Just a couple of years ago, the “apple” company surprised the computer market by presenting its first device with a Retina screen to the public. To date, several generations of the MacBookPro have succeeded, which were equipped with displays of the highest resolution, well, the company got to monoblocks only last year.
The iMac series has always attracted users with its appearance and filling: a wide screen, stylish and attractive design, excellent performance - all this makes the device an excellent tool for working in any field. Almost all of the company's solutions are universal products, so the range of equipment will allow any specialist and amateur to realize their potential.
It is not in vain that there is such an idea that the best videos are mounted on Mas, smart photographers use Mas, designers and other people with rich and non-standard imagination use Apple gadgets. Whatever you say, it is fashionable, expensive and beautiful, but at the same time there is the opportunity to rank yourself among a narrow circle of fans of exclusive technology. Although, judging by independent statistics, it’s not so narrow: even despite a decrease in the total sales of personal computers, it is the “apple” company that shows, if not sure, then clearly positive growth in sales.
Model positioning
During the presentation of Apple iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K, the company paid increased attention to those whom it considers a priority representative of its audience. Photo processing and sophisticated video editing will be much more enjoyable, and at the same time productive when using a new device from Apple.
Monoblock Apple iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K pretty quickly got to the Russian markets. Now you don’t have to wait for long weeks or even months to try out an interesting novelty in business. Let's try to figure out what exactly the company offers in the person of such a high-tech device, because it is very difficult to meet a screen with such a high resolution. We will evaluate the advantages of the new model over its predecessors and analyze the technical characteristics of the iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K. Reviews about the device are very positive, so you can evaluate the operation of the device in general terms, and specific merits or shortcomings will be indicated below.
So, the hero of today's review is Apple’s new iMac all-in-one. Let's try to identify all the strengths and weaknesses of the model, taking into account the opinions of experts and reviews of ordinary users.
Specifications
The 4-core processor from the Intel Core i5 3.5 GHz series with overclocking up to 3.9 GHz is responsible for the performance in a monoblock. On board there is RAM in the amount of 8 GB of type DDR3, with a frequency of 1600 MHz (the basic equipment is equipped with two 4 GB brackets). Winchester - 1 TB type Fusion Drive (the main volume for the HDD, the rest is the accelerated space of the SSD). AMD Radeon Radeon R9 M290X graphic video accelerator with 2 GB GDDR5 fast memory.
Screen - 27 '', with a resolution of 5120x2880 pixels, IPS-matrix with a glossy finish. Communication is provided by the Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth protocols of the fourth version. Connection interfaces - 4 x USB 3.0, an RJ-45 Internet port, two Thunderbolt 2 connectors, a 3.5 mm microphone, an SD slot and a mini-port. Dimensions are 516 by 650 mm with a weight of 10 kg.
Design
The general view of the candy bar itself has remained unchanged since 2012. Someone may condemn such an approach of the company, but, on the other hand, why change what pleases the eye to this day: well-adjusted lines, beautiful shapes and graceful shapes create an image if not the most attractive candy bar, then one of the most stylish for sure.
The iMac 27 with a Retina 5K display will surely appeal to aesthetes who are not used to cluttering their desktop with a bunch of wires, connectors and just love high-quality equipment. The company notes that the new candy bar is the thinnest to date, and the thickness of the device is only 5 mm (sidewalls).
Assembly
Monoblock rests on the surface due to a strong aluminum leg, which is easily adjustable according to the viewing angle, but alas, it will not work to change the height. The display is framed by a glossy frame in black rather impressive size, under which you can see the company logo.
The case itself is made entirely of aluminum, and the appearance of the Apple iMac Retina 5K inspires confidence, it’s just nice to look at it, and it doesn’t matter which side. The weight of the monoblock remains the same and, if desired, it can be taken on short journeys around the house or office - it is not at all heavy.
Screen
Monoblock, as in the case of previous generations, can be variably executed with diagonals of 21 and 27 ", but in order to feel the fullness and depth of the new model, it is better to use the flagship option in the face of the iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K. User reviews on quality This screen is completely positive, so we’ll consider it.
"Retina" is a rare representative of devices of this class, and if earlier it was considered 2560 x 1440 pixels as a good resolution, then with the new screen it has grown four times and amounts to 5120 by 2880 pixels. Accordingly, the pixel density has also increased and now, instead of 106 ppi, it has become 218 ppi.
You can look at the new iMac with a Retina 5K display for an infinitely long time, just admiring the rich colors and the presented image. The icons remained the same, not decreasing in size, just the picture became more clear due to the very high resolution of the display.
By the way, it is worth noting that the company conducted independent research and proved that the new screen consumes 30% less energy than the devices of previous generations. There were no complaints from users regarding the cooling of the particles, so this nice fact of reducing power consumption can be attributed to the iMac Retina 5K.
The review of the monoblock showed that the company once again proves a very scrupulous attitude to the image quality of its monitors. Since the IPS matrix in liquid crystal technologies can no longer be overclocked, and the factory settings are already considered the quality standard, the company decided to improve the only parameter that can be scaled up - resolution. Instead of the usual Quad HD-scan, the all-in-one received an ultra-precise 5K resolution of 5120x2880 pixels with a corresponding increase in pixel density. Such parameters are comparable to the screens of smartphones, while in front of us is almost a 27-inch device.
The innovation for the Apple iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K is especially noticeable when working with the main table, as its capacity has greatly increased, which immediately affected the performance of such graphic and video applications as Final Cut. Processing files with ultra-HD in 2160p has become much more convenient, since all 100% of the frame is displayed, plus there is enough space for the location of tools and other useful applications.
The iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K screen has a very enviable margin of brightness - about 450 cd / m2, which is enough to work on the brightest and sunny day. In a normal room, the screen brightness can be easily set to an indicator of 50% (if not lower), and the contrast, even with these settings, does not drop to a minimum level of about 1200 to 1 (a certain ceiling for the IPS matrix).
Thanks to a well-balanced anti-reflective coating, the image is presented in full depth and has a very convincing look. The viewing angles of the iMac Retina 5K deserve all praise, they are as wide as possible and viewing images or videos with friends will be just a joy.
Fields of application
Factory settings can offer the owner an impeccable color balance and calibration with excellent accuracy, so there is simply no need to adjust or correct something - sit down and work. The color gamut came close to the sRGB standard, which is a very big plus for the simple consumer, but some professionals in their reviews sometimes complain that the display cannot cover Adobe RGB and DCI P3, and together with them the Rec standard, but these are already so specific requests that it’s difficult to write them to the general piggy bank of minuses.
The general brightness characteristics of the iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K can be considered the benchmark for the IPS-matrix, and color reproduction is still the peak of the monitor's capabilities. So we can say with full confidence that the screen of the new candy bar is an excellent starting point for working with video and photo materials. And if professional figures can still doubt working with Ultra HD, then the simple owners of the device should be completely delighted with the natural and really beautiful image on the 27-inch monoblock with double clarity.
Performance
The all-in-one Apple iMac 27 ″ Retina 5K is equipped with a four-core processor from Intel's Core i5 series with a clock frequency of 3.5 GHz and the option of overclocking in Turbo Booth mode to 3.9 GHz. There is 8 GB of RAM on board the DDR3 variety with a frequency of 1600 MHz, and if there is a need or just a desire, you can increase it to 32 GB.
For storage and work with data in a monoblock provides a Fusion Drive hard drive. The hard disk has two partitions - one is a regular HDD, and the other is a high-speed SSD. The basic configuration provides a 1 TB hard drive, but you can choose a more expensive option, with 3 TB of memory (0.512 / 1 TB for SSD).
As a graphic video accelerator, the company equipped the iMac Retina 5K with a solution from AMD in the person of "Radeon" R9 290MX with one gigabyte of memory. Variable versions can be equipped with a similar series M295X, but with four GB and high-speed memory type GDDR5.
It is important to remember the owners and future owners of the iMac Retina 5K that an upgrade on their own is practically excluded. The only thing that the company "allowed" to increase in a monoblock was the RAM, everything else will remain the same and cannot be improved.
The device in practice easily copes with any tasks in such a demanding program as Final Cut Pro, processing a very solid amount of data without any brakes and friezes. The same indicators differ and work with the most powerful photo editor Lightroom, where processing libraries with RAW format is perfect.
The new iMac Retina 5K is a very, very fast all-in-one. When comparing with the closest competitors, it turned out that when you mount the same video in a resolution that supports 4K, the speed of the Apple device is higher than the others - a minute and 14 seconds against almost 10-minute processing with similar devices.
Those who work with video formats that support 4K resolution will surely like that the image can be fully and completely displayed on the screen. In principle, the same applies to amateur photographers who can freely and comfortably edit their pictures taken in high resolution. Professionals who work with powerful graphics packages, as a rule, connect another monitor to open the window to full screen, and in the case of a new all-in-one, such actions will be superfluous - everything is perfectly visible on one device.
Interfaces
Behind the all-in-one, there are four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports, a RJ-45 connector for wired internet, a slot for a regular SD card, and there is also a jack for external headphones and an additional 3.5 mm microphone.
Users in their reviews sometimes complain about the inconvenient location of the ports, which is why constantly working with peripherals causes some discomfort, so you have to buy a separate card reader for such purposes, which will always be at hand, and there will be no problems with memory cards or flasks.
For video communication, a good FaceTime HD camera is responsible for working with sound through two microphones. Access to wireless protocols is provided by the Wi-Fi module at the points of 802.11ac and Bluetooth of the fourth version.
Summarizing
The new candy bar, as well as its predecessors, is available in several modifications, and the option with a “normal” screen has been saved, so if you do not need to purchase a display of this quality, you can get a pretty decent amount.
The company offers a ready-made and already fully customized solution, so to get started, you just need to connect the cable, and the system is ready for use. The only fly in the ointment (and for some, on the contrary, stability and successful constancy), which concerns almost all products of the "apple" company, is the impossibility of an upgrade. All that is available for improvement is RAM, and no more.
The device surprises with its resolution and picture quality, and the pixel density per inch can compete with any mobile gadgets. The practical benefit of the new screen will surely be felt by professionals in their field - amateur and video masters, and ordinary users will feel the saturation of the picture in any modern games.
As for the surcharge for such a high resolution, it can be called quite reasonable, especially if we compare the competing models of famous brands. Only one monitor will cost the owner about 2 thousand euros, and this is without taking into account the remaining components without which it is useless.
The average cost of iMac Retina 5K (price for February 2016) ranges from 100-180 thousand rubles and depends on the modification. An inexpensive model with a 21-inch screen and an average video card (GTX775M) costs about 90,000, while Pro models with all the "lotions" reach the mark of 200,000.
To buy or not?
Is it worth paying so much money for a new screen? If you have funds that you can spend on a purchase, then this solution has no drawbacks, and the quality you get will please you for a very long time. And although some professionals involved in video or photo processing prefer specially tailored options to suit their needs, a universal solution in the face of a new monoblock will certainly be noticed and in demand by specialists. In any case, after purchasing the iMac, you will get an excellent computer with an excellent screen and powerful hardware.
Monoblock advantages:
- stylish and original design;
- materials of only high quality from a well-known brand;
- performance "with a margin" for several years;
- the highest screen resolution to date.
Cons of the device:
- no connectivity as a second screen;
- high price for the average buyer of computer equipment.