Comparison: M4 iMac vs M3 iMac – New Features and Improvements

A series of incremental improvements to Apple continues with the 2024 iMac. This time, Apple's all-in-one features the latest M4 chip and a couple of other updates worth considering. Here are the News of the iMac M4 and how it compares to the previous-generation iMac M3.

A Similar Design With Slightly Different Colors

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Like the M3 iMac, the M4 iMac is also available in seven colors: blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, green, and silver. However, Apple has used slightly lighter shades for all the colors, giving them a different appearance. Beyond the colors, the overall dimensions and weight of the iMacs remain similar (except that the M4 iMac is 1.28 oz lighter).

The M4 iMac Offers an Optional Display Upgrade

The iMac M4 features the exact same display setup we saw on the iMac M3. It uses a 23.5-inch Retina display with a 4,480 x 2,520 resolution (with a pixel density of 218 PPI), 500 nits of peak brightness, and P3 wide color. As with other devices, Apple has also equipped the iMac M4 with its technology True Tone display. So what's changing?

The iMac M4 is configurable with nano-texture glass for an additional cost of $200. For those who are update, the Cupertino team introduced nano-texture glass with the M4 iPad Pro that went on sale earlier this year. Etched at the nanoscale, the glass disperses ambient light, making distractions like reflections or glare significantly less visible “without lose a quality of exceptional image.

While not a huge improvement, nano-texture glass could give buyers the flexibility to place their iMac anywhere in a room without worrying about glare and reflections due to ambient lights, windows, or skylights.

Both iMacs come equipped with a high-fidelity six-speaker system for wide stereo sound (with support for Spatial Audio) and a three-microphone setup for studio-quality audio.

M4 iMac vs M3 iMac: Incremental Speed Improvements

Under the vibrant exterior, the 2024 iMac is powered by M4 silicon. In fact, the device features two variants of the M4 chip: one with an eight-core CPU (four performance cores and four efficiency cores) and a GPU eight-core CPU, and another with a 10-core CPU (two additional efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU. Fun fact: there is a third M4 variant powering the iPad Pro 2024; features a nine-core CPU.

Compared to the M4 iMac, the 2023 iMac had a chip M3 with an eight-core CPU and an eight- or ten-core GPU. In addition, the new iMac has 16GB of storage memory unified (configurable up to 32GB), double the 8GB of memory available on the previous generation iMac (configurable up to 24GB). However, base storage remains the same on both models: 256GB (configurable up to 2TB).

The iMac M4 also features a 16-core Neural Engine, which is up to 2x faster than the one in the chip M3. This will help the CPU to handle all the intelligence features of the Apple (as they arrive). Finally, memory bandwidth on the M4 has been improved to 120GB/s (from 100GB/s on the M3). The iMac M4 has the same multimedia engine as its predecessor.

Thanks to more CPU cores, a better GPU (with a tracing engine of rays 2x faster) and more RAM, the M4 chip in the latest iMac should offer appreciably better performance. But is it enough to upgrade? In my opinion, you should only update if there's any aspect of the M3 iMac that's holding you back. Otherwise, the 2023 iMac is still a beast of a performance.

I/O, External Displays and Camera

The highest-spec iMac M4 (with 10 cores) CPU and 10 GPU cores) offers four Thunderbolt 4 ports (up to 40 Gbps), USB 4 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 connections (up to 10 Gbps). The all-in-one PC is also configurable with a port Ethernet Gigabit. In contrast, the iMac M3 had two Thunderbolt 4 ports and two USB 3 ports, even on the highest-spec version.

However, both models feature a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones. Wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3 on both. Additionally, both computers come with the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse in the box, with the option to upgrade to the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and keyboard numeric keypad and Magic Trackpad (all upgraded to USB-C).

While the M3 iMac supports one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, the base M4 iMac also supports the same. However, the upgraded M4 iMac can drive up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 8K resolution at 60Hz. This could be a worthwhile upgrade, especially for users who need to work with multiple devices. monitors.

The 1080p FaceTime HD camera on the M3 iMac has been replaced by a 12MP camera with Center Stage on the M4 iMac. For those unaware, Center Stage is a feature that keeps your face in the center of the screen by making real-time framing adjustments. Additionally, the new camera supports Desk View, a feature that allows users to record an overhead view of their desktop.

Both iMacs Support Apple Intelligence

With macOS With Sequoia 15.1, Apple has launched the first batch of its AI features, called Apple Intelligence. Out of the box, these include system-wide Writing Tools, improved Siri, notification and email summary, and a couple of other additions.

While the M4 iMac will come with macOS 15.1 out of the box, the M3 iMac can install the update over the air. In theory, both iMacs support macOS 15.1. Apple, but given the better Neural Engine in the M4, GenAI features should be a bit faster on the new machine.

The iMac M4 Costs the Same as the iMac M3

He iMac M4 base, with an eight-core CPU and an eight-core GPU, is priced at $1,299. Although the iMac is available for pre-order on the company's official website, it will go on sale starting November 8, 2024.

Last year, the iMac M3 was also launched with the same launch price for the base variant with an octa-core CPU and a GPU eight-core.

Apple has been on a roll since September. First, it launched the iPhone 16 with the A18 processor and a new camera control button. The September launch was followed by the new iPad mini, iMac M4, the new Mac mini, and now some new MacBook Pro models.