primetimebuys via eBay[ebay.com] has Certified Refurbished/Excellent: 2019 Apple iMac 21.5" w/ Retina 4K Intel Core i5-8500 8GB 1TB on sale for $288.99. Shipping is free.
Product Details:
Display: 21.5-inch Retina 4K display with 4096x2304 resolution
Connectivity: 2 x Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 Generation 2 ports, 4 x SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports; 1 x Ethernet port; 1x 3.5mm Headphone jack
Generic wired Mouse and Keyboard
Community Notes
This collaborative space allows users to contribute additional information, tips, and insights to enhance the original deal post. Feel free to share your knowledge and help fellow shoppers make informed decisions.
primetimebuys via eBay[ebay.com] has Certified Refurbished/Excellent: 2019 Apple iMac 21.5" w/ Retina 4K Intel Core i5-8500 8GB 1TB on sale for $288.99. Shipping is free.
Product Details:
Display: 21.5-inch Retina 4K display with 4096x2304 resolution
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank barfdragon
spinning hard disk and 8 gb of ram, both upgradable but you have to pry the glued display on and remove the motherboard by touching a power supply that could kill you through exposed traces
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank OrangeJulius
I've taken these apart and repaired them. This isn't worth it. The hard drive storage is awful now, and you'll definitely run out of memory if you try doing anything beyond basic web browsing. These old models were less tolerant of running out of memory too, as they have hard drives rather than fast solid state storage.
Unless you're very technically minded, don't attempt to take them apart. They're a lot less forgiving than the models from the years prior. Just a couple years before this model, Apple transitioned to gluing the glass to the body rather than use the clever magnetic attachment method you could use suction cups to remove. That, and tolerances are much tighter and disassembly is a massive pain if you're not accustomed to it.
Apple stopped providing OS revisions to Intel-based Macs in September last year with Tahoe. The current assumption is they will provide security updates for a few more years, so if you want a low-end, slow iMac that's likely to be nearly useless in 3 years, go right ahead.
You're so much better off getting an official refurbished product from Apple direct. Yes, the cheapest is a Macbook Air M4 w/ 16GB RAM for $760, but that's one hundred times the machine of one of these old iMacs, and you should receive updates and support from Apple well past 2031. Those M4 Macbook air models were released just over a year ago, so it's still very much a current machine, and they're a much faster machine than the new Macbook Neo, and with double the RAM.
Last edited by OrangeJulius May 7, 2026 at 01:32 PM.
spinning hard disk and 8 gb of ram, both upgradable but you have to pry the glued display on and remove the motherboard by touching a power supply that could kill you through exposed traces
What would kill you? I don't understand
3
1
Like
Helpful
Funny
Not helpful
May 7, 2026 8:40 PM
566 Comments
Joined Jul 2022
This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.
May 7, 2026 8:50 PM
259 Comments
Joined Feb 2015
This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Badass123
Quote
from zkroll
:
Not sure what machine you're describing, but switching out the ram in these iMacs is very easy and straight forward. I have this same model that I bought new and upgraded the ram myself to 128 gb. The HDD complaint just sounds like something nerds care about. It could be faster loading processes off the hybrid drive (it's not click wheel). But it's certainly no where near the experience you're describing. My iMac would absolutely destroy any Mac book air and the neo is a complete piece of crap.
Wrong. You are talking about the 27 inch model. This 4K 21.5 inch model doesn't allow user to upgrade ram (aka there is not a back plate where you can easily open and insert ram). For the 21.5 inch model, you have to completely dissemble the computer to access internal components
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank ElatedString650
Quote
from domonin
:
Homies phrasing it as if we'd leave it plugged in
not sure on the specifics of this one but people thinking unplugged electronics cant kill you is why amateurs die. if this device has a high voltage capacitor in it, even if you unplug it, it could kill you if it discharged into you. that's how guys used to die fixing tvs all the time. so you need to know exactly which one in this and discharge it with a screw driving or something before you worked on it.
