Apple today kicked off what the company is calling a “big week for the Mac” by announcing the revamped M4 iMac as the first of several Mac updates coming in the next few days.
M4 brings sizable performance gains
The major addition in this refresh is the implementation of the new M4 system on a chip, which launched earlier this year inside the M4 iPad Pros. On iMac, M4 is available with a 10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, while the GPU has 10 cores with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and 2x faster ray tracing acceleration.
As a result, Apple says that the M4 iMac is 1.7x faster than the M1 iMac for daily productivity tasks and 2.1x faster for more demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming. All in all, if you’re coming from the M1 version, this should be a very nice upgrade in terms of performance.
It should be noted that the 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU are not the base configuration on these new iMacs. The base configuration, starting at $1299, has an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU so you’ll need to shell out at least $1499 to get the 10-core chip.
Apple also points out that users upgrading from an Intel iMac to the M4 will likely have their socks blown off by the performance gains they’ll see. Compared to the most popular Intel-based iMac model, the new iMac is 6x faster. Plus Apple claims that the M4 iMac is up to 4.5x faster than the most popular 24-inch all-in-one PC with the latest Intel Core 7 processor.
Another welcome change is a boost to the base amount of RAM in the M4 iMac. While previous iMacs came standard with 8GB of RAM, the M4 iMac includes 16GB and is configurable all the way to 32GB, likely as a result of these iMacs being built with Apple Intelligence in mind. Another Apple Intelligence-fueled upgrade is an improved Neural Engine in M4 that is 3x faster than the Neural Engine on the M1 iMac. You can read more about the first wave of Apple Intellgence features that launched alongside these iMacs here.
More Thunderbolt ports available
With the M4 iMacs, you can now outfit these computers with up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports. While the base model with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU only has two Thunderbolt ports, upgrading to the $1499 or $1699 configurations with the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU setup also boosts the available ports to four—all of which are now support Thunderbolt 4.
But look. Maybe you don’t need the extra power of the 10-core configurations and you want to save a bit of money by going with the base model M4 iMac. And maybe you’re also worried about the limited connectivity that the base model’s two ports provide. Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Our selection of Thunderbolt docks like the OWC 11-Port Thunderbolt Dock above, allow you to connect way more types of displays, drives, and other peripherals than even the four-port configurations of the M4 iMac—and all through a single Thunderbolt port. Our docks feature Thunderbolt, HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, SD card, and Gigabit Ethernet among other ports. Check out all of our docks here to make sure you can connect your new iMac to everything you depend on.
New 12MP Center Stage Camera
Another improvement made on the M4 iMacs is the inclusion of a new 12MP Center Stage Camera for video calls. The new camera also includes support for Desk View which allows you to show in a video call what’s happening on your desk while you speak.
Optional Nano-Texture Display
Like the Apple Studio Display and the M4 iPad Pros, Apple is offering its Nano-Texture display on the M4 iMacs as well. This covers the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with a nano-textured glass that is designed to reduce reflections and glare while maintaining image quality. This is a great option to add on if your iMac will be facing a window or light source or is in a room that is generally bright overall.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth improvements
The M4 iMacs also include support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Pricing and availability
The M4 iMac starts at $1299 and will be available in seven slightly updated colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Pre-orders are available now and the M4 iMac will be arrive in stores on Friday, November 8, 2024.
Not a 27″ iMac in sight
I often wonder why Apple dropped the 27″ iMacs. I have photography/video friends who are don’t worry about color calibration and who wanted the simplicity of the iMac design.
10 cores is a nice feature but if key programs like Adobe Acrobat remain single-threaded after 25+ years, they get no benefit from them. Some programs use multiple cores but often it is a free or other low-priced program that gets the most benefit from a multi-core processor.