Since Apple announced the new iMac 21.5 and 27 inch macOS computers, there have been a number of reviews and a very useful teardown video from our friends at OWC. In this article, we have all the latest details on the new iMacs.
Before we look at what reviewers are saying about the new iMacs, let’s take a look at what is inside., courtesy of our friends at OWC who have produced this excellent video where they take apart a new 27 inch 5K iMac…
Their teardown reveals that Apple has made a few changes to the internal layout to accommodate the removal of the mechanical hard drive, the loss of SATA connectors and most importantly, the SSD being integrated into the logic board.
In the 2020 iteration of the iMac, the OWC teardown video above confirms that Apple has removed the option for users to upgrade the storage on their own. It also shows that removing the screen of the iMac is similar to earlier models, albeit with an extra cable to detach as the camera is now part of the screen assembly.
Removing the heatsink reveals that Apple has chosen a socketed processor instead of a soldered version, which could potentially lead to a future upgrade option. It also shows that the RAM is the only user upgradeable option, accessed through a flap on the back.
During the teardown, OWC spotted some solder points on the motherboard that are believed to be 4-terabyte and 8-terabyte flash storage options. For lower capacities, however, the flash storage is integrated into the middle of the board, with no opportunity to remove it safely.
MacRumors subsequently confirmed this having obtained additional information in an internal document for Apple technicians. MacRumors’ Joe Rossignol says…
In the document, Apple says that the flash storage is indeed affixed to the logic board and cannot be removed. However, for the 4TB and 8TB configurations, Apple says that a flash storage expansion board is attached to a connector on the logic board. In the 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations, the expansion board and connector are not present.
Apple adds that the flash storage and logic board are paired together for hardware encryption, so data will be lost if the logic board is replaced. For this reason, it is recommended that customers back up their files on a regular basis.
Benchmarks
Mac Otakara has posted some benchmark results for the new 27-inch iMac with 3.0GHz Intel Core i5 processor and Radeon Pro 5300 graphics and compared it to multiple specs of the previous 2019 iMac.
What we can see from these results is that the lowest spec 2020 27-inch i5 iMac offers performance improvements of 20% in multicore over the lowest spec 27-inch i5 iMac from 2019. Although the lowest spec 27-inch 2020 iMac has an Intel Core i5 3.1GHz processor, it appears to perform better than an equivalent Intel Core i5 3.7GHz model from 2019 probably due to new 10th-generation Intel Core processors, which Apple claim offer up to 65% faster CPU performance.
When it comes to graphics performance Mac Otakara measured this using Geekbench Compute benchmarks.
Compared to the 3.0GHz Intel Core i5 2019 iMac with AMD Radeon Pro 570X graphics, the 2020 iMac's Radeon Pro 5300 is 40% better.
It also shows that the Radeon Pro 5300 does not improve on the performance of the 2019 iMac with AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics, however. Apple is on record as saying that the next-generation AMD Radeon Pro 5000 graphics deliver up to 55% faster performance over the previous generation.
With that in mind, let’s see what the reviewers have to say about the 2020 iMac, starting with performance…
Performance
Socketed CPU in the 2020 iMac
David Phelan from says…
It’s not just in comparison to my slightly older Mac that this iMac seems to go like a rocket. The 10th-generation Intel processors are mighty fast, delivering well whether you’re running benchmarks or just enjoying the no-delay experience. For many, me included, day-to-day use won’t make this iMac come close to breaking a sweat. The iMac Pro, of course, famously offered way more power than most of us mere mortals would ever need: the same seems to be coming true for the regular iMac now.
Graphics are butter-smooth and fast, too. Radeon’s very latest GPUs are here, so it’s no surprise that this is such a strong experience.
As well as the four USB-A ports I’m used to on my beloved-if-suddenly-rather-second-class iMac, but now there are two USB-C sockets [more would have been nice, but again I suspect we may have to wait for a new-look machine]. Apple says even the SD memory card has been upgraded.
Mike Prospero from Tom’s Guide says…
There seemed to be no task too big for the 3.6 GHz Intel Core i9-10910 CPU and 32GB of RAM in our review unit. Needless to say, you can open as many tabs in Chrome as you’d like and not have to worry about a performance hit.
To try and push the iMac to its limits, I opened 40 tabs in Chrome; the CPU hit was barely 7%. I then fired up a few rounds of World of Tanks and blasted away at its highest settings without any impact. It was only when I used Handbrake to re-encode a video that the CPU was put to the test, but I still had plenty of power to spare.
