During its Halloween-themed Scary Fast event, Apple unveiled a new 24-inch iMac running on the most recent Apple Silicon M3 Chip. The new all-in-one desktop packs a significant array of enhancements, setting the stage for a notable tech revamp.
The centerpiece of this iMac is the impressive 24-inch 4.5K Retina Display, which comes with over 11.3 million pixels and more than a billion colors. With a 4480 x 2520 pixels resolution, 500 nits brightness, and wide color gamut (P3), it harmonizes with the previous-gen model, showcasing a vivid, crisp display.
The real star, undoubtedly, is the new Apple Silicon M3 chip, sporting an 8-core processor split into 4 performance and 4 efficiency cores. The chip also houses a robust 16-core neural engine, aiming to power on-device machine learning, AI tasks, and superior video performance. Apple asserts that the iMac M3 presents approximately 2x faster speeds compared to prior Intel-based iMac models, showcasing remarkable performance advancements.
The M3 chip’s prowess is particularly noticeable in applications like Safari and Microsoft Excel, providing up to 30% faster performance, quicker game load times, and up to 50% faster frame rates. Moreover, significant improvements in studio work tasks, like editing and handling 12 streams of 4K video, stand out as substantial enhancements. Notably, video and photo editing on platforms like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe Photoshop have doubled their speed compared to previous versions.
The GPU of the M3 iMac, boasting 8 or 10 cores (in the four-port model), introduces support for innovative features like mesh shading, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a wide array of media formats. Furthermore, the iMac offers a memory bandwidth of up to 100 GB/s, with configurations up to 24GB of unified memory, ensuring seamless multitasking and computing performance.
Regarding storage, the base iMac comes with a 256GB SSD, upgradeable to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB in the higher-end model. Equipped with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, it ensures crisp visuals for video calls, supported by an Advanced Image Signal Processor.
Notably, the iMac’s audio setup incorporates a high-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers and supports spatial audio playback during Dolby Atmos-powered music or video content. Alongside the 3.5mm headphone jack, the iMac sports a three-mic array designed for superior sound reception and directional beamforming.
Connectivity-wise, the iMac supports Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax and Bluetooth 5.3. Featuring Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, optional Gigabit Ethernet, and USB 3 ports in the higher-end variant, the desktop offers flexible connectivity options.
Pricing for the 24-inch iMac M3 starts at $1,299 for the 8-core GPU model, while the higher-end 10-core GPU variant is priced at $1,499. The iMac M3 boasts vibrant color options and is available for purchase starting today, with shipping commencing from November 7 in numerous countries and regions.
Despite the impressive upgrades in performance and features, it’s notable that the base model retains the 8GB/256GB configuration. This new iMac’s availability marks a remarkable shift in desktop computing, catering to varied user needs and preferences.