Apple silently releases two updated iMacs

Apple has made a thing of quiet hardware announcements this week. First it was the iPad refresh that turned up unexpectedly, now we’ve also got some info on iMac upgrades. The company has given its 21.5in and 27in iMacs fresh processors and GPUs. It’s not much, but it’s something shiny and new.

The smaller, 21.5in model now features either a quad-core i3 or six-core i5 processor (all 8th gen), with the top-of-the-range model fitted with a Radeon Pro 555X GPU or a Radeon Pro 560X GPU. Customers who need more ‘oomph’ can choose to configure a custom model with up to a six-core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and AMD’s Radeon Pro Vega 20 GPU. It might sound familiar if you’ve followed the re-release of the Mac Mini, which offers the same specs — but these dudes have a 4K display built-in.

The 27in iMac, meanwhile, gets Intel’s six-core i5 processor at the base model, 8th gen on the two lower configurations, and 9th gen on the pre-built option. Apple is also offering upgrades to Intel’s latest 9th-gen, eight-core i9 processors, which will doubtless cost a pretty penny. Graphics on the 27in models include the Radeon Pro 570X, 575X, and 580X GPUs for pre-built models, although AMD’s Radeon Pro Vega 48 GPU (with 8GB of memory) is available as a custom option for the highest configuration.

When these refreshed Apple machines will make their way to South Africa isn’t known yet. Once we have local info and pricing, we’ll let you know.

Source: Engadget and Apple Newsroom