£1400 might seem a horrendous amount to pay for an all-in-one computer, but this new mid-2010 iMac – the cheaper of the two 27-inch models – gives you a lot of computer for your cash.
Although it has the same form factor as the 27-inch iMacs from the previous generation, under-the-hood component upgrades take it – and the rest of Apple’s respected all-in-one desktop range – to a whole new level.
As before, there are four off-the-shelf models on offer. If you order through Apple’s online store, you can customise your iMac of choice. The mid-2010 refresh sees the entire iMac range go over to the new Core i-series processors, dropping the older Core 2 Duo chips.
The two iMacs based around a 21.5-inch display, and this lower-end 27-inch model, use entry-level Core i3 CPUs. The more expensive 27-inch iMac uses a quad-core Core i5.
If you want a more powerful processor than that offered by your iMac of choice, all but the cheapest Core i3 iMacs can be upgraded to dual-core Core i5s, and the top-of-the-range Core i5 model can be boosted to a Core i7.
The new iMacs’ graphics processors have also had a boost. The iMac reviewed here, a 27-inch 3.2GHz Core i3, now boasts an ATI Radeon HD 5670 with 512MB of GDDR3 onboard memory, up from a 4670 with 256MB.
Its big brother, the 27-inch 2.8GHz quad-core Core i5, uses a ATI Radeon HD 5750 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory.
The two 21.5-inch models offer 4670 with 256MB and 5670 with 512MB respectively, which is a significant leap forwards for the entry-level computer, which previously only offered integrated graphics. There are a few minor improvements too.
Spreading the work
The model we’re looking at here is the cheaper of the two iMacs offering a 27-inch display. Its 3.2GB Intel Core i3 processor is a significant step up from the 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo offered by the cheaper 27-inch model from the late 2009 refresh.
Although dual core, the processor’s Hyper Threading capabilities mean two threads can run simultaneously on each core, giving a total of four virtual cores. This means the CPU can spread tasks much more efficiently, especially when running multiple applications at the same time.
Unfortunately, the Core i3 processor lacks the Turbo Boost feature offered by Core i5 and Core i7 chips, whereby the processor shuts down unused cores and uses their power to boost the speed of active cores.
The 27-inch 3.2GHz Core i3 iMac now has an ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory, a significant step up from the 4670 with 256MB offered by its predecessor.
It also has 4GB of onboard memory, arranged in two 2GB SO-DIMM (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) sticks. Its 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM is faster than the late 2009 refresh’s 1066MHz memory. The iMac has four SO-DIMM slots, so you can upgrade to up to 16GB of RAM if you wish.
A less welcome increase is the price, which is up to £1399 from £1378. Yet while increased costs could never be welcomed, the new release is only £21 more expensive than its predecessor. Given the component upgrades, this makes it much better value for money.
Naturally, not everything about the new iMac has changed since the October 2009 refresh. The screen is still a 16:9 widescreen IPS, with an edge-to-edge glass surface and an incredible 2560×1440 pixel resolution.
Its viewing angles are amazing. You can look at the iMac’s screen from any position without the colours shifting at all. You still get four USB 2.0 ports, a single FireWire 800 socket and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR for connecting peripherals, 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n for networking and an SD card reader, which is now SDXC-compatible, allowing for a theoretical maximum card capacity of 2TB.
All iMacs are now bundled with a Magic Mouse and a Bluetooth keyboard that has no numerical keypad, But if you’d prefer a full-sized USB model, this option is available on the online Apple store at no extra cost. All iMacs come with OS X 10.6: Snow Leopard preinstalled, and the latest version of Apple’s popular software suite, iLife.
Faster, friendlier
The mid-2010 27-inch, 3.2GHz Intel Core i3 iMac performed very well in our benchmarking tests. In our Cinebench rendering test, using a single core it outperformed its 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo predecessor by eleven per cent, but the new processor really came into its own when allowed to use every available core.
The new iMac’s faster processor, faster memory and Hyper Threading functionality gave it a 38 percent increase. Its performance in our Doom 3 test was less of a step forwards, but it still gave us 133.4 frames per second, up from 122.8.
