Don't try out one of these if you're looking for a desktop and you're near your credit limit. You'll want one. I’ve been using Apple’s new iMac with Retina 5K display for the last few days. I’m now convinced all the positive reviews are correct — this is a fabulous Mac capable of high-end performance and equipped with an utterly compelling display. I’ve curated a few details you might not be aware of concerning the top-of-the-line iMac. Friction Welding The process Apple uses to manufacture the unibody aluminium chassis is called friction welding, which the company first brought to market in 2013. Competitive The Mac delivers seven times the number of pixels you’ll find on an HDTV at 445 cd/m^2 full brightness. It offers 14.7 million pixels (at a resolution of 5,120-x-2,880); the conventional 27-in. model resolution is 2,570-x-1,440. Check the small print Equivalent 5K displays will set you back $2,500+ for the display alone — and may not be as good. Apple uses IPS technology, while cheap 4K displays use inferior TN technology. Check the small print. Home-made Apple worked with Parade Technologies to design its own display timing controller (above) to send signal to the pixels on the display. LG manufactures some of the displays. Limitation A new timing controller was required in order to handle the bandwidth demands of 5K — even Thunderbolt 2 can’t handle that kind of load yet, which is why there’s no 5K Cinema Display. 60Hz That timing controller means the iMac operates at 60Hz in native 5,120-x-2,880 resolution. Clever. Layers Apple claims the 1.4mm display panel assembly features 23 layers of technological innovation, including a new oxide-based TFT which helps ensure solid contrast even when viewing the display off-axis. Graphics processor Mobile pervades everything at Apple today — the high-end AMD Radeon R9 M295X GPU delivers amazing performance, but is designed as a mobile system. You’ll get excellent graphics from the 2GB dedicated video memory. iPad Pro iMac features an iPad technology (“overpass”), which reduces operational interference, and helps maintain image quality. The display consumes 30% less power than previous generation iMac displays. Bench tests Courtesy of Electronista, here are the Geekbench 3 CPU benchmarks for the new iMac. Electronista Sun Want to put the display through its paces? Follow Cult of Mac’s advice and watch the 4K version of this YouTube video of the sun. No You cannot use this iMac as an external screen. You can however drive two 27-inch Thunderbolt displays using this iMac, even in Boot Camp. The iMac consumes just 1.2-Watts of power in sleep mode. User replaceable You get just 8GB RAM as standard. Thankfully, you can upgrade it yourself. You should do so. Who’s inside? Identified component manufacturers include: Intel, LG, AMD, Texas Instruments, Hynix, Parade Technologies, Delta Electronics, Fairchild Semi, Broadcom, Cirrus Logic, Intersil, Microchip Technology, SanDisk, Marvell, Skyworks. Loose The CPU is not soldered to the logic board, meaning it could potentially be replaced. Accessibility Resolution is so high you may want to adjust the scaling options to find a setting you prefer (System Preferences>Display>press option an choose Scale). The display is set to look similar to the lower-resolution of a standard 27-inch iMac by default. Green(er) No mercury, arsenic, BFRs or PVC. The iMac base is made from 30 percent recycled aluminum. The speaker enclosure is made with 30 percent recycled plastic. Weight Interestingly, the 5K iMac weighs no more than the standard 27-inch model, 21-pounds (9.54kg). Achievement Slowly but surely people are cottoning on to the fact that Apple makes the best PCs. That’s why Mac sales continue to grow share even while the PC industry shrinks. Apple is now a top 5 global PC manufacturer. Buying advice Don’t try one of these if you’re looking for a desktop and you’re near your credit limit. You’ll want one. It really is that simple. Worth the hype Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic’s Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple? Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I’d like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld. Related content news Mosyle and Fleet bring new device management options to Apple enterprise Apple's growing enterprise market share is generating tons of opportunity for the company's partners in the device management market. Their approaches reflect the diversity of use. 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