iMac with Retina 5K Display (Late 2014)
Fourteen and a half million pixels in one 27-inch screen.
Overview
The Late 2014 iMac introduced the first 5K display on a mainstream computer: a 27-inch panel with 5120 x 2880 pixels, 14.7 million in total, four times as many as the standard screen. Apple built a custom timing controller to drive that many pixels from one cable.
The base model used a 3.5 GHz quad-core Core i5 Haswell, 8 GB of memory, a 1 TB Fusion Drive and an AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics chip with 2 GB. USB 3 and two Thunderbolt 2 ports provided the connections, and the display supported accurate color.
It lacked Target Display Mode, because no cable of the day could carry 5K. Cheaper non-Retina 27-inch models were not offered, so the price jumped.
Why it mattered
It set the 5K standard for desktop displays and launched the Retina iMac line.
At a glance
- Announced
- October 16, 2014
- Released
- October 16, 2014
- Launch price
- $2,499
- Chip / processor
- Intel Core i5 quad-core, 3.5 GHz
- Display
- 27"
- Storage
- 1 TB Fusion Drive
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- 27-inch 5120 x 2880 Retina display
- 3.5 GHz quad-core Core i5
- AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics
- Two Thunderbolt 2 ports
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 27-inch
- Type
- Retina 5K IPS LCD
- Resolution
- 5120 x 2880
Chip
- Chip
- Quad-core Intel Core i5 (Haswell), 3.5 GHz
- CPU cores
- 4
Memory
- RAM
- 8 GB DDR3, up to 32 GB
- Storage options
- 1 TB Fusion Drive; up to 3 TB or 1 TB flash
Graphics
- GPU
- AMD Radeon R9 M290X, 2 GB (M295X 4 GB option)
Ports
- Ports
- 4 USB 3.0, 2 Thunderbolt 2, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ac
- Bluetooth
- 4.0
Camera
- Camera
- 720p FaceTime HD
Design
- Weight
- 9.5 kg (21 lb)
Software
- Launch OS
- OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Availability
- Announced
- October 16, 2014
- Released
- October 16, 2014
- Launch price
- $2,499
Colors
- Finishes
- Aluminum
How it compares
More in the iMac family
iMac (Early 2006)
The first Intel Mac, in the familiar white iMac G5 body.
iMac (Mid 2007)
The all-aluminum, glass-front iMac arrives.
iMac (Late 2009)
The first 27-inch iMac and the first Magic Mouse.
iMac (Mid 2011)
Quad-core Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt in the iMac.
iMac (Late 2012)
Five millimeters thin at the edge, with no optical drive.
iMac (Late 2015)
A 4K Retina display comes to the 21.5-inch iMac, plus wide color.
iMac (Mid 2017)
Kaby Lake, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter, wider displays.
iMac (2019)
Up to 8 cores and Vega graphics in the familiar iMac body.
iMac (27-inch, 2020)
The last Intel iMac, with a 1080p camera and a nano-texture option.
iMac 24-inch (M1)
Seven colors, 11.5 mm thin, and an M1 chip behind a 4.5K screen.
iMac 24-inch (M3)
Same colorful slab, now with the 3-nanometer M3 chip.
iMac 24-inch (M4)
M4, 16 GB of memory and a nano-texture glass option.