Hands-On with the 2017 5K iMac: A Creator’s Dream Machine

Unique Knowledge Hub April 17, 2025

💻 2017 27-Inch 5K iMac Review: Still a Powerhouse for Creators

By Mike | The DetroitBORG

Hey everyone, Mike here—aka the DetroitBORG—and I’m really excited to share my new production machine: the brand new 2017 27-inch 5K iMac. This machine is a major upgrade from previous generations and until the space gray iMac Pro arrives later this year, this is easily one of the most powerful all-in-one Macs you can get your hands on.

So, what’s new? Let’s dive in.

🆕 What’s New in the 2017 iMac?

The 2017 refresh brings a lot of meaningful upgrades to the table:

  • Intel Kaby Lake CPUs for faster performance and better energy efficiency.

  • All-new Radeon Pro 500 series GPUs, perfect for creators and light gamers.

  • A jump to DDR4 RAM, providing better memory speeds.

  • Upgraded SSD and Fusion Drive performance.

  • An even better 5K Retina display—now 43% brighter.

  • Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports replacing the older Thunderbolt 2.

⚙️ My Configuration

I went with a build-to-order model that includes:

  • A quad-core Intel Core i7, clocked at 4.2 GHz—the highest-end CPU available in the iMac line.

  • 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, which I upgraded myself to 64 GB (more on that below).

  • A 3 TB Fusion Drive—a hybrid of SSD and HDD that offers speed and storage capacity.

  • A Radeon Pro 580 GPU with 8 GB of VRAM, perfect for video editing and graphics-heavy tasks.

Apple’s RAM upgrade prices are notoriously high—$1,400 for 64 GB—so I opted to upgrade it myself for just around $500.

📦 What’s in the Box?

Inside the box, you’ll find:

  • The power cable.

  • A Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 (I went with the default configuration).

  • A Lightning Cable to charge those accessories.

  • Paperwork, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and the usual Apple stickers.

🧠 Upgrading the RAM: Easier Than You Think

Upgrading RAM on the 27-inch iMac is surprisingly easy:

  1. Lay the iMac flat (protect the glass!).

  2. The RAM access panel is behind the hinge.

  3. Push a hidden button inside the power connector to pop the door open.

  4. Swap out the two 4 GB sticks.

  5. Install your new RAM (in my case, 4 sticks totaling 64 GB).

  6. Close it up and confirm the upgrade in macOS’s System Info.

This is the first iMac to use DDR4 RAM, which is faster and more efficient—great for video rendering, multitasking, and large projects.

🖥️ The Incredible 5K Retina Display

Apple keeps pushing the limits of display tech:

  • Resolution: 5120 x 2880 (scaled to 2560 x 1440 for usability).

  • Brightness: 500 nits, 43% brighter than the previous generation.

  • DCI-P3 wide color gamut and 10-bit color via dithering = 1 billion colors.

  • Perfect for professional photo and video editing.

  • Improved anti-reflective coating helps with glare in bright environments.

One huge plus? You can preview 4K video projects with plenty of space for your editing tools right on the same screen.

🎧 Camera, Audio, and I/O

  • 720p FaceTime HD Camera – unchanged but still solid.

  • Microphone is now hidden behind the glass bezel, just above the Apple logo. You won’t see it, but it’s just as effective.

  • Thunderbolt 3 ports replace Thunderbolt 2—now you can run dual 5K displays or multiple 4K monitors.

  • Also includes:

    • 4x USB-A (USB 3)

    • SDXC card slot

    • Headphone jack

    • Gigabit Ethernet

🧱 Design & Build

Though the design hasn’t changed much, it still looks sleek:

  • 5mm thin edges that curve out toward the center bulge (which houses all components).

  • Adjustable articulating stand lets you tilt the display.

  • Cooling system draws air in from the bottom and exhausts silently out the back—almost unnoticeable unless under load.

  • Stereo speakers are excellent, no need for external ones unless you're doing professional monitoring.

  • The Apple logo on the back is actually a plastic window to allow Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals to pass through the metal chassis.

🔬 Performance Benchmarks

Here’s how it stacks up compared to the previous model:

  • CPU (Geekbench):

    • Single-core: ~5500 (up from ~5200)

    • Multi-core: ~1000-point gain

  • GPU (OpenGL):

    • Previous: Radeon R9 w/ 5 GB

    • Now: Radeon Pro 580 w/ 8 GB

    • +20 FPS in graphics performance

  • Fusion Drive Speeds:

    • Read: ~2500 MB/s (up from ~1670 MB/s)

    • Write: ~800 MB/s (double the speed)

💰 Value for Money

Here’s the best part: all this power now costs less than before.

  • This maxed-out configuration used to be over $3,000.

  • In 2017, it was around $2,600–$2,700.

That’s a huge improvement in value for professionals who need reliable performance and that stunning 5K display.

🎥 Final Thoughts

As a content creator, this iMac is more than just a computer—it’s my business hub. I use it to edit, produce, and publish videos daily. The display, power, and quiet operation make it the ideal machine for my workflow.

If you're a creative professional or a tech enthusiast looking for a stunning and capable all-in-one desktop, the 2017 5K iMac is still one of the best machines Apple has ever made.

Stay tuned—I’ll be comparing this to the iMac Pro once it drops. And if you found this post helpful, feel free to leave a like or share it with fellow tech fans!

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