Apple has updated its iMac line with fast processors, better displays and Thunderbolt 2 support.
The 21.5-inch models gets a Retina 4K display as a base option, along with a 3.1GHz Core i7 Broadwell processor and integrated graphics. The 27-inch iMacs with Retina 5K displays get a bump to Intel Core i5 and i7 Skylake processors and feature dedicated AMD Radeon R9 GPUs. All iMac models now feature Thunderbolt 2 support.
Notably, the 21.5-inch iMacs have soldered RAM, which won’t be user-replaceable. The new 27-inch iMacs, however, can support up to 64GB RAM (even though Apple’s max configuration is 32GB RAM). Accordingly, my advice is to buy the 27-inch model with the minimum amount of RAM and add on up to four 16GB sticks of RAM from aftermarket vendors. OWC will have 64GB kits for $1195 starting this week. Expect that price to drop in the coming months though.
Apple also retains a couple of 21.5-inch iMac models with 1080p displays at the bottom of the product line, which start at $1099. The 4K 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1499, while the 5K 27-inch iMac starts at $1799. All of the new iMacs are available now at the Apple Store, as well as retailers like B&H Photo.
