We tested the entry-level version of the 2013 Apple iMac 21.5in, and were pleasantly surprised by just how capable the integrated graphics proved to be. Apple iMac (Late 2013): Graphics performance Note: A new iMac may be set to launch this summer.

The cheapest model, which at £1149 is £50 premium over last year’s counterpart, uses just the integrated graphics from the main Intel chip the dearer model has an nVidia GeForce GT 750M, one step up from that fitted to the current 15-inch MacBook Pro. The other differences between models lies in the main processor, either 2.7GHz or 2.9GHz Intel Core i5 ‘Haswell’. For memory, there’s the option of doubling to 16GB. Or you can cut straight to a purely flash-based drive, namely a 256 or 512GB SSD. You can opt for a 1TB Fusion drive, which melds the same notebook disk to a separate 128GB solid-state drive using OS X’s Core Storage technology.Īpple’s hybrid Fusion Drive gives most of the benefits of faster access, with plenty of storage space too. If you think you’ll ever want to expand either memory or storage in the future, you’d best do it at time of purchase. Neither storage nor memory is designed to be user replaceable, as they’re locked away behind a screen that’s literally glued in place. Both use 1TB hard drives – necessarily small laptop-sized 2.5in disks to squeeze inside – along with 8GB of memory. Two models of 21.5-inch iMac are offered ready to go. So Apple hasn’t taken the iMac line to Retina-class display just yet, although the pixel-per-inch count is still a little higher than most regular screens. It’s pixel resolution is still 1920 x 1080, which amounts to a pixel density of around 102 ppi. The smallest and most affordable version of the Apple iMac features a widescreen display that measures 21.5 inches on the diagonal, a comfortable size for desktop productivity.

Read our review of the 2014 iMac, low cost entry level consumer Mac.Read our preview of the rest of the iMac 2014 line up here.Read about the 2014 Retina iMac release date.This year’s update is subtle, and introduces two principal changes in technology over last year’s major refit. With all ports cleanly hidden behind, and free of the bluster and bolt-on fugliness of its imitators, the flat Apple iMac remains a design classic. But the essential physical layout is still the same – a widescreen panel set in single frame, with ‘chin’ below a screen that’s suspended on a single folded-aluminium foot.

Late 2013 imac display