Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) | AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2015 | May 2015 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6500, Intel Core i7-6700K or Intel Core i5-6600 | Intel Core i5-4590 |
| CPU cores | 4 | 4 |
| CPU threads | 4 or 8 | 4 |
| Graphics | 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) | AMD Radeon R9 M290 (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB | 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 3 TB | 256 GB to 3 TB |
| CPU | 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. | Fixed 3.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5-4590 with Turbo Boost up to 3.7 GHz; exact chip identified in Macworld and The Register's tests. Apple's configure-to-order section is headed 3.5 GHz and repeats options from the higher model; those processor options are excluded from this entry. |
| GPU | 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 | AMD Radeon R9 M290 with 2 GB GDDR5; the higher model's M290X and optional M295X are outside this configuration |
| Memory type | 1867 MHz DDR3; 8 GB standard as two 4 GB modules, configurable to 16 GB or 32 GB; four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots | 1600 MHz DDR3; 8 GB (two 4 GB modules), configurable to 16 GB or 32 GB; four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots |
| Storage type | 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. | 1 TB 7200-rpm hard drive, configurable to 3 TB hard drive, 1 TB or 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 |
| Display type | LED-backlit Retina 5K display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours | 27-inch Retina 5K display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours |
| Display features | P3 colour gamut; Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in this model's specification sheet | – |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × Thunderbolt 2, 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 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Camera | FaceTime HD | FaceTime HD |
| Back ports | 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. | 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 require separately sold adapters. |
| External displays | 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 | Built-in display at native resolution alongside one external display up to 3840 × 2160; extended desktop and video mirroring |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone | Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone |
| Microphones | Dual microphones | Dual microphones |
| Keyboard and mouse | Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Trackpad 2 with Force Touch | Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse; optional Magic Trackpad |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 9.54 kg | 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. 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 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 display glass; 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 and Lightning to USB cable | iMac with Retina 5K display, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and power lead; OS X Yosemite |
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