Apple announced a new iMac 5K, the latest iMac. This new machine boasts a whopping 5k (5120 x 2880) retina display! That is an impressive number of pixels, to say the least. But aside from the new screen, is upgrading to this machine really worth it?
Thoughts On The iMac 5k
Over the last several years, I have edited on both iMacs and on Windows machines. When configured similarly, there is not a lot of difference between how fast the two machines operate (now I duck to avoid low-flying objects).
While the iMac 5K has a great display going for it, many users are still generating 1080p content for web delivery. So you have to wonder if the 5K monitor is going to add value to your final product.
The Good of the iMac 5k:
– 5K Retina Display
– Apple Ecosystem (Apple software is pretty good)
– Supports a second display up to 3840 x 2160 resolution (in case 5k isn’t enough)
– i5 processor, AMD 2Gig graphics, 8 Gigs RAM on base model (not terrible)
– Upgradeable to 4.0 GHz i7 processor, 4 Gig video card, and 32(!) Gigs RAM
The Not So Good of the iMac 5k:
– Base model has only okay specs for heavy video editing
– It’s expensive, especially if you opt for the upgraded processor, graphics, and RAM
– It’s not user upgradeable
Final Thoughts on the iMac 5k:
It seems odd that you can get a new 27 inch non-Retina iMac configured with nearly the same specs (similar i7 processor, 32 Gigs RAM, 4 GB video card) for almost $700 less then the same specs on the iMac 5k. Since this is more than enough computing power, you have to ask yourself if a 5K display is worth it for you.
At the end of the day, buying the newest iMac won’t instantly make you a better editor. And I’m not even sure if the human eye can detect this type of resolution. But if you’d like to upgrade to the iMac 5K anyway (because it’s super cool), please feel free to utilize our iMac 5k Amazon affiliate link.
