Apple iMac REF-MNE92LL/A Silver 2017

A world-class 5K display with a painfully average 2017 computer inside. Buy it for the screen, and try not to open too many apps at once.

The biggest surprise is how well that Radeon Pro 570 holds up for light creative work. It's a solid middle-of-the-pack performer in our GPU database, meaning photo editing and even some light 1080p video work is totally doable. The real bottleneck is the RAM. At 8GB, this thing is on life support the moment you open a few browser tabs and a couple of apps. The Fusion Drive setup is a weird hybrid of a small SSD and a big HDD, which feels sluggish compared to the full SSDs we're used to now. It's a machine that feels snappy for basic tasks but runs out of breath quickly.

Stacked against a modern Windows all-in-one like the HP OmniDesk, this iMac gets obliterated on raw performance. The HP will have a newer, faster processor and more RAM for a similar price. But it won't have a 5K display. That's the trade-off. A Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is in a different universe for gaming and heavy lifting, but it's a bulky tower and you'll need to buy a separate monitor. You're choosing between a stunning screen with a so-so computer inside, or a great computer with a so-so screen. For most people, the screen is what you look at all day, and that's where the iMac wins.

For $490, it's a weirdly compelling deal if you know exactly what you're getting. You're not buying a powerhouse. You're buying one of the best displays on the market with a basic computer attached for free. If you need a beautiful screen for writing, browsing, and light office work, it's a steal. If you need to do anything more, you'll quickly feel the pinch of that RAM and aging processor.

The 2017 27-inch iMac is a tale of two computers. You're buying it for that glorious 5K display and the quiet, refined all-in-one design, and on those fronts, it still delivers. But you're also buying a machine with a processor from 2017 and a base 8GB of RAM that feels downright stingy in 2024. The real story here is the refurb market. For around $490, you're getting a screen that would cost nearly that much on its own, wrapped around a computer that's fine for everyday tasks but will choke on anything demanding.

If you're looking for a fast, responsive computer for heavy multitasking, creative work, or gaming, this isn't it. Go get a Mac Mini M1 or M2 and a decent 4K monitor instead. You'll get a much faster machine with a modern processor and a screen that's almost as good, for not much more money.

Buy this iMac for the 5K display, not the computer. It's a perfect secondary machine for a kitchen or home office where you want something beautiful for light tasks. The 8GB of RAM is a dealbreaker for anything more than that. If you can find a 16GB or 32GB refurb model for a bit more, jump on it. This base model is a screen with a computer attached, and you have to be okay with that.