iMac (Intel-based)

iMac (2020)
Developer	Apple Inc.
Type	All-in-one
Release date	January 10, 2006; 19 years ago (2006-01-10) (original model) August 4, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-08-04) (last model)
Discontinued	April 20, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-04-20) (Retina 4K 21.5-inch) October 30, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-10-30) (21.5 inch) March 8, 2022; 3 years ago (2022-03-08) (27-inch)
Operating system	macOS
CPU	Intel Core i3,i5,i7,i9, Intel Core Duo (original model)
Predecessor	iMac G5 eMac
Successor	iMac (Apple silicon)
Related	Mac Mini Mac Pro iMac Pro

TheiMac is a series ofall-in-one desktop computers designed, manufactured, and sold byApple Inc. Between 2006 and 2022, theiMac series used chipsets based onIntel architecture. While sold, it was one of three desktop computers in theMac lineup, serving as an all-in-one alternative to theMac Mini, and sat below the performance rangeMac Pro. It was sold alongside a higher-end,Xeon-basediMac Pro from 2017 to 2021.

The earliest Intel iMacs reused the same whitepolycarbonate enclosure as theiMac G5. Later models shifted toaluminum and plastic, and then a unibody aluminum case. The iMacs released after October 2012 also featured a much thinner display, with the edge measuring just 5 mm. This design would persist until the line was discontinued.

As part of theMac transition to Apple's own processors, the Intel-based iMac was succeeded by theApple silicon iMac beginning in 2021. Apple discontinued the 21.5-inch Intel iMac the same year, with the 27-inch model discontinued in March 2022, following the announcement of theMac Studio and 27-inchApple Studio Display.^[1]

The iMac is anall-in-one personal computer. The machine has an integratedLiquid-crystal display (LCD), with the computer components integrated either behind the screen or below it in a "chin". An L-shaped aluminum foot allows the screen to be tilted but does not offer height adjustment. Ports for connecting peripherals are located on the bottom edge of the computer; an optical drive is located along the right edge of certain models. If wireless peripherals are used, the iMac's only cable is the power cord routed through the back.

On June 22, 2020, Apple'sWorldwide Developer Conference keynote included the announcement that future Macintosh computers wouldtransition yet again to Apple's ownARM-based system-on-chips;^[2] in April 2021, Apple unveiled aredesigned iMac based on itsM1 system-on-chip.^[3]

At theMacworld Conference and Expo on January 10, 2006,Steve Jobs announced that the new iMac would be the firstMacintosh to useIntel processors. The introduction of the new iMac alongside theMacBook Pro was the start of theMac transition to Intel processors, six months earlier than the timetable Apple established.^[4] It retained the look and features of the precedingiMac G5, with a white plastic enclosure less than 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) at its thinnest edge. It also shipped at the same price points. The first Intel iMac featured anIntel Core Duo processor andPCI Express graphics processing units (GPUs). Like the iSight revision of the iMac G5, the machine was not designed to be user-serviced, and almost all components are difficult to access; the exception are therandom-access memory slots, which are found on the bottom of the machine.^[4][5][6] One update from the iMac G5 was the addition of aMini-DVI port that allowed for extending the computer contents to a second monitor versus mirroring the image.^[7]

In early February 2006,Apple confirmed reports of video display problems on the new Intel-based iMacs. When playing video on Apple'sFront Row media browser, some 20-inch iMacs (those built-to-order with upgraded video cards) showed random horizontal lines, ghosting, video tearing and other problems. The problem was fixed with a software update.^{[citation needed]}

An education-only model of the iMac shipped in July 2006 that replaced theeMac in Apple's lineup. This model came with a lower starting price, but had a smaller hard drive, integrated graphics processor, and acombo optical drive rather than theSuperDrives on other iMacs.^[8] The entire iMac lineup was refreshed with aCore 2 Duo chip and a lower price in September 2006.^[9] Apple added a new 24-inch model with anIPS panel display and a resolution of 1920 × 1200 (WUXGA), making it the first iMac to be able to display1080p content in its full resolution, and aVESAFlat Display Mounting Interface.^{[citation needed]}

These early iMacs were generally praised, withWalt Mossberg writing that the Intel-based iMac remained the best desktop personal computer available.^[6][10] Performance depended on the software;PCMag and others found that software unoptimized for Intel processors ran slowly, especially games that were already poorly optimized for the Mac.^[7]Macworld recommended potential buyers hold off until there was more software for Intel machines.^[11] Other criticisms included the low amount of starting memory, lack of user-serviceability, and the chin, whichAnand Lal Shimpi called "bottom-heavy".^[6][5]

In August 2007, Apple introduced a complete redesign of the iMac, featuring an aluminum, glass and plastic enclosure.^[17] It has a black, plastic backplate that is not user-removable. The 17-inch model was completely removed from the lineup, and it was available only in 20-inch and 24-inch models.^[18] The 24-inch model's display has better contrast and color conformity over a wide range of viewing angles.^[18] There is only one visible screw on the entire computer, located at the base of the iMac for accessing the memory slots. A plastic model from the previous generation remained as an option for education buyers.^[19]

In March 2009, Apple released a minor refresh of the iMac line. Changes included a fourthUSB port, replacement of twoFireWire 400 ports with oneFireWire 800 port, replacement ofmini-DVI withMini DisplayPort, and a slightly redesigned base which is vertically thinner. Otherwise, the exterior design is almost identical to the 2007 and 2008 models. The models were one 20-inch configuration and three 24-inch configurations (instead of two at each screen size as before).^[20]

Apple doubled the default RAM and hard-disk size on all models, moving the RAM to the DDR3^[21] specification. This revision also introduced a new, smaller, and more compactApple Keyboard that excluded thenumeric keypad andforward delete key in favor of thefn +Delete keyboard shortcut by default.^[22][23] Users could, however, replacethis version with amore traditional, full-size modelwith anumeric keypad by requesting Apple tobuild their machine to order through itsonline store.

According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.^[a][24]

In October 2009, a 16:9aspect ratio screen was introduced in 21.5" and 27" models, replacing the 20" and 24" 16:10 aspect ratio screens of the previous aluminum models (a 24" iMac was brought back in 2021, albeit with a different aspect ratio). The back is made of aluminum instead of plastic, and is a continuation of the aluminum body from the front and sides. Video card options entirely switched toAMD, except for the standard onboardNvidia card in the base smaller model. The iMac's processor selection saw a significant increase.

The Intel i-series chips are introduced to Mac for the first time on the higher-spec 27-inch models.

DefaultRAM has also been increased across the iMac range. With the advent of the larger screens, Apple doubled the number of memory slots from two to four. Consequently, the maximum memory capacity was also doubled (to 16GB),^[37] and for Intel Core i-series (27-inch), quadrupled, to 32 GB.

The 27-inch models of the line became the first to offer Target Display Mode, allowing the iMac to be used as an external display for another Mac computer when connected viaMini DisplayPort, a feature that was extended to the 21.5-inch models onwards with the introduction ofThunderbolt.

The Mid 2010 iMac 27" has AMD Radeon HD5650 and HD5750 graphic cards. Both cards cannot support the low-levelMetal API, preventing this model from upgrading to Mojave and Catalina. AMD had developed a firmware upgrade that would allow both graphic cards to support Metal and Mid 2010 iMac to be upgraded to latest macOS, but Apple had refused to certify them.

The Late 2011 Unibody iMac is also the last model to include an internalSuperDrive.

According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.^[a][24]

In October 2012, a new iMac model was introduced that featured a smaller body depth than the previous models, measuring 5 mm at its thinnest point, and without an internalSuperDrive. This was partly achieved by using a process called Full Lamination. The display and glass are laminated together, eliminating a 2 mm gap between them. The 21.5-in and 27-inch screens remained at their previous resolutions, 1920 × 1080 and 2560 × 1440 respectively.

As with the 2009 model, memory has been upgraded; the standard specification is now 8 GB, with the 21.5-in model supporting up to 16 GB and the 27-inch model supporting up to 32 GB. It was reported that the 21.5 in iMac would have non-replaceable soldered memory similar to theMacBook Air andRetina display MacBook Pro^[46] though tear-downs show that it uses removable memory but accessing the modules requires ungluing the screen and removing the motherboard.^[47] The 27-inch version features an access port to upgrade memory without disassembling the display.^[48] Apple also upgraded the computers' processors, using Intel'sIvy Bridgemicroarchitecture-based Core i5 and Core i7 microprocessors.

Video cards are nowNvidia as standard. USB 3.0 ports were included for the first time. The 2012 iMac also features the option of aFusion Drive which combines anSSD and a conventionalHDD to create more efficient and faster storage. Apple also removed the built-in optical drive starting with the 2012 model.

On March 5, 2013, Apple quietly announced an education-only version of the iMac, with less powerful specs for a cheaper price. It included a 3.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 processor, 4 GB memory, a 500 GB hard drive and Intel HD Graphics 4000, retailing for US$1,099, $200 cheaper than the base-level consumer iMac.^[49]

On September 24, 2013, the 2012 iMac model was updated with 4th-generation IntelHaswell processors and Nvidia 7xx series GPU, promising up to 1.4× improvements in performance. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is capable of reaching speeds up to 1300Mbit/s^[50] and PCIe-based flash storage, offering up to 1.5× the performance of previous Ivy Bridge unibody iMacs. This applies to both the Fusion Drive and pure-SSD options. These became the last iMacs to offer Target Display Mode, as the Retina line introduced the following year are incompatible with the feature due to resolution differences.

AtWWDC on June 5, 2017, a refreshed model was added withKaby Lake processors and Bluetooth 4.2 support. Apple retailed the 21.5-inch model until October 29, 2021. It was sold in a single stock configuration priced at $1,099 with a 2.3 GHz dual-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor. The machine was heavily criticized (more so towards the end of its production) for its lagging specifications, outdated design, and comparatively high price. The machine, however, was said to be popular among education shoppers.^[51] It was the last Mac to have aFusion Drive (albeit as an option), and after having them for 36 years, the last Mac to have a traditional hard drive. It was also the last Apple product not to have a Retina display.

ARetina Display "5K" model with a resolution of 5120 × 2880 was introduced alongside the previous year's models during a keynote on October 16, 2014. This 27-inch model was given faster Haswell processors and its two Thunderbolt ports were updated to Thunderbolt 2. Secondary storage was also upgraded to a 1TB Fusion drive as standard and video options changed over to AMD Radeon R9 M290X and M295X.

In May 2015, a separate, affordable, budget counterpart of the 5K 27-inch iMac was announced with lower specifications. That same day the Late 2013 iMac lineup was completely discontinued. Later that year, a 21.5-inch "4K" model with a resolution of 4096 × 2304 was released on October 13, 2015, with older Broadwell processors, as the 27-inch counterparts were upgraded that day directly to Skylake ones. The new rechargeable and wireless peripherals were also introduced that day.

In 2017, both 21.5 and 27-inch iMacs were refreshed with Kaby Lake processors, DDR4 memories and upgraded AMD graphics with doubled or more graphic memories, Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, and Bluetooth 4.2. They were refreshed again in 2019 withCoffee Lake processors, including an 8-core build-to-order option, faster memory, and upgraded graphics includingAMD Vega graphics as top of line build-to-order options.

On August 4, 2020, Apple refreshed the 27-inch 5K iMac withComet Lake processors, AMDRDNA architecture GPUs, theT2 security chip, a 1080pFaceTime camera,Bluetooth 5, improved speakers and microphones, andsolid state drives (SSD) standard.10 Gigabit Ethernet and nano-etched glass, similar to thePro Display XDR, were available as upgrade options. All models include non-replaceable, soldered SSDs, while models upgraded to 4 TB and 8 TB include an expansion bay for a second SSD. It was the last Mac with an Intel processor introduced by Apple, as well as the only Intel Mac introduced after the announcement of theMac transition to Apple silicon.^[67]

The 2019 21.5-inch models remained available but received a minor configuration change with SSDs standard, with higher-capacityFusion Drives as a free build-to-order option, whilehard disk drives were no longer available.^[68] The 2020 refresh marked the end of hard disk drives in standard configurationMacs, having been available in Macs since theMacintosh XL in 1985, as the 21.5-inch iMac was the only Mac still sold with them.^[69] In March 2021, Apple silently removed the 512 GB and 1 TB SSD configurations for the 21.5-inch iMac.^[70]

The 21.5 inch iMac with 4K Retina Display was discontinued on April 20, 2021, after the announcement of the first Apple silicon-based iMac. The 27-inch model was discontinued on March 8, 2022, after the announcement of theMac Studio and 27-inchApple Studio Display, and marked the end of Intel-based iMac models, and the return of the iMac to a single sized model since the introduction of 17" inchiMac G4 in 2002.

Supported macOS releases
OS release	Polycarbonate			Aluminum			Unibody			Slim unibody			Retina
	Early 2006	Mid 2006	Late 2006	Mid 2007	Early 2008	Early 2009	Late 2009	Mid 2010	Mid 2011	Late 2012	Late 2013	Mid 2014	Late 2014	Mid 2015	Late 2015[b]	2017[b]	2019	2020
10.4 Tiger	10.4.4	10.4.7	10.4.10	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
10.5 Leopard					10.5.2	10.5.6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
10.6 Snow Leopard	Requires 1 GB RAM or more						10.6.3	10.6.6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
10.7 Lion	patch, requires processor upgrade		Requires 2 GB RAM or more					—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
10.8 Mountain Lion	patch, requires processor upgrade		patch	Requires 2 GB RAM or more					10.8.1	10.8.4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
10.9 Mavericks	patch, requires processor upgrade		patch	Requires 2 GB RAM or more							10.9.3	—	—	—	—	—	—
10.10 Yosemite	patch, requires processor upgrade, no graphics acceleration		patch, no graphics acceleration	Requires 2 GB RAM or more									10.10.3	—	—	—	—
10.11 El Capitan				Requires 2 GB RAM or more											—	—	—
10.12 Sierra				patch, requires processor upgrade	patch											10.12.5	—	—
10.13 High Sierra					patch												—	—
10.14 Mojave					patch												10.14.3	—
10.15 Catalina					patch													10.15.6
11 Big Sur					patch
12 Monterey					patch
13 Ventura					patch
14 Sonoma					patch
15 Sequoia					patch (Photos app currently not functional with non-Metal graphics card)					patch
26 Tahoe[Note 1]

Supported Windows versions
OS release	Polycarbonate		Aluminum	Unibody			Slim unibody	Retina
	Early 2006	Mid 2006-Early 2009		Late 2009	Mid 2010	Mid 2011	Late 2012-Mid 2015		Late 2015	2017–2020
Windows XP 32-bit[Note 2][88][89]				Partial
Windows Vista 32-bit[Note 3][88][89]				Partial
Windows Vista 64-bit[Note 3][88]
Windows 7 32-bit[Note 4][88][90]
Windows 7 64-bit[Note 5][88][91]
Windows 8 [Note 6][Note 7][88]
Windows 8.1 [Note 8][Note 7][92][91]
Windows 10 [Note 9][Note 7][93][91]
Windows 11								Partial

Timeline of iMac and eMac models v t e
See also:List of Mac models

• IMac family
• Macintosh all-in-ones
• X86 Macintosh computers
• Computer-related introductions in 2006
• Products and services discontinued in 2022
• Discontinued Apple Inc. products

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• Articles with short description
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• Use mdy dates from March 2019
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