iMac 27 2020 or iMac24 2021

[padg91]

Hey guys,

I want to buy an iMac in the next few weeks, but I really don‘t know with which one to go.

I am a teacher and right now I‘m just using an iPad Pro 12,9 2020 with Magic Keyboard.

That’s why I need a desktop solution with a bigger display.

I like the design of the current 2020 iMac but I think the silver iMac2021 is a good choice as well.

Which model would you pick? And why?

 

[Isengardtom]

With the transition underway to ARM (M1), I wouldn’t go for an intel Mac anymore, regardless of design.
There will also be a lot of other improvements in this version vs the older Mac (speakers, cam, the display is better,...)

 

[chscag]

You might want to hold on until Apple releases a larger iMac with the new silicon. The school year will be over soon so it might be worthwhile to wait. The larger iMac might have a 30" or 32" screen but will likely be more expensive.

And I also agree that now is not the time to purchase an Intel iMac or any Intel Mac.

 

[Hexley]

2021 iMac 24" for me. Many believe that Apple will abandon macOS support for Intel Macs in short order.

I have a 2012 iMac 27" and I am waiting for the larger than 27" model before I replace it. My iMac should continue receiving macOS Security Updates until Nov 2022.

 

[Fishrrman]

There should be a larger m-series iMac coming soon.
I would expect it to be "announced" in June (WWDC) and perhaps ship in July.

Might be worth holding out 6-8 more weeks.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Hey guys,

I want to buy an iMac in the next few weeks, but I really don‘t know with which one to go.

I am a teacher and right now I‘m just using an iPad Pro 12,9 2020 with Magic Keyboard.

That’s why I need a desktop solution with a bigger display.

I like the design of the current 2020 iMac but I think the silver iMac2021 is a good choice as well.

Which model would you pick? And why?

If you are looking for a replacement of your iPad Pro, iMac 2021 then.
It'll meet your demand, and it's also light enough to be mobile.

 

[George Dawes]

Wait for the real deal iMac or get a mini with a monitor

Tbh I’d consider an iPad Pro over this anyday

 

[4sallypat]

DO NOT GET an INTEL iMac!

Price point for the new 24" M1 iMac is great - especially if you are a teacher - the EDU price is $1249 on the base model.

As a teacher, I would use the iPad Pro as a SideCar screen and double your screen real estate!

When I get my blue 24" M1 iMac (pre-ordering 4/30) I will be connecting a second Apple display and use the iPad Pro as a SideCar for the 3rd display.

 

[MistrSynistr]

As a teacher the new iMac would be popping if you're in a classroom.

The M1 blows away anything intel. With education pricing you'll save money and get a far faster computer.

 

[awsom82]

But on iMac 2020 you can play games on Windows...

 

[sirHydra]

I am also torn between the new 24 and the 2020 iMac.
I have a 24 coming on June 30, so I have to decide soon!

Option 1:
M1 iMac - Blue (24”)
Apple M1 8/8
16GB RAM
2TB SSD
Apple Trackpad
Price: €2387.41 +taxes (Apple Store)

Option 2:
2020 iMac (27”)
Intel i7 8-core 3.8GHz
8GB RAM
512GB SSD
Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB
Price €1966.39 +taxes (Amazon)

OWC 64GB (4x16GB) 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
Price €310.39 +taxes (Amazon)

Total Price: €2276.78 +taxes


The 27 iMac should outperform the 24 on every single aspect but storage.
I’m not considering the 27 with the i9 and the 5700 XT because Apple asks €1053,28 on top of the Amazon deal.

The Intel is more powerful, I can get the job done for more years hardware-wise, while Apple should support the M1 longer on the software side.

What should I do?

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

You plan to get by with a 512GB SSD in the 27", do the same with the M1 and save quite a bit of cash. A Lacie external will perform extremely well on the M1 if needed and already Apple have dropped some support for Intel with Monterey.

