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All other iMacs get proper Radeon Pro graphics, though the 27-inch iMacs use newer, faster models (that extra space gained from a having bigger screen makes room for more powerful internals), and the 2021 iMac gets the formidable shared graphics processing power of the M1 chip. Again, the entry-level 21.5-inch iMac is best avoided, as it doesn't have a dedicated graphics card. If you'll be using your iMac for editing video, the speed of graphics card is also important, as this can significantly speed up exporting times.

Given that RAM is not user-upgradable in a regular (non-Pro) iMac, we'd strongly recommend speccing 16GB or more at the point of purchase, to maximize the useful lifespan of your new machine. For iMacs, 8GB is now the baseline spec, and while this is just about adequate for light image editing, open a bunch of tabs open in your web browser while adding several layers to a high-res PSD file and watch what happens to the performance. The new 24-inch iMac could be better still, though – the screen is smaller, but the M1 processor has already shown its huge power in the M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro and M1 Mac Mini.Īnother important thing to consider is the amount of RAM you want. The extra room gives you luxurious space for both your image and the various editing palettes around it. The smallest 21.5-inch iMacs is still available – for now, but for most photographers and video editors the 27-incher is the way to go. What should you look for when searching for the best iMac for photo and video editing? The key is to look at the specifications and suss out what you're going to need while any modern iMac is going to be capable of editing photos with ease, some are more suited to heavy workloads or ultra-high resolution than others.įirst things first, you need to select your screen size. The best iMac for photo editing: what to look for Even with the smaller screen, it still looks fantastic if you spec it with a Retina display for ultimate giving excellent image quality, and there's powerful performance to be had if you choose one of the faster quad-core processors and 16GB of RAM or more. It also features that iconic all-in-one design we've come to love about the iMac, and the 21.5-inch model is less dominating when placed on a desk. The 2017 model may now be showing its age, but it still offers acceptable performance when it comes to photo editing. You won't be able to add more RAM in the future, so if you want a truly future-proofed iMac, the 2020 27-inch model (above) is still the safer option, providing you spec it with 32GB RAM or more.Īs with the 27-inch iMac, if you don't mind getting slightly older hardware, you can save a decent amount of cash when buying a 21.5-inch iMac for photo editing. This can soon be devoured when you're editing high-res, multi-layer image files or 4K video, especially if you've got several web browser tabs open at the same time. The only drawback here is, like an M1 MacBook, the M1 chip can only be specced with a max 16GB of RAM. The 24-inch iMac even looks great when it's powered off, thanks to it's unbelievably slim screen and the fact that you can choose from 7 body color options.

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Factor the DCI-P3 color space coverage, plus Apple's excellent True Tone technology, and this display is sure to be a huge hit with creatives wanting the best possible viewing experience. The iMac M1 has the same 8-core processor as its MacBook cousins, but pairs it with a 23.5-inch Retina screen boasting a huge 4.5K (4480 x 2520) resolution and an eye-popping 500-nit brightness. It's supremely fast and efficient, and has given traditional computer processor manufacturers like Intel and AMD a big worry. Only 16GB max memory -23.5-inch screen can be restrictive -Expensive SSD upgradesĪt the heart of the new 24-inch iMac is Apple's superb M1 System on a Chip, which combines pretty much all the core aspects of a computer onto a single chip, much like a phone or tablet.

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This could be limiting for intensive image/video editing right now, and is very likely to become an issue in the future as image and video resolutions invariably rise, especially as you can't upgrade the RAM in an iMac after purchase. The only reason we don't rate it as the number 1 iMac for image or video editing is, like it's M1 MacBook cousins, you can't spec more than 16GB or RAM. The 24-inch iMac is also beautifully slim and can be had in 7 different color options, making it a true object of desire.

Its price is more palatable than that of its 27-inch sibling, and it packs Apple's superb M1 System on Chip, which is both blazing fast and yet super efficient and cool-running. Alternatively, there's the new 2021 24-inch iMac.

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