iMac Retina 4K, 21.5-Inch, 2019

iMac Retina 4K, 21.5-Inch, 2019

iMac

Discontinued
Released: March 19, 2019Discontinued on: April 20, 2021
United States: 1599Japan: 175800

Overview

The iMac "Core i7" 3.2 21.5-Inch Aluminum (Retina 4K, 2019/Coffee Lake) is a "configure-to-order" option for the iMac "Core i3" 3.6 or "Core i5" 3.0 21.5-Inch models, but is also documented as a separate model for clarity. Apart from the processor and its L3 cache, this model can be configured just like its standard counterparts.


This iMac features a 14-nm "Coffee Lake" 3.2 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (I7-8700) with six independent cores on a single chip and a 12 MB shared L3 cache. It includes 8 GB of 2666 MHz DDR4 SDRAM, which is reportedly "built-in" but can be upgraded later with difficulty. It comes with either a 1 TB 5400 RPM hard drive or a 1 TB Fusion Drive (with a 256 GB SSD becoming the default from August 4, 2020), and a Radeon Pro 555X or Radeon Pro 560X graphics processor with 2 GB or 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory, respectively. A "FaceTime HD" webcam and stereo speakers are also integrated.


It sports a 21.5" 4096x2304 LED-backlit 16:9 widescreen IPS DCI-P3 "Retina 4K" display, which runs "pixel doubled" to an effective 2048x1152. The aluminum rear case is thicker in the middle and tapers to a slim 5 mm at the edges. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, dual Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2. It lacks a T2 chip.


Compared to its predecessor, this model is physically and internally very similar, but boasts a more advanced processor, architecture, and graphics. The "2019" iMacs shipped with a compact aluminum Apple Magic Keyboard and "Magic Mouse 2". Upgrades were available for a "Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad" (US$30) and a "Magic Trackpad 2" (US$50), which added multi-touch and "Force Touch" capabilities.

Evaluation

As the top-performing build-to-order model of the 21.5-inch 4K iMac, this machine featured a 6-core, 12-thread Core i7 processor, and its multi-core performance significantly outstripped the Core i5 models. It was praised for demonstrating its true potential in extremely CPU-intensive tasks like video editing and compiling. Paired with the Radeon Pro 560X graphics, it offered the best performance achievable in this compact form factor. However, the fundamental issue of extremely difficult RAM upgrades remained unresolved, necessitating a careful choice of sufficient capacity at the time of purchase. It was the ultimate choice for users seeking the absolute best performance in a 21.5-inch machine.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDiMac19,2
Apple Model NoA2116 (EMC 3195)
Apple Order NoBTO/CTO
Apple SubfamilyRetina 4K, 21.5-Inch, 2019

Price

Price Table
Original Price (US)1599
United States1599
Australia2459
Austria1819
Belgium1819
Brazil14.099
Canada2059
China12458
Denmark15019
Finland1869
France1819
Germany1819
Hong Kong12279
Ireland1869
Italy1869
Japan175800
Korea2057500
Luxembourg175886
Malaysia6889
Mexico39499
Netherlands1819
New Zealand2709
Norway18.29
Portugal1869
Singapore2319
Spain1819
Sweden19.795
Switzerland1
Taiwan51160
Thailand55900
The Philippines91990
United Kingdom1519

Pricing Extras

Pricing Extras Table
Est. Current Retail900

Body

Body Table
Form Factor21.5" iMac Tapered Edge
Case TypeAll-in-One
Dimensions17.7 x 20.8 x 6.9 in / 45.0 x 52.8 x 17.5 cm
Avg. Weight12.5 lbs / 5.66 kg

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeCore i7 (I7-8700)
Processor Speed3.2 GHz
Processors1 (6 Cores)
Turbo Boost4.6 GHz
Architecture64-Bit
System Bus Speed8 GT/s
Cache Bus Speed3.2 GHz (Built-in)
L1 Cache32k/32k x6
L2/L3 Cache256k x6, 12 MB
FPUIntegrated
ROM/Firmware TypeEFI
EFI Architecture64-Bit
Geekbench 3 (32)25460
Geekbench 4 (SC)5855
Geekbench 4 (MC)27121
Geekbench 5 (SC)1130
Geekbench 5 (MC)6163

Memory

Memory Table
Standard RAM8 GB
Maximum RAM32 GB
RAM TypePC4-21300 DDR4
Min. RAM Speed2666 MHz
RAM Slots2
Motherboard RAMNone

Storage

Storage Table
Standard Storage1 TB HDD/Fusion, 256 GB SSD
Storage InterfaceSerial ATA (6 Gb/s)
Storage Dimensions2.5" (7 mm)
Standard OpticalNone

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display21.5" 16:9 Widescreen
Native Resolution4096x2304
Video CardRadeon Pro 555X/560X
Standard VRAM2, 4 GB
Maximum VRAM4 GB
VRAM TypeDedicated
2nd Display SupportDual/Mirroring
2nd Max. Resolution3840x2160 x2
Video (Monitor)2 (Thunderbolt 3/USB-C)

Audio

Audio Table
Microphone1 (Built-in)
Headphone1
Sound Out1

Connectivity

Connectivity Table
USB4 (3.0)
USB Ports4 (3.0)
Ethernet1 (RJ-45)
Standard Ethernet10/100/1000Base-T
Expansion SlotsSDXC SD Card

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity Table
Standard AirPort802.11ac
Standard Bluetooth4.2

Power

Power Table
Power1

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed MacOSX 10.14.4 (18E2034)
Maximum MacOS15.x (Sequoia)
Windows SupportBoot/Virtualization
Minimum Windows10 (64-Bit)
Maximum Windows10 (64-Bit)

Accessories

Accessories Table
Incl. KeyboardMagic Keyboard
Incl. InputMagic Mouse 2

Upgrades

Upgrades Table
Processor UpgradeLGA 1151

Compliance

Compliance Table
Security (Lock)1