Brenda Stolyar from Mashable says…
My review unit was a bit too powerful for my everyday tasks: a 3.6 GHz 10-Core Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of storage, and that aforementioned Radeon Pro 5700 X graphics card. I can easily say it handled everything I threw at it with ease, but my typical workday doesn't require that much heavy lifting in terms of hardware.
I mainly only use apps like Google Chrome, Telegram, iMessage, and Slack during the day. And, even though I've essentially only had about 24 hours with the iMac, I have yet to run into any issues — you know, like the rainbow wheel.
But if you are using it for editing video and photos or even graphic design, then you might want to spend a little extra for the upgraded processor and perhaps even extra storage.
Sound And Picture
The non-Pro iMac line is well-positioned to appeal to the bedroom musicians and movie-makers, an increasingly broadening category in the age of COVID-19 because before the onset of the pandemic, the need for a computer that can handle video conferencing was well down the list of priorities. But now video conferencing whether via Zoom or Skype is a much more important factor in a studio computer with us working remotely so much more.
Caitlin McGarry from Gizmodo says…
Apple is in many ways pitching the 2020 refresh as the Quarantine Edition iMac: It’s a powerful device for getting work done at home, yes, but it’s also a tool for learning and quickly becoming an expert in photography, music, filmmaking, or any other creative project you’ve taken up during the pandemic to turn a very shitty situation into a somewhat productive one.
David Phelan from Forbes says…
If you’re going to be working from home, then in addition to having the best computer you can find, you might as well have a great camera for those endless videoconferencing calls you’ll be doing. So, it’s great to find the 1080p FaceTime HD camera here instead of the 720p found on other Macs. Think of this as a service to others: the image you’ll be broadcasting of yourself will be higher-resolution and more detailed, something which is evident from the moment you launch FaceTime for the first time.
The image you see isn’t just one made up of more pixels, the T2 chip Apple has included here is able to perform several tricks, such as adding image processing and face detection. This is not the same as Face ID, understand, it’s to spot your face and keep it in focus even if you move around a lot, adjusting the exposure accordingly to keep you as well-lit and visible as possible. Though, please, the rule about not sitting with a bright light source behind you still applies to video calls.
Mike Prospero from Tom’s Guide says…
Using Photo Booth I moved around the frame, and could definitely see the software at work; the whiteness of the background would shift from a reddish to a more white hue. However, it tinted my skin red, no matter where I sat. And, for a 1080p camera, I was a bit disappointed that details in my face weren’t sharper. Viewed at full size, my beard looked a bit mottled, and it was hard to pick out individual hairs.
I also used QuickTime to record myself; skin tones were much more true to life, and the background was also pretty accurate, too.
The iMac has three mics — two in the chin, and a third in the rear to help cancel out ambient noise. It works to an extent. My home office — which is also my attic — has a house fan that we use to keep cool. From where I was sitting, I recorded a noise level of about 52 decibels; on the recording, the iMac was able to minimize it pretty effectively.
Display
iMac screens compared by The Verge
The nano-texture glass option was debuted on the Apple Pro Display XDR. On the iMac for an extra $500, it means that the screen’s glass is etched so that it has a matte finish designed to all but banish glare.
Caitlin McGarry from Gizmodo says…
I absolutely love this glass, though. There’s absolutely no glare, at any angle, regardless of what I’m watching or the ambient light in the room. Bright light streaming in from the giant window to my left while watching Tom Hanks’ dimly lit drama-on-the-high-seas flick Greyhound [on Apple TV+, natch] was no match for the nano-textured glass. The late afternoon sun hitting the display from behind my shoulder wasn’t reflected in the screen one bit. I need this on every device in my life.
David Phelan from Forbes says…
It looks sensational and is subtly but unmissably different thanks to the matte, instead of a gloss, finish. Turn the screen off and it’s very hard to see where the display ends and the frame begins. Turn it on and, even with a desk lamp shining directly at it, reflections are almost completely gone, so the light appears as a pale glow rather than the highly noticeable orb that can dominate the regular, glossy screen.
The nano-texture is expensive, but it looks wonderful. Be warned, going back to glossy after seeing this is a bit of a jolt.
Mike Prospero from Tom’s Guide says…
For anyone who’s had to deal with screen glare, the nano-texture option will be worth the $500 investment. Remarkably, this option isn’t currently available for Apple’s iMac Pro, so video and photo professionals will be a bit torn on which model to get.
I held lights up right next to the screen, and aside from one small area closest to the light, the rest of the display remained free from reflections or glare. It also makes viewing angles excellent; you could easily fit a family of three or four around the screen to watch a movie without anyone complaining—about the image quality, at least.
Brian Heater from Techcrunch says…
The display is downright stunning. It’s a 5K [5120 x 2880] with 14.7 million pixels. It’s a bright 500 nits, and the colors pop. This is the first time the company has brought True Tone technology to the iMac, using light sensors to adjust the screen to more true to life colors. It’s a nice addition, and it all leads to a screen that positively pops. At the end of a long day, I’ve taken to swivelling the iMac around and using it to watch movies from my couch.
I’ve long felt that the Mac displays were too glossy for my liking and would happily move to nano-texture for all of my systems. The downside of the tech is that it seems to be prohibitively expensive. In the case of the 32-inch XDR, it adds $1,000 to the cost of the device. Here it’s an additional $500. In either case, it’s probably going to be far too pricey an addition for anyone who doesn’t absolutely need a glare-free system for work-related purposes.
Brenda Stolyar from Mashable says…
While it's not that noticeable unless you physically feel it, it gives the iMac an updated look. More importantly, it reduces glare and reflectivity and makes everything look more vibrant. And, unlike the standard glossy display, it's not a fingerprint magnet.
Apple also made sure to include its True Tone technology this time around, which adjusts the brightness and intensity of the display based on the ambient light.
What About True Tone?
What does True Tone bring to the table? What if you decide $500 is too much to spend on the nano-texture option?
David Phelan from Forbes says…
If you choose to save the $500, the gloss display is still an improvement over what came before thanks to True Tone, which has been introduced to the desktop with this iMac - not even the much pricier iMac Pro has True Tone, just as it lacks the option of a nano-texture glass. True Tone is Apple’s system that monitors the color temperature in the room and adjusts the screen output to compensate so what you see is faithful to what you should be seeing. This is crucial for some professionals, and pleasant for the rest of us.
Mike Prospero from Tom’s Guide says…
My home office is lit by a few floor lamps and a little light from a window; activating TrueTone gave the screen a much warmer tone. When more or less light would stream in through the window, the tone would change noticeably, which can be a little distracting at times.
Reports That Some 2020 iMac Users Are Experiencing Display issues Probably Caused By The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT GPU
A handful of 2020 iMac users are apparently experiencing issues due to the included AMD GPU. A recent thread on the Apple Support Forums outlines that the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT is the likely culprit of a screen glitch that causes random lines to appear on the display.
The original user in the App Support thread explains that their 2020 iMac will randomly show lines across the display. The user originally thought that the lines could be caused by intensive workflows and high heat. However, further testing revealed that not to be the case.
One user adds that upon further research, the likely culprit of this issue is the aforementioned 5700 XT GPU. The overall performance of the iMac does not seem to be affected by the problem, though.
So if you are considering a new 2020 iMac then perhaps avoid the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT GPU option until this has been resolved.
Fan Noise
What is interesting is that there is very little being said about fan noise on the iMac 2020. We know that there are some cooling concerns on the Mac mini and the MacBook Pro but looking through the reviews there was no mention at all on fan noise, which of course is important if you are planning an all-in-one computer to be in the same room as you are recording in.
So we did some extra digging on this topic. What we have learnt is that Apple does not appear to have improved the cooling from the 2019 to 2020 model. However, the removal of the Fusion Drive has removed a heat source and increased the air circulation inside the 2020 iMac.
Our research did reveal one reviewer comment on the fan noise of the 2020 iMac. Jason Snell from Six Colours says…
While the iMac Pro may start at 10 cores, it does go up to 18 cores—a configuration that will cost a lot more but will also deliver greater performance. If you need copious amounts of multi-core performance, the iMac Pro can deliver. The other reason is, quite simply, the robustness of the iMac Pro cooling system. The iMac’s cooling system, while upgraded somewhat in order to account for the new processors, is still much weaker than the system in the iMac Pro. When running my speed tests for this review, the iMac’s fans spun up immediately and were clearly audible as long as the computer was under load. My iMac Pro, on the other hand, didn’t break a sweat as it silently blew hot air out of its superior cooling system. If fan noise matters to you, the iMac Pro wins hands down. But no nano-texture display for you!
Our Conclusions
Even though externally, not a lot has changed the range of options and power mean that the iMac overtakes the iMac Pro to the extent that if you have been looking at an iMac Pro you might want to consider one of the higher-end iMacs instead, taking note of Jason’s comment above.
If you are looking for an all-in-one macOS computer and you don’t need a laptop then the 2020 iMacs are well worth a look.
Mike Thornton has been involved in the broadcast audio industry for all his working life, some 45 years. Mike has worked with Pro Tools since the mid-1990s recording, editing and mixing documentaries, comedy and drama for both radio and TV as well as doing the occasional music project. He was the co-founder of Pro Tools Expert and has now retired and has taken up the role of Chairman of Production Expert Ltd.
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