 

[sirHydra]

You plan to get by with a 512GB SSD in the 27", do the same with the M1 and save quite a bit of cash. A Lacie external will perform extremely well on the M1 if needed and already Apple have dropped some support for Intel with Monterey.

That’s because I need to pay 250€ more for the same default config and an extra of €600 +taxes to get the 2TB from Apple.
Also, with the M1, the only way I can get a 2600MB/s SSD is by using the internal storage. The M1 Thunderbolt is not as fast as Intel with the SSDs.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd get the 2021 30" m2 iMac -- coming along pretty soon...!

 

[awsom82]

too much to wait for fall.

so I thinking to get an iMac 2020 full spec or XDR Display. really hard choice...

 

[rachalmers]

Whatever you get, don’t get less than 16GB of RAM and at least 2TB of SSD space.
Forget 8GB… that’s so last century. They shouldn’t be allowed to sell such underpowered machines.

 

[Head_Unit]

too much to wait for fall.

Aren't this shipping already? Or not in the configuration you want?

don’t get less than 16GB of RAM

I agree. My friend who works at the Apple Store has always said "4GB is fine" then "8GB is fine" but I disagree. I think if you plan to keep the machine a long time bend over and spend the money and get the most damn RAM you possibly can.

 

[terry.mac]

Have you thought of an M1 Air ($899+) with a 27’ 4k external display ($300+), along with a good monitor stand ($50)?

That way you have the portability, the latest tech, a reasonably price, and ergonomic setup that doesn’t hurt your neck?

 

[imdog]

I am also torn between the new 24 and the 2020 iMac.
I have a 24 coming on June 30, so I have to decide soon!

Option 1:
M1 iMac - Blue (24”)
Apple M1 8/8
16GB RAM
2TB SSD
Apple Trackpad
Price: €2387.41 +taxes (Apple Store)

Option 2:
2020 iMac (27”)
Intel i7 8-core 3.8GHz
8GB RAM
512GB SSD
Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB
Price €1966.39 +taxes (Amazon)

OWC 64GB (4x16GB) 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
Price €310.39 +taxes (Amazon)

Total Price: €2276.78 +taxes


The 27 iMac should outperform the 24 on every single aspect but storage.
I’m not considering the 27 with the i9 and the 5700 XT because Apple asks €1053,28 on top of the Amazon deal.

The Intel is more powerful, I can get the job done for more years hardware-wise, while Apple should support the M1 longer on the software side.

What should I do?

Not necessarily.
The M1 scores 37% higher on Single Core & just 9% lower on Multi Core benchmarks. These standard benchmark tests do not account for software optimization either which the M1 demolishes Intel. In browser based tests the M1 Macs perform better than any other Mac including the Mac Pro. In day to day usage the M1 are the snappiest Macs and run the smoothest. The higher end Mac Pros have better render times on some video editing tests, but the actual experience of editing itself & scrubbing through a timeline is smoother on the M1. Everyday more & more apps are becoming optimized for Apple Silicon, I couldn't in good conscience advice anyone to buy an Intel Mac in 2021 unless you are an ultra professional who is buying a high spec'd Mac Pro.

What is your use case exactly? The only reason I could think of picking that Intel over the Mac is if you're doing some 3D rendering on an obscure software that isn't well optimized for Apple Silicon or if you're gaming.

 

[sirHydra]

Not necessarily.
The M1 scores 37% higher on Single Core & just 9% lower on Multi Core benchmarks. These standard benchmark tests do not account for software optimization either which the M1 demolishes Intel. In browser based tests the M1 Macs perform better than any other Mac including the Mac Pro. In day to day usage the M1 are the snappiest Macs and run the smoothest. The higher end Mac Pros have better render times on some video editing tests, but the actual experience of editing itself & scrubbing through a timeline is smoother on the M1. Everyday more & more apps are becoming optimized for Apple Silicon, I couldn't in good conscience advice anyone to buy an Intel Mac in 2021 unless you are an ultra professional who is buying a high spec'd Mac Pro.

