Is the 27'' iMac too big for my desk?

[BrittWentz]

I've been thinking of getting an iMac for the longest time now. I'm getting a degree in advertisement and it requires a lot of graphic design. I've spent many long nights on my 13'' MBP zooming in on Photoshop and Illustrator and scrolling like crazy trying to find clips in Premiere Pro. I think my eyes deserve a rest, and i can't begin to imagine the amazing things i could do on that 27'' baby. Thing is...i think it might not fit my current desk.

My situation is a bit complicated. I don't have an actual desk, but rather a long, built-in pair of shelves. The one at the bottom has 128cms of utilizable desk space (where i would keep the iMac plus some stationery, hopefully also be able to fit my MBP every once in a while). Top shelf is a waste of space. I keep my books and some cutesy stuff but other than that, unusable. The distance between the "desk" shelf and top shelf is 51 cm. I read online the total height of the iMac is 52,3cms, so i'd be cutting it pretty close. BUT the top shelf isn't the same width as the lower one, and there's actually 39,4 cms of "free" air space. So i'm thinking maybe if the computer sits a little more towards the edge, it'll have enough room?

I hope my explanation makes sense, and i understand there's no exact way of knowing without actually trying with the computer itself, but sadly there are no Apple Stores where i live and my Authorized Store doesn't allow exchanges without valid motive.

Also, is it heavy at all? Like i said, it's an awful built-in shelf and it lacks any proper support other than some screws. Getting a real desk is not much of an option since i really have no space to work with.

(The salesperson somehow convinced me that for graphic design 27'' is the way to go. Would 21'' be so bad for what i need it for?)

 

[TekAdvice]

Dont limit yourself just because you have a lack of space. Your situation could change and then you may regret not having the larger iMac. You have to make room for something like this. But what it comes down to is what you want. Do you want to lose 6 inches just to save space in your current situation or are you willing to make adjustments to have the larger iMac. I am not sure how heavy either of them are, but I bet they are about the same weight. Let me know what you decide on. Cheers.

 

[J.Gallardo]

Take a look at VESA mount. You could have your iMac on the wall or -better- on an articulated arm.
I think you would have to order from Apple this special iMac without normal foot & prepared for VESA mounting. They’ve got it.

 

[bl11]

Get rid of your desk and get a flat desk at ikea for $100. I would not let an inferior desk dictate what computer you get.

 

[jzuena]

I just measured mine and its ~515mm tall (with the stand) and the stand is ~195mm deep. Its big enough that I gave up on the idea of keeping my old monitor as a second monitor -- it wasn't needed. So, a little shorter than what you read, but more than the 51cm you have available. Even if you push the stand all the way against the wall, the computer itself will be out ~12cm from the wall, so you might clear the top shelf. It is fairly heavy, though, so I wouldn't trust it on any kind of shelf, unless you are talking about some kind of recessed shelf built into a wall. VESA mount is the way to go if you don't have a real desk.

 

[tyche]

Go to Apple's website for the iMac and you can see all the specs for it such as dimensions and weight. Then get some paper and make the same size, tape it to a stick and get a feel for how it will sit.

 

[Fishrrman]

The question:
"Is the 27'' iMac too big for my desk?"

The answer:
Once you have that beautiful 27" 5k display in front of you, you WON'T CARE about the "size of the desk" it's sitting on any more...

 

[EugW]

Britt, your post is sacrilege.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/dual-imacs.2052555/#post-24790730

 

[theluggage]

The distance between the "desk" shelf and top shelf is 51 cm.

Ok, just measured my iMac and the top edge is 52cm above the desk (with absolutely no height adjustment) so its not going to fit under the top shelf.

There are no ventilation slots at the top - and the case is at its thinnest there - so it should be fine with the top edge just in front of the shelf. The "foot" extends about 4cm in front of the screen, so you're going to have 30cm+ for your keyboard and mouse. For me, that puts the keyboard too close to the screen (you'll want a few cm of desktop for "wrist space" in front of the keyboard) which I prefer to have at about arm's length when I'm sitting - but I've seen worse.

Also, is it heavy at all? Like i said, it's an awful built-in shelf and it lacks any proper support other than some screws.

