Apple unveiled its new iMac M1 during the first event organized this year, so it is very likely that you will consider the possibility of acquiring a model of this new generation with a completely new redesign.
Until April 30 it is not possible to reserve them, but before doing so we want to clarify which configurations are for sale, what are their main differences and whether one or the other model is suitable for you depending of work or use that you are going. make him.
What’s standard on all three iMac models
Before we start discussing the differences, let’s take a look at the features that are the same across all three 24-inch iMac models.
- 4.5K Retina display
- 500 nits Brightness, P3 Color Gamut, True Tone
- M1 processor
- 8 GB RAM (upgrade to 16 GB available)
- Cámara FaceTime HD 1080p
- Six speaker system
- Three microphone array
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
There are key differences between the models, which translates into price scale It ranges from $ 1,449, $ 1,669 and $ 1,899.
24 inch IMac: design and colors
All of the iMac models have the same all-in-one design, measuring 547 x 461 x 147mm and weighing 4.46kg, which is quite remarkable for the type of product available, being a desktop computer.
Let’s see what are the finishes in each configuration.
|
IMac models |
Colors |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,499) |
blue, green, pink and silver |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,669) |
blue, green, pink, silver, orange, purple, yellow |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,899) |
blue, green, pink, silver, orange, purple, yellow |
Our choice: It doesn’t seem that the color is anything definitive, although depending on the color you choose for the finishes, the three colors orange, purple or yellow, you won’t find them in the model with entry price, being something something more exclusive of the highest interval.
24-inch IMac – GPU graphics
All three models have an 8-core M1 processor, but the graphics processor (GPU) is different on the $ 1,499 24-inch iMac.
|
IMac models |
Processor cores |
GPU bulbs |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,499) |
8 |
7 |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,669) |
8 |
8 |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,899) |
8 |
8 |
The $ 1,499 24 ”iMac has a lower GPU core than other models. To get an idea of the comparison between 7 and 8 core GPUs, we can take a look at the benchmarks of the see again MacBook Air with M1.
Below we see the results of the Geekbench test performed on the 7-core and 8-core MacBook Air to better understand the differences.
|
IMac models |
Geekbench 5 OpenCL |
Geekbench 5 Metal |
|
MacBook Air GPU 7 núcleos |
16804 |
19283 |
|
MacBook Air GPU 8 núcleos |
18462 |
20960 |
Along with OpenCL and Metal, they are primarily used for rendering graphics. These tests show how fast each GPU can run. The 8-core GPU is 10 times more powerful than the 7-core GPU in Geekbench’s OpenCL test.
With Metal this is up to 8x better with benchmarks designed to stress and place high demands on the GPU, so although you will notice a slight difference if you play an action game, in everyday use you won’t notice the difference. .
Our choice: You get a great chip and solid graphics performance no matter which model you buy, so the GPU shouldn’t be a deciding factor in deciding which 24in iMac to buy.
24-inch IMac – Thunderbolt and USB ports
All three 24-inch iMac models have two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. That’s all you get with the $ 1,499 model. The $ 1,669 and $ 1,899 models also have a pair of USB 3 ports, useful if you want to connect external devices.
None of the iMac models have USB-A ports, which is a shame, but they all have a headphone jack on the left side.
Our choice: Obviously, if you only connect one or two peripherals to your Mac, two ports will suffice. But two ports on a desktop are extremely limited, you may need to invest in an additional Thunderbolt hub.
Take a look at our selection of best USB C hubs for Mac.
If you use any of these accessories, like the Corsair TBT100 Thunderbolt 3 docking station, it will provide you with two USB A ports, two USB C ports, one Gigabit Ethernet connector, two HDMI video sockets and one SD card slot.
If you just need more USB C ports, we love the OWC Thunderbolt Hub, which adds two additional Thunderbolt 4 ports and a USB A port.
24 inch IMac – Storage
The 24-inch iMac has the usual storage upgrades with the ability to go up to 2TB in the highest configurations. Apple has yet to release pricing information, but we can assume it will be around $ 250 for 512GB of storage.
|
IMac models |
Standard configuration |
Upgrades |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,499) |
256 GB |
512 GB, 1 TB |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,669) |
256 GB |
512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB |
|
IMac 24 “(price $ 1,899) |
512 GB |
1TB, 2TB |
Our choice: With cloud storage (iCloud, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive) becoming more and more common, a 256GB SSD will likely be sufficient for most people.
Content creators and video editors dealing with large files will want more local storage, which means they’ll likely want to upgrade to one of the higher models.
24-inch IMac: Gigabit Ethernet
Most people use Wi-Fi connections at home, but advanced users will prefer a wired connection with an Ethernet port to ensure maximum speeds and low latency.
The 24-inch iMac doesn’t have a Gigabit Ethernet connector, but it does on the AC adapter. As you can see below, Apple has moved the port to power.
However, this Ethernet-equipped adapter does not come with the entry-level 24-inch iMac. You can choose to get one, but it will cost you more. (We don’t know how many yet).
Our choice: We’re not sure exactly how much the Ethernet-equipped adapter will cost, but since Apple charges $ 79 for the 96-watt USB-C power adapter, we estimate that it will cost at least $ 50 on top of the starting price for it. ‘iMac from $. 1,499.
So if you really need wired internet, that offsets the extra you will have to pay to have the dedicated connection, on top of the other extras we have discussed.
24 inch IMac: Touch ID
Touch ID has finally arrived on a desktop Mac. Apple did this with a keyboard designed specifically for the 24-inch iMac, in seven colors to match all of the tones of Apple’s fingerprint sensor.
You will find it in the upper right corner of the keyboard. With Touch ID enabled, whenever you need to enter a password, a message appears and you just need to place your finger on the Touch ID button to authenticate.
However, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is only available on higher iMac models which cost $ 1,669 and $ 1,899. So the entry price model doesn’t include Touch ID, which is disappointing.
Instead, we have a standard wireless Magic Keyboard which can be upgraded to a Touch ID keyboard.
Our choice: We’re big fans of Touch ID on MacBook, so we recommend having it on your desktop, even if it means you have to buy a higher model.
24-inch IMac: our buying advice
It’s good that the 24in iMac has an entry price of $ 1,499 when you think of all the users who make basic and generic use of the desktop, and nothing else.
However, consider that for only 170 $ you can access the following configuration, with some interesting extras such as GPU cores, more ports, wired Gigabit Ethernet connection and the use of Touch ID.
It’s hard to quantify the price difference, but given the prices Apple usually sets for certain extras like the price of the power adapter, or any accessory, it seems obvious that the recommendation is to avoid the price of entry and opt for the higher models.
If, instead of a desktop, you’re planning to buy a laptop, take a look at our special MacBook to buy deal where we include all models with an Intel chip and Apple Silicon M1.
The original article was published in igamesnews USA.
.
Table of Contents
