Best Mac Desktop 2021

Best Mac Desktop iMore 2021

• Best Overall: iMac 5K
• Best Entry Level: iMac 4K
• Best for Hobbylists: Mac mini
• Best for Most Pros: iMac Pro
• Most Niche: Mac Pro

Best Overall: iMac 5K

Featuring an aluminum and glass enclosure with a five millimeter-thin profile, the iMac 5K ships with a matching Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2. It's our best Mac desktop of 2021.

Apple offers an excellent lineup of three 27-inch iMac versions, starting with the entry-level model that includes a 3.1GHz 6-Core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz, 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory, configurable up to 128GB, Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, and 256GB SSD storage.

For more money, you can increase your RAM, processor, and storage. There's also an all-new option to get nano-texture glass instead of the standard glass.

The latest 5K iMac was released in August 2020 and includes Intel processors up to 10 cores, double the memory capacity, next-generation AMD graphics, superfast SSDs across the line with four times the storage capacity, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, higher fidelity speakers, and studio-quality mics. It's likely to be the last Intel-based iMac produced.

The one negative about this (and all) iMacs is that they could soon get replaced by Apple silicon models. Regardless, Apple plans on supporting Intel-based models for many years to come.

Best Entry Level: iMac 4K

The iMac 4K is only available with a 21.5-inch display, which you should consider before purchasing. The least expensive model offers a 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor with 8GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory, configurable up to 32GB, 1TB hard drive, and Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The more expensive version includes a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and other extras.

Like other Macs, the iMac 4K ships with the macOS Big Sur update, which offers a fresh new design and other goodies.

When looking at the 21.5-inch iMac lineup, avoid the least expensive model. It's the one without 4K. The iMac 4K was last updated in March 2019, and we expect a new Apple silicon model to arrive later this year. Keep this in mind before making your purchase.

Best for Hobbyists: Mac mini

The latest Mac mini is the first Apple desktop to feature Apple silicon. It launched in late 2020 alongside Apple silicon versions of the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. A more expensive Mac mini featuring an Intel-based processor remains on the market for those looking to add more memory or storage than the M1 version currently provides.

With the Apple M1 Mac mini version, you receive an Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB unified memory, 256GB SSD storage, and Gigabit Ethernet. Memory (up to 16GB) and storage (up to 2TB) are upgradeable.

The Intel version arrived in March 2020 with the least expensive model shipping with a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel UHD Graphics 630, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz, 8GB memory, and 512GB PCIe-based SSD storage. You can upgrade the processor, memory (to 64GB), and storage (to 2TB) by paying extra.

If you're looking at a Mac mini, you are already aware that you need to add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. In that situation, we recommend upgrading the memory beyond the minimum. Ideally, you should start with the more expensive version, if only because you'll get more storage too.

Best for Pros: iMac Pro

First introduced in late 2017, the iMac Pro includes an 8-, 10-, 14-, or 18-core Intel Xeon processor, 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display, AMD Vega graphics, up to 256GB ECC memory, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. In other words, this is one powerful machine!

Geared towards highly professional creatives, the iMac Pro can easily cost you five figures, depending on your configuration. Only buy this model if you need the expanded resources, like the color black, and a no-brainer, have a budget to support the purchase.

The biggest issues facing would-be iMac Pro buyers is two-fold. First, the product hasn't been updated in three years, which makes a refresh likely. Second, with the Mac Pro (see below) now on the market, the choice isn't nearly as simple anymore.

Most Niche: Mac Pro

No doubt, the Mac Pro (2019) is the best professional-graded computer Apple has ever created. Made in the United States, the Mac Pro has been designed for maximum performance and expansion. It features Xeon processors, an Earth-shattering high-performance memory system, eight PCIe expansion slots, and graphics architecture that supports what Apple calls the world's most powerful graphics card. There's also the all-new Apple Afterburner accelerator card that lets you playback as many as three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video simultaneously.

On the downside, no doubt is the price and the unproven aspect of the machine. The 2nd generation cylindrical Mac Pro (2013) was largely forgotten by Apple soon after its arrival. Will the new model go down the same path? Only time will tell.

Best Mac Desktop of 2021

For 2021, we recommend the iMac 5K as our favorite Mac desktop. The model includes lots of great features for everyone in your household and most professional buyers. The entry-level model includes a 3.1GHz 6-Core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz, 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory, configurable up to 128GB, Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, and 1256GB SSD storage.

Looking for more? Consider the most expensive iMac 5K, which you can now get with a 10th-generation Intel Core i9 processor.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide