iMac Late 2012

The iMac "Core i7" 3.4 27-Inch Aluminum (Late 2012) is a "configure-to-order" version of the iMac "Core i5" 3.2 27-Inch model, but it is also documented separately for convenience. Besides the processor and its L3 cache, the two models are identical.

This iMac features a 22 nm Quad Core 3.4 GHz Intel "Core i7" I7-3770 (Ivy Bridge) processor with four independent cores on a single chip and an 8 MB shared L3 cache. It comes with 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM (PC3-12800) in a dual-module setup, a 1 TB (7200 RPM) hard drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX graphics processor with 1 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. It includes a "FaceTime HD" webcam and stereo speakers, but lacks an optical drive.

It sports a 27" 2560x1440 LED-backlit 16:9 widescreen IPS display with "cover glass fully laminated to the LCD and anti-reflective coating." The aluminum rear case tapers to a thin 5 mm at the edges. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, dual Thunderbolt ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Beyond its slimmer profile, the "Late 2012" iMacs offered faster processors, architectures, RAM (though not easily user-upgradable in the 21.5-inch model), and graphics, plus different connectivity than the "Mid-2011" line they replaced.

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

As the pinnacle of the slim 27-inch iMacs, this build-to-order model featured a Core i7 processor, enabling 8-thread processing with Hyper-Threading. This delivered overwhelming performance that surpassed the Core i5 models in multithreaded applications like video editing and 3D rendering, earning it immense support from professional users. The powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX graphics, along with even higher-performance optional GPUs, solidified its reputation. It was a model that reached the zenith of all-in-one PCs of its time in every aspect: design, performance, and expandability.