The iMac 21.5-Inch Late 2013 features a 22 nm "Haswell/Crystalwell" Quad Core 2.7 GHz Intel "Core i5" (4570R) processor with four independent processor cores on a single chip, a 4 MB shared level 3 cache, 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (which is not intended to be upgraded after purchase), a 1 TB (5400 RPM) hard drive, and an "integrated" Intel Iris Pro 5200 graphics processor with 128 MB of "Crystalwell" embedded DRAM (and shared system memory). It also has a built-in "FaceTime HD" webcam and stereo speakers, but lacks an optical drive.

This model has a 21.5" 1920x1080 LED-backlit 16:9 widescreen IPS display with the "cover glass fully laminated to the LCD and anti-reflective coating." The rear of the case is aluminum and is thicker in the middle and tapers to a razor thin 5 mm at the edges.