSD.	PCIe-based SSD; launch Core i3 starts at 128 GB and Core i5 at 256 GB; configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB; 128 GB Core i7 combinations omitted because their configure-to-order availability is not independently verified
Display
Screen size
Screen size	27″	None built in
Resolution
Resolution	5120 × 2880	–
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	–
Brightness
Brightness	500 nits	–
Display type
Display type	LED-backlit Retina 5K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet	–
Display features
Display features	Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours	–
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	4 × Thunderbolt 3, 2 × USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 2	Up to 3 (better)
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11ac	Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.2	5.0
Camera
Camera	FaceTime HD	–
Back ports
Back ports	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.	Four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports with DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 3 up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; two USB-A ports up to 5 Gb/s; HDMI 2.0; Gigabit Ethernet, configurable to 10 Gb Ethernet with 1/2.5/5/10 Gb support; 3.5 mm headphone jack
External displays
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	Two displays up to 4096 × 2304 at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt 3 plus one up to 4096 × 2160 at 60 Hz over HDMI 2.0; alternatively, one 5120 × 2880 display at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt 3 plus one 4096 × 2160 display at 60 Hz over HDMI 2.0
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Built-in speaker; HDMI 2.0 supports multichannel audio output
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphone	–
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	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	Compact
Weight
Weight	9.44 kg	1.3 kg (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	650 × 203 × 516 mm	197 × 197 × 36 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	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	Built-in; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 150 W
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight	100% recycled aluminium enclosure
Colours
Colours	–	Space Grey
In the box
In the box	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable	Mac mini, power cord