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Apple iMac18,3 27
Apple

Apple iMac18,3 27" Retina 5K Display Renewed

★★★★★2.6 (4 reviews)
5120 x 2880

A 4.2GHz Core i7, AMD Radeon Pro 580, and 5120×2880 Retina display make this renewed 2017 iMac a capable all-in-one for creative workflows at a fraction of new pricing.

$825.91*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jun 08, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The Apple iMac18,3 is a 2017-generation all-in-one built around a 4.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-7700K, 8GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB of GDDR5 VRAM. The display is the defining feature: a 27-inch IPS panel running at 5120×2880 — the Retina 5K — with P3 wide color coverage and a peak brightness suitable for color-critical work. Those specs don't just look good on paper: the combination of a fast SSD, a capable discrete GPU, and a panel that covers the DCI-P3 gamut makes this machine genuinely useful for photo retouching, video editing in Final Cut or Premiere, and graphic design work where color fidelity matters.

In terms of real-world placement, this iMac targets photographers, video editors, and design professionals who want a high-resolution display and solid integrated performance without the desktop tower complexity. The Thunderbolt 3 ports support eGPU enclosures if the Radeon Pro 580 becomes a bottleneck for heavier 3D or 8K workflows. The user-accessible RAM bay on the 27-inch model means 8GB is a starting point, not a ceiling — 32GB or 64GB upgrades are practical and affordable. The key constraint to price against is the macOS support ceiling: official updates end at Ventura, and planning for a 3–5 year deployment window is realistic before that limitation becomes operationally significant.

Key Features

4.2 GHz Intel Core i7

8GB of DDR4 RAM | 512GB

27" 5120 x 2880 IPS Retina 5K Display

AMD Radeon Pro 580 Graphics Card (8GB)

UHS-II SDXC Card Reader

Specifications

Model
iMac18,3 (2017)
Processor
4.2GHz Intel Core i7-7700K (quad-core)
RAM
8GB DDR4-2400 (upgradeable to 64GB)
Storage
512GB SSD
Display
27-inch IPS Retina 5K, 5120 × 2880
GPU
AMD Radeon Pro 580, 8GB GDDR5
Card Reader
UHS-II SDXC
Wireless
802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
Operating System
macOS (supports up to Ventura)
Condition
Renewed

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • 4.2GHz Core i7 delivers strong single-threaded performance for photo editing, light video work, and productivity apps
  • AMD Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB GDDR5 drives the 5K display natively and handles GPU-accelerated rendering in Final Cut and Resolve
  • 27-inch 5120×2880 IPS Retina display covers the P3 wide color gamut, making it one of the most color-accurate panels available at this price point
  • 512GB SSD provides PCIe-class read/write speeds, eliminating the latency issues common in older Fusion Drive configurations
  • Thunderbolt 3 ports enable eGPU expansion, fast external storage, and dual 4K monitor output if the workflow outgrows onboard specs

👎 Cons

  • RAM is limited to 8GB at base — creative workloads will require a user-sourced upgrade to 16GB or 32GB to avoid paging bottlenecks
  • macOS support ends at Ventura; no official path to Sequoia means security updates will eventually cease, creating a finite service life
  • Intel Core i7-7700K is a 2017-era quad-core without efficiency cores — sustained multi-threaded loads (3D rendering, large Compressor encodes) expose the generational gap versus Apple Silicon
  • As a renewed/refurbished unit, original AppleCare is expired; third-party warranty or self-insurance is necessary for repair cost control
  • No T2 security chip means FileVault encryption performance and secure boot features are limited compared to 2018 and later iMac configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

This unit ships with a quad-core Intel Core i7-7700K at 4.2GHz base — a Kaby Lake processor with solid single-threaded performance for Lightroom, Final Cut, and everyday productivity. It won't match Apple Silicon in efficiency or multi-core throughput, but it handles 4K video editing and moderate rendering tasks without bottlenecking.
8GB DDR4 is workable for light-to-moderate use, but creative workflows with large Photoshop documents or multiple video streams will hit the ceiling quickly. The 2017 27-inch iMac supports up to 64GB of DDR4-2400 via four SO-DIMM slots accessible through the RAM door — upgrading is user-serviceable and strongly recommended for power users.
The Radeon Pro 580 is a Polaris-architecture card with 2,304 stream processors and 8GB of GDDR5 VRAM. It drives the 5K display natively, handles GPU-accelerated rendering in Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve, and supports eGPU expansion over Thunderbolt 3 if you need more headroom later.
The iMac18,3 (2017) received official support through macOS Ventura (13). It will not receive macOS Sequoia or later official updates, meaning security patches and new OS features will stop at Ventura. This is the primary long-term limitation to evaluate before purchasing.
It ships with a 512GB SSD. Unlike earlier iMac configurations that used slow Fusion Drives, this is flash-based storage — sequential reads around 2,500 MB/s via the PCIe/NVMe interface, which keeps app launches and file I/O responsive.

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