The mid-2010 27-inch, 3.2GHz Intel Core i3 iMac performed very well in our benchmarking tests. In our Cinebench rendering test, using a single core it outperformed its 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo predecessor by eleven per cent, but the new processor really came into its own when allowed to use every available core.

The new iMac's faster processor, faster memory and Hyper Threading functionality gave it a 38 percent increase. Its performance in our Doom 3 test was less of a step forwards, but it still gave us 133.4 frames per second, up from 122.8.

Although Doom 3 isn't the most recent of games, we tested with the screen resolution set to 1024x768 and the video settings to ultra-high, which is very taxing on the system.

Testing

A more significant performance increase was achieved in our QuickTime encoding test, where we convert a five-minute test video for iPod use. The new iMac finished the encoding in 187 seconds, a 31 per cent speed increase. But our iTunes encoding test was only marginally faster.

When ripping a test CD to iTunes the optical drive has become the limiting factor, and once again, Apple has given us a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). It really is time Apple made its peace with Blu-ray, even if only as a custom option.

Although the company sees the future of high-definition movies in downloads rather than optical discs, many – perhaps most – Mac users have a Blu-ray player in the living room and a shelf full of HD movies to play on it. Why stop them playing those same movies on the iMac, making full use of that gorgeous 27-inch screen?

Talking of the screen, another custom option we'd have liked is an anti-glare display. Order a MacBook Pro on the Apple online store and you get the chance to choose a matte instead of a glossy screen, but for iMac users, there's no such option. Most users will be perfectly happy with the glossy display, but it would be good to have a choice.

Storage

Off the shelf, this particular iMac gives us a 1TB hard drive, which you can upgrade to 2TB using the custom options if you wish. Alternatively, you can invest in a 256GB solid state drive, or even opt for both a HDD and an SSD.

Solid state storage is still very expensive (switching from a 1TB HDD to a 256GB SSD will set you back £480), but although it uses a standard 2.5-inch SATA connection, unless your iMac offered a solid state drive out of the box, the connectors and mounting bracket required to fit one aren't there. Therefore, you shouldn't forego the SSD option with the intention of getting one fitted when they come down in price.

A few rumoured upgrades failed to materialise. None of the new iMacs make the move from USB 2.0 to 3.0 or FireWire 800 to 1600, and there's no touchscreen or iPhone OS integration.