🍎 Review: Renewed Apple iMac 27-inch Retina 5K Desktop (MK472LL/A)
The Apple iMac 27-inch Retina 5K Desktop (MK472LL/A), specifically the renewed model featuring a 3.2GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD, presents a compelling option for those seeking a premium all-in-one experience without the brand-new price tag. Originating from the Late 2015 lineup, this model is particularly known for introducing the stunning 5K display to the mainstream market.
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| Review: Renewed Apple iMac 27-inch Retina 5K Desktop (MK472LL/A) |
The Star of the Show: The 5K Retina Display
The most significant draw of this particular iMac is, without a doubt, its 27-inch 5K Retina display . With a phenomenal 5120 x 2880 resolution, it offers nearly 15 million pixels—a stark jump from the standard 2560 x 1440 resolution of its non-Retina predecessors.
Color and Clarity: The display utilizes a DCI-P3 wide color gamut, providing a 25% larger color space than standard sRGB. This translates to incredibly vibrant and accurate colors, making it a dream for photo and video professionals, graphic designers, or anyone who appreciates pristine visual quality.
Workflow Advantage: For content creators, the 5K resolution is revolutionary. It allows you to edit 4K video at full resolution with plenty of room left over for tool palettes and timelines, an indispensable feature for high-end production work.
Performance in a Renewed Package
The specific renewed configuration—Intel Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD—offers a solid balance of performance for general use and professional tasks, especially considering its age and renewed status.
Processor (3.2GHz Intel Core i5): The quad-core Intel Core i5 (Skylake generation) is capable for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and light multimedia consumption. However, for intense, modern creative workloads such as complex 3D rendering or heavy video editing, it will show its age compared to newer processors.
RAM (16GB DDR3): The upgrade to 16GB of user-accessible DDR3 RAM is a crucial improvement from the standard 8GB. This provides a significant boost for multitasking and running demanding applications like Adobe Photoshop or Final Cut Pro.
Storage (512GB SSD): The upgrade to a 512GB SSD (Solid State Drive) is vital. While the base model originally came with a slower Fusion Drive or Hard Disk Drive (HDD), the SSD ensures blazing-fast boot times, swift application loading, and a vastly improved overall snappy feel to the macOS experience.
Design and Connectivity
The physical design is the classic, unibody aluminum enclosure that remains an aesthetic high point for all-in-one PCs, featuring a sleek, slim profile that tapers to a mere 5mm at the edge.
Aesthetic Appeal: The timeless silver aluminum design, despite being several years old, still looks modern and premium on any desk.
Ports: Connectivity includes four USB 3 ports and two Thunderbolt 2 ports (Mini DisplayPort compatible), a Gigabit Ethernet port, an SDXC card slot, and a headphone jack. While not the latest Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), the ports offer ample connectivity for most peripherals and external drives.
Final Verdict
The renewed Apple iMac 27-inch Retina 5K Desktop (MK472LL/A) is an excellent value proposition for anyone prioritizing screen quality and a stable macOS environment on a budget. The combination of the stunning 5K display, the vital 16GB RAM, and the 512GB SSD transforms this older hardware into a very competent machine for casual users, students, and even many photo/video editing enthusiasts. Its biggest compromises are an older processor and the lack of modern Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, but these are acceptable trade-offs for the reduced price of a renewed unit. It delivers a premium screen experience that is hard to match even in many new lower-cost systems.
This video provides an in-depth unboxing and full review of the 27-inch 5k Retina Display iMac.
Apple iMac 27" 5k Retina Display - Full Review & Unboxing