What are all the differences between the "Late 2013" and the "Mid-2014" Aluminum iMac models?

Please note that the "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" iMac models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A has been updated subsequently and can be quite helpful to anyone buying or selling one of these systems on the used market.

Somewhat unusually, rather than "refresh" the entire iMac line with an across the board upgrade of all models, Apple decided to release a new lower-end, cheaper entry-level "Mid-2014" iMac -- the iMac "Core i5" 1.4 21.5-Inch (Mid-2014) -- and sell it alongside the previously introduced "Late 2013" iMac models.

Of the "Late 2013" iMac line, the 21.5-Inch models -- the iMac "Core i5" 2.7 21.5-Inch, "Core i5" 2.9 21.5-Inch, and "Core i7" 3.1 21.5-Inch -- look identical to their "Mid-2014" brethren.

However, there are important internal differences. Because the models look the same, identification differences also are quite critical. Consequently, a detailed comparison between the 21.5-Inch models from the "Late 2013" line and the lone "Mid-2014" model can be quite helpful.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (21.5" & 27" Tapered Edge iMac, Left & Right, Respectively)

External & Connectivity Differences (or Lack Thereof)

The 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" models and the "Mid-2014" model use the exact same all aluminum case design that tapers sharply to a 5 mm edge at the sides of the display.

Likewise, these models have the exact same glass cover laminated to an "anti-reflective" 8-bit 16:9 LED-backlit TFT Active Matrix LCD with IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology and 178 degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles.

Both lines additionally have an integrated 720p "FaceTime HD" webcam in the upper display bezel, speakers integrated at the bottom edge of the display, and dual integrated microphones.

Connectivity likewise is identical. All of these models have an SDXC-capable SD card slot, four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, one Gigabit Ethernet port (10/100/1000Base-T), one "headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)" that also supports the Apple iPhone headset with microphone, as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

None of these models have an integrated optical drive, although an external one may be added at additional cost. Site sponsor Adorama has the official external Apple SuperDrive for US$79 and Other World Computing has a variety of third-party external optical drive options that may be of interest.

Neither line is VESA compliant, either, but could be configured with a wall mount option instead of the aluminum stand at the time of purchase for an additional US$40. If one of these iMac models was configured for wall mounting, it did not ship with the traditional stand, and it cannot subsequently be reconfigured for desk use.

Both lines shipped with a notebook size aluminum wireless keyboard without a numeric keypad and the choice of either the wireless "Magic Mouse," the "Magic Trackpad," or a traditional wired Apple mouse. All could be configured with both a Magic Mouse and a Magic Trackpad for an extra US$69.

Identification Differences

The "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" iMac lines share Model Numbers, just as they do with earlier "Tapered Edge" iMac models. Specifically, the 21.5-Inch systems share model number A1418 (and the 27-Inch systems share model number A1419).

As the model numbers are shared by systems from multiple years, they are not precise enough to uniquely differentiate between the "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" systems.

However, these systems can be differentiated by EMC Number externally and by Model Identifier in software. Just as the site has for other models for many years, EveryMac.com has meticulously hand documented all of these details for your convenience.

For the "Late 2013" 21.5-Inch models, the Iris graphics-equipped iMac "Core i5" 2.7 21.5-Inch is EMC number 2638 whereas the iMac "Core i5" 2.9 21.5-Inch and "Core i7" 3.1 21.5-Inch models with dedicated graphics are EMC number 2742. The "Mid-2014" iMac -- the iMac "Core i5" 1.4 21.5-Inch -- is EMC Number 2805.

In software, the "Late 2013" 21.5-Inch iMac models are model identifier iMac14,1 and iMac14,3 (again, for the model with Iris graphics and the higher-end models with dedicated graphics, respectively), whereas the "Mid-2014" model is iMac14,4.

Finally, EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature additionally can identify each of these iMac models by their serial numbers.

Internal Differences

Internally, the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" iMac models have massive processor, graphics processor, and upgrade-related differences.

First, all of the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" iMac models have Quad Core processors that are much faster than the Dual Core Intel Core i5 (I5-4260U) processor in the "Mid-2014" model.

Second, the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" iMac models have much faster graphics processors -- either Iris Pro 5200 integrated graphics or GeForce GT 750M dedicated graphics -- whereas the "Mid-2014" model is equipped with older and slower Intel HD Graphics 5000.

Third, and perhaps most damning, it is needlessly inconvenient to upgrade the RAM in the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" iMac models, but they can be upgraded to 16 GB with some effort. By contrast, 8 GB of RAM is soldered in place in the "Mid-2014" iMac model and it cannot be upgraded at all, whether at the time of purchase or later.

By default, the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" iMac models have a 2.5" 6 Gb/s Serial ATA (Revision 3.0) 1 TB hard drive whereas the "Mid-2014" only has a 500 GB hard drive of the same type. Most notably, though, the "Late 2013" models also have a connector onboard to add a PCIe-based "blade" SSD later whereas the "Mid-2014" model does not have this connector if it is not configured initially with an SSD.

The processors in the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" models all are soldered and cannot be upgraded at all.

Comparison Chart

The major differences between the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" and "Mid-2014" Aluminum iMac models are summarized below. Please refer to the specs page for the model of interest for complete details.

21.5-Inch "Late 2013" & "Mid-2014" iMac Differences

	21.5" iMac (Late 2013)	21.5" iMac (Mid-2014)
Processor Speed:	2.7 GHz, 2.9 GHz*	1.4 GHz
Processor Type:	Quad Core i5*	Dual Core i5
Processor Family:	Haswell	Haswell ULT
Processor Mounting:	Soldered	Soldered
Shared L3 Cache:	6 MB*	3 MB
RAM Type:	1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3	1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
Standard RAM:	8 GB	8 GB
Maximum RAM:	16 GB	8 GB
RAM Slots:	2	None
RAM Upgrade:	Difficult (Hack)	Soldered
Standard Storage:	1 TB	500 GB
PCIe SSD Connector:	Yes	No
Standard Graphics:	Iris Pro 5200 GeForce GT 750M	HD Graphics 5000
Dedicated VRAM:	Integrated 1 GB (GDDR5)	Integrated
Display Size:	21.5-Inch	21.5-Inch
Display Resolution:	1920x1080	1920x1080
Wi-Fi:	802.11ac	802.11ac
Order Number (US):	ME086LL/A, ME087LL/A	MF883LL/A
EMC Number:	2638, 2742	2805
Model Identifier:	iMac14,1, iMac14,3	iMac14,4
Original Price (US):	US$1299, US$1499	US$1099
Original Price (UK):	£1149, £1299	£899
Original Price (CA):	C$1349, C$1549	C$1149
Original Price (AU):	A$1599, A$1849	A$1349

* The ME087LL/A configuration of the "Late 2013" system additionally could be equipped with a 3.1 GHz Quad Core "Core i7" processor (I7-4770S) for an extra US$200. EveryMac.com also has documented this custom configuration as its own model.

Comparison Summary

Ultimately, the "Mid-2014" iMac was a significant step down from the 21.5-Inch "Late 2013" models. The "Mid-2014" iMac originally cost US$200 less than the next better model -- the iMac "Core i5" 2.7 21.5-Inch (Late 2013) -- but this US$200 represented a 15% savings for roughly half the performance.

To add insult to injury, the fact that the "Mid-2014" iMac RAM cannot be upgraded at all and that a "blade" SSD cannot be added after purchase effectively shortens the usable life of the computer.

At the time of its release, the "Mid-2014" iMac really only was worth considering for those who insisted on a new iMac, but were on a tight budget, and to whom upfront price was more important than performance, value, or prorated cost over the lifespan of the computer.

When both lines were new, those most interested in performance or value would have been better off purchasing a "Late 2013" iMac. As always, those most interested in price or value would be best off purchasing a used iMac.

New & Used iMac Purchase Options

There are many places to purchase a used "Late 2013" or "Mid-2014" iMac. However, purchasing from a quality business with years of experience in the Mac market -- and after sales support -- is the best option and will save you money and time, too.

In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new iMac models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb iMac models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. Finally, if you need to sell an iMac, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac will buy your older iMac with an instant quote and prompt payment.

In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used iMac models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.

In Australia, site sponsor Mac City likewise has a variety of used iMac models sold at low prices and available with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.

Please also see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any iMac model to any other Mac.