The entry-level price point includes the 8-core CPU/7-core GPU variant of the M1, only 8GB of RAM, a measly 256GB of built-in storage, no ethernet port on the power brick, one cooling fan instead of two and only two ports on the whole machine.įor creative work, we'd recommend stepping up to at least 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, like our review unit, or possibly going a step further by upgrading the storage to 1TB. You can get the 24-inch iMac for as little as $1,300, but this involves a lot of sacrifices. It features the 8-core CPU/8-core GPU variant of the M1, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and all of the extra ports and cooling that come along with the higher-end configs. The M1 iMac we received for review sits near the top of the configuration spectrum. But if you view the new 24-inch iMac through the lens of Apple's intentions for this product, the creative potential of this machine comes into focus and you begin to understand who should (and who shouldn't) buy this new machine.ĭesign, build and usability | Performance benchmarks | Performance takeaways | Conclusion

Like very other M1 Mac, it has its frustrating limitations – some of Apple's design choices have left professionals scratching their heads. Apple has combined M1 performance with a color-accurate 4.5K Retina display and crammed it all inside an impossibly thin and playfully designed package. And Apple has combined that performance with a color-accurate 4.5K Retina display and crammed it all inside an impossibly thin and playfully designed package. In terms of photo and video editing performance, the new iMac is on par with every other M1 Mac, meaning: excellent. Despite this, it's arguably the best starter Mac for anybody who is interested in exploring their creative side. It's a family-friendly Mac that's much more concerned with aesthetic sensibility than Adobe Premiere Pro performance. The new M1 iMac is a sleek, stylish and surprisingly affordable photo and video editing machine.įirst, the elephant in the room: the redesigned 24-inch iMac was not created for photographers and video editors.

Best buy mac mini m1 16gb