Apple iMac 2024 Review: A Step in the Right Direction

When the Apple iMac re-emerged last year after a two-year hiatus, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. One of my favorite computers from my youth had returned. But once the nostalgia wore off, I was left wanting more—more screen, more power, more options.

This time, the iMac comes equipped with Apple’s powerful M4 silicon, delivering the performance that was sorely lacking in last year’s model. The 2024 iMac is a significant improvement, making it a solid all-in-one with enough power for more than just casual gaming and light editing, even though Apple played it safe with the design.

Apple iMac 2024 Review: Design and Features

The iMac we reviewed is the 24-inch, top-end M4 model, which retails for $2,300 and features a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 1TB of storage, 24GB of memory, and the nano-texture glass coating (a $200 add-on). You can double the storage for an additional $400; for another $200, you can upgrade to 32GB of unified memory.

This configuration is geared toward power users who plan to use the iMac as a workstation or editing suite. However, since all-in-ones also make for great living room computers, you can opt for the base model iMac, starting at $1,300, with an 8-core CPU and GPU. With the base model, you’ll miss out on the gigabit Ethernet and the two extra Thunderbolt ports. If you’re looking for the best value, I recommend spending extra money on the iMac with the upgraded 10-core CPU/GPU combo for improved performance, starting at $1,500.

Much of the design of this iMac iteration remains unchanged from last year. It’s available in seven fun colors (this year, we got Blue), all in a thin 11.5mm chassis, with the 24-inch Retina Display. The range of motion is limited to a slight tilt, but the compact footprint is a plus, especially if you have a crowded desk. I’ve always appreciated the iMac’s design—it adds a bit of personality to your desk.

It’s also nice to see a version of the new iMacs ship with a built-in VESA adapter. However, these units come without a desktop base, so you’ll need to decide early before you add them to the cart whether to mount them on a wall or attach them to a desk arm.

One thing I still can’t get over, though, is the placement of the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. While I’m glad that Apple has switched all its accessories—like the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad—to USB-C charging, the fact that I can’t use the mouse while charging it is incredibly frustrating.

Unfortunately, no matter which iMac model you choose, you’re only offered the base M4 chip. If you’re looking for a Mac with the M4 Pro, you’ll need to check out the revamped Mac mini, or, for an M4 Max, the MacBook Pro. As I used the M4 iMac, I again wondered why Apple still doesn’t offer a model with the more powerful silicon.

Apple iMac 2024 Review: Performance

The M4 iMac delivers a modest performance boost over its M3 counterpart in all of our CPU synthetic benchmarks, with a 15-25% However, when it comes to memory, it’s not quite fair to compare this iMac’s 24GB of unified memory against 8GB in the model we tested last year. The M4 iMac is snappy and excels at multitasking. You could edit and export a short 1080p video, hop a video call, and open dozens of browser tabs without much hiccup.

In Blender, the iMac rendered a BMW scene in two minutes and 31 seconds, which is close to what we got with the 14-inch Macbook with M4, which rendered the scene in two minutes and 42 seconds.

Still, if you look at the pricing, the 2024 iMac with 24GB of memory for $2,300 offers much better value than last year’s configuration, which would have cost you closer to $2,800 for similar specs. The CPU on the iMac also beat Intel’s by a pretty large margin

The Mac mini with M4 Pro is the way to go if you want workstation performance, as it is the only Mac desktop offering a more powerful chip. Plus, it gives you more versatility since you can pair it with any sized monitor. While the performance of the iMac is a lot better than last year’s model, I still wouldn’t recommend it for serious video and photo editors. If you’re a content creator who uses a lot of AI in your workflow, a higher-end iMac at this review spec could be worth a look.

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Apple has made gaming less of a big deal this time on the M4 iMac, but you can still get away with some light gaming if you’re okay with not seeing the same frame rates as you would even on a budget gaming PC. The 2024 iMac seems more suited for work and just a bit of play.

Resident Evil 4 Remake ran just fine, hitting an average of 45-50fps at 1080p on the ‘optimized graphics preset.’ While it is playable, I noticed some hitching in areas with many enemies, like Village Square, which gets overrun by zombies in the early chapters. If you switch to a preset focusing on performance, the frame rate hovers around 55fps.

Myst also ran at a reliable 50-55fps on average. It’s not as demanding a game as Resident Evil 4 Remake, but it ran smoothly with no major issues. If you’re looking for a graphical powerhouse, the iMac isn’t that computer. I was hoping for a consistent 60fps at the very least, especially if you’re spending over $2,000.

It was also nice to see that all versions of the iMac now come with a base 16GB of unified memory. This minimum memory configuration makes sense, allowing users to take full advantage of Apple Intelligence, a headline feature across Apple’s 2024 product lineup. However, like in our reviews of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, Apple Intelligence is a bit of a mixed bag.

Apple iMac 2024 Review: Display and Camera

I had high hopes that Apple would eventually release a 32-inch iMac, but last we heard, that might not happen until 2025—hopefully. To be fair, I’ve been using the 2023 24-inch iMac as my daily driver for work for over a year, and the screen size hasn’t bugged me as much as I expected. Then again, I don’t do serious video or photo editing, so the extra screen space would be useful without relying on a second monitor.

The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with a 60Hz refresh rate is the same as last year, so there are no new surprises. It’s a fine screen with good color and contrast, though a part of me craves an iMac with an OLED display, like you’d find on Apple’s new M4 iPad Pro.

The review unit came with the display’s $200 nano-texture glass option, which reduces glare and reflectivity. We noticed significantly reduced glare under harsh studio lights. This upgrade might be worth considering if your workspace is exposed to a lot of direct sunlight. However, I didn’t notice much difference when working side-by-side with the M3 iMac under typical office lighting.

The 12MP camera works well enough, but I appreciated how it takes advantage of its Center Stage feature, which works as a head-tracker for video calls and focuses on keeping you in the frame. I also played around with Desk View on a couple of Facetime calls, which uses the front-facing camera to show both your face and what’s on your desk.

This is useful for meetings where you need to present something on your desk. I had a blast showing off some Lego figurines to my son on Facetime. This is probably how I see most people using this feature in a more casual setting. I’ll admit it took some time to figure it out, and it seems like it doesn’t quite work on Google Meets, but it did work on WebEx.

Apple iMac 2024 Review: Verdict

As much as the M3 iMac felt like a half-step upgrade, the M4-powered iMac feels closer to what you’d want for Apple’s all-in-one. It’s a better value and tuned for Apple intelligence. It’s still a gorgeous-looking machine that will always turn heads. If you’re looking for productivity and some light gaming, you should go with one of the cheaper specs. Though, if you’re looking for the iMac to handle heavier workloads, the price will creep up on you.

The lack of larger display options and more powerful chip configurations is a letdown for power users. However, if you’re looking for a Mac to handle more demanding workloads, there are alternatives, such as the 2024 Mac mini and the MacBook Pro. On the other hand, if you’re after a stylish, everyday all-in-one that delivers solid performance without breaking the bank, the M4 iMac is an excellent choice.