Although Doom 3 isn’t the most recent of games, we tested with the screen resolution set to 1024×768 and the video settings to ultra-high, which is very taxing on the system.
A more significant performance increase was achieved in our QuickTime encoding test, where we convert a five-minute test video for iPod use. The new iMac finished the encoding in 187 seconds, a 31 per cent speed increase. But our iTunes encoding test was only marginally faster.
When ripping a test CD to iTunes the optical drive has become the limiting factor, and once again, Apple has given us a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). It really is time Apple made its peace with Blu-ray, even if only as a custom option.
Although the company sees the future of high-definition movies in downloads rather than optical discs, many – perhaps most – Mac users have a Blu-ray player in the living room and a shelf full of HD movies to play on it. Why stop them playing those same movies on the iMac, making full use of that gorgeous 27-inch screen?
Talking of the screen, another custom option we’d have liked is an anti-glare display. Order a MacBook Pro on the Apple online store and you get the chance to choose a matte instead of a glossy screen, but for iMac users, there’s no such option. Most users will be perfectly happy with the glossy display, but it would be good to have a choice.
Off the shelf, this particular iMac gives us a 1TB hard drive, which you can upgrade to 2TB using the custom options if you wish. Alternatively, you can invest in a 256GB solid state drive, or even opt for both a HDD and an SSD.
Solid state storage is still very expensive (switching from a 1TB HDD to a 256GB SSD will set you back £480), but although it uses a standard 2.5-inch SATA connection, unless your iMac offered a solid state drive out of the box, the connectors and mounting bracket required to fit one aren’t there. Therefore, you shouldn’t forego the SSD option with the intention of getting one fitted when they come down in price.
A few rumoured upgrades failed to materialise. None of the new iMacs make the move from USB 2.0 to 3.0 or FireWire 800 to 1600, and there’s no touchscreen or iPhone OS integration.
The new iMacs are externally identical to the previous generation, but significant under-the-hood upgrades have been made. All iMacs now use Core i-series processors, finally retiring the older Core 2 Duo chips.
This particular model, the cheaper of the two 27-inch iMacs, enjoys a processor boost to a 3.2GHz Core i3 and a graphics upgrade to an ATI Radeon HD 5670 GPU with 512MB of GDDR3 memory.
The screen is still a gorgeous 2560×1440-resolution 16:9 Widescreen IPS with incredible viewing angles, and the SD card reader now accepts the SDXC standard, meaning it can take SD cards with a theoretical maximum capacity of 2TB.
We liked
You don’t realise just how impressive the iMac’s 27-inch screen is until you actually see it. It’s breathtakingly large, crystal clear and can be viewed from almost any angle without the colours shifting.
The move to Core i3 processors is a welcome one, and you can upgrade this particular model to a 3.6GHz Intel Core i5 if you wish.
The new ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics chip (which can also be upgraded) gives it much-improved multimedia and gaming capabilities, and at only £21 more expensive than its predecessor, it represents very good value for money, even at £1399.
We disliked
Although the Core i3 processor is a welcome upgrade from the previously-used Core 2 Duo, it’s a pity it doesn’t offer Turbo Boost functionality like the Core i5 and Core i7. We find Apple’s attitude to Blu-ray ridiculous, especially given the undoubted quality of the display.
The new iMacs could certainly use a Blu-ray drive as an upgrade option, but the higher-end machines should have it as standard. Also, it’s a pity the brackets and connectors for the second hard drive are missing if you don’t order one.
It would be nice to be able to have one installed at a later date, if you couldn’t afford one when you buy your iMac.
Verdict
The mid-2010 refresh represents a significant step forwards for the iMac. The ageing Core 2 Duo processors are finally retired from the iMac range, and are replaced by the newer, more capable Core i-series chips.
Graphics have been given a boost across the board, and the screen is as attractive and functional as ever. The gorgeous brushed aluminium unibody design that made the last generation of iMac an object of desire is retained, and although not cheap at £1399, it isn’t badly overpriced when you consider the quality of the components.
Apple’s refusal to go Blu-ray is extremely annoying, and it’s time an anti-glare screen was offered as a custom option, but overall, the 27-inch 3.2GHz Core i3 is a win.
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