Apple recently announced the new M3 iMac and MacBook Pro models. The next generation of Macs features Apple's powerful M3 chips that pack quite a punch as far as performance is concerned. A week after the announcement, reviews of iMac and MacBook Pro models are now out. If you want to know every detail regarding the devices, be sure to check out the roundup of the 24-inch M3 iMac.

Apple's M3 iMac receives praise for better performance in a familiar package

Apple's 24-inch iMac features the same design as its predecessor. However, it houses a plethora of upgrades on the inside. The machine is equipped with Apple's M3 chip based on TSMC's 3nm fabrication, offering significant performance gains over the M1 chip on the original model. The machine starts at $1,299 and will be available to users on November 7.

Forbes called the new M3 iMac "the ideal family desktop computer." but states that the device should have undergone a design change. While the design is still fresh, the company saw fit to add additional components to upgrade the system entirely. We previously reported that the device would feature redesigned internals for the stand, but it appears that the company went forward with the same design.

"Put the iMac with M1 chip and the new one with the M3 processor side by side," it continues, "and the only way you'll tell them apart is the M1 model has probably accrued some dust in the two years since it was released."

TechCrunch states that the M3 iMac is not worth the upgrade, but it all depends on the preference and utility of the user.

"If, however, you're looking to replace an older machine or for something compact and zippy for a dorm room or cubicle," it continues, "or just an apartment with a space crunch, it's a nice little option that's far more accessible than the pro-focused Mac Studio."

Digital Trends praised the performance boost the M3 chip brings to the table. The publication states that Apple's decision to skip the M2 chip accounted for a significant difference in performance compared to the M1 chip.

When you look at Cinebench R23 scores, the M3 is a whopping 20% faster in both single-core and multi-core. That's massive. It means no matter what the strenuous task is, the M3 iMac will be at least 20% faster. A good example is a simple video encoding test in Handbrake. The M3 iMac encoded the same video to H.265, 27% faster than the M1 iMac.

It shows how far Apple has taken these chips in just a few generations, especially on the GPU front. I was sent the 10-core GPU model, and with the inclusion of Dynamic Caching, this little iMac is a pretty solid little engine for graphics. In the Cinebench 2024 GPU test, it was 35% faster than the M1 Pro in a 14-inch MacBook Pro despite having six less GPU cores. Meanwhile, the M3 iMac beats the M2 Pro in the Mac mini by 20% in this same graphics test. Again, I think you can credit Dynamic Caching for doing a lot of the heavy lifting in that comparison.

Tom's Hardware states that the M3 iMac is perfect for users who want "just the basic" features. The M3 iMac performs relatively better than the M1 chip and starts at a reasonable price, but upgrades cost a lot.

The iMac has always been a reasonably economical system for Mac users who want "just the basics" in an everyday computer. The screen is large, bright, and colorful. The minimalist design blends in with just about any décor (and you can choose from various colors to match), and the new Apple M3 chip provides a big jump in performance compared to the M1 model that debuted in 2021.

While the company went with the same design, the M3 chip really makes a difference, in our opinion. Furthermore, Blooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E also bring faster and more reliable connectivity. Another significant addition that Apple could have added is new USB-C accessories. Users must still use a Lightning cable to charge their Magic Mouse, Keyboard, and Trackpad. You can check out the video reviews of the M3 iMac below for more details.

Video Reviews