Hands-On With the 24-Inch M3 iMac

[MacRumors]

Apple in October refreshed the iMac and MacBook Pro, introducing the first M3 chips with 3-nanometer processors. We've already checked out the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and the MacBook Pro with M3 Max, so we thought we'd wrap up our M3 review series with the iMac.

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If you have an M1 iMac, you're not going to notice any physical differences between the old model and the new model with the M3 chip, because Apple didn't make any updates to the design or the color offerings.

Everything is the exact same, with the thin design, 24-inch Retina display, six-speaker sound system, and a selection of seven two-tone color options.

What's different is the internals, and the jump from M1 to M3 is a major update in terms of CPU and GPU speeds. Built on the 3-nanometer process, the M3 chip has some major GPU improvements thanks to Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shading.

The M3 chip is 2.5x faster than the M1 chip when it comes to GPU performance, and it's better than before for gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, and similar tasks. As for the CPU, the performance cores are up to 30 percent faster than the performance cores in the M1, while the efficiency cores are up to 50 percent faster than the M1 efficiency cores. In Geekbench benchmarks, the M3 comes in at around 20 percent faster overall.

Depending on what you're doing, there is a notable difference between the M1 and M3 in real-world performance and it's great to have an update for a machine that was one of the oldest in Apple's lineup. If you need a desktop Mac for day-to-day tasks, you're not going to be disappointed with the M3 iMac.

If you're holding out for a larger iMac with Apple silicon, Apple doesn't think you should wait. The company confirmed there are no plans for another 27-inch iMac, and Apple recommends that customers who need a bigger and better desktop computer turn to the Mac Studio and the Studio Display.

That said, there are rumors that Apple is working on an iMac that has a display somewhere around 30 inches, but it's not yet clear when that model might be coming out, and it seems to be at least a year or two away.

What do you think of the M3 iMac? Let us know in the comments below.

Article Link: Hands-On With the 24-Inch M3 iMac

 

[coolfactor]

This article is labled "MINI REVIEW"... that's false advertising. It's not a review of the Mini.

/s

 

[aknabi]

Looks like a solid CPU and when in the MBA will be a great travel machine that can handle serious software development workflows (with max'd out RAM).

 

[Chuckeee]

Since this is a hands-on review. How does resistant is the display to fingerprints when some yahoo touches the screen while I’m showing them something?

 

[Tuck_]

Still think it was a mistake removing the apple logo from the front.

 

[tomtad]

Still think it was a mistake removing the apple logo from the front.

I must admit I feel the same, I've tried to get used to it but it still always looks a bit off whenever I see one.

A small logo colour matched to the rear of the computer sat on the chin would really finish it off.

 

[ghboard2010]

". . . there are rumors that Apple is working on an iMac that has a display somewhere around 30 inches"

Well, let's not be holding our breath for that.

 

[nostaws]

Love my Apple products.

Apple is starting to feel like the Apple of the early 90s.

I wish I could get my money back for the LC II I bought.

 

[coffeemilktea]

The M3 iMac has so much potential, and the entry-level model would have been a great workhorse of a computer if only Apple weren't so stingy with memory and storage... oh well, greatness costs extra.

 

[BeatCrazy]

The ports on the iMac (and other 'base' M1/M2/M3 models) aren't TB4. They are Thunderbolt/USB4. The official TB4 capability/certification is only via the Pro/Max/Ultra chip models.

 

[fakestrawberryflavor]

24” is just too small. I haven’t had a non-laptop display smaller than 27” since 2008. In some pictures of actual use, it looks comical next to people. It’s so tiny. Is this just a little kids computer?

 

[colinsky]

Love my Apple products.

Apple is starting to feel like the Apple of the early 90s.

I wish I could get my money back for the LC II I bought.

I bought a Performa 6200 in 1995 and it is considered by some to be the worst Macintosh of all time. On the other hand, Apple of that era sent a repairman to my house twice to fix it, no charge, and one of the times the repair included a new monitor even though the computer was out of warranty.

 

[Chuckeee]

But which color is the fastest?

 

[Fuzzball84]

Still think it was a mistake removing the apple logo from the front.

They also removed it for the recent MacBooks... I mean the MacBook Air that used to be printed on the bottom bezel. They did this once before.. its really inconsistent and I don't know why they do this...

 

[Fuzzball84]

But which color is the fastest?

Apple will tell you they are all color fast 😀

 

[Fuzzball84]

". . . there are rumors that Apple is working on an iMac that has a display somewhere around 30 inches"

Well, let's not be holding our breath for that.

Thats the new iPad mini, or possibly a prototype iPhone Pro 🧐

 

[Any name]

Looks like a solid CPU and when in the MBA will be a great travel machine that can handle serious software development workflows (with max'd out RAM).

I would keep on waiting for a m3 mba, but I’m afraid it’ll have 8GB/128 SSD with upgrades from $300 each

 

[jaybar]

Not everyone needs a larger iMac. Our iMac 24 M1 nicely fits our custom smaller desk. Also we sit close to our iMac and we can see the whole screen without having to turn our heads. We are light users. 8GB of RAM suits us. If I were ordering a new iMac today I would order with more RAM, to decrease boot up time. However our use case does not require it. We are very happy with our iMac 24.

 

[MichaelQ]

More of a description of the press release than an actual review…

 

[justern]

Great review, little to add.

Check out the Minisopuru 10Gbps USB C Docking Station For 24" iMac.

Sits beautifully under the base, props it up to a better ergonomic height and gives you the legacy ports you need as well as an SSD bay for scratch or time machine.

 

[onenorth]

Not everyone needs a larger iMac. Our iMac 24 M1 nicely fits our custom smaller desk. Also we sit close to our iMac and we can see the whole screen without having to turn our heads. We are light users. 8GB of RAM suits us. If I were ordering a new iMac today I would order with more RAM, to decrease boot up time. However our use case does not require it. We are very happy with our iMac 24.

I have been using a pair of 24-inch monitors for many years and I have recently come to the conclusion that my aging eyes would be much happier if they were 27 inches especially as I have the monitors placed far back on my desk so I have lots of working space around my keyboard. 24 inches gets the job done but 27 would be better.

 

[RandomTox]

24 inch screen size is a joke in 2023

 

[whitby]

This article pretty much confirms the view that this is a replacement for the old 21.5" iMac and not a suitable replacement for the 27" iMac user. Apple never claimed as such, but it was hoped we could get the connectivity, RAM and SSD of the old 27" iMac in this smaller screened version. Apple really do want we 27" iMac users to move to the Studio and associated display at a substantial increase in cost (the equivalent Mac Studio/Studio Display combination that is equivalent to my Intel i9, 27" iMac with 4TB SSD and 128K GB is around $1500 more in price, albeit with the excellent Apple Silicon performance but nothing else being improved).

Yes I could reduce my workflow times with the new processor, but my 2020 iMac is worth next to nothing and I cannot afford to amortize the cost of this machine over 3 years and then pay $1500 more for an equivalent today. It is all a matter of money and time in the end and for me the equation does not work. I do have however a very fast Windows machine and 32" Display which cost about 50% the cost the Mac Studio/Studio Display and appears to be on a similar performance level (lower power consumption is irrelevant in a desktop) and is infinitely more upgradeable. I suspect I know what I will be doing and it will not include Apple products unfortunately. It has been a fun time and will still keep my Apple laptops, but my main machine will probably move to Windows.

 

[PassiveSmoking]

I'm still baffled as to why there's no pro/max version.

Oh well, I guess Apple know what they're doing.

 

[PassiveSmoking]

But which color is the fastest?

The British Racing Green one