I just sold a 2015 5K 27" iMac with 32GB RAM & 1TB HDD for $240...if you look around, you can snag really good deals on these. If you always wanted one but couldn't afford one... now is your time!
@@wakinguptothetruth.2566 You probably noticed in time a very common problem on 4 and 5k displays provided by monitor supplier LG, before it becomes very obvious and the problem is the appearance of blurred light pink edges around the monitor.
@@pedrocalderon9058 Does the blurred pink edges mean the display/monitor will get even worse over time or is about to fail completely? Thanks in advance for your reply.
After almost 10 years, I still run this computer with a 32 Gb upgraded RAM, now with 12.7.6 macOS, Lightroom and Premiere Pro often use and sometimes Photoshop. Especially with video editing while using proxies, it's still ok although I'm getting impatient sometimes. I'm now thinking about getting a new machine but I must admit the 5K iMac 27" served me well until now. I agree with all being said here. Great work @Terry
I bought one new back in the day. Given the hardware issues the 2014 and 2015 5k models are known to develop as they age (especially the display panel failure) I would recommend getting a 2017 model or newer instead. Speaking from experience, the image retention issue can go from non-existent to unusably bad in the span of a few weeks.
Image retention or ghosts on the Retina 5K display is a perfectly normal operational aspects in the way the display was designed to work for wider angle viewing. These ghosts disappear after a short time and won't interfere with work flows. And I would definitely recommend OCLP for updating the macOS to later versions.
I’ve seen a few where yes, it technically goes away, but you can put a still object on screen and it comes back in a few seconds. That’s actually a problem.
i bought the original in 2015 for 3k.. crazy that i found one online for 280 shipped to my house. will arrive tommorow and am excited to get a "fresh new' computer.
Yeah the image retention is something I noticed too. I had an ultimo 2014 5K iMac. It had bad retention Issues but only in the corners of the screen. Now I have a 2019 iMac it doesnt really have that issue. Sometimes after a long time icons from the dock are visible for a very short time. Much better than the 2014/15 models. So if you want to buy an 5K iMac you should probably go for the 2017 or 2019 or even 2020 models. 2019 and 2020 are still supported with the newest MacOS version which is also a good benefit. (OpenCore will bring the 2015 and 2017 to Sonoma just fine though)
Thanks for your review, Terry. My 2015 27" iMac has exactly the same specifications as yours. I bought it brand new on Black Friday, 2015. I still edit 1080P videos in FCPX but can't upgrade beyond 10.6.8. I have run into a few glitches and my computer is definitely slower than it used to be. I'm holding out for a new iMac Pro (where is it, Apple?) but I may have to go another route before too long.
I also want to see Apple, Inc., come out with a new "space gray" 27-inch M2/M-3/M-4 iMac Pro. Because, I am sure this will cause the older 27-inch Intel iMac Pro prices to drop like a rock. Then, I will be able to add one to my collection for under $1,000 (smile...smile).
Thank you, for this nice video on the usability of a 2015, 27-inch iMac now in 2024. Later this year, I might pick-up a used "space gray" 27-inch iMac Pro to add to my collection (smile...smile). Currently, the iMac's in my collection are the "glossy white" 20-inch G5 iMac and the "glossy white" 24-inch Intel iMac. If, I owned this model from 2015, I would use it as a Linux computer (smile...smile).
It’s insanely hard and upsettling to believe that a 5K screen device is gonna be obsolete in a few months when macOS Monterey is out of support. No matter if it is from 2015 and nearly out of support, it still holds up very well. 😢
@@stevenrobertson4190 I never owned a mac before but I did own an ipad mini 2 that was stuck on ios 12. The last security update was from January 2023. RU-vid and minecraft were still usable while some other apps like Angrybirds 2 and Angrybirds friends lost support in the same year. In early 2024 youtube and minecraft dropped support from ios 12 and it became unusable. Despite I owned an ipad pro since 2019 I continued to use this device until it became unusable for me and in March 2024 I stopped using it completely. I am aware that google chrome dropped support from MacOS 10.15 Catalina in May 2024 so in that case I think it will be (somewhat) usable until the beginning of 2026.
@@stevenrobertson4190 you can use opencore legacy patcher and that will allow you to run the newest operating systems on outdated macs, so the 2015 still has many years of use still.
