iMac Late 2012

The iMac "Core i5" 2.9 21.5-Inch Aluminum (Late 2012) is powered by a 22 nm Quad Core 2.9 GHz Intel "Core i5" I5-3470S (Ivy Bridge) processor, which has four independent cores on one chip and a 6 MB shared level 3 cache. It comes with 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (not intended for post-purchase upgrade), a 1 TB (5400 RPM) hard drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics processor with 512 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. The system also includes a built-in "FaceTime HD" webcam and stereo speakers, but omits an optical drive.

This model features a 21.5" 1920x1080 LED-backlit 16:9 widescreen IPS display with "cover glass fully laminated to the LCD and anti-reflective coating." Its aluminum rear housing is thicker at the center and tapers to a slim 5 mm at the edges.

Connectivity options comprise four USB 3.0 ports, dual Thunderbolt ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Beyond its thinner profile, the "Late 2012" iMac line delivered faster processors, architectures, and graphics compared to the "Mid-2011" series it succeeded. It also had faster RAM (though not easily user-upgradeable in the 21.5-inch models) and different I/O options.

The "Late 2012" iMacs were supplied with a compact aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard and a choice between a multi-touch "Magic Mouse" or a multi-touch "Magic Trackpad," enabling gesture controls for tasks like scrolling and zooming.

As the higher-end model of the slim 21.5-inch iMac, this machine delivered excellent performance thanks to its quad-core i5 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics. The graphics performance, in particular, was a significant step up from the lower-end model, enabling smoother gaming and creative work. However, the limitation of non-upgradable RAM persisted in this higher-end model, leading to some regret from users who did not opt for the 16GB upgrade at the time of purchase. The availability of the Fusion Drive option, which improved storage performance, was a welcome and appreciated feature.