Here’s what changes from the M1 iMac to the new M3 iMac

Along with the introduction of a new generation MacBook Pro, Apple also announced a new iMac during its “Scary Fast” event on Monday. However, despite the new M3 chip inside the new iMac, Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer looks pretty much the same as its predecessor. Read on as we detail what changes from the M1 iMac to the M3 iMac.

The new M3 iMac

Apple updated the iMac for the last time in 2021, when it got a brand new design and the M1 chip. Apple Silicon allowed the company to make the iMac incredibly thin. At the time, Apple also brought color options to the iMac, increased the display size from 21.5 inches to 24 inches, and added Spatial Audio-enabled speakers with Dolby Atmos.

And what’s new about the 2023 iMac? Well, the M3 chip. The new SoC (system-on-a-chip) for the Mac is based on the A17 Pro found in the iPhone 15 Pro. This means that it has been built with 3 nanometer technology, which is more energy efficient. Of course, M3 is also faster than its predecessors, which is great for users who work with more intensive apps.

According to Apple, M3 is up to 2x faster than M1 (there has never been an iMac with M2 for some reason). The base version of the M3 has an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU with 8GB of RAM. Users can upgrade to a version with a 10-core GPU for better graphics performance. M1 was only available with 7- and 8-core GPU options.

But M3 comes with some other improvements, such as ray tracing hardware acceleration for better illumination, reflections, and shadows on 3D objects. Additionally, the new GPU brings hardware-accelerated mesh shading to the Mac. The new chip can also be combined with up to 24GB of RAM, compared to 16GB on the M1.

Better connectivity

Connectivity on the new iMac has also improved. Apple has upgraded from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 6E, which operates on a more powerful 6GHz spectrum (versus 2.4GHz and 5GHz in previous Wi-Fi standards), so it’s less susceptible to signal interference.

Bluetooth has also been upgraded from the 5.0 standard to 5.3, which has better security due to a new encryption technology combined with better signal stability. It also supports Bluetooth LE Audio with codecs optimized for wireless headphones and speakers, plus location awareness based on other Bluetooth devices in the same environment.

Wrap up

Unfortunately, for those expecting more significant changes, everything else remained pretty much the same as before. There’s no new design, the display is exactly the same as the previous generation, and Apple hasn’t even introduced any new colors with the M3 iMac. So the only changes are:

• M3 chip
• New ray tracing-enabled GPU with up to 10 cores (versus 8 cores on the M1)
• Up to 24GB of RAM (versus 16GB on the M1)
• Up to 2TB SSD (versus 1TB on the M1)
• Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 (versus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0)

And here’s what was left untouched:

• Design
• Colors
• 24-inch 4.5K LCD display with 500 nits brightness
• 1080p webcam
• Six-speaker system
• Three-mic array
• Two Thunderbolt 4 ports (plus two USB-C ports on more expensive models)
• Base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD
• Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard with Lightning port

The new M3 iMac starts at $1,299, the same price as before. You can pre-order it now on Apple’s website, with shipping estimates for November 7. You can also find the M1 iMac at lower prices on Amazon.