M4 24-inch iMac [left], 21.5-inch Intel iMac [right]
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It's been more than five years since How Apple Released the Latest Intel iMac Here’s how much you can upgrade with the all-new 24-inch M4 iMac.
Apple’s own chip design initiative, Apple Silicon, has been around for quite a few years now. Introduced in 2020, Apple Silicon has systematically replaced all of Apple’s Intel-based Mac models with versions that use its own processor design.
The last Intel iMac release was in 2019, when Apple continued to use an older iMac design. Two years later, Apple changed the game by not only releasing an Apple Silicon iMac, but a radically redesigned one.
People who are still using an Intel iMac will find that things have changed significantly, and that the upgrade will make a lot of changes to their computing setup.
While Apple Silicon has been around since 2020, there will still be plenty of Mac users who have stuck with Intel. Analysts found that 56% of new Mac owners kept their older Macs for three or more years in a 2024 survey.
This isn't a new trend, either. The same 2020 survey found that 40% of Mac buyers at the time kept their hardware for three or more years.
There's a very good chance that some of that 56% segment is made up of Intel Mac owners.
As for why they can hold on to their hardware for so long, there are a few reasons beyond cost. For one, they can have Mac software running on Intel architecture rather than Apple Silicon.
And then there's memory, since Intel Macs often offered the option to add more. Apple Silicon users were stuck with what they initially configured, with no way to upgrade the internals for themselves.
Here's how the latest Intel-based base 21.5-inch iMac, which was $1,299 at the time, compares to its counterpart, the $1,299 24-inch iMac M4.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac Specs
| Specifications | 21.5-inch iMac (2019, Intel) | 24-inch iMac (2024, M4, 2-port) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $1,299 | $1,299 Best M4 iMac Prices |
| Processor | 3.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i3 | 8-core M4, 16-core Neural Engine |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Pro 555X, 2 GB GDDR5 | 8-core M4 GPU |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB shared memory, Configurable up to 24 GB |
| Internal Storage | 1 TB 5400 RPM Hard Drive | 256 GB SSD Configurable up to 1 TB SSD |
| Display | 4096 x 2304 Retina 4K LED display, Wide color gamut (P3), 500 nits |
4480 x 2520 Retina 4.5K LED display, Wide color gamut (P3), True Tone, 500 nits, Nano-texture glass (optional) |
| Connectivity | 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Gigabit Ethernet, 2x Thunderbolt 3 4x USB-A 3.5mm headphone jack |
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet (optional), 2x USB 4/Thunderbolt 4, 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones |
| Camera & Audio | FaceTime HD camera Stereo speakers Microphone |
12-megapixel Center Stage camera with M4 ISP Studio-quality, three-mic beamforming array Six speakers with force-compensated woofers |
| Video Output | Dual 4K UHD displays at 60Hz Or one 5K display at 60Hz |
Dual 6K displays at 60Hz Or one 8K display at 120Hz |
| Special Features | Support Hey Siri Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (optional on 2-port model) |
Hey Siri support Magic Keyboard (optional Touch ID) |
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – Design, Weight, Size
The M4 24-inch iMac is a far cry from the design that was used in the last Intel iMac. When Apple switched to Apple Silicon, it made a significant number of changes, including an overhaul of its appearance.
Previously, there were large bezels on the sides, a tapered back to create the illusion of thinness, and a fairly limited choice of colors.
Now, the iMac shares the design aesthetic of the iPad Pro, with flat sides and minimal bezels, and a very wide color palette for consumers to choose from. The chin is still there, but everything else has undergone a lot of changes.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: The new iMac has a thin but slab-like design
Given that there are two screen sizes and radical design changes in play, you can expect the physical dimensions to be very different.
The 21.5-inch iMac measures 17.7 inches tall and 20.8 inches wide overall. The 24-inch iMac is slightly taller and wider at 18.1 inches and 21.5 inches, respectively, but not by much.
The new model’s footprint is slightly smaller thanks to its smaller base. This brings the M4 iMac’s overall depth to 5.8 inches, compared to 6.9 inches for the old model.
While slightly larger, the 24-inch iMac is significantly lighter than its predecessor. The 21.5-inch iMac weighed 12.1 pounds, compared to 9.74 pounds for the two-port M4 iMac and 9.79 pounds for the four-port version.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – Display
The 21.5-inch LED-backlit display of the Intel iMac offered a lot to consumers. With a resolution of 4096 by 2304 pixels, it delivered a pixel density of 219 pixels per inch.
The 24-inch model gets the same LED-backlit display technology, but in a decidedly larger size. Like the 23.5-inch 4.5K display, it has a resolution of 4480 by 2520, giving it a similar pixel density of 218 pixels per inch.
M4 24-inch iMac vs Intel 21.5-inch iMac: The latest iMac's display is bigger than Intel's generation screen
What hasn't changed is the brightness, which is 500 nits for both models. There's also Wide color (P3) support across the board, though you won't get True Tone on the older model.
Another tech change for the display is that you can get Nano-texture treatment for the front glass to minimize glare and reflections. However, this is only available as an optional extra on the four-port M4 iMac, not the base two-port version.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – Performance
The last generation of Intel iMacs were sold with three CPU options. The lowest was a quad-core 3.6GHz Intel Core i3 chip.
