In this 2020 iMac Review, I'll explain why an Intel iMac is still a good option for many people, and why it's definitely not the right choice for some. Loading up large documents or downloading a movie in iTunes all moved at lightning speed. It’s a shame you need to pay a lot extra to get it, and for many people, Apple’s asking price will be a bit too high. Apple sent us one of the most powerful configurations the iMac 27-inch (2020) comes in, with an nano-texture screen, a 3.6HZ 10-core 10th generation Intel Core i9 processor (with 5GHz turbo boost), 32GB RAM, an AMD Radeon Pro 5700XT GPU with 16GB of GDDR6 memory and 1TB of SSD storage. Otherwise, the screen remains the same as last year, with a 27-inch Retina 5K display with a 5,120 x 2,880 resolution, along with a brightness of 500 nits and support for the wide color P3 gamut, making it a bright and vibrant display that’s ideal for content creators. This is a great machine. 27-inch iMac (2020) iMac 5K (27-inch, 2019) Processor: 10th-generation Intel starts with 3.1GHz 6-core Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz The 2020 model is also a True Tone display, which means it adjusts warmth and cool tones, depending on the ambient lighting in the room. The truth is, however, a lot of people don't actually care which processor is inside their Mac as long as it's the fastest and most powerful available right now. We were very impressed. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission. Most computers come standard with a 1GB Ethernet port, and most homes and offices don't even have the ability to go higher than that. The only problem is that it’s an optional extra that costs an additional $500/£500/AU$750. The hardware bump Apple has brought to the iMac 27-inch (2020) is very impressive, and means this is one of the most powerful all-in-one PCs you can buy right now. We’d been expecting a new iMac in 2020, and Apple has delivered, especially when it comes to offering a boost in specifications, with the new all-in-one now coming with the latest 10th generation Intel Comet Lake processors, speedy solid state drives (SSDs) across the board, powerful AMD Radeon Pro graphics cards and bags of RAM. If you’re doing a lot of video encoding, the improved specs of the new iMac are going to save you a lot of time – which means you’re able to complete more projects and that can even have a positive impact on your finances. The 27-inch iMac is the latest Apple computer to get welcome updates in 2020, joining the likes of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.The highlights, in addition to the anticipated bumps in processor and graphics power, include an even more captivating 5K Retina display, a FaceTime camera with a higher resolution, and upgraded audio hardware. We believe this 27-inch iMac is a safe bet, and by the time you'll want to upgrade it, the ARM-based iMac lineup might look a whole lot rosier. No two iMacs are the same! Finally, there’s the high-end pre-configured iMac 27-inch (2020), which comes with a 3.8GHz eight-core 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor that boosts to 5GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage and an AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB of GDDR6 memory for $2,299/£2,299/AU$3,549. Starting with the microphone array; There are two mics on the front of the iMac that point directly at you, but there is also a third mic on the back side that is designed specifically for echo and ambient noise cancelation. TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my 2020 iMac review. Overall, Apple has also made some smart changes with the iMac 27-inch (2020), especially to the webcam and microphones, which will really benefit people working from home – and in this current climate, that’s a very wise (and welcome) move. Apple iMac 27 Mid 2020 Review: The All-in-One gets a matte display 5K, Core i9 & Radeon RX 5700 XT. Special: 25% off on chargers & more code: IMHOLIDAY. The screen also now comes with True Tone technology. The FaceTime HD camera, which is now 1080p, has been put to good use while we used the iMac 27-inch (2020), with a seemingly never-ending series of meetings. No spam, we promise. Weight: 19.7 pounds (8.92kg) I was having an issue with my external mic while co-hosting MacBreak weekly while testing this iMac and the audio was actually picking up the built-in microphone at first. For professionals, then, the higher spec iMac 27-inch (2020) could be seen as an excellent investment. Standard matte displays use a light diffusing coating, which basically looks like someone smeared Vaseline across the screen. The 5700XT is pretty impressive and is proof that Apple does consider the iMac worthy of proper graphics processing. For the same price as the previous model you get some excellent upgrades. The iMac 27-inch (2020)’s slimline all-in-one design comes at a price – you can’t just open this up and upgrade it yourself. For home workers, there’s also a new 1080p FaceTime HD webcam