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The iMac now features the M3 chip, replacing the M1 model that Apple introduced in April 2021, so how different are the two successive generations?

M1-versus-M3-iMac-Feature-1.jpg

The 2021 iMac was the first of its kind to feature an Apple silicon chip, replacing previous Intel-based models with 21.5- and 27-inch displays. It offered an all-new ultra-thin design, a 24-inch Retina display, a six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, and an array of seven two-tone color options. The 2021 iMac has now been discontinued by Apple and prices at third-party resellers are falling. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to upgrade to a 2021 or 2023 iMac.

The two Apple silicon iMac models share the overwhelming majority of their features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the first-generation to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to see all the differences that the 2023 iMac brings to the table.

iMac (2021)iMac (2023)
M1 chip (5nm/N5)M3 chip (3nm/N3B)
3.20 GHz CPU clock speed4.05 GHz CPU clock speed
7- or 8-core GPU8- or 10-core GPU
New GPU architecture
Dynamic Caching
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
Video decode engineHigher-bandwidth video decode engine
Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVCHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
ProRes encode and decode engine
Support for AV1 decode
Neural engine60% faster Neural engine
Image signal processor (ISP)"New" image signal processor (ISP)
3.5mm headphone jack3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
Wi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.0Bluetooth 5.3
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth100GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB or 16GB unified memory8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory


Overall, the 2023 iMac is a very minor upgrade over the 2021 model, with the M3 chip being the most significant change. As a result, it is difficult to recommend upgrading from an M1 model unless you specifically need better performance, hardware-accelerated graphics, or a larger quantity of memory. The new iMac is up to 2x faster than the prior generation with the M1 chip, according to Apple, meaning that it should deliver a considerable performance improvement for those who need it.

Most users of the M1 iMac will not be able to justify upgrading to the M3 iMac, but customers coming from an older Intel-based machine or those who do not have one at all could still have good reason to prefer the latest model. For those upgrading from an Intel-based ‌iMac‌, Apple says that the new ‌iMac‌ is up to 2.5x faster than previous 27-inch models and 4.5x faster than previous 21.5-inch models.

The 2023 iMac is otherwise very similar to the 2021 model, so some customers who have very basic needs and are interested in buying an iMac may prefer to look for a discounted 2021 model. The iMac is priced starting at $1,299, so if you are not interested in its new features and can find the original model for substantially less, it may be worth getting that instead. Even so, it should be remembered that this is a much older model; the M3 model will be more future-proof and capable in the long term.

Article Link: M1 vs. M3 iMac Buyer's Guide: 15+ Differences Compared
 
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This iMac is an absolute joke.

  • Terrible design with white bezels and pastel colors
  • Odd screen size with only 60Hz and no local dimming/HDR support
  • 8GB RAM in almost 2024?!
  • 256GB base storage in almost 2024?!
  • Accessories still have a Lightning port
  • Very minor upgrade in a few years time where only the chip changed
  • And despite all of the above, a starting price of EUR 1,560 (USD 1,660) in Europe.
 
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This iMac is an absolute joke.

  • Terrible design with white bezels
  • Odd screen size with only 60Hz and no local dimming/HDR support
  • 8GB RAM in almost 2024?!
  • 256GB base storage in almost 2024?!
  • Accessories still have a Lightning port
  • Very minor upgrade in a few years time where only the chip changed
  • And despite all of the above, a starting price of EUR 1,560 (USD 1,660) in Europe.
Yeah it's the iPad 10th generation of desktop computers. The nickel-and-diming that Cook does has almost become unbearable...
 
The table says that M3 is built on N3E. Has that really been confirmed? That would make the iPhone 15 Pro the only device to use N3B?

Edit: Anandtech says M3 is built on N3B….
 
Waiting for the price floor to drop out on the M1 iMacs. Right now they are still selling for $900 but should be down to half that soon. :rolleyes:

Your looking at nearly 2 grand just to get a base model with comparable to an older iMac with storage memory and features. Ethernet is an add on? Come on. o_O
 
In lieu of bumping base RAM/SSD specs, it would have been nice if they dropped the price a bit or something... No larger/Pro option, no USB-C accessories, not even new colors. It's starting to feel like they just don't care about this product anymore, which is sad considering the original iMac was largely what put Apple back on the map all those years ago.
 
The iMac is priced starting at $1,299, so if you are not interested in its new features and can find the original model for substantially less, it may be worth getting that instead.
While they aren't "substantially less," it's possible to buy the M1 iMac directly from the online Apple Store through its section for refurbished merchandise.
 
This iMac is an absolute joke.

  • Terrible design with white bezels and pastel colors
  • Odd screen size with only 60Hz and no local dimming/HDR support
  • 8GB RAM in almost 2024?!
  • 256GB base storage in almost 2024?!
  • Accessories still have a Lightning port
  • Very minor upgrade in a few years time where only the chip changed
  • And despite all of the above, a starting price of EUR 1,560 (USD 1,660) in Europe.

Hardly a terrible design, but that is opinion based. You don't like it thats cool.

However this line:
"very minor upgrade! Only one chip changed!"

Dude. That one chip is the entire system.
 
Watching the Scary Fast video comparing the M3 to the M1 to make it seem more powerful than it is, I almost believe that Apple didn't upgrade the iMac to the M2 so that they’d have some plausibility making that comparison.
You believe the 24" iMac is their most important machine, and therefore didn't upgrade it so they wouldn't embarrass themselves? Really?
 
A nice machine let down by white bezels, older connectivity (lightning), screen size…

I think they could have made improvements in these other places other than the CPU and had a machine that would make a great proposition for many to upgrade.

For the target user of this device, M3 doesn’t really bring much to the table.

IMac used to be about exciting design for those wanting a first Mac, someone just wanting a nice PC for family use etc.

The price is way too high. You’d be better off getting base Mac mini and spending the saved money on a really great monitor, keyboard and trackpad/mouse… and still have money left over.
 
Had the 5K iMac from 2014. Beautiful device, brilliant screen, but when the tech inside became outdated, needed to buy a whole new computer. Since there is no target display mode, I‘m going separate on computing device and display.
 
Somewhat controversial, perhaps. But:
The iMac is a broken concept.

A Studio Display + a Mac mini is a much better and much more sustainable setup.
Maybe but there are buyers who are looking for a computer that blends in with their furniture. Remember when Steve Jobs introduced the first colorful iMac’s and mentioned that they didn’t look like your typical beige box? So they might have a purpose for some buyers. I personally prefer the Mac Mini with a 4K monitor.
 
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