The middle option was a 6-core 3.0GHz Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost technology up to 4.1GHz. Finally, the highest option was a 6-core 3.2GHz Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost technology up to 4.6GHz.
In terms of memory, the Intel model started with 8GHz 2400MHz DDR with the ability to upgrade to 16GB and 32GB.
The M4 is available in two variants depending on whether the user wants a dual-port or quad-port model.
The dual-port model has an M4 chip with an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. The quad-port model has a 10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores.
Apple uses unified memory for its Apple Silicon chips, allowing all components on the chip to access the same pool without segmentation or duplication of data. The dual-port variant starts with 16GB of memory with an upgrade to 24GB, while the quad-port variant adds a 32GB option on top.
Graphics on the Intel models included the Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory, and the Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory.
The GPU on the M4 models is Apple’s own design, with 8 cores and 10 cores for the dual-port and quad-port variants, respectively.
The Apple Silicon chips also benefit from features that the Intel model simply doesn’t have, including the Neural Engine. The 16-core element is used for tasks that involve machine learning, like Apple Intelligence.
Then there's the Media Engine, which provides hardware acceleration for video encoding and decoding. This is traditionally a very CPU-intensive task, so handing it off to a dedicated component is a huge benefit for some applications.
As for how much better the M4 is than its Intel counterparts, there’s no direct way to compare them using benchmarks since Apple’s latest chip hasn’t been tested yet. However, we can go by Apple’s claims.
Apple claims the M4 chip makes the iMac 1.7x faster than the M1 when it comes to the CPU. It also claims the GPU is 2.1x faster, allowing for double the frame rate in games.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: Geekbench Single-Core and Multi-Core Scores
Using the M1 iMac as a benchmark, Apple’s claim means the M4 should score around 3,987 on Geekbench’s single-core tests and around 14,224 on the multi-core test.
In contrast, the base Intel i3 can get 1205 and 3442, respectively, while the i5 reaches 1358 and 5006. The i7 chip, the fastest in the Intel iMac, still lags significantly behind with 1496 for single-core and 6259 for multi-core.
Intel’s chips are also soundly beaten by the M1 iMac, which gets 2,345 for single-core and 8,367 for multi-core.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: Geekbench Metal Scores
On the GPU side, the M4 theoretically scores around 67,000 in the Geekbench Metal test.
The Radeon Pro 555X is listed at 17,628, the 560X at 23,747, and the Vega 20 at 33,916. The Vega 20 doesn’t come close to the M4’s potential score, but it at least beats the M1’s overall score of 32,168.
Compared to the M1, the Intel Mac’s CPU and GPU capabilities are inferior to Apple Silicon. Regardless of how accurate Apple's claims are, the M4 should be significantly better.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – Camera and Audio
The Intel iMac uses the FaceTime HD camera to handle video calls and photo taking from the iMac's perspective.
The M4 has a superior camera, billed as a 12-megapixel Center Stage Camera. It's capable of shooting 1080p video and also features an advanced image signal processor for computational image enhancement.
It also has Desk View, a feature that simulates a top-down view of the user's desk, which can be useful for showing physical objects to others.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: External Audio Is What You Need, As UsualM4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: External Audio Is What You Need, As UsualM4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: External Audio Is What You Need, As Usual
In terms of audio, the M4 iMac has a high-quality six-speaker system with sound-cancelling woofers, complemented by wide stereo sound and Spatial Audio support. The Intel iMac has much simpler stereo speakers.
The older iMac also uses a microphone to record audio. The M4 uses a studio-quality three-microphone array with a high signal-to-noise ratio and beamforming.
This makes it much easier to recognize your voice, which is handy for Siri requests.
Both models have a headphone jack, but the M4 iMac comes with a high-impedance headphone jack, which is what audiophiles use.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – Storage, Connectivity, Peripherals
The base Intel Mac came with a 1TB 5400 RPM hard drive, though you could get versions with an SSD or Fusion Drive. The latter option combines SSD and hard drive technology, giving you more capacity and faster read and write speeds for some of your data.
Modern Macs have been switching to solid-state drives for a few years now. They’re a significantly faster way to access and write data, and they’re also quieter because there’s no spinning metal involved.
The m4 iMac starts at 256GB, but you can bump that up to 1TB in the dual-port model or 2TB in the quad-port model.
When it comes to ports, the 21.5-inch iMac offers a surprising amount of flexibility. Around the back are a headphone jack, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3.1 ports, an SD card reader, and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
In contrast, the M4 iMac is extremely minimalist. The base two-port model has just two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back, no card reader or Gigabit Ethernet, though you can always opt for a four-port model with Gigabit Ethernet or pay to upgrade.
Sure, there’s an argument to be made for simply adding a Thunderbolt Dock to the iMac to expand its connectivity options, but it does ruin the clean look of the desk a bit.
The M4 iMac has Wi-Fi 6E support, so you can use wireless networking, but you can still get Gigabit Ethernet if you want. You can either upgrade to a four-port model or pay $30 for an upgrade to add a port to the power supