2020 iMac Benchmarks Surface Online [Updated]

Benchmarks from the new 2020 iMac have today been shared online by Mac Otakara.

large 5f2bda4314d63

The Geekbench benchmarks are from the newly-released 27-inch ‌iMac‌ with 3.0GHz Intel Core i5 processor and Radeon Pro 5300 graphics, compared to multiple specs of the previous 2019 ‌iMac‌.

The lowest spec 27-inch i5 ‌iMac‌ from 2020 performs about 20 percent better in multicore than the lowest spec 27-inch i5 ‌iMac‌ from 2019. Although the lowest spec 27-inch 2020 ‌iMac‌ has a Intel Core i5 3.1GHz processor, it seems to perform better than an equivalent Intel Core i5 3.7GHz model from 2019. This is likely thanks to new 10th-generation Intel Core processors, which Apple says offer up to 65 percent faster CPU performance.

The 3.1GHz ‌iMac‌ gave a Geekbench Single-Core Score of 1090 and a Multi-Core Score of 5688.

imac 3

Graphics capability has been measured using Geekbench Compute benchmarks. Compared to the 3.0GHz Intel Core i5 2019 ‌iMac‌ with AMD Radeon Pro 570X graphics, the 2020 ‌iMac‌'s Radeon Pro 5300 performs about 40 percent better. The Radeon Pro 5300 does not surpass the performance of the 2019 ‌iMac‌ with AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics, however. Apple states that the next-generation AMD Radeon Pro 5000 graphics deliver up to 55 percent faster performance than the previous generation.

large 5f2bda4336ab4

MacRumors reader Stefan tested the high-spec 2020 ‌iMac‌ with 3.8GHz 8-Core Processor with Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz, giving a single-core score of 1141 and a multi-core score of 7006. This is approximately 36% higher than the equivalent chip from the previous generation.

imac 3

Stefan also offered Blackmagic speed tests of the 3.8GHz ‌iMac‌'s SSD, giving write speeds of 1963.3 MB/s and read speeds of 2250.2 MB/s.

blackmagic imac

The new ‌iMac‌'s SSD is soldered to the motherboard and therefore is not user-replaceable, according to ifun.de. Previous iMacs have not been soldered in place, allowing for upgrade or replacement. Supposedly according to internally published technical information, the 2020 ‌iMac‌'s individual SSD modules are soldered directly onto the motherboard, similar to how storage in MacBooks have been soldered down for several years. As a result, the storage configuration at the point of purchase is fixed and cannot be changed afterwards.

New information regarding the new 27-inch ‌iMac‌'s redesigned microphone array has also emerged today. The new ‌iMac‌ apparently features two microphones installed in the lower area of the ‌iMac‌ behind the screen, as opposed to the single microphone on previous models. This allows the 2020 ‌iMac‌ to deliver what Apple calls "studio-quality audio."

The new 27-inch ‌iMac‌ was unveiled by Apple on Tuesday, with faster 10th-generation Intel Core processors, next-generation AMD graphics, up to 128GB of RAM, a higher-resolution 1080p front-facing FaceTime camera, a True Tone display with a nano-texture glass option, a T2 chip, higher fidelity speakers, and more.

Update 9:30 a.m.: A source with access to Apple's repair manuals tells MacRumors that the SSD is in fact not soldered to the logic board but is connected to a proprietary Apple slot on the board.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Caution)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...

Top Rated Comments

AxiomaticRubric Avatar
71 months ago

At this point just be glad Apple hasnt welded the electric cord to their devices...
The Shape of Macs to Come:

Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
71 months ago
At this point just be glad Apple hasnt welded the electric cord to their devices...
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Minato1990 Avatar
71 months ago

It is soldered because of the T2 chip. Impressive speeds though, makes you wonder how much faster their own chips are gonna be.
Oh I see

*puts pitchfork away*
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
71 months ago

The Shape of Macs to Come:


HomePod’s power cable is removable. Just have to pull a bit harder than expected.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gpat Avatar
71 months ago
Soldered SSD? Nice time bomb
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ilikewhey Avatar
71 months ago
why are they so focused on just sequential read/write, isn't random more important?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)