Apple's third Apple Silicon iMac packs an M4 chip along with a host of other small but notable improvements, so how does the new machine compare to its two predecessors?
The 2021 iMacs are the first of their kind to feature Apple chips, replacing previous Intel-based models with 21.5-inch and 27-inch displays. It offers a new ultra-slim design, a 24-inch Retina display, a six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, and seven dual-tone color options. The 2023 model is a minor update, adding an M3 chip and spec updates like Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. A year later, the latest M4 version of the device looks to be a more substantial upgrade, offering a more powerful Neural Engine, 16GB of RAM as standard, a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, USB-C accessories, and a Nano-texture display options.
Apple has now discontinued the 2021 and 2023 iMacs, and prices are dropping at third-party resellers. As a result, some customers may be weighing whether to buy a 2021 or 2023 iMac instead of the latest model, while some existing iMac users may be wondering whether now is the time to upgrade to an M4 model.
The vast majority of features across the three Apple Silicon iMac models are identical, so should you consider buying or stick with a first- or second-generation model to save money? With this breakdown, you can also see all the differences the 2024 iMac brings.
M1 chip (manufactured using M1 chip) TSMC 5 nanometer (N5) process) M3 chip (TSMC 3 nanometer (N3) process) M4 chip (TSMC enhanced 3 nanometer (N3E) process)
3.20 GHz maximum CPU clock speed 4.05 GHz maximum CPU clock speed 4.30 GHz maximum CPU clock speed
16 billion transistors 25 billion transistors 28 billion transistors
8-core CPU 8 or 10 coresCPU 8 or 10 core CPU
7 or 8 core GPU 8 or 10 core GPU 8- or 10-core GPU
Update GPU architecture Updated GPU architecture to improve efficiency
Dynamic caching Dynamic caching
Hardware accelerated ray tracing Hardware accelerated ray tracing
Hardware accelerated mesh shading Hardware accelerated mesh shading
Video decoding engine Higher bandwidth video decoding engine Higher bandwidth video decoding engine
Hardware accelerated H.264 and HEVC Hardware acceleration H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW Hardware acceleration H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW
ProRes codec engine ProRes codec engine
Support AV1 decoding Support AV1 decoding
LPDDR4X memory LPDDR5 memory LPDDR5X memory
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth 100GB/s memory bandwidth 120GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB or 16GB unified memory 8GB, 16GB or 24GB unified memory 16GB, 24GB or 32GB unified memory
16-core Neural Engine, 11 trillion operations per second 16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second 16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
1080p FaceTime HD camera 1080p FaceTime HD camera 12-megapixel camera
Center Stage with desktop view support
Image Signal Processor (ISP) "New" Image Signal Processor (ISP) "New" Image Signal Processor (ISP)
Nanotexture display options
Dedicated display engine
3.5mm headphone jack 3.5mm headphone jack supports high-impedance headphones 3.5mm headphone jack supports high-impedance headphones
Up to two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and two USB 3 ports Up to two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and two USB 3 ports Up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports
Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3
Available in silver, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue Available in silver, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue Available in silver as well as new green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue
Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse/Magic Trackpad with Lightning Port Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse/Magic Trackpad with Lightning Port With USB-C-port Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse/Magic Trackpad
The 2024 iMacs with M4 chips mark a more substantial upgrade compared to the 2021 and 2023 models. Key improvements include a more powerful Neural Engine for AI and machine learning tasks, increased 16GB of standard memory, a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, and support for USB-C accessories, making it an attractive future-proof choice. In terms of performance, it offers a meaningful boost, especially for those upgrading from the M1 iMac or an older Intel-based iMac, with Apple claiming it's up to 6 times faster than the most popular Intel iMac.
For M1 iMac owners, the M4 model may be worth considering if they need enhanced performance or richer features such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing, nanotexture display options, or just a better webcam. However, M3 iMac owners may find less incentive to upgrade, as the performance gap between the M3 and M4, while nice, isn't that noticeable in day-to-day use unless the system is pushed to its limits. The M3 iMac is designed to handle more demanding tasks and will remain relevant for years to come, but M1 iMac owners may want to start thinking about upgrading.
Starting at $1,299, the new iMac remains a solid investment for those looking for a device that offers longevity, functionality, and a meaningful upgrade over the original M1 model or older Intel machines. However, if you have basic needs and find a 2023 iMac on sale, this still offers decent value, although the M4 will better suit the needs of those looking for more performance, better features, and a more future-proof setup.
These are the details of the M1, M3, and M4 iMac Buying Guide: 25 Upgrades Compared. For more information, please pay attention to other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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<p style="display: inline-flex;float: right; color:#333333;">Source: macrumors.com</p>
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