If you’re in the Apple ecosystem and want to grab yourself a PC, one of the most obvious suggestions is to go for one of the two MacBooks, which most people tend to have anyway. That doesn’t mean that Apple doesn’t offer a good desktop option for those who don’t need a laptop, or already have one, and in that case, you’ll want an iMac. In fact, it’s easily one of the best all-in-one computers out there, and its various configurations often show up on our lists of best PCs, and it makes sense, considering so many folks tend to use them for creative work.
Of course, they do tend to be pricey, which is why we’ve gone out and collected some of our favorite deals on them, although if you still want a MacBook, you can check out these MacBook deals or these refurbished MacBook deals. Also, if you’re ok with something a bit bigger, then check out our roundup of our favorite desktop deals.
Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2019) Renewed — $379 $420 10% off
Even cheaper than any of the MacBook deals going on, this Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) might be a few years old but it offers plenty of juice for the price. That’s the beauty behind many iMacs — they last a long time thanks to offering reliable hardware and the benefits of MacOS, which tends to mean they stay fast for awhile. In the case of the 2019 21.5-inch iMac, you get a 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i3 processor paired up with 8GB of memory which is a great set of specs for ensuring you can get plenty of work done.
It has a gorgeous-looking 21.5-inch full-HD screen that still looks truly high-end. It also uses integrated graphics, from Intel Iris Pro 5200, which is enough to help you out when editing videos or completing graphic design projects. 1TB of storage space means there’s plenty of room to keep your files and software, too.
The whole thing is built into a beautiful and thin 5mm chassis that will look great in any our home office and won’t take up much room. Perfectly suited for someone keen to dip into the iMac world without spending a fortune, the 2019 Apple 21.5-inch iMac is a true bargain at this price.
Apple iMac 21.5-inch (mid 2017) Renewed — $325 $1,099 70% off
The 2017 Apple iMac 21.5-inch keeps things simple and straightforward. If you know you want an iMac and you don’t need to consider an expensive upgrade, this iMac is a great starting point. It has all the key features you need: There’s the eye-catching 21.5-inch screen with a resolution of 3840 by 2160 with the familiar level of quality you get with Apple displays. It also has power in the form of a 3.5GHz Intel Core i5 quad-core processor and 8GB of memory. Thanks to MacOS running so efficiently, it will continue to fly with strong performance here.
In addition, the Apple iMac 21.5-inch also has 1TB of SSD storage. While that may seem a little low if you plan on saving a lot of files to your system, it does mean that you get incredibly fast performance times. Loading files or apps will be much faster than relying on a traditional hard drive. Besides that, this iMac also has two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports so that you can connect devices to it easily, including an external hard drive if you need more space.
Effectively, the 21.5-inch iMac keeps to the core essentials that you would expect from an iMac. While there’s no dedicated graphics card here, it does include a mouse and keyboard so you’re ready to go out of the box. If you’re keen to embrace the Mac way of doing things without relying on a MacBook, the 2017 Apple iMac is a fairly affordable way of doing exactly that. It’s perfectly suited as a work computer for you or your kids while they study from home. It also looks far more stylish than many other options in this price range.
Apple iMac M1 (Refurbished) — $749 $905 17% off
The Apple iMac M1 is the first iMac to feature Apple Silicon at its core. With this iMac, alongside the supercharged M1 chip you’ll be getting 512GB of solid state storage capacity and 8GB of RAM. The M1 chip itself features an 8-core CPU and an 8-core graphics processor. One of the predominant reasons to shop the iMac over something like the Apple Mac Mini, of course, is the built-in display. It features a 4.5K Retina display that’s great for doing creative work or watching movies.
Apple 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display (2019, Refurbished) — $841 $1,699 51% off
If you need more screen real estate, the Apple 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display (2019) offers that while looking great, too. Its killer feature is its 27-inch Retina 5K display which offers a remarkable resolution of 5,120 x 2,880. It’s ideal if you need plenty of room for organizing presentations, juggling multiple windows, conducting design work, or simply streaming your favorite shows in Ultra HD. It’s thin, too, so it will look great at home without taking up too much space.
Such productivity is further enhanced by everything else the 2020 27-inch 5K iMac has to offer. It uses a six-core 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor up to an i9 if you upgrade, and pairs it up with 8GB of memory. In addition, you get up to 1TB of SSD storage so you have all the benefits of faster bandwidth for your key files with additional room courtesy of the standard hard drive. You also get two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports at your disposal for connecting devices to your home desktop setup.
The 2020 27-inch 5K iMac might not be the newest system out there but it’s well made to ensure it will perform well. Having the operating system installed on the SSD means that it loads up fast with apps easily accessed. With plenty of storage space elsewhere, it’s well designed for heavy-duty work, while performance is still pretty great. And, of course, there’s that beautiful screen just crying out for you to complete graphic design work on it.
Apple iMac M3 — $1,299 $1,499 13% off
The Apple iMac M3 is currently the newest iMac on the market. It features the updated M3 chip, and it’s paired here with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid state drive. You’ll get all of the originally included components with this iMac, which include a Magic Mouse, power cord, power adapter, Magic Keyboard, and USB-C to lightning cable for charging up the keyboard and mouse. The display is the same high quality 4.5K Retina display seen in earlier Apple Silicon models of the iMac, making this a great choice as the center of your digital world.
iMac deals FAQ
Knowing when to find the best iMac deals is tricky (as is often the case with pretty much all Apple deals), which is why we’re on hand to answer that question as well as look at how much you should spend. Here’s what you need to know.
When are the best iMac deals?
The best iMac deals tend to fall during the same sales events each year. One of the biggest sales events is Prime Day. It occurs around mid-July to celebrate Amazon’s birthday. While it was once exclusively an Amazon thing, it now extends to many other retailers who are increasingly getting in on the action and launching their own competing sales. It’s a good time to check out iMac deals as tech deals are often highly sought after.
Alternatively, there’s always Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Occurring right after Thanksgiving, these sales don’t happen until late in the year but they also tend to offer big deals on technology and popular gadgets like iMacs. Other sales periods like Memorial Day and Labor Day can also be worth checking out but, ultimately, the biggest times are Prime Day and Black Friday.
How much should you spend on an iMac?
If you’re happy to buy an older and refurbished iMac, it’s possible to score one for less than $700. That will suit many people who don’t need the latest technology but do want a more permanent MacOS setup compared to a MacBook.
If you want the latest iMac technology, you’ll need to spend over $1,000, and more likely around $1,300-$1,500. Doing so will future-proof you for a while to come as well as get you faster performance and a superior display, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessary for everyone to spend so much. Consider your budget and priorities and work from there.