I've taken these apart and repaired them. This isn't worth it. The hard drive storage is awful now, and you'll definitely run out of memory if you try doing anything beyond basic web browsing. These old models were less tolerant of running out of memory too, as they have hard drives rather than fast solid state storage.
Unless you're very technically minded, don't attempt to take them apart. They're a lot less forgiving than the models from the years prior. Just a couple years before this model, Apple transitioned to gluing the glass to the body rather than use the clever magnetic attachment method you could use suction cups to remove. That, and tolerances are much tighter and disassembly is a massive pain if you're not accustomed to it.
Apple stopped providing OS revisions to Intel-based Macs in September last year with Tahoe. The current assumption is they will provide security updates for a few more years, so if you want a low-end, slow iMac that's likely to be nearly useless in 3 years, go right ahead.
You're so much better off getting an official refurbished product from Apple direct. Yes, the cheapest is a Macbook Air M4 w/ 16GB RAM for $760, but that's one hundred times the machine of one of these old iMacs, and you should receive updates and support from Apple well past 2031. Those M4 Macbook air models were released just over a year ago, so it's still very much a current machine, and they're a much faster machine than the new Macbook Neo, and with double the RAM.
these would be perfect for receptionist desks that want to look good though.
Wrong. You are talking about the 27 inch model. This 4K 21.5 inch model doesn't allow user to upgrade ram (aka there is not a back plate where you can easily open and insert ram). For the 21.5 inch model, you have to completely dissemble the computer to access internal components
Wow I am very sorry, and clearly wrong. Sorry for sounding pompous.
6
Like
Helpful
Funny
Not helpful
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
These are great for people who own furniture stores (e.g., IKEA) where they display an entire room of stuff. You can put this computer on top of that particle board desk you're trying to unload and it will look real nice!
1
2
Like
Helpful
Funny
Not helpful
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
43 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank barfdragon
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank OrangeJulius
Unless you're very technically minded, don't attempt to take them apart. They're a lot less forgiving than the models from the years prior. Just a couple years before this model, Apple transitioned to gluing the glass to the body rather than use the clever magnetic attachment method you could use suction cups to remove. That, and tolerances are much tighter and disassembly is a massive pain if you're not accustomed to it.
Apple stopped providing OS revisions to Intel-based Macs in September last year with Tahoe. The current assumption is they will provide security updates for a few more years, so if you want a low-end, slow iMac that's likely to be nearly useless in 3 years, go right ahead.
You're so much better off getting an official refurbished product from Apple direct. Yes, the cheapest is a Macbook Air M4 w/ 16GB RAM for $760, but that's one hundred times the machine of one of these old iMacs, and you should receive updates and support from Apple well past 2031. Those M4 Macbook air models were released just over a year ago, so it's still very much a current machine, and they're a much faster machine than the new Macbook Neo, and with double the RAM.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Badass123
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank ElatedString650
Unless you're very technically minded, don't attempt to take them apart. They're a lot less forgiving than the models from the years prior. Just a couple years before this model, Apple transitioned to gluing the glass to the body rather than use the clever magnetic attachment method you could use suction cups to remove. That, and tolerances are much tighter and disassembly is a massive pain if you're not accustomed to it.
Apple stopped providing OS revisions to Intel-based Macs in September last year with Tahoe. The current assumption is they will provide security updates for a few more years, so if you want a low-end, slow iMac that's likely to be nearly useless in 3 years, go right ahead.
You're so much better off getting an official refurbished product from Apple direct. Yes, the cheapest is a Macbook Air M4 w/ 16GB RAM for $760, but that's one hundred times the machine of one of these old iMacs, and you should receive updates and support from Apple well past 2031. Those M4 Macbook air models were released just over a year ago, so it's still very much a current machine, and they're a much faster machine than the new Macbook Neo, and with double the RAM.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!