If the shelf is strong enough to support a 1m row of books, it should be OK for the iMac.

What I would worry about, however, is you sitting and typing right at the front edge of the shelf, where the leverage is at a maximum. You'd have to be very careful not to put any body weight on the edge of the shelf. Sounds to me like an accident waiting to happen...

The salesperson somehow convinced me that for graphic design 27'' is the way to go. Would 21'' be so bad for what i need it for?

27" is definitely the way to go for graphic design. However, even the 21" - especially the 4k version - is still going to be a huge improvement on a 13" MBP (but get the all-SSD version, plus external storage for bulky files if you need it)...

Or, consider an external display for your MBP (or a new MBP + external display). Next to my iMac is a 28" 4k Dell - and it is sitting on a 5cm thick physics textbook to bring it up to the same height as the iMac (it was a cheap one and doesn't have height adjustment).

Getting a real desk is not much of an option since i really have no space to work with.

I assume that you're in a rented house/room so ripping out those shelves, and replacing them with something more sturdy and at the right height isn't an option?

 

[Abazigal]

I've spent many long nights on my 13'' MBP zooming in on Photoshop and Illustrator and scrolling like crazy trying to find clips in Premiere Pro. I think my eyes deserve a rest, and i can't begin to imagine the amazing things i could do on that 27'' baby. Thing is...i think it might not fit my current desk.

Might an external display be more suitable for your needs? True, an iMac will be more powerful, but it seems like the 27" iMac is a little too tall for your shelves.

 

[scgf]

When I decided to buy a 2017 iMac I considered both sizes. I decided on the 21" 4K model. The 27" was just too big to have right in front of me on my desk and using a friend's setup I was constantly moving my eyes and even my head to see all parts of the display. I found it tiring TBH.

 

[MacGizmo]

LOL. I don't mean to make light of the situation... but these are all "first-world-problems." We're all sitting here contemplating whether to spend a ton of money on one of two computers or a new desk, or whatever else just to avoid moving your eyes or scrolling a little more. I understand the problem, but seeing all of this in writing here is sad and hilarious at the same time.

FWIW, I would spend a little money on an external LCD screen and call it a day.

 

[scgf]

Seriously there are factors to take into account when splashing out such a large amount of money no matter where you live. You can't simply think that because we're in the first world we shouldn't bother making an informed choice. I am sure there are people in the third world making similar decisions, money permitting.

Regarding an external display I went down a similar route some time ago with a Mac Mini and Dell 24" monitor and found Apple's font aliasing looked awful on a third-party display. It's well documented. Admittedly it wasn't a 4K display. Windows 10 on the same setup looked so much better.

 

[MacGizmo]

Seriously there are factors to take into account when splashing out such a large amount of money no matter where you live. You can't simply think that because we're in the first world we shouldn't bother making an informed choice. I am sure there are people in the third world making similar decisions, money permitting.

Are you telling me you've never heard the saying "first world problems?" It means... ahhhh, never mind...

Regarding an external display I went down a similar route some time ago with a Mac Mini and Dell 24" monitor and found Apple's font aliasing looked awful on a third-party display. It's well documented. Admittedly it wasn't a 4K display. Windows 10 on the same setup looked so much better.

Not sure why that would be. Apple doesn't "make" displays, they make cases for other people's displays. For instance, Dell's UltraSharp displays were exactly the same inside as Apple's Cinema Displays–they both used the same actual LCD screen (I forgot if it was a Toshiba screen or someone else). It could be the Mac wasn't using the same resolution setting as the Windows machine, or maybe the anti-aliasing wasn't set correctly.

 

[scgf]

Are you telling me you've never heard the saying "first world problems?" It means... ahhhh, never mind...

I'm in the UK and have heard the expression used occasionally. I have always assumed it meant trivial issues we face in the first world as opposed to what others in less affluent countries have to suffer. Have I got that wrong?

Regarding the external display there is a difference in how Apple displays it's fonts compared to Microsoft. One discussion here
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macbook-pro-external-monitor-blurry-text.2032453/

The suggested solution didn't work for me and I ended up using Windows 10. There are many similar discussions online about the issue.