11/10/23
9:00 am

There's No More 27-Inch iMac, Here's What To Get Instead

Apple has officially said they aren't planning on making a new 5K 27-inch iMac. But the current line-up of Macs has plenty of great options that will get you a 27-inch screen and a fast new Apple Silicon processor, often cheaper than what an iMac would have cost.

Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. Disappointed that there won't be a new 27" iMac? 
Here's what you can buy instead. 
MacMost is brought to you thanks to a great group of more than 1000 supporters. Go to MacMost.com/patreon. There you can read more about it. Join us and get exclusive content and course discounts.
So I mentioned before how it's very unlikely that Apple is planning to come out with a 27" iMac. They have the current 24" iMac and just that one size. Recently it has been reported in the news that Apple has officially stated this now. It doesn't rule out that Apple may change its mind in the future or come out with something bigger than 27". It is unlikely that we will see anything different that the 24" iMac for awhile. But if you really want to replace your 27" iMac with something new you actually have a lot of options. None of them are going to be ideal exactly what you want. In some respects, like design, it may not be as good. But in other respects, like performance, it will certainly be better than any 27" iMac you may have now. 
First, let's remember what we're replacing here. The last 27" iMac was the 2019 5K model. It has a fantastic screen and it came with an Intel, either i5 or i9 processor. Either a pretty weak one for the time or a fairly powerful one. You can get storage options similar to now and the price range of $1800 for the lowest end version. But if you wanted that i9 processor for decent performance you were starting at $2700. 
Also there was the iMac Pro. The iMac Pro had a similar screen but a much more powerful Intel Xeon processor. It started with 1 TB of storage but the price on this started at $5000. So remember that. For an iMac Pro you're starting at $5000 and for a decently powered iMac you're at $2700, even with base memory for both.
Now some things to consider when looking for a replacement for these. First, the design. The design is not going to be as nice as having this all in one nice beautiful Mac, especially you're going with the cheaper options I'm going to show you because you're using 3rd party screens. Also a lot of the cheaper screens I'm going to show you are lower quality, either 2 or 4K, although I will show you some 5K options. You're going to have to deal with more wires now. The iMac, of course, had one wire going to the wall and that was it. The keyboard and pointing device were wireless. But now you're going to have to have two power cables, one for the Mac and one for the screen and you're going to have to have a cable to connect it to. I'm of course going to talk about getting a Mac Mini or a Mac Studio as a replacement and those both don't come with a keyboard or a mouse or trackpad. So either you are going to have to use the ones you have now, which you may have, or you're going to have to buy those as well. You don't get those for free like you do with even the 24" iMac now. Also the cheaper screens I'm going to show you don't have a webcam or speakers or a microphone. So, you get those with an iMac. If you don't care about those fine or if you're bringing your own webcam that provides all of those, then that's fine too. 
On the other hand one advantage of separating the computer and the screen is that you can keep using the screen for your next Mac. So unlike the iMac you can get a screen now and if you upgrade your Mac, like four, six, or eight years from now, you may still be able to keep using the screen. A lot of people in similar situations have been using the same screens for more than a decade now. 
So I'm going to start here with a really low budget option if you really want to count every dollar. You can get a base Mac Mini, and I'm not going to talk about the 250 G of storage Mac Mini because I don't think that is enough for anybody. I think you need at least 512, half a terabyte. So that is an $800 machine and it's got 5 GB of RAM which is
fine for home and casual use. If you know you need more memory for it, like intense things that you're doing, then certainly get that. But this is for a low budget model. So that is $800 and you pair that with a 2K screen. So a 2K screen is going to still get you the 27". It is going to be the same size. But it is not going to have anywhere near the pixels or resolution. For some people that's fine. I know a lot of people like these screens. So if you really want to save some money you could get one for under $200 here. Now of course a screen like this isn't going to have the webcam, speakers, or mic. So keep that in mind. But the total price here comes to $1000 assuming you already have a pointing device and keyboard. 
This ViewSonic screen is just an example by the way. I just looked up some on Amazon. There are a bunch of 2K screens like this that are $200 or less. The quality is definitely going to be far less than a 5K iMac but it is a budget option. 
