The new iMac models are built to please

[rooster59]

The new iMac models are built to please

By Paisal Chuenprasaeng 
The Nation Weekend

 

 

The new iMac models are built to please

 

More powerful yet just as slim and sleek as earlier models, Apple’s new iMac is now powered by 8-core Intel 9th-generation processors and its graphic horse power is unleashed by superfast Radeon Pro Vega graphics.

 

There are two new series, one with a display size of 21.5 inches and the other 27 inches. The standard configurations of the 27-inch new iMac feature 6-core Intel Core i5 processors across the line with up to 3.7 GHz base close speed. And this series can be configured up to an 8-core Core i9 processor. Compared to the previous generation, the new 27-inch iMac’s performance is up to 2.4 times faster.

 

 

The new 21.5-inch iMac, meanwhile, comes with Retina 4K display and its standard configurations feature quad-core Intel Core i3 and 6-core Intel Core i5 processors with 3.6 GHz and 3.0GHz base clock speed respectively. It can be configured up to a 6-core Intel Core i7 processor. Compared to the |previous 21.5-inch iMac, |the new model is up to 60 per cent faster.

 

In terms of graphic horsepower, both series feature powerful Radeon Pro 500X-series discrete graphics with Polaris architecture for faster gaming 3D graphics and video editing.

 

The new 27-inch iMac comes with Radeon Pro 580X and 8GB of video memory while the new 21.5-inch iMac has Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of video memory.

 

For faster graphics rendering, you can opt to configure the 27-inc iMac with a Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics with 8 GB of HBM2 (Hind-Bandwidth Memory), which is up to 50 per cent faster than Radeon Pro 580X.

 

And for the 21.5-inch iMac, you can opt for Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics with 4GB of HBM2 memory that provides up to 80 per cent more speed than the Radeon Pro 560X.

 

I got my hands on the 21.5-inch iMac with normal configuration. It’s powered by Intel Core i5 3GHz with 8GB of RAM and one terabyte of storage. It uses Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of memory as the graphics engine. And the computer runs on macOS Mojave Version 10.4.4 operating system.

 

The Mojave OS is fast and smooth. It’s intuitive to use and the system didn’t freeze during the test.

 

I found that the new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display handled business applications at high speed. LibreOffice ran fast and web pages, photos and videos were also rendered very fast.

 

Apple says the new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display can edit 4K video using Final Cut Pro X: Multicam editing of Simultaneous 4K streams up to nine times faster than a baseline quad-core iMac.

 

 

The Retina 4K display is really great for viewing photos and watching videos so you can use the new 21.5-inch iMac for both working and entertainment. With 1 billion colours and 500 nits of brightness, graphics leap off the screen. Text is razor-sharp and photos really do come to life. Films and TV shows look amazing and graphics and games have terrific detail. 

 

The Retina display uses P3 colour that shifts away from standard white LEDs to advanced red-green phosphor LEDs. That means all three colours– red, green, and blue –are more equally represented and show real-world colour with more balance and precision

 

Apple says that its innovative spatial and temporal dithering technique provides support for 1 billion colours, elevating the Pro photo and video editing experience, and providing more true-to-life colour for everyday activities like browsing the web and online shopping and I could find no reason to dispute this.

 

During the test, I enjoyed watching 4K YouTube clips and HD movies streamed from iflix.

 

The all-in-one design makes looks elegant and sleek. Everything – display, processor, graphics, storage and memory – is contained inside one simple enclosure. Thanks to its superslim profile and matching wireless keyboard and mouse, iMac gives you a clean and uncluttered desktop that allows you to focus more on your content. 

 

 

The new 21.5-inch comes with blazing-fast connectivity. It has two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, each delivering up to 40 Gbps data transfer for external drives and cameras, and ample bandwidth for video and display connectivity.

 

The new iMac also provides four USB 3 ports to give you plenty of options for connecting peripherals, including your printer, iPhone and thumb drive.

 

The 21.5-inch iMac comes with Magic Mouse 2 and the Magic Keyboard, which have been paired and ready to use. To customise your input devices, you can upgrade to Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, which are sold separately. The new 21.5-inch iMacs have a starting price of Bt37,900 while the new 27-inch iMacs start at Bt62,900, depending on configurations.

 

Key specs:

 

OS: macOS Mojave

 

Processor: 3.0GHz 6core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz)

 

Memory: 8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory; Configurable to 16GB, 32GB

 

Storage: 1TB hard drive

 

Display: 21.5inch (diagonal) 500nit LEDbacklit Retina 4K display 4096by2304 resolution with support for 1 billion colours

 

Camera: FaceTime HD camera

 

Wireless: 802.11ac WiFi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

 

Audio: Stereo speakers, Microphone, 3.5 mm headphone jack

 

Connections and expansion: Two Thunderbolt 3 (USBC) ports, Four USB 3 ports, 10/100/1000BASET Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack

 

Input: Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2; Configurable with Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2

 

Dimensions: 45.0x52.8x17.5cm (HxWxD)

 

Weight: 5.60 kg

 

In the box: 21.5inch iMac with Retina 4K display Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, Power Cord, Lightning to USB Cable

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/lifestyle/30368430

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-27

[GeorgeCross]

really needs a redesign of the chasis its starting to look a bit 'meh' these days

 

not tempting me to upgrade my 2014 imac to it 

[mfd101]

I'm looking forward to the 21" as a Xmas pressie this year. My MacBook Air (on which I'm typing this) will then retire to my travel bag.

 

Last iMac I had was a 1996 model in Canberra, which I gave away when we left Oz for Surin in late 2015. Did sterling service. No problems (other than my levels of competence) over nearly 20 years.

[helloagain]

Lovely computers 

[sensei]

No, thank you

[quandow]

What does this new one do that my 2010 Mac mini can't do?

[geoffbezoz]

15 hours ago, helloagain said:

Lovely computers 

yes, but expensive