The new iMac 24-inch with M3 processor is available in three different standard configurations. In addition, you also have the possibility to adjust the configuration to your own wishes, think of the RAM memory and the storage capacity.
The standard entry-level iMac 24-inch is a stripped-down version of the other two configurations and is also available in fewer colors. Additionally, the graphics processor has 2 fewer GPU cores, you get fewer ports and no Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. For more 24-inch iMac differences, read the article below.
M3 Performance and Experiences
Since the introduction of Apple Silicon, we have been using Macs with an M chip. For example, we tested the M1 in the first 24-inch iMac, tested the M2 in a MacBook Air, and now own an iMac with the M3 chip and MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro.
After using all these processors, we can conclude that the Apple Silicon processors are super powerful. The MacBook Air is even used without cooling and the performance is high. Of course you will notice that an M Pro chip performs better with heavier tasks, but for the ‘normal’ users an M chip is more than sufficient.
Because the iMac is equipped with active cooling, the performance will be much better than that of a MacBook Air without cooling. Something that is also the case with the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip.
When choosing an iMac, you can’t choose between different processors as was the case in the Intel era, unfortunately you can’t have a Pro model installed. You can, however, boost the GPU a bit by choosing an M3 chip with 10 GPU, especially useful if you plan to game on your Mac.
Choosing the right storage space
The new iMac 24-inch M3 comes standard with 256GB and the most expensive model with 512GB of SSD storage space. The configurations equipped with 256GB as standard can be upgraded to 512GB or 1TB, with the most expensive model even up to 2TB.
The choice of storage space is one for the entire life of your iMac. Because the storage space is integrated into the motherboard of the iMac, you can change it later not more customization.
For an iMac that is used by the whole family for general tasks, 256GB of storage will be enough. Especially if you also use iCloud for storing your photos and music.
If you are going to use your iMac for more complex tasks such as Xcode, Final Cut Pro or Photoshop-like activities, additional storage space is almost unavoidable. Many professional apps create temporary files that take up a lot of disk space. For example, when you export a video with Final Cut Pro, you will be dealing with files of several tens of GBs. Exporting a video of several minutes at 4K resolution even generates temporary files of more than 100 GB.
If you run out of disk space after purchase, you can also use external storage afterwards. You can then opt for a super-fast external USB drive that you can plug into one of the USB-C connections. The internal storage space of the iMac will always be many times faster than an external disk.
Did you know that you can also Mac in cloud can rent?
If you use the iMac for professional purposes, consider carefully whether the disk space provided is sufficient. In most cases, 512 GB will not be an unnecessary luxury. For home-garden-kitchen-and-office use, such as surfing the internet, reading mail and editing a photo every now and then, 256 GB is sufficient.
It pays to regularly clean up files that are no longer in use to free up disk space for when it is possible. A handy app that can help you with this is CleanMyMac X.
8 or 16GB of RAM?
The new iMacs come standard with 8 GB of central RAM. When ordering, you have the option to expand this to 16 GB. This is also a choice for the entire lifespan of your iMac, because the memory is integrated into the motherboard and cannot be adjusted afterwards. Where you can expand the disk space with an external disk, this is unfortunately not possible with the central RAM.
8 GB of standard memory is sufficient for general use. Even the larger apps such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro can handle this just fine, especially if you only use these apps and close all other applications.
If you choose 16 GB you will get more comfort, this gives you the possibility to have multiple apps open in the background where you can quickly switch between different applications. The apps remain in the super fast central memory.
When the central memory is full, a portion of the memory is copied to the SSD storage. This writing and retrieving of the data takes time and will lead to slower response of the apps.
Of course, on an 8 GB iMac it is possible to open multiple apps at the same time. Safari, Mail, Numbers, Pages and Photos are no problem without performance decrease.
If you use a lot of power users like Xcode, Final Cut Pro or Photoshop, or if you use the iMac for professional purposes, then 16 GB is definitely recommended. With complex tasks, everything goes much smoother and faster than with 8 GB. For the average Mac user, 8 GB is more than enough, especially since the addition of the M1 chip!
