iMac Late 2012

As a "configure-to-order" version of the iMac "Core i5" 2.9 21.5-Inch Aluminum (Late 2012), the iMac "Core i7" 3.1 21.5-Inch is also documented as a distinct model for clarity. Except for the processor and its corresponding L3 cache, the two models are identical.

This iMac features a 22 nm Quad Core 3.1 GHz Intel "Core i7" I7-3770S (Ivy Bridge) processor with four independent cores on one chip, an 8 MB shared L3 cache, 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (not designed for post-purchase upgrades), a 1 TB (5400 RPM) hard drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics processor with 512 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. It includes a built-in "FaceTime HD" webcam and stereo speakers, but lacks an optical drive.

It sports a 21.5" 1920x1080 LED-backlit 16:9 widescreen IPS display with "cover glass fully laminated to the LCD and anti-reflective coating." The aluminum rear case is thicker in the middle and tapers to a mere 5 mm at the edges. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, dual Thunderbolt ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n, and Bluetooth 4.0.

In addition to its slimmer profile, the "Late 2012" iMac line offered faster processors, architectures, RAM (though not easily upgradeable in 21.5-inch models), and graphics, along with different connectivity than the "Mid-2011" line it succeeded.

"Late 2012" iMacs came with a compact aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard and a choice of either a multi-touch "Magic Mouse" or a "Magic Trackpad" for gesture-based navigation.

As the top-performing model of the slim 21.5-inch iMac, this machine was praised for fully leveraging the benefits of Hyper-Threading with its Core i7 processor. Its 4-core, 8-thread processing power demonstrated a clear advantage over the Core i5 models in CPU-intensive tasks like video editing and music production. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics were also sufficient for its class. However, the significant limitation of non-upgradable RAM constantly shadowed the evaluation of even this top-tier model. It was a machine that delivered maximum performance in a compact body, but its lack of expandability was lamented.