Photo 1 of 2
Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) · Apple Newsroom press image. Published paired Retina 4K/5K launch models; internal configuration unspecified. Supplied full canvas and background retained.
Apple · iMac
iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
A 21.5-inch Intel all-in-one with a brighter 4K display, separate Radeon Pro graphics and Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Model history · 2 models, 2015–2017
- 2015iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)Compare
- 2017iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
- Type
- All-in-one
- Processor
- Intel Core i5 or i7
- Memory
- 8 GB – 32 GB
- Storage
- 256 GB – 1 TB
- Screen
- 21.5″
- Weight
- 5.66 kg
What reviewers say
Reviewers liked the bright 4K screen and stronger CPU and dedicated graphics, making the smaller iMac more capable for photo and video work. They noted fixed height, awkward rear ports and mouse charging. Storage upgrades were worthwhile, while opinions on speaker quality differed.
From macworld.com, techradar.com and stuff.tv
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specPerformance
- Processor
- Intel Core i5-7400, Intel Core i7-7700 or Intel Core i5-7500
- CPU cores
- 4
- CPU threads
- 4 or 8
- Graphics
- Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) or Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM)
- Memory
- 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB
- Storage
- 256 GB to 1 TB
- CPU
- 3.0 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz, or 3.4 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.8 GHz; both configurable to 3.6 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.2 GHz
- GPU
- Radeon Pro 555 with 2 GB VRAM in the 3.0 GHz base; Radeon Pro 560 with 4 GB VRAM in the 3.4 GHz base
- Memory type
- 2400 MHz DDR4; 8 GB standard, configurable to 16 GB in the lower base or 16/32 GB in the upper base. Two SO-DIMM slots require removal of the glued display and logic board to access (iFixit).
- Storage type
- Lower base: 1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB SSD. Upper base: 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD.
Display
- Screen size
- 21.5″
- Resolution
- 4096 × 2304
- Panel
- 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
- Display features
- Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours
Connections
- Ports
- 2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
- Ethernet
- 1 Gb/s
- External displays
- Up to 2
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ac
- Bluetooth
- 4.2
- Camera
- FaceTime HD
- 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.
- 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
- Speakers
- Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
- Microphones
- Built-in microphone
- Keyboard and mouse
- Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Design and power
- Type
- All-in-one
- Weight
- 5.66 kg
- Width × depth × height
- 528 × 175 × 450 mm
- Operating system
- macOS
- Size and weight detail
- 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
- Materials
- Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
- In the box
- iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable
Configurations
| Processor | Memory | Storage | Storage type | Graphics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 8 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 8 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 16 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7400 | 16 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Hard drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 555 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 8 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 8 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 8 GB | 1 TB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 16 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 16 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 16 GB | 1 TB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 32 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 32 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 32 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i5-7500 | 32 GB | 1 TB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 8 GB | 1 TB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 16 GB | 1 TB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 32 GB | 1 TB | Fusion Drive | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 32 GB | 256 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 32 GB | 512 GB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
| Intel Core i7-7700 | 32 GB | 1 TB | SSD | Radeon Pro 560 (4 GB VRAM) |
Pros and cons
Pros
- 4K display with P3 colour and 500-nit brightness
- Separate Radeon Pro graphics
- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports alongside four USB ports
Cons
- Memory upgrades require opening the desktop
- Entry configuration has a 5400-rpm hard drive
- Stand has no height adjustment
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Processor | Memory | Storage | Screen | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-in-one | Intel Core i5 | 8 GB – 16 GB | 256 GB – 1 TB | 21.5″ | 5.44 kg | Jun 2017 | |
| All-in-one | Intel Core i3, i7 or i5 | 8 GB – 32 GB | 256 GB – 1 TB | 21.5″ | 5.48 kg | Mar 2019 | |
| All-in-one | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 8 GB – 64 GB | 256 GB – 3 TB | 27″ | 9.44 kg | Jun 2017 |
Previous model: iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015). Newer model: iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019).
Sources
- support.apple.com/en-gb/112026
- apple.com/uk/newsroom/2017/06/imac-receives-major-update-featuring-more-powerfu…
- techradar.com/reviews/apple-imac-2017
- everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i5-3.4-21-inch-aluminum-retina-…
- everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/imac-aluminum-tapered-edge-faq/differences-betw…
- ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+4K+Display+2017+Teardown/92170
- Three iMac models in Apple’s 2017 desktop family, shown from the front on a black background.: Apple Newsroom press image. Published 2017 iMac family composition including 21.5-inch and 27-inch bodies; internal configuration unspecified. Supplied full canvas and background retained.
