The new iMac vs. the competition: Beneath the pretty colors
The M1 comes to Apple's premiere desktop machine.
It hasn’t even been a year since Apple released the last model of its iconic all-in-one desktop, the iMac. But things have changed a lot since then — companies are contemplating a return to the office, while others have decided to make their home office permanent. So it’s actually a good time to release a new desktop for those looking for an easy upgrade. But exactly how much of a step forward is this colorful iMac and its M1 chip over rival all-in-one machines like the Surface Studio 2 and Dell’s latest OptiPlex? Check out the table below for the details on relevant specs, and keep an eye out for our full review of the new-hued iMac later this spring.
Apple iMac (2021) | Surface Studio 2 | Dell OptiPlex 7780 | |
Price | Starts at $1,299 | Starts at $3,500 | Starts at $1,839 |
Dimensions | 547 x 461 x 147 mm (21.5 x 18.1 x 5.8 inches) | 637.35 x 438.90 x 12.50 mm (25.1 x 17.3 x 0.5 inches) | 614 x 389 x 58 mm (24.17 x 15.31 x 2.28 inches) |
Weight | 4.46 kg (9.83 pounds) / 4.48 kg (9.88 pounds) | 9.56 kg (21 pounds) | 8.66 / 9.1 kg (19.09 / 20.06 pounds) |
OS | macOS Big Sur | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
Display | 24-inch 4.5K Retina | 28-inch PixelSense | 27-inch OptiPlex LCD |
Resolution | 4,480 x 2,520 (218 ppi) | 4,500 x 3,000 (192 ppi) | 1,920 x 1,080 (81 ppi) |
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel Core i7-7820HQ | Intel Core i5-10500 / i7-10700 / i9-10900 |
Memory | 8 GB* | 16 / 32 GB | 16 / 64 GB |
Graphics | M1 integrated graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / GTX 1070 | Intel Integrated Graphics / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 |
Storage | 256 / 512 GB* | 1 / 2 TB | 256 / 512 GB |
Ports | USB 4 (x2) / USB 3 (x2), USB 4 (x2) | USB 3.0 (x4), USB-C, SDXC | USB 3.2 (x5), USB-C, HDMI (x2), SD |
Wireless | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1 | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1 |
* Specs listed are base specs and will not include all options available at checkout.