What is your use case exactly? The only reason I could think of picking that Intel over the Mac is if you're doing some 3D rendering on an obscure software that isn't well optimized for Apple Silicon or if you're gaming.

As a web dev, I work a lot with text (and browsers).
Light use of Affinity/Capture One/Lightroom, casual gaming.

I use Screenflow, which can benefit a lot from a gpu.

I don't need an ultra-powerful Mac. Just a good monitor and an overall fast machine to get the job done.

24" or 27" does not make that difference: I will use a second monitor (24") anyway.
But I find the 5500XT gpu and the 64 gigs of RAM attractive

 

[sirHydra]

Have you thought of an M1 Air ($899+) with a 27’ 4k external display ($300+), along with a good monitor stand ($50)?

That way you have the portability, the latest tech, a reasonably price, and ergonomic setup that doesn’t hurt your neck?

Yes, I already own a M1 Air. But I need at least 2 24" on my main machine.
I would like to buy a retina iMac, as I work a lot with text.

 

[petvas]

I am also torn between the new 24 and the 2020 iMac.
I have a 24 coming on June 30, so I have to decide soon!

Option 1:
M1 iMac - Blue (24”)
Apple M1 8/8
16GB RAM
2TB SSD
Apple Trackpad
Price: €2387.41 +taxes (Apple Store)

Option 2:
2020 iMac (27”)
Intel i7 8-core 3.8GHz
8GB RAM
512GB SSD
Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB
Price €1966.39 +taxes (Amazon)

OWC 64GB (4x16GB) 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
Price €310.39 +taxes (Amazon)

Total Price: €2276.78 +taxes


The 27 iMac should outperform the 24 on every single aspect but storage.
I’m not considering the 27 with the i9 and the 5700 XT because Apple asks €1053,28 on top of the Amazon deal.

The Intel is more powerful, I can get the job done for more years hardware-wise, while Apple should support the M1 longer on the software side.

What should I do?

The new macOS Monterey which is coming this fall introduces a lot of new features that are Apple Silicon only.
You will have to ask yourself if you really need 64GB of RAM. If not, then get the M1 iMac. If yes, then wait for an Apple Silicon Mac that can scale to 64GB of RAM.
Do not buy an Intel iMac now unless you really need a specific feature that is not available on Apple Silicon, like Windows virtualization.

 

[Realityck]

Yes, I already own a M1 Air. But I need at least 2 24" on my main machine.
I would like to buy a retina iMac, as I work a lot with text.

Another possible alternate you could buy EDU $899 M1 mac Mini with 8/8 and 512 GB SSD, and get the 16GB Ram option also, then connect to a external 5K display. Until Apple gets its act together with 27" iMac replacement that should work fine for some time. Yes its all al la carte with keyboard, mouse, monitor such as 34" LG 34BK95U (5120x2160). Goes for $1083 to $1400 depending on where its bought.

 

[sirHydra]

The new macOS Monterey which is coming this fall introduces a lot of new features that are Apple Silicon only.
You will have to ask yourself if you really need 64GB of RAM. If not, then get the M1 iMac. If yes, then wait for an Apple Silicon Mac that can scale to 64GB of RAM.
Do not buy an Intel iMac now unless you really need a specific feature that is not available on Apple Silicon, like Windows virtualization.

I don’t need the 64gigs.
I will buy the new 24”.
Can’t wait, it’s coming the 30th but still processing

 

[sirHydra]

Another possible alternate you could buy EDU $899 M1 mac Mini with 8/8 and 512 GB SSD, and get the 16GB Ram option also, then connect to a external 5K display. Until Apple gets its act together with 27" iMac replacement that should work fine for some time. Yes its all al la carte with keyboard, mouse, monitor such as 34" LG 34BK95U (5120x2160). Goes for $1083 to $1400 depending on where its bought.

I already own a i7 Mini (2018).
It will be my server/parallels machine