Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) | AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | August 2020 | October 2014 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10500, Intel Core i5-10600, Intel Core i9-10910 or Intel Core i7-10700K | Intel Core i5-4690 or Intel Core i7-4790K |
| CPU cores | 6, 8 or 10 | 4 |
| CPU threads | 12, 16 or 20 | 4 or 8 |
| Graphics | Radeon Pro 5300 (4 GB GDDR6), Radeon Pro 5500 XT (8 GB GDDR6), Radeon Pro 5700 (8 GB GDDR6) or Radeon Pro 5700 XT (16 GB GDDR6) | AMD Radeon R9 M290X (2 GB GDDR5) or AMD Radeon R9 M295X (4 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB (better) | 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 8 TB (better) | 256 GB to 3 TB |
| CPU | Six-core Core i5 at 3.1 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.5 GHz) or 3.3 GHz (4.8 GHz), or eight-core Core i7 at 3.8 GHz (5.0 GHz). Upper two bases configurable to 3.6 GHz ten-core Core i9 (5.0 GHz). Exact CPU identities follow Geekbench. Apple specifies a 5.0 GHz Core i7 limit in this iMac, while Intel lists 5.1 GHz for the chip itself. | 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz, configurable to a 4.0 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.4 GHz |
| GPU | Radeon Pro 5300 with 4 GB GDDR6 on the two Core i5 bases. Upper base has Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8 GB GDDR6, optionally Radeon Pro 5700 with 8 GB or 5700 XT with 16 GB GDDR6. | AMD Radeon R9 M290X with 2 GB GDDR5, configurable to AMD Radeon R9 M295X with 4 GB GDDR5; either graphics option can be paired with either processor |
| Memory type | 2666 MHz DDR4; 8 GB standard as two 4 GB modules. Four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots; configurable to 16/32/64/128 GB on every base. | 1600 MHz DDR3; 8 GB (two 4 GB modules), configurable to 16 GB (two 8 GB modules) or 32 GB (four 8 GB modules); four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots |
| Storage type | Lower base: fixed 256 GB SSD. Middle base: 512 GB/1/2 TB SSD. Upper base: 512 GB/1/2/4/8 TB SSD. | 1 TB Fusion Drive as standard; optional 3 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB flash storage (SSD) |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 27″ | 27″ |
| Resolution | 5120 × 2880 | 5120 × 2880 |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Brightness | 500 nits | – |
| Display type | LED-backlit Retina 5K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac. Apple does not publish native refresh rate in the specification sheet. | 27-inch Retina 5K display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours |
| Display features | Wide colour (P3), one billion colours and True Tone; standard glass or optional nano-texture glass | Laminated display and anti-reflective coating described by Macworld; Target Display Mode is unavailable (Engadget and Ars Technica). Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in the 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 (better) | Up to 1 |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Camera | 1080p 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; UHS-II SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet and 3.5 mm headphone jack; Kensington lock slot. Optional 10Gb Ethernet supports 1/2.5/5/10Gb connections. Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA require adapters. | Four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt 2 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. |
| External displays | One 6K or 5K external display, or two 4K displays; two 6K displays require Radeon Pro 5700 or 5700 XT. All listed external modes run at 60 Hz. | Built-in display at native resolution alongside one external display up to 3840 × 2160; extended desktop and video mirroring |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone |
| Microphones | Three-mic array with directional beamforming; supports Hey Siri | Dual microphones |
| Keyboard and mouse | Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional numeric keyboard and Magic Trackpad | Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse; optional Magic Trackpad |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 8.92 kg (better) | 9.54 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 650 × 203 × 516 mm | 650 × 203 × 516 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| 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 and manufacturing process. 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 operator-position sound pressure is 15 dB at idle, during hard-drive seek and during its wireless-web test; tested on the standard Core i5/M290X/Fusion Drive configuration |
| Materials | Recyclable, low-carbon aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight | Recyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight |
| In the box | iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead, Lightning to USB cable and polishing cloth | iMac with Retina 5K display, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and power lead; OS X Yosemite and built-in creative and productivity apps |
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