When it comes to Apple’s iMac, what impressions do you have? Is it a gaming machine or a productivity tool? Is it just a front desk decoration or the best companion for designers?

For Tony, the deepest impression of the iMac is one word: expensive!

This expense is not only referring to its price, but even when excluding the system and craftsmanship, the iMac often costs significantly more than Windows computers for similar CPU, graphics card, and other hardware specifications.

For a long time, as a parameter enthusiast, Tony has never understood how those who spend tens of thousands on an iMac think.

Sure, if you value the portability of a laptop and buy a MacBook Pro, that’s understandable, especially since high-end Windows ultrabooks like Dell XPS and Surface Laptop are similarly priced.

But if you buy an iMac that can only sit on a desk and is not suitable for gaming, wouldn’t it be better to spend the same amount to build a more powerful desktop computer with better specifications?

However, times have changed, and as everyone knows, Apple has recently started following a route of increasing specs without increasing prices, and surprisingly, this has made the iMac one of the most cost-effective Apple products currently available.

Yes, you read that right, Tony is talking about cost-effectiveness.

Before you rush to criticize when Apple products ever relate to cost-effectiveness, let’s first take a look at the specifications of the 2020 27-inch iMac that Apple just released last month.

This iMac is equipped with a 3.6GHz Intel Core i9 processor, paired with 32GB DDR4 RAM + 1TB PCIe SSD, and the graphics card is AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM ▼

If you configure this iMac on the Apple website, it would cost a total of 31,509 yuan.

If you buy the same configuration iMac on the education discount page, the price is 28,674 yuan (only students and faculty can enjoy the education discount).

So how much would it cost if we built a similar configuration ourselves?

Tony has also helped the friends list a more detailed configuration list, and if you buy various parts on Taobao to assemble a similar desktop computer, it would cost about 15,671 yuan ▼

The difference between these two amounts is 13,003 yuan.

It is important to note that due to the fact that the commercially available W5700 graphics card can only be configured with a maximum of 8GB of VRAM, there is indeed a certain gap in handling professional 3D modeling tasks compared to the 16GB graphics card in the iMac.

That said, the facts are clear: the difference in the graphics card cannot make up for the 13,000 yuan price gap, after all, this amount is not a small sum.

Since Tony mentioned the cost-effectiveness of the iMac, the value of this 13,000 yuan difference must be reflected in this computer.

Sharp-eyed friends may have already noticed that in the previous configuration list, Tony did not include a monitor for the assembled computer, while this iMac comes with a 5K display as standard!

It’s said that the iMac product line has always had the saying “buy a screen, get a computer for free” because there are very few 5K resolution monitors on the market, and their prices are generally quite high.

Take the LG 5K display sold on the Apple website as an example.

At a price of 9,948 yuan, you can get the lowest configuration 27-inch iMac for an additional 4,451 yuan, while the former is just a monitor, and the latter is a complete computer that can be used as a productivity tool.

If you use the education discount to place an order, you can save an additional 760 yuan and also receive a pair of second-generation AirPods worth 1,246 yuan. Compared to buying an iMac, buying a 5K monitor is simply not worth it.

Tony tested the 5K screen of the iMac with a color calibration tool, and the results showed that it has 100% sRGB and P3 color gamut coverage, with a color accuracy of 0.9 and a maximum brightness of 516 nits.

Just based on this professional-grade screen, even selling it for 10,000 yuan is not considered expensive.

Moreover, it supports True Tone display like the iPhone, which can automatically adjust the white balance according to the ambient light, making it less tiring for the eyes to stare at the screen for long periods. Other monitors do not have this feature.

Let’s assume this screen is worth 10,000 yuan, Tony wants to say that spending the remaining 3,000 yuan on this iMac is also worth it.

For example, this time Apple has equipped the new iMac with a 1080p front-facing camera and a studio-level three-microphone array, and there are stereo speakers built into the bottom of the machine.

This means we can save the money for a separate camera, microphone, and speakers for the computer.

Although purchasing these devices doesn’t cost much, the highly integrated design of the iMac not only avoids wiring but also saves space.

This advantage of all-in-one computers is incomparable to ordinary desktops.

Simply place the iMac on the desk, plug in the power cord, connect the Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad, and a clean and beautiful desktop is easily created.

It is worth mentioning that the Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad that Tony mentioned earlier, worth 1,897 yuan, are already included in the iMac package priced at 28,674 yuan, and do not need to be purchased separately.

If you are not fond of the feel of mechanical keyboards, then this keyboard with a numeric keypad and this trackpad, which rivals the experience of a mouse, are definitely among the best-looking peripherals.

The back of the iMac is also quite rich in ports.

It has 4 USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one SDXC card slot, and one 3.5mm headphone jack, which is sufficient for daily use even without a docking station.

At this point, I believe friends can understand why Tony thinks the iMac is one of the most cost-effective Apple products.

Not counting, but once counted, it turns out that buying an iMac directly from the Apple website is actually not much different in price than building a similarly configured computer.

Moreover, installing a genuine Windows on the assembled computer would also require additional expenses, and Tony hasn’t had the chance to elaborate on the advantages of macOS over Windows in terms of usability and stability.

Of course, if you choose to add memory yourself instead of configuring it on the Apple website, the price of the iMac may even be cheaper than that of the assembled computer. Can you believe it?

Above the iMac power connector is the memory slot, and using that 4,500 yuan to buy memory sticks on Taobao, I can upgrade the iMac’s memory from 8GB to 128GB, and the performance is almost indistinguishable from the original.

For friends who are not tight on budget, you might consider upgrading the iMac’s standard glass panel to a Nano-texture glass panel for an additional 3,750 yuan on the official website.

According to the official website, the Nano-texture glass will cause incoming light to undergo diffuse reflection on the screen surface, greatly avoiding glare while also reducing common excess shadows and light spots seen on ordinary matte screens.

Tony also tried it out, and the iMac with the Nano-texture glass had almost no mirror reflection, and its anti-glare capability is definitely much better than that of the mirror screen MacBook, which is quite amazing.

There is no denying that Apple may later apply the Nano-texture glass technology to the iPhone and iPad~

Finally, Tony wants to say that the viewpoint of “the iMac is cost-effective” holds true only if you are willing to spend money on this high-quality 5K resolution screen.

If you do not have such high requirements for the screen, then obviously, buying another monitor can save you a lot of money.

But regardless, the 27-inch iMac, after a series of upgrades in CPU, storage, screen display, camera, speakers, etc., can indeed be said to be the most powerful all-in-one computer for multimedia performance currently available.

For friends who are looking to purchase an iMac recently, Tony also wants to share his buying suggestions.

First, regarding whether to buy a MacBook Pro or an iMac, if you do not care about the portability of a computer, then choosing a MacBook Pro is definitely not as cost-effective as the iMac.

For example, the standard 16-inch MacBook Pro sold on the official website with an i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, paired with an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M graphics card, is priced at 18,999 yuan.

And how much does the iMac with better configuration cost? 18,399 yuan. The iMac not only uses a desktop-class CPU but also has better graphics and display than the MacBook Pro.

Additionally, since the iMac’s hard drive is soldered to the motherboard, if funds are limited, friends should first ensure the hard drive capacity of the iMac before considering whether to upgrade the CPU and graphics card specifications.

The memory can be added gradually, and the Nano-texture glass panel is not a necessity for the iMac, so the priority of these two options can be slightly postponed.

If you are just envious of that 5K display, then just go for the standard version iMac at 14,399 yuan, it’s definitely worth it.

Hope this article can serve as a reference for everyone.