If you want to go up a level then you can go to a 4K screen. So I have used  a screen like this, the predecessor to this model. In fact, it's an LG4K screen. It looks great. It's not as good as a 5K screen but it is 27". I'm also going to upgrade the Mac here a little but, going with the M2 Pro processor in the Mac Mini and doubling the RAM and doubling the drive space. So that is going to bring the price to $1500 for the Mac. The screens come from about $300. So you'll be looking at $1800 which is the price of that base level iMac from 2019. You're not getting as good a screen here. But you are getting definitely a superior computer. You are, of course, still missing the webcam, speakers, mic, and the keyboard and pointing device. So you've got to bring your own for that. 
Here's that display by the way. A lot of these displays are available also in 32" versions if you want to, say, compensate for the fact that it is not a 5K screen by just having one that's bigger. You can do that. 
Now let's say we really want to replace the iMac and keep the 5k display. You don't have to jump right to Apple Studio display. There are some 5k displays on the market. For instance LG also has a 27" UltraFine 5K for just under a $1000. So if we pair that out with the same Mac we had before that brings the price up quite a bit because the screen is a lot more expensive. But you're still looking at $2500 cheaper than that i9 iMac from before. Definitely more powerful with the M2 Pro processor in it. 
Here's that display. Of course the big advantage of this display is it does actually have a webcam, mic, and speakers built into it. So for features you're really there now at the 5k iMac level. 
But what if you want to take the design up a notch. Well, of course you can go with Apple's Studio Display. That's going to be an even better display and it's going to have the webcam, a really good webcam, and really good speakers, and microphones as well. You get the nice Apple logo on the back. It looks nice. It's beautiful but it is more expensive at $1600. So, compared with the same Mac Mini you're looking at $3100 at this point. 
Now before we start talking about replacing an iMac we should point out that it is a valid option to consider today's iMac. With the iMac you go back to that nice design where you just have that one wire coming out of the iMac. It is all in one with a nice logo and it's got a great looking screen. It's got the webcam, it's got the speakers, it's got the microphone, and all of that. The only drawback is it is not 27". So it is not a true replacement. It's only a 4.5k screen, not a 5K screen. However, that still may be a big advantage when compared with some of the cheaper options I showed you before. If you dismiss this model off-hand simply because it is not 27" I encourage you to at least spend some time in front of it in an Apple Store or a Best Buy or something so you could see what it is really like because it is quite a value. The low end model is cheaper than what I am showing here. But I want to make sure you start off with at least 512GB of storage. It is still quite a bargain considering you get a new keyboard and a mouse for that price as well. 
Now let's go on to look if you are replacing an iMac Pro. Remember this was a $5000 machine. We're going to, instead of using a Mac Mini, use a Mac Studio now. That's a more expensive model. But you can get a Mac Studio with a M2 Max processor in it. Very powerful for only $2000. We don't have to upgrade that at all because it comes with 32GB RAM and a half a terabyte drive already. So we just add that 4K screen to it and $2300 get you something with a lot of power. You're still missing the webcam, speakers and mic though. If you go to the 5K display then that is $1000 there. You're still looking at $3000. Quite a discount from the $5000 of the previous iMac Pro. Here you've got the camera and you've got speakers and a microphone and all of that. 
Now, let's say we wanted instead go with a nice design and get the Apple Studio Display. That only adds $600. You're still way under the $5000 and you're all Apple at this point. If you really wanted to get closer to the $5000 level you can go up to the Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra Processor in it. That's the same processor that is in the Mac Pro. So this is a very powerful machine. The base model itself comes with 64 GB of RAM and a 1 terabyte drive. You're looking at something that is far superior in every way except for the number of wires that you will have on your desk to the previous iMac Pro. 
Now I keep mentioning the keyboard and pointing device are not included with a Mac Mini and Mac Studio. So if you don't already have your own you have to factor that into the price.The did come with the previous iMacs and they do come with the 24" iMac today. You can get the base level Magic Keyboard for $100. If you want Touch ID it goes up to $150. With the Keypad it is $129 and with both, Touch ID and the Keypad that is a $200 keyboard. If you want something really on a low budget you can search around and find companies that make Mac Keyboards. So they have the right symbols on the keys and everything for as low as $30. For pointing devices the Magic Mouse is going to set you back $100 and the Magic Trackpad, what I use and what I recommend is far superior than anything out there. I'm talking about not just mice but other trackpads and pointing devices. That's $150. But if you want to save money, of course you can get a Bluetooth mouse for as low as $10 if you really wanted to. 
So there are a whole bunch of really good options if you really wanted to get a 27" iMac today and it is just not available or it is time to replace your Mac and you want to go from a 27" iMac to something comparable today. I hope you found this useful. Thanks for watching.

