Hands-On With the 24-Inch M3 iMac

Apple in October refreshed the iMac and MacBook Pro, introducing the first M3 chips with 3-nanometer processors. We've already checked out the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and the MacBook Pro with M3 Max, so we thought we'd wrap up our M3 review series with the ‌iMac‌.


If you have an M1 ‌iMac‌, you're not going to notice any physical differences between the old model and the new model with the M3 chip, because Apple didn't make any updates to the design or the color offerings.

Everything is the exact same, with the thin design, 24-inch Retina display, six-speaker sound system, and a selection of seven two-tone color options.

What's different is the internals, and the jump from ‌M1‌ to M3 is a major update in terms of CPU and GPU speeds. Built on the 3-nanometer process, the M3 chip has some major GPU improvements thanks to Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shading.

The M3 chip is 2.5x faster than the ‌M1‌ chip when it comes to GPU performance, and it's better than before for gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, and similar tasks. As for the CPU, the performance cores are up to 30 percent faster than the performance cores in the ‌M1‌, while the efficiency cores are up to 50 percent faster than the ‌M1‌ efficiency cores. In Geekbench benchmarks, the M3 comes in at around 20 percent faster overall.

Depending on what you're doing, there is a notable difference between the ‌M1‌ and M3 in real-world performance and it's great to have an update for a machine that was one of the oldest in Apple's lineup. If you need a desktop Mac for day-to-day tasks, you're not going to be disappointed with the M3 ‌iMac‌.

If you're holding out for a larger ‌iMac‌ with Apple silicon, Apple doesn't think you should wait. The company confirmed there are no plans for another 27-inch iMac, and Apple recommends that customers who need a bigger and better desktop computer turn to the Mac Studio and the Studio Display.

That said, there are rumors that Apple is working on an ‌iMac‌ that has a display somewhere around 30 inches, but it's not yet clear when that model might be coming out, and it seems to be at least a year or two away.

What do you think of the M3 ‌iMac‌? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

tomtad Avatar
21 months ago

Still think it was a mistake removing the apple logo from the front.
I must admit I feel the same, I've tried to get used to it but it still always looks a bit off whenever I see one.

A small logo colour matched to the rear of the computer sat on the chin would really finish it off.



Attachment Image
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tuck_ Avatar
21 months ago
Still think it was a mistake removing the apple logo from the front.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chuckeee Avatar
21 months ago
But which color is the fastest?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chuckeee Avatar
21 months ago
Since this is a hands-on review. How does resistant is the display to fingerprints when some yahoo touches the screen while I’m showing them something?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jaybar Avatar
21 months ago
Not everyone needs a larger iMac. Our iMac 24 M1 nicely fits our custom smaller desk. Also we sit close to our iMac and we can see the whole screen without having to turn our heads. We are light users. 8GB of RAM suits us. If I were ordering a new iMac today I would order with more RAM, to decrease boot up time. However our use case does not require it. We are very happy with our iMac 24.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PassiveSmoking Avatar
21 months ago

But which color is the fastest?
The British Racing Green one
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)