Apple · iMac
iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
A 1440p all-in-one with quad-core Intel processors, dedicated Radeon graphics, Thunderbolt and a built-in DVD drive.
Model history · 7 models, 2006–2011
- 2006iMac (24-inch, Late 2006)Compare
- 2007iMac (24-inch, Mid 2007)Compare
- 2008iMac (24-inch, Early 2008)Compare
- 2009iMac (24-inch, Early 2009)Compare
- 2009iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)Compare
- 2010iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)Compare
- 2011iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
- Type
- All-in-one
- Processor
- Intel Core i5 or i7
- Memory
- 4 GB – 16 GB
- Storage
- 1 TB – 2 TB
- Screen
- 27″
- Weight
- 13.8 kg
What reviewers say
Macworld and Les Numériques praised the display and quad-core performance, while criticising reflective glass and limited connections. Macworld found the cheaper 27-inch model better value for general work and the higher Radeon configuration stronger for games. Les Numériques found the base graphics required compromises in demanding games at native resolution. Engadget found the higher configuration powerful, but excessive for many ordinary households.
From macworld.com, lesnumeriques.com and engadget.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specPerformance
- Processor
- Intel Core i5-2500S, Intel Core i5-2400 or Intel Core i7-2600
- CPU cores
- 4
- Graphics
- AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5), AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) or AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5)
- Memory
- 4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB
- Storage
- 1 TB to 2 TB
- CPU
- 2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5-2500S or 3.1 GHz quad-core Core i5-2400; the higher model offers a 3.4 GHz quad-core Core i7-2600. Exact identities cross-checked with EveryMac; i5 models have 6 MB shared L3 cache. Intel confirms four threads and up to 3.4 GHz for i5-2400, eight threads and up to 3.8 GHz for i7-2600.
- GPU
- Lower model has AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512 MB GDDR5; higher model and optional i7 have Radeon HD 6970M with 1 GB GDDR5, configurable to 2 GB
- Memory type
- Four SO-DIMM slots for 1333 MHz DDR3, with 4 GB standard as two 2 GB modules; 8 or 16 GB factory upgrades. Memory is user accessible.
- Storage type
- Both base models have a 1 TB 7200 rpm hard drive, configurable to 2 TB and a 256 GB solid-state second drive. Mixed hard-drive-plus-SSD options are described here rather than labelled Fusion Drive or presented as a single SSD; no standalone 256 GB row is inferred from the support sheet's second-drive wording. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning.
Display
- Screen size
- 27″
- Resolution
- 2560 × 1440
- Panel
- IPS LCD
- Display type
- Glossy LED-backlit IPS widescreen display, millions of colours; optional unpublished refresh rate and brightness omitted
Connections
- Ports
- 2 × Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone jack
- Ethernet
- 1 Gb/s
- External displays
- Up to 1
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n
- Bluetooth
- 2.1 + EDR
- Camera
- FaceTime HD camera
- Back ports
- Two Thunderbolt ports also provide Mini DisplayPort video output; four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 at 7 W, Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC slot, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire and audio input are described here because the main port list has no fields for them; IR receiver built in.
- External displays
- Apple publishes full built-in resolution and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; the main count follows that maker statement rather than a higher count tested by Engadget; extended desktop and mirroring, optional DVI/VGA/dual-link DVI adapters
- Speakers
- Stereo speakers with two internal 17 W amplifiers, built-in microphone and support for iPhone headset microphones
- Keyboard and mouse
- Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse, with Magic Trackpad substitution available from the online store
Design and power
- Type
- All-in-one
- Weight
- 13.8 kg
- Width × depth × height
- 650 × 207 × 517 mm
- Operating system
- macOS
- Power supply
- Maximum continuous power 310 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase
- Materials
- Aluminium and glass enclosure, arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight; BFR-free and PVC-free components, with PVC-free AC cord availability limited to named regions
- In the box
- iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Launch press specifies Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '11; the later support sheet lists OS X Lion, reflecting the software update rather than launch software.
Configurations
| Processor | Memory | Storage | Storage type | Graphics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5-2500S | 4 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2500S | 4 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2500S | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2500S | 8 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2500S | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2500S | 16 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 4 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 4 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 4 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 4 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 8 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 8 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 16 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i5-2400 | 16 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 4 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 4 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 4 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 4 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 8 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 8 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 16 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Intel Core i7-2600 | 16 GB | 2 TB | Hard drive | AMD Radeon HD 6970M (2 GB GDDR5) |
Pros and cons
Pros
- IPS display and FaceTime HD camera built in
- Thunderbolt connection for displays and peripherals
- User-accessible memory slots
Cons
- Glossy screen with no matte option
- USB ports are limited to USB 2.0
- SSD is an optional second drive in the maker specification
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Processor | Memory | Storage | Screen | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-in-one | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 4 GB – 16 GB | 500 GB – 2 TB | 21.5″ | 9.3 kg | May 2011 | |
| All-in-one | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 8 GB – 16 GB | 1 TB | 21.5″ | 5.68 kg | Nov 2012 | |
| All-in-one | Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 | 4 GB – 16 GB | 256 GB – 2 TB | 27″ | 13.8 kg | Jul 2010 |
Previous model: iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010). Newer model: iMac (27-inch, Late 2012).
Sources
- support.apple.com/en-gb/112569
- apple.com/uk/newsroom/2011/05/03Apple-Announces-New-iMac-With-Next-Generation-Q…
- everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html
- intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/52207/intel-core-i52400-processor-6m-c…
- intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/52213/intel-core-i72600-processor-8m-c…
Photo: cdsassets.apple.com
