2015 vs 2017 5K iMac Comparison - Should you upgrade?

Thinking about upgrading your legacy 27-inch 5K iMac to a 2017 model? Check out this comparison first.

[AppleInsider]

Thinking about upgrading your legacy 27-inch 5K iMac to a 2017 model? Check out this comparison first.

[spacemarine]

Watching this on my late 2009 iMac and it's still running at the same speed.

[Escorpio]

I am still keeping my Late 2015 Imac regardless how better you say it is.

[ninomhr]

I use both machines for graphic design and video editing and the difference is not so big.. in my opinion you need to buy 2017 version only if you are tec freak..

[SurrealAdventure]

You left out something important, the 2017 model is no longer is equipped with a digital optical out 1/8" combo port, whereas the 2015 had this. If you want to use 5.1 channel sound, you will need to buy an external sound card...

[jur]

really nice video. Would love if you did comparison between new 2017 iMac 27 i5 and i7. Interested about temperatures a fan speeds (noise).

[shubhambhatra]

you are "HANDS DOWN!", the best apple reviewer! keep up the great work!

[denyspolishchuk]

Thanks a lot, Max! You're doing a great job!

[deeptanshubhaskar]

Wait, Max used to work at Apple Insider!?

[joselveraserrano]

You look so young here

Im looking to buy an old imac. Good info

[EPHONIC]

Thanks for the review. Which configuration is best if I'm an Adobe programs user and want to edit 4K video in Premiere? I'm definitely not a gamer, but want speed and performance for breaking into video and possibly motion graphics in After Effects.

[caliber]

Watching this on my iMac 2015, still good

[kerryd]

I found this video to be fantastic in explaining key differences between the twoi devices. I have a loaded 2015 5k 27” with 3 T Fusion. I bought a loaded 27” 1 T SSD. However, I couldn’t stand the constant fan noise nor could I figure it out. I’m more tempted than anythung to now go ahead and upgrade but as a writer some things are more important than others. The thing about my current 27” I did nt like is the memory topped out at 32 gig. However, this video reveals that it can go to 64 gig. This was the primary resoin foir my uogradng. I’m going to check how much it would cost to upgrade just that. It will make a huge difference in my day to day operation. However, if it’s too expensive, it would likey more sense ti just swap out the machine. All the componentry would be working in tandem. But I’m not a gamer and only do a ittle video. I’m a writer and what I have just upgraded may make enough of a difference keep me happy.

I just want to add here that it is so good that finally Apple is putting some effort back into their Macs.

[fredfisher]

I agree, you do GREAT and objective reviews. Because a large part of how I make my living is with Final Cut, I can't WAIT for my 2017 27" 4.2GHZ quad core i7 with 8GB video RAM and 64GB of system RAM, I opted for the 1TB SSD which should provide more than enough active work space and will use Thunderbolt 3 external drives. Considering that I'm still using a maxed out config Late 2013 3.5GHZ quad core i7 with 32GB and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780m 4Mb video, I should see DRAMATIC improvement. It arrives this coming Thursday, or sooner, I hope.

[davidbuchaca]

Hei Max, does the i7 2017 gets above 80 celsius under heavy load?

Benchmarks might not be a good measure since they tipically run for only several minutes. I´m talking about having the CPU maxed out for 6 or 7 hours.

I´m quite interested in this type of details. Awesome work by the way.

[JDW-]

But when it comes to editing video in Final Cut Pro X, performance in the Compressor app is key. How much faster is Compressor on the new iMac versus the old?  And does Compressor only use the CPU or the GPU or both?
Another thing to consider if you are a video editor is that the upcoming iMac Pro would probably be even better choice, albeit more expensive.  Therefore, unless one absolutely needs a desktop Mac right now, it would be more prudent to wait until the iMac Pro comes out before making a final buying decision.

[gregallenphoto]

Very good vid. I found your article via google. Great stuff. Will the 2017 iMac i5 (max RAM) run faster Lightroom edits then the 2015 i7 ( max RAM)? Thank you for your response.

[Rickety]

Thank you! Mojave is apparently too heavy for my 2011 Mac. This video is what I was looking for. Are you supposed to measure cooling by fan rpm? I’m used to cfm and running actual tests?

Tho I’m always suspicious when you don’t cite any sources in your description...

[MadmusicalHulk]

great video and easy to understand!
I have just upgraded from the Original 5K version (Late 2014) but kept with the i5 @ 3.5ghz so should see a huge upgrade in performance then. Especially since I have an extra 32gb of RAM to go inside.... UPDATE... great machine however there is one major flaw.... The headphone jack now no longer supports S/PDIF Optical Out so you now need to find another way to link it into your Hifi. ... I should have seen this coming, especially since the 2017 MacBook Pros also don't have Optical Out !

[mixedbassoon]

Hey Max, I love your videos! I need some advice:
- i'm a photographer/filmmaker enthusiast, i currently have an 5k imac late 2014 (amd m9 m290x 2048mb gpu), and I was thinking about upgrading to one of the imac 2017 base models with radeon pro 570 or 575 (4gb) gpu-s... how much of a performance increase would i get and is it worth the upgrade? I am especially interested in 4k video playback, since both macs that i've used so far (this 5k imac and 2015 macbook pro 13 inch) have always dissapointed me with kinda choppy/stuttery, or simply not fluid/fluent enough 4k video playback? Hope I was clear enough with my question :)