Why You Shouldn’t Buy the New 4K iMac

Apple released a new iMac last week and finally updated its 21.5-inch model to give it a high-resolution 4K display, but here’s why you shouldn’t buy it right now.

The new iMac has an impressive 4096×2304 resolution, giving you a pixel density of around 219 pixels per inch; that’s not the iPhone’s Retina display quality, but 4K, that’s really all that needs to be said.

The entry-level 21.5-inch iMac models still stand, but the 4K model comes with a much faster processor. The base model of the 4K unit comes with a 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of hard drive. You will also get Intel Iris Pro 6200 Graphics with the package.

The 4K iMac starts at $1,499, slightly more than the $1,099 starting price of the non-4K model, but that was to be expected since the 5K iMac debuted at a pretty hefty price tag.

However, while the 4K iMac may seem like a great upgrade, it’s not quite what it sounds like. Here’s why you should wait to buy a 4K iMac.

Reduced SSD Storage

Apple’s Fusion Drive was a revelation when it was first released with 128GB of SSD storage along with 1TB of hard drive space.

Essentially, Fusion Drive’s job is to identify the files and apps you use most often and automatically move them to SSD storage to make them load and perform faster while all your other files stay on the hard drive.

The 4K iMac comes with a Fusion Drive, but since the entry-level 4K model only comes with a regular 1TB hard drive, you’ll have to upgrade it. You have to pay another $100 to upgrade to Fusion Drive.

Also, the 1TB Fusion Drive only comes with 24GB of SSD storage, while the 2TB upgrade comes with the regular 128GB storage, but you’ll pay another $100 on top of it.

I’m sure this is Apple’s effort to save money, but if buyers are paying the extra $100 to get a Fusion Drive, they should have 128GB of storage.

Also, the hard drive itself is only 5400 RPM instead of 7200 RPM, which means slower read/write speeds for users.

No Custom Graphics

This probably isn’t a big deal for casual users, but if you’re planning to do something remotely intense like gaming, it might eventually impress you.

The 4K display is great and the integrated Intel Iris Pro graphics are clearly powerful enough to drive a 4K display. If not, Apple would put something more powerful in there. However, it’s probably just “good enough”.

While we’ll have to wait to see real-world comparisons and testing, any game on a 4K display can easily push the limits of the iMac’s graphics. And what’s perhaps more annoying is that you can’t upgrade the graphics on the 4K iMac.

Again, this might not be a huge deal for some users, but once you start doing anything screen-intensive, your iMac’s graphics will likely feel it.

higher price

Ok, so the higher price tag was expected, but eventually that price will drop – possibly when a minor refresh is introduced next year, which is really the ultimate reason you shouldn’t be buying the 4K iMac right now.

In any case, the $1,099 entry-level iMac is probably the best model for casual users. The 4K display on the new iMac looks great, but if pixel density isn’t high on your wish list, there’s no need to spend $1,500 on an iMac where you can get one for a few hundred dollars less than that. .

The price of the 4K iMac will likely drop at some point, and we’re not surprised to finally see the $1,099 iMac have a 4K display. This would probably be the best time to buy.