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iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) vs iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2

Quick look

Quick look: iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
FigureiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
Price£1,2493launch price£1,0494launch price
ChipCore i33.6GHz quad-core IntelCore i52.3GHz dual-core Intel
CPU4-coreCPU2-coreCPU
Memory8GBmemory, base8GBmemory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base1TBstorage, base
Display21.5-inchdisplay21.5-inchdisplay
Released19 March 20195Available online; Apple gave no in-store day7 June 20176ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 5 June 2017.
Security updatesNot available7Security updates15 September 20258Security updates ended
Price
The iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) is £1,249 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) is £1,049 at launch, per Apple UK Store (archived 23 June 2017).

True to scale

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) · 528 × 450 mm frontiMac (21.5-inch, 2017) · 528 × 450 mm front

Front faces, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
SpecificationiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
Dimensions450 x 528 x 175 mm450 x 528 x 175 mm
Weight5.48 kg5.44 kg
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, four USB-A ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45), 3.5 mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, four USB-A ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45), 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
USB-A ports44
HDMINo HDMI port.9No HDMI port.10
SD card slotYesYes
Headphone jackYesYes
KeyboardMagic KeyboardMagic Keyboard
Touch IDNo Touch ID.9No Touch ID.10

Display

Display: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
SpecificationiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
Display size21.5 in21.5 in
Resolution4096 x 23041920 x 1080
Display typeRetina 4K displayLED-backlit display
Brightness500 nitsNot available11
Wide colour (P3)YesNot available11

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
SpecificationiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
Chip3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i32.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconIntel processor, not Apple silicon.12Intel processor, not Apple silicon.13
CPU cores42
GraphicsRadeon Pro 555X with 2GB of GDDR5 memoryIntel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Chip options3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3, 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5, or 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i72.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)32GB16GB
Memory options8GB, 16GB or 32GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents14No, as Apple documents14
Storage (base)256GB1TB
Storage (maximum)1TB1TB
Storage options256GB SSD or 1TB Fusion Drive1TB hard drive, 1TB Fusion Drive or 256GB SSD

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
SpecificationiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth4.24.2
Ethernet10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)
External displays (base)22

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
SpecificationiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
CameraFaceTime HD cameraFaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers
MicrophonesMicrophoneMicrophone

Platform

Platform: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) against Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
SpecificationiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)1iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)2
Shipped withmacOS Mojave15Not available11
Newest macOSmacOS Sequoia16macOS Ventura16
Model identifieriMac19,216iMac18,116
Model year20192017

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications · Default for iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications · Default for iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac gets a 2x performance boost · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple UK Store (archived 23 June 2017) — iMac 21.5-inch, 2.3GHz dual-core Core i5, 8GB, 1TB hard drive, £1,049.00 · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac gets a 2x performance boost · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  6. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  7. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  8. endoflife.date — Apple macOS · third-party figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  9. iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019): No HDMI port. No Touch ID. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  10. iMac (21.5-inch, 2017): No HDMI port. No Touch ID. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  12. iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019): Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  13. iMac (21.5-inch, 2017): Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — Install memory in an iMac · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  15. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac gets a 2x performance boost · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  16. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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Not published by Apple

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019). Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: colours, pixel density, refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user, maximum continuous power. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac gets a 2x performance boost, read 9 Oct 2026.

iMac (21.5-inch, 2017). Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: colours, pixel density, refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user, maximum continuous power. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)? · Should I upgrade my iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.