iMac Late 2013

Technically a "configure-to-order" version of the iMac "Core i5" 2.9 21.5-Inch Aluminum (Late 2013), the iMac "Core i7" 3.1 21.5-Inch Aluminum (Late 2013) is also listed separately for user convenience. The two models are identical, except for the processor and its corresponding L3 cache.

This iMac (Late 2013/Haswell) is powered by a 22 nm "Haswell" Quad Core 3.1 GHz Intel "Core i7" (4770S) processor, with four independent cores on one chip and an 8 MB shared L3 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 750M graphics processor with 1 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. It includes a built-in "FaceTime HD" webcam and stereo speakers, but lacks an optical drive.

It features 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 at its center and tapers to a slim 5 mm at the edges. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, dual Thunderbolt ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n), and Bluetooth 4.0.

Compared to its predecessor, this model shares a nearly identical external design but offers a much more efficient "Fourth Generation" processor and architecture, plus faster graphics, faster Wi-Fi, and the option for faster storage.

The "Late 2013" iMacs were shipped with a compact aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard and a choice of a multi-touch "Magic Mouse," a multi-touch "Magic Trackpad," or a traditional wired Apple mouse.

As the top-performing build-to-order option for the 21.5-inch iMac, this machine was praised for the high multi-threaded performance of its Haswell Core i7 processor with Hyper-Threading. The combination with NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M graphics delivered power that belied its compact form factor, making it suitable for professional workloads. The inclusion of 802.11ac Wi-Fi and the option for faster PCIe-based storage further boosted its performance. While the non-upgradable RAM remained a significant drawback, for users who prioritized maximum performance and accepted this limitation, it was an irreplaceable choice.