iMac (Mid 2011)
Quad-core Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt in the iMac.
Overview
In May 2011 the iMac gained Sandy Bridge quad-core processors in every configuration, so even the cheapest 21.5-inch model ran a 2.5 GHz Core i5. Two Thunderbolt ports debuted on the line, allowing fast displays and storage to be daisy-chained.
A 720p FaceTime HD camera replaced the old iSight, graphics moved to the AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 6770M, and storage options included a 256 GB SSD. The 21.5-inch started at $1,199, the 27-inch at $1,699 with a 3.1 GHz quad-core chip.
It was also the last iMac with an internal SuperDrive optical drive. The design stayed the same as in 2009.
Why it mattered
It brought Thunderbolt to the desktop and was the last iMac with a built-in optical drive.
At a glance
- Announced
- May 3, 2011
- Released
- May 3, 2011
- Launch price
- $1,199
- Chip / processor
- Intel Core i5 quad-core, 2.5 GHz
- Display
- 21.5" or 27"
- Storage
- 500 GB or 1 TB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Thunderbolt ports debut
- Quad-core Core i5 and i7 across the line
- 720p FaceTime HD camera
- Last iMac with an optical drive
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 21.5-inch or 27-inch
- Type
- LED-backlit widescreen LCD
- Resolution
- 1920 x 1080 (21.5-inch), 2560 x 1440 (27-inch)
Chip
- Chip
- Quad-core Intel Core i5, 2.5 GHz (21.5-inch) or 3.1 GHz (27-inch)
- CPU cores
- 4
Memory
- RAM
- 4 GB DDR3
- Storage options
- 500 GB or 1 TB hard disk; 256 GB SSD option
Graphics
- GPU
- AMD Radeon HD 6750M (21.5-inch) or 6770M (27-inch), 512 MB
Ports
- Ports
- 4 USB 2.0, FireWire 800, 1 or 2 Thunderbolt, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet
Camera
- Camera
- 720p FaceTime HD
Design
- Weight
- 9.3 kg (20.5 lb) for the 21.5-inch; 13.8 kg (30.5 lb) for the 27-inch
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS X 10.6.7 Snow Leopard
Availability
- Announced
- May 3, 2011
- Released
- May 3, 2011
- Launch price
- $1,199
Colors
- Finishes
- Aluminum
How it compares
More in the iMac family
iMac (Early 2006)
The first Intel Mac, in the familiar white iMac G5 body.
iMac (Mid 2007)
The all-aluminum, glass-front iMac arrives.
iMac (Late 2009)
The first 27-inch iMac and the first Magic Mouse.
iMac (Late 2012)
Five millimeters thin at the edge, with no optical drive.
iMac with Retina 5K Display (Late 2014)
Fourteen and a half million pixels in one 27-inch screen.
iMac (Late 2015)
A 4K Retina display comes to the 21.5-inch iMac, plus wide color.
iMac (Mid 2017)
Kaby Lake, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter, wider displays.
iMac (2019)
Up to 8 cores and Vega graphics in the familiar iMac body.
iMac (27-inch, 2020)
The last Intel iMac, with a 1080p camera and a nano-texture option.
iMac 24-inch (M1)
Seven colors, 11.5 mm thin, and an M1 chip behind a 4.5K screen.
iMac 24-inch (M3)
Same colorful slab, now with the 3-nanometer M3 chip.
iMac 24-inch (M4)
M4, 16 GB of memory and a nano-texture glass option.