Apple · iMac

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)

Released March 2019

A 27-inch Intel all-in-one with six- or eight-core processors, a 5K display and optional Radeon Pro Vega graphics.

Model history · 14 models, 2006–2019
  1. 2006iMac (24-inch, Late 2006)Compare
  2. 2007iMac (24-inch, Mid 2007)Compare
  3. 2008iMac (24-inch, Early 2008)Compare
  4. 2009iMac (24-inch, Early 2009)Compare
  5. 2009iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)Compare
  6. 2010iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)Compare
  7. 2011iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)Compare
  8. 2012iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)Compare
  9. 2013iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)Compare
  10. 2014iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)Compare
  11. 2015iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015)Compare
  12. 2015iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)Compare
  13. 2017iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)Compare
  14. 2019iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
Type
All-in-one
Processor
Intel Core i5 or i9
Memory
8 GB – 64 GB
Storage
256 GB – 3 TB
Screen
27″
Weight
9.42 kg

What reviewers say

Reviewers praised the 5K display and substantial performance gains, especially from the Core i9 and Vega graphics options. They criticised the ageing bezels and fixed-height stand, and generally recommended SSD storage. Memory remained easy to upgrade, although Apple’s memory and storage options were expensive.

From macworld.com, techradar.com, techradar.com and tomsguide.com

Performance

Processor
Intel Core i5-8500, Intel Core i5-8600, Intel Core i9-9900K or Intel Core i5-9600K
CPU cores
6 or 8
CPU threads
6 or 16
Graphics
Radeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Memory
8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB
Storage
256 GB to 3 TB
CPU
Six-core Core i5 at 3.0 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.1 GHz), 3.1 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.3 GHz) or 3.7 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.6 GHz); upper two bases configurable to 3.6 GHz eight-core Core i9 with Turbo Boost up to 5.0 GHz. Exact K-suffix CPU identities follow Geekbench’s model database; Macworld instead lists KF suffixes.
GPU
Radeon Pro 570X or 575X with 4 GB GDDR5, or Radeon Pro 580X with 8 GB GDDR5; only the upper base supports Radeon Pro Vega 48 with 8 GB HBM2
Memory type
2666 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.
Storage type
570X base: 1/2 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. 575X base: 1/2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. 580X/Vega base: 2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 512 GB/1/2 TB SSD.

Display

Screen size
27″
Resolution
5120 × 2880
Panel
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 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-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; 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
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
9.42 kg
Width × depth × height
650 × 203 × 516 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

ProcessorMemoryStorageStorage typeGraphics
Intel Core i5-85008 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-85008 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-85008 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-85008 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-85008 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850016 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850016 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850016 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850016 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850016 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850032 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850032 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850032 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850032 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-850032 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-86008 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-86008 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-86008 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-86008 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-86008 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-86008 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860016 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860016 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860016 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860016 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860016 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860016 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860032 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860032 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860032 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860032 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860032 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860032 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860064 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860064 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860064 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860064 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860064 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-860064 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB1 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB256 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K8 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K16 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K32 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i5-9600K64 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K8 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K16 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K32 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB2 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB3 TBFusion DriveRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB512 GBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB1 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Intel Core i9-9900K64 GB2 TBSSDRadeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 5K display with P3 colour and 500-nit brightness
  • Eight-core Core i9 and Radeon Pro Vega 48 options
  • Four user-accessible memory slots

Cons

  • Stand has no height adjustment
  • Fusion Drive supplied as standard
  • Storage upgrades require opening the desktop

Closest rivals

Model
TypeProcessorMemoryStorageScreenWeightReleased
All-in-oneIntel Core i3, i7 or i58 GB – 32 GB256 GB – 1 TB21.5″5.48 kgMar 2019
All-in-oneIntel Core i5 or i78 GB – 64 GB256 GB – 3 TB27″9.44 kgJun 2017
All-in-oneIntel Core i5, i9 or i78 GB – 128 GB256 GB – 8 TB27″8.92 kgAug 2020

Previous model: iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017). Newer model: iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020).

Sources

  1. support.apple.com/en-gb/111998
  2. apple.com/uk/newsroom/2019/03/imac-gets-a-2x-performance-boost
  3. browser.geekbench.com/macs/imac-27-inch-retina-early-2019
  4. macworld.com/article/667905/imac-27in-2019-review.html
  5. everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/imac-aluminum-tapered-edge-faq/differences-betw…

Photo: Apple Newsroom press image. Explicitly captioned 21.5-inch and 27-inch pair; internal configuration unspecified. Supplied full canvas and background retained.

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