I bought the exact same model for video and graphic editing for € 470, even with a thirty-month warranty; It's great; Why do I need to pay two thousand euros for the 2024 model when I can have excellent work quality for a few hundred euros?! I upgraded the RAM to 32 GB and the hard disk to 1 TB
I got one from a university surplus store with just a chip in the corner for $150. Turns out it has bad image retention issue, which makes it practically worthless. I will try to build a open air case setup which will allow the panel to be away from the hot computer components and I will install fans and radiators to it because I heard that cooling an LCD down can mitigate image retention issues.
Interesting? That’s kinda the same story with the one I was reviewing in the video. Originally it was owned by a university and probably was the max configuration at the time, but has an image retention issue.
Thanks for review. I'm considering buying this exact same model from a local computer store. They want $400 out the door. Is that a fair price? Also, it has a new hard drive. I am not a tech person and plan on light use so what should I ask or make sure about the new hard drive? I appreciate any thoughts.
@@TerrysTechTipsHello thanks for your post I have a question there was mentioned ssd hard drive what do I need to make sure I have a iMac 2015 computer to last me at least another 4 years? Planning on buying one
So? What has that got to do with this video. This is about a late 2015, 27 inch imac! Do you just post random stuff on RU-vid videos that have nothing to do with the video. Like on a iPhone 15 pro max RU-vid video, you post, I just bought a iPhone 13 pro max and it works great! Some weird people on RU-vid man 😂😂😂😂😂
I'm typing this on my main computer, iMac Retina 5K, 27", Late 2015, used daily since release. I have exactly the same model as you except I have the 3TB Fusion Drive instead of the 1TB SSD. The SSD is far superior - the Fusion Drive causes the iMac to take a long but variable amount of time to wake from sleep. The iMac is unusable without AdGuard, but in my experience all Macs are. I have 40 Windows open in Chrome and 60 in Safari all the time - I watch a lot of RU-vid videos in 4K - and other apps running. I do not experience any delays. The screen is very bright and sharp (although NITS are below HDR minimum). I have brightness turned down to just above half during the day and 3 ticks lower at night. The Late 2015 model does support the Cinema gamut and it is gorgeous. Regarding display failure, that was a serious issue on my iMac 2010 but I have had zero issues on my 2012 27" iMac and the 2015. I have no image retention issues. Do not use screen savers but screen sleeps after awhile. This is not a powerful computer. I can not use it for games since 2017. For that I have an i9 13900K w/64GB, RTX 4090 and UW monitor. But the screen on the 2015 iMac is so much nicer than anything I can get for PC I use the iMac for everything except games.
Does your Late 2015 model have the pink hue around the edges which you can see on a completely white screen? If so is this a problem that gets worse or is a sign that the computer is about to fail?
@Terry Brennan My brother kindly gave me his Late 2015 27" iMac that he bought new in 2016 which has been upgraded with 24 GB of Ram. Is the Late 2015 iMac better than an earlier 2015 model? Did it get updates/improvements over the earlier model and if so what are the improvements? It is running OS Monterey so how much longer will it work for browsing the internet, RU-vid and MS Office like Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint? Thanks in advance for your reply.
I would think your Microsoft stuff will be supported for another 2 years. I don’t know the differences off the top of my head because they are minor. The late 2015 likely used a newer or better processor.
@@TerrysTechTips Thank you, Terry. Do you think it will work okay for browsing the web, FB, IG etc for another 2 years as well? It's in mint condition as my brother hardly used it. I don't think even a M3 iMac would be any better for what I use the computer for and also has a fantastic 27" 5K screen.
I still using my imac 27 late 2012... I dont game, edit image or video. Just work and wacth streaming... For that i will use this model until 2026 or 2027. 15 year.... Do that in today apple computers......
Has anybody worked out how /are using their 2015 iMac 5K retina as simply a display for more a modern MacBook m1 or m2? Is this achievable? I don't need dual screens, mirroring would be fine.
Google "Target Display Mode" to see all the options for using iMacs as displays. It was supported for a few years prior to 2015 but not this model or later because 5K bandwidth was too much of a technical challenge.
You will need to buy a 5k driver board (about $200) open and gut out the 5k iMac, and replace it with the driver board. It will work as just a brilliant 5k monitor
