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AMD Radeon Pro Graphics, Intel 9th Gen CPUs Come to iMac
Apple has given its iMac all-in-one desktops a much-needed power boost with up to 9th Generation Intel Core processors and AMD's Radeon Pro Vega graphics.
The 21.5-inch iMac will go up to an 8th Generation Core processors, while the 27-inch iMac line includes both 8th Gen and 9th Gen CPUs. Both sizes now utilize Radeon Pro graphics. The 21.5-incher uses either Radeon Pro 555X or Radeon Pro 560X, while the larger 27-inch computer lets users opt for a 570X, 575X or 580X.
The 21.5-inch desktop will start at $1,299 with a quad-core 8th Gen Core i3, 8 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM, Radeon Pro 555X a 1 TB hard drive, a 4K display and 1 TB hard drive. $1,499 will bump you up to a 6-core Core i5, Radeon Pro 560X and 1 TB Fusion drive. A cheaper, $1,099 model is still available with an FHD display, a 7th Gen dual-core processor and Intel's Iris Plus graphics.
On the 27-inch side, the base model has a 5K screen, a 6-core, 8th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM, a 1 TB Fusion Drive and Radeon Pro 570X. To get to the 9th Gen Core i5, you'll need to opt for a more expensive model, like the $2,299 machine with 2 TB Fusion Drive and Radeon Pro 580X.
Both the 21.5 and 27-inch models have configurable memory and storage.
The iMac doesn't appear to have any design changes, so you still get a slim, elegant machine, though the bezels are starting to look a bit thick these days. Apple is promising the display offers up to 500 nits of brightness, with up to 14.7 million pixels and 1 billion colors, as well as support for the P3 color gamut. What it doesn't have, though, is a touch screen, like its chief competitor, Microsoft's Surface Studio 2.
Apple yesterday quietly updated its iPad lineup with a new iPad Air and iPad Mini. The company has an event on March 25, but with all of these updates coming this week, it may be light on hardware. It's rumored to focus primarily on video streaming and news subscription services.