Comments: 21 Responses to “There's No More 27-Inch iMac, Here's What To Get Instead”

Alison Gifford

6 months ago

There are many people who buy macs because of the excellent features for people with visual impairments- I am one of them. I need the big screen so that when I increase the size of text I still get enough on the screen to make comprehension easy. This is not possible on small screens where only a few words or a line or two of text can be displayed. A small screen makes the accessibility features for those with reduced vision practically redundant. PLEASE - we are not second cl`sss citizens.

Gary Rosenzweig

6 months ago

Alison: Not sure what you are saying here. I'm giving some good options for getting any screen size you want. I don't see how my video is treating people with visual impairments as "second class citizens."

Sheldon

6 months ago

As always--always useful. I am hoping this is related to the video. I have a 2017 and a 2019--22" iMacs. I want to replace the 2017 with a new M3 iMac. Due to the age of my wife and myself, this might be the last computer we purchase. Would you mind doing an updated video on migration assistant? The only extra app is Family Tree Maker as I do not want to renew Office 365. I am still not understanding what migrates and what does not...ie: email? Thanks bunches.

Gary Rosenzweig

6 months ago

Sheldon: Doing how-to tutorials on Migration Assistant is difficult for many reasons. Apple has it covered here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350 All of your files should transfer. But afterward, you simply test things out and work out any differences. For instance, an app you licensed from a third-party may require that you install it fresh or re-register it for it to work. Hard to know without trying. But since doing it doesn't "destroy" your old Mac, you alway shave that around as a backup just in case.

Rudy

6 months ago

Sound advice all around. When the 24" M1 iMacs came out I bought on to replace an aging fairly high-end 27" Intel Mac. I already had a 27" Dell display as a second screen and have been very happy with this combination. I really like the 24" iMac, a solid value that's easily expandable to a larger display.

Glenn Stokes

5 months ago

I have a 27 inch iMac with Intel processor .
I would upgrade to a 27 inch with Apple processor .
If they are not going to make new 27 inch with Apple Chip , then I wil keep my current iMac .
Their loss, not mine.

Robert Douglass

5 months ago

Gary, Thanks for the video, unfortunately there's yet another reason not to buy component-pieces... and that is software issues. I specifically tried to do the 'multiple-pieces' a couple years ago, using a Mini, a MacBook, and a nice LG display... What a nightmare! I'd update software, and find the display needed a software update too... not easy to find out which software went with which. Also, there were issues opening/closing the laptop- to find the display wouldn't turn on! Arrgh.

Gary Rosenzweig

5 months ago

Robert: What sort of update did the display need? I've used many external displays, including the LG attached to my Mac Studio right now that I've had for years and I've never had to update them. I don't even think there is a way.

Denise Ronalter

5 months ago

I currently have a 27" iMac (2020, Sonoma), but could my next purchase be a MacBook and then use my current iMac 27" screen as the monitor? I currently have no laptop and am sometimes missing it for remote meetings.

Robert Douglass

5 months ago

Gary, Thanks for the quick reply. I don't actually remember, but it was definitely for the display. I got so fed up with the issues (and I've been using Macs since the SE) I just abandoned it, and bought one of the then 'new' all-in-one iMacs.

Gordon Tyler

5 months ago

Apple also just removed the 24" label next to the iMac header on their site so I wouldn't hold your breath for a larger sized iMac. I had a mid 2017 iMac that would not run Sonoma so I sold it to a friend. I bought a sleeve type dock for an existing MacBook Pro M1 and paired it with an exsiting 4K 27" monitor. The sound comes from the latop, but I can't really use the camera or microphone. If you had the desk space to have a laptop open next to the main monitor, then that's another option.

Gordon Tyler

5 months ago

I was contemplating getting the new 24" iMac and then trying to add an external monitor that would match so that I didn't lose overall screen real estate. Have you found any that would fit the bill?

Gary Rosenzweig

5 months ago

Gordon: First, I would try the iMac at the store. Then I would get it but not add the extra screen right away. After a few weeks it may not seem different at all. But if you then feel you really need it, you can add another screen later.

Sussman Paul

5 months ago

Could you compare the Apple Studio Display with a 27 inch LG ultra? I’m thinking about buying one or the other and would love to see a comparison between the two. I also have a 27 inch iMac and really like it. I would love to just replace it with another 27 inch but it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to. Your comparison would be very useful and thank you I really enjoy MacMost

Gary Rosenzweig

5 months ago

Sussman: Just take a look at the specifications of each at the Apple page and the LG page for those products. I have the Apple Studio Display, but not the LG 5K so I could only really compare them on paper like that too.

John Robinson

5 months ago

This was exactly what i needed to hear. Thank you.

Paul Reinert

5 months ago

Hi Gary, I have a 2019 5k 27” iMac. I still run Mojave on it. But heard you can upgrade to Ventura and use target disk mode which was taken out of Mojave. Would that allow me to get a Mac Studio in the future and use the 27” iMac as it's monitor? Beautiful monitor it would be a shame if not true but at least I can put Ventura on it now. Many thanks for your great videos.

Gary Rosenzweig

5 months ago

Paul: Not really. You can buy more stuff and do it, but at slower speeds. See https://macmost.com/why-you-probably-cant-use-your-old-imac-as-a-display.html

Walter Pringle

5 months ago

All of the above are good options. I had a 2012 Intel Mac Mini and a Samsung 23" monitor. I replaced the Intel Mini in 2020 with the 2020 M1 Mini. Recently I added an Apple Studio 27" monitor from Apple's refurb department. The monitor looks brand new, has a one year warranty and has allowed me to remove speakers and a web cam from my setup. Since I already had an Apple keyboard and mouse I am still all Apple and good to go. Future possibility, a Mini M2Pro with 16GB. Great article!

Frank Lazar

5 months ago

Gordon Tyler's best bet right now would be to get a Mac Mini or Mac Studio and get two of a monitor he likes such possibly the LG one.

Alan Dean Foster

4 months ago

Lot of people (a lot) disappointed there won't be a new 27" (or larger) iMac.
Unfortunately for Apple, there is no way to measure how many people are not buying something.

There's No More 27-Inch iMac, Here's What To Get Instead

Comments: 21 Responses to “There's No More 27-Inch iMac, Here's What To Get Instead”

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