In our ongoing movement to provide benchmark datum to help you choose the correct iMac , we now present test results from a 21.5 - inch 2.7GHz Core i5 iMac with a 256 GB square - state drive ( SSD ) . you could use these results to equate with the received - configuration iMacs and twobuild - to - order ( BTO ) models with Core i7processors .
The iMac we ordered adds a 256 GB SSD to the stock - contour $ 1499 21.5 - inch iMac ( ) , which include a 1 TB hard crusade . The $ 600 SSD upgrade bring the full cost of this iMac to $ 2099 . Apple does n’t propose SSD options on the entry - level , $ 1199 21.5 - inch 2.5GHz Congress of Racial Equality i5 iMac ( ) , so the example we order represents the least expensive iMac available with both an SSD and hard drive . If you opt for a 256 GB SSD only ( no hard drive ) , this adds $ 500 to the $ 1499 price of the standard configuration .
21.5-inch 2.7GHz Core i5 iMac with SSD (Mid 2011): Speedmark 6.5 scores
Longer barroom are better . Blue bar in italics represent reference systems . Macworld science laboratory examination by James Galbraith , William Wang , and Mauricio Grijalva .
As we ’ve experience in past research laboratory testing , SSDs are substantially faster than the stock 7200 - rpm hard drives . In our overall system performance tryout cortege , Speedmark 6.5 , the SSD - fit iMac outperformed the 21.5 - inch 2.7GHz Core i5 iMac with just a 1 TB hard driveway by nearly 15 pct . The SSD - equipped iMac was 35 percentage quicker when duplicating filing cabinet , 8 percent quicker when compressing file and 47 percent faster uncompressing files . The SSD - equip iMac was also 14 percentage faster when open up a Word document in Pages , 42 percentage faster when importing JPEGs into iPhoto , 9 percent quicker at importing and processing photos in Aperture , and 16 percent faster importing a two - second snip into iMovie .
As you might expect , central processor or GPU intensive job , like those performed by Handbrake , Cinebench , MathematicaMark , and Call of Duty 4 , did n’t reap any benefit from the SSD acclivity .
Longer bars are better. Blue bars in italics represent reference systems. Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith, William Wang, and Mauricio Grijalva.
In overall performance , the SSD - equipped iMac posted higher Speedmark 6.5 scores than the 2011 BTO iMacs with processor upgrades . The SSD - equipped iMac even post a higher score than the previous fastest iMac , a 2011 BTO 27 - column inch 3.4GHz Core i7 iMac with a 1 TB hard drive .
compare the SSD - equipped iMac to the BTO 21.5 - in 2.8GHz Core i7 iMac with a 1 TB concentrated drive , we see that the SSD iMac was about 7 pct faster in our Speedmark mental test . Processor test solution recount a totally different story , however , with the 2.8GHz Core i7 iMac posting 18 percent faster Handbrake resolution , 25 pct times Cinebench CPU test results , and a 24 percent in high spirits MathematicaMark musical score .
Speedmark 6.5 individual application test results:
21.5-inch iMac 2.7GHz Core i5 SSD
Results in the above chart are in seconds ; low is dear . Reference model initalics . secure result inbold .
Call of Duty 4 results are found on framerate ; high results are better . All other psychometric test results in the above chart are in seconds ; lower final result are good . References models initalics . Best result inbold .
Cinebench R11.5 braphics solution are a grade ; higher event are skilful . All other test results in the above chart are in second ; abject solution are better . Reference models initalics . good outcome inbold .
Behind the screen of a 21.5-inch iMac.
Speedmark 6.5 individual application test results: 21.5-inch iMac 2.7GHz Core i5 SSD
MathematicaMark 7 outcome are piles ; high consequence are dependable . All other test results in the above chart are in seconds ; low upshot are ripe . Reference model initalics . good result inbold .
How we tested . Speedmark 6.5 musical score are relative to those of a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo Mac miniskirt ( Mid 2010 ) with 2 GB of RAM , which is assign a grade of 100 . We duplicated a 1 GB file , created a Zip archive in the Finder from the two 1 GB file and then unzipped it . We change over 135 minutes of AAC audio file to MP3 using iTunes ’ High Quality stage setting . In iMovie ’ 09 , we imported a television camera archive and exported it to iTunes using the Mobile Devices jell . We lead a Timedemo at 1024 - by-768 with 4X anti - aliasing on in Call of Duty 4 . We imported 200 JPEGs into iPhoto ’ 09 . The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 23 scripted task using a 50 Mbit filing cabinet . Photoshop ’s memory was set to 70 percent and History was set to Minimum . For our multitasking test , we time the Photoshop test again , but with the iTunes MP3 encryption and file condensation tests running in the background . We used Handbrake to encode four chapter from a DVD previously rip to the hard drive to H.264 . We immortalise how long it took to render a scene with multiprocessors in Cinebench and scarper that coating ’s OpenGL , frames per second exam . We ran the Evaluate Notebook examination in MathematicaMark 7 . We endure the WorldBench 6 multitasking test on a Parallels 6 VM run Windows 7 Professional . We time the import and processing time for 200 photos in Aperture.—Macworld Lab examination by James Galbraith , William Wang , and Mauricio Grijalva
Where the SSD is installed
Behind the screen of a 21.5 - inch iMac .
If you get an SSD , the drive is installed underneath the optical drive .
The 256 GB SSD in our 21.5 - in 2.7GHz Core i5 iMac .
If you get an SSD, the drive is installed underneath the optical drive.
When you rate an iMac from the Apple Online Store with both an SSD and a hard drive , the SSD is hidden under the optical driving force . The cables and bracket used to keep the SSD in home are not include in iMacs purchased without the subaltern drive .
As we ’ve previously report , the iMac is not built to be easy user - serviceable and the hard drive replacement process is not urge for the casual user .
[ James Galbraith is Macworld ’s lab director . ]
The 256GB SSD in our 21.5-inch 2.7GHz Core i5 iMac.
