iMac 5k is the PERFECT Mac!
The last 5K iMac was released just over a year ago to subtle fanfare, with a T2 chip, better graphics and new cameras, overshadowed by upcoming Apple silicon Macs and lacking a fresh design. The M1 Macs have been incredible: performance per watt, stability, snappiness and, for the 24-inch iMac, a fresh design. But no matter which Mac I use (an Intel or M1 MacBook Pro with a display, the M1 iMac), I feel something is lacking and keep returning to the 5K iMac for desktop use. The 5K iMac might just be the perfect Mac. (Keep the vulgarities to a minimum and don’t throw anything while I explain.)
By “perfect” I mean for sitting at a desk and getting things done: casual browsing, documents and Netflix through to graphic design, programming and video rendering. The alternatives are a MacBook with an external display, a Mac mini or the 24-inch iMac (I’m leaving the Mac Pro out of this because of price and because I want to), and they all require compromises that the 5K iMac doesn’t.
All-in-one
The 27-inch iMac gives you everything out of the box: computer, display, speakers, camera, mouse and keyboard. A MacBook isn’t comfortable at a desk alone: you’d buy an external display, maybe a keyboard and mouse. A Mac mini needs a display, keyboard, mouse, speakers and a webcam. The T2 chip powers a 1080p webcam with a pretty good, bright picture, plus the EQ and bass response, a super-fast SSD and security.
The display
Pound for pound, the best overall display in my opinion: 27 inches at 5120 by 2880, a super crisp 218 ppi. At the default 1440p working resolution, text is incredibly sharp and photos pop with P3 wide color; it reaches 500 nits and plays HDR content.
I’ve tried half a dozen third-party 4K displays in the last year. Some are really nice, with features like 120 Hz on gaming displays, accurate factory-calibrated color or modern designs. But on a 27-inch monitor, native 4K makes things too small, pixel doubling is too big, and scaling to 1440p isn’t as sharp as the 5K, and many exhibit color shifting or darkened edges. Even comparing the 24-inch 4.5K M1 iMac and the 32-inch 6K Pro Display XDR (both also 218 ppi), I think the 27-inch wins because it feels like the perfect size. Add macOS integration for auto brightness, keyboard brightness control and True Tone.
If I could change one thing, it would be the height adjustment (the iMac has been a little too short since the iMac G5) and perhaps adding ProMotion. I use a bamboo stand from Kalibri.
Performance
The M1 gets all the attention, but even the i5 iMac 5K holds its own on processing power. They trade jabs: the i5 and i7 iMacs beat the M1 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the M1 wins in Geekbench CPU tests. For GPU, the M1 can’t touch the discrete graphics in the i5 iMac (starting with the Radeon Pro 5300), let alone the 5500 XT and 5700 XT in the i7. From office apps and browsing to video editing and light gaming, it doesn’t break a sweat.
On my M1 Macs, with a ton of tabs open plus Final Cut, Pixelmator, Citrix, Office and Teams, I sometimes feel hesitation: the M1 does a crazy-good job with limited memory, but the iMac holds up to 128 GB. There are times the M1 Macs feel faster (launching apps, playing certain file types) thanks to the faster single-core speed and built-in features, but my 5K iMac never feels like it’s hesitating, even with every app I need open.
Ports
Built-in ports are becoming rare on a Mac. You can add ports to a MacBook or M1 Mac mini with something like the CalDigit TS3 Plus (I use it with every Mac), but the 5K iMac has what most people need out of the box: gigabit Ethernet, two Thunderbolt ports, four USB-A ports, an SD card slot (which I hope comes back to the MacBooks) and a headphone jack. You probably don’t need adapters.
Design
It looks like an iMac, like the iMacs of the last many years and the M1 iMac. I was upset about the M1 iMac design continuing the chin and bezels, and I’d still like thinner bezels and a smaller chin in a future iMac Pro, but like any screen, once you focus on the content, the bezels fade away.
Verdict
For a desktop Mac, the 5K iMac has everything you need, all the power you’d want, ports for the accessories you have, and a class-leading 27-inch 5K display that’s almost impossible to beat, in a beautiful package that holds up against the latest from Apple. I see no compromises. Tell me I’m wrong in the comments, but bring your ammo.
Links
- UNLIMITED Cloud Backup for your Mac with Backblaze
- 2020 iMac
- Bamboo Monitor Stand
- CalDigit SOHO
- CalDigit TS3
- Samsung X5 Thunderbolt SSD
- OWC 32 GB Kit (2x16GB) for 2019-2020 iMac
- MX Master 3 Mouse
- Satechi Magnetic Charger 2-in-1
- BenQ ScreenBar
- Kanto Yu2 Speakers Matte Gray
- Apple Magic keyboard
- Apple Magic Trackpad
- MX Master 3 Mouse
- Desk Mat Moko PU Leather
- MacBook Pro M1
- Samsung UR55 28” display
- MountUP Monitor Arm
- If this was helpful I have a tip jar
- Sony A6400
- Primary Lens Sigma f1.4 16mm
- Secondary Lens Sony f2.8 16-55MM G
- Sennheiser MKH-416 mic
- Zoom F6 recorder
- Rode VideoMic NTG
- iPad Pro 12.9
- Used DJI OSMO 3 Gimbal for some shots
- Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder with Lav
In this video
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