and studio-quality microphones, which make a big improvement to video calls, which are now an essential part of home working. Lory is a renaissance woman, writing news, reviews, and how-to guides for iMore. © The design of the iMac is stale and in desperate need of reinvention—just as it was last year when Apple updated the iMac. I just wasn't used to seeing this on my big screen. The 2020 iMac is a real performance boost over the 2019 version and what impresses is just how up-to-date every single aspect of this hardware is. Even with direct sunlight pouring in from an overhead window, we were able to see the screen clearly. It's a compromise we deal with because we need a matte screen, but it's not something we're happy about. I don't know if you've ever seen or used a standard matte display, but it basically ruins the clarity of a 5K display. It's powerful. This means that the EQ will be better balanced across the board in various situations, including super low volume and super high volume. The iMac 27-inch (2020) also continues Apple’s commendable habit of launching new devices for the same price as the previous generation, which means the entry level model sells for $1,799/£1,799/AU$2,799. The 5700XT option has 16GB of eRAM, which has up to 55% faster GPU performance. You've probably heard of the T2 chip being used in such places as the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, both of which have Touch ID. Though the new 27-inch iMac still has a 5K retina display with DCI-P3 color processing, 500 nits brightness, and and 10-bit dithering, the update for 2020 is, in my opinion, the biggest news of this iMac mode. When you turn down the volume to volume 1, you'll be amazed at how much you can hear at this low volume. Geekbench 5: 1,230 (single-core); 9,847 (multi-core). When an ordinary laptop sleeve won't do for your precious MacBook, consider Harber London's selection of high-end leather cases. I didn't turn on my ring light or move my diffused lights around. Can I just say, "hashtag worth it.". New Core i9 option, 1080p webcam boost Apple's best-in-class AIO Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT (16GB GDDR6 VRAM) Apple's share price climbed following reports of an Apple car coming in 2024, adding $102 billion at its highest point in the day Tuesday. iMac 27’’’ 2020: 1261 – 7479 MBP16 2019: 1133 – 7240. Apple’s competitors are starting to get pretty good at making stylish and modern all-in-one devices, and if the Cupertino company doesn’t change its iMac design soon, it could find itself being left behind. You can now get an iMac with 8 cores standard and can upgrade all the way to 10 cores with the i9 option. We tried out encoding a one hour 1080p MKV file to an MP4 using the H.264 encoder with surround sound, and the process took just 13 minutes and 33 seconds, which is certainly impressive. If you're ready for an upgrade, or if you're in the market for a new iMac, you are not compromising with the 2020 27-inch model. Not only is it powerful, but it’s compact and easy to set up, dependable and has a great webcam and built-in mic – ideal for working from home. You’ve got an old iMac It may not have Apple silicon inside, but this iMac update is absolutely not a compromise in 2020. It's the latest and greatest iMac Apple has to offer at this time, but is this the Mac for you? If I have a retina Mac, I want to see all of its gorgeous pixels in perfect clarity. iMac Retina 5K (2020) review. If she's not typing away at her keyboard, you can probably find her at Disneyland or watching Star Wars (or both). We're talking 5x faster performance. New York, The 2020 27-inch iMac comes in three different standard configurations, all with upgrade options so you can build a custom iMac that's perfect for your specific needs. By comparison, I had to turn up the volume to 3 on my older iMac to hear it as clearly. Apple iMac 2020 Performance – A versatile machine that feels Pro The iMac 2020 27-inch is a seriously versatile machine. We’re used to 1080p webcams in other devices, so we weren’t quite as blown away as we should have been, but for anyone coming from a Mac with an older FaceTime camera, the difference should be noticeable. The last hurrah for the Intel iMac. The 2020 27-inch iMac was announced earlier this week with updated 10th-generation Intel chips, new AMD 5000 graphics, a True Tone display, and an … Next, to give the AMD Radeon Pro 5700XT a workout, we encoded a 2.5-minute, effects-laden DaVinci Resolve project to a 720p, H.264-format video file, and the new iMac completed it in an impressive six minutes and 53 seconds, handily beating the iMac 2019, with a Vega 48 GPU, which took nine minutes and 19 seconds to complete the same task. There's more to this upgraded camera than just a resolution improvement, though. This brings a 10-core processor option to the iMac for the first time. Even with the bright light streaming through the room in the background, my video quality was impressive for a built-in webcam.