14 DAY TRIAL // Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc. today unveiled a series of new products, chief among which was the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display, “featuring the world’s highest resolution display with a breathtaking 14.7 million pixels.”
Not only does the system bring a super crisp visual experience, but it also packs the latest generation of quad-core processors, improved graphics, a 1TB Fusion Drive, and Thunderbolt 2 ports.
“The most powerful iMac ever made”
Apple calls it that because the system ships with a 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor that goes up to 3.9 GHz in Turbo Boost mode, and it can be configured with a 4 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor that goes up to 4.4 GHz.
Graphics-wise, buyers get AMD Radeon R9 M290X (configurable to AMD Radeon R9 M295X), which delivers up to 3.5 teraflops of power. Apple calls it “the most powerful graphics ever offered on an iMac.”
The computer further boasts 8GB of RAM and a 1TB Fusion Drive, configurable (for a lot more cash) to 32GB of memory, a 3TB Fusion Drive, or a 1TB PCIe-based flash storage medium.
It has two Thunderbolt 2 ports that can do 20Gbps each, which is reportedly twice the bandwidth of the previous generation Thunderbolt connector.
67 percent more pixels than a 4K display
The resolution on Apple’s new iMac is 5120 x 2880, or about four times the amount on the standard 27-inch iMac and 67 percent more than on a “traditional” 4K display, essentially rendering the standard obsolete.
“Text looks as sharp as it does on a printed page, and you can see more of your high-resolution photos with pixel-for-pixel detail,” Apple said. “In apps like Final Cut Pro X, you can view 4K video at full size while still leaving plenty of room for your assets and editing tools.”
Apple achieved the new display using an oxide TFT-based panel, a single timing controller with four times the bandwidth on traditional displays, because it’s required to command a total of 14.7 million pixels. Furthermore, the display employs highly efficient LEDs and organic passivation.
“Thirty years after the first Mac changed the world, the new iMac with Retina 5K display running OS X Yosemite is the most insanely great Mac we have ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With a breathtaking 14.7 million pixel display, faster CPU and graphics, Fusion Drive, and Thunderbolt 2, it’s the most beautiful and powerful iMac ever.”
Anyone looking to buy the new Mac can do so starting today at the Apple store with $2,499 / €2,599 in hand.