Apple iMac 27in

Don’t try this at home, kids

Benchmark Tests

Register Hardware’s current testing methodology for Mac computers is to instal 64-bit Microsoft Windows 7 natively (remember, you can dual-boot a Mac) and run our standard PC tests. When I last did this on one of Apple’s previous range of 27in quad-core iMacs, it turned out to be the fastest PC I had ever tested.

PCMark Vantage Results

Longer bars are better

Results for this latest 27in iMac are outstanding too. One exception is HDD performance, which simply confirms every benchmark of Mac computers since 1984: they always seem to have slow hard disks. Just don’t think about swapping it out for your own, since Apple’s firmware will cause the new hard disk to spin at maximum, cause the Apple Hardware Test to fail and slice your knackers off. OK, your knackers are probably safe but Apple never designed its iMacs to be user-serviceable, and now it’s official.

The creative option?

Verdict

The new 27in iMac might be great fun but is it really worth £1,600+? That kind of money could buy you a damn hot 3D games machine, a pretty decent workstation, a touchscreen marvel… or even a mid-range MacBook Pro. But factor in the beautiful screen, superb performance, top-quality input devices and (let’s face it) minimal support downtime, this 27in 3.1GHz iMac is the ideal affordable workstation for the creative professional. Frankly, if you’re in the market for a home computer, forget it – it’s too good for you. ®

Many thanks to Square Group for the loan of the review unit.

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