Buying guide · Updated in 2026
Your 27-inch iMac is ageing: what should replace it?
Apple never released a 27-inch iMac with Apple Silicon, and it will not: the range stops at 24 inches. To find the same 27-inch 5K panel again, you now have to separate the computer from the display — which, along the way, fixes the all-in-one's main flaw.
The situation
The 27-inch iMac Retina 5K was one of the best desktop computers ever sold: a 5120 × 2880 panel at 218 ppi, in an aluminium chassis, at a price that included the machine. It was removed from the catalogue in 2022, and Apple has since confirmed that no 27-inch iMac would return: the range is limited to 24 inches in 4.5K.
If your machine is slowing down, three options are open to you: move to the 24-inch and lose three inches of diagonal, keep the iMac as long as possible, or separate the computer from the display. It is that last route which lets you find exactly the panel you know.
The monitor
The same panel, separately
What made the iMac 27 pleasant was not its processor: it was its panel.
| iMac 27" Retina 5K2014-2022 | Kuycon G27P | Kuycon P27Z | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 5120 × 2880 | 5120 × 2880 | 5120 × 2880 |
| Density | 218 ppi | 218 ppi | 218 ppi |
| Panel | IPS | IPS Black | IPS |
| Contrast | ~1000:1 | 2000:1 | 1500:1 |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits | 600 nits |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 75 Hz | 180 Hz |
| HDR | No | Yes | DisplayHDR 600 |
| Replaceable machine | No | Yes | Yes |
Manufacturer specifications. The iMac 27" Retina 5K is no longer sold.
The combinations
Which machine behind the monitor?
Mac mini + 27" 5K monitor
The logical successor to the iMac
This is the combination that most faithfully reproduces the experience of a 27-inch iMac: the same resolution, the same density, the same desktop surface. The Mac mini tucks behind the monitor or under the desk, and will be replaced in four years without touching the panel. A single USB-C cable or a DisplayPort is enough.
Mac Studio + 5K or 6K monitor
When the iMac was used for work
If your 27-inch iMac was a production machine — editing, high-resolution photography, 3D — the Mac Studio takes over with comfortable headroom. It is also the opportunity to move to the 32-inch 6K, which offers a third more space at identical Retina density.
What you gain by separating the two
- You no longer buy the display again with the machine. That was the structural flaw of the all-in-one: a still-excellent 5K panel went to the skip because the processor had aged. A monitor lasts ten years; a computer, four or five.
- You choose the power separately. An entry-level Mac mini is enough for office work; a Mac Studio handles heavy video workflows. The monitor, meanwhile, does not change.
- You can move up to 32 inches. Something the iMac did not allow at all.
- Repair is simpler. A power supply failure on an all-in-one takes the display down with the computer.
And what you lose
Two things, and we may as well name them. First the camera and speakers: the iMac had them built in, the Kuycon 5K monitors do not. If you are in video calls all day, plan for a webcam and a speaker — which many people already own. Then the footprint: two devices instead of one, and one more cable. The Mac mini can, however, be attached behind the monitor or under the desktop.
The budget, in practice
A 27-inch 5K monitor starts around €940 with the G27P. Add the machine of your choice, and you get a setup equivalent to the 27-inch iMac for a comparable budget — with the difference that half of that spending is done once and for all.
If your use is mainly office work and crisp text matters less, a 32-inch 4K like the P32K offers a very large workspace for less than €800; we compare the two approaches in the 4K guide.
A word about the transition
Remember to save your colour profiles and display settings before unplugging the old machine. On first connecting the new monitor, macOS will automatically enable Retina 2× scaling: you will find exactly the interface size of your iMac. The connecting guide covers the special cases.
FAQ
Replacing a 27-inch iMac: frequently asked questions
Will Apple release a new 27-inch iMac?
No. The iMac range stops at 24 inches in 4.5K, and Apple has indicated that no 27-inch model with an Apple Silicon chip would see the light of day. To find a 27-inch 5K panel again, you have to go through an external monitor.
Can I use my old 5K iMac as a display?
No, not officially. Apple's Target Display mode, which allowed that on earlier iMacs, was never offered on the Retina 5K models. Third-party hardware solutions exist, but they are neither supported nor guaranteed by Apple.
Which monitor reproduces the 27-inch iMac's panel exactly?
A 27-inch 5K at 5120 × 2880, or 218 ppi: that is the case of the Kuycon G27P, which adds HDR, IPS Black contrast of 2000:1 and 600 nits, where the iMac topped out at 500 nits with no HDR.
Do you need a Mac mini or a Mac Studio?
A Mac mini is enough for office work, the web, everyday photography and most of the uses a 27-inch iMac served. The Mac Studio is the choice for heavy video editing, 3D or very large files.
What about the webcam and the sound?
Kuycon 5K monitors include no camera and no speakers, unlike the iMac. An external webcam and a speaker, or simply a headset, close the gap — and the saving made on the monitor comfortably covers those accessories.
Find your iMac's panel again, without its processor
The same resolution, the same density, and a monitor you will keep beyond your next machine. 2-year warranty in the European Union.
See the 5K monitorsArticle written in August 2026. The Apple product specifications quoted are those published by the manufacturer; the iMac 27" Retina 5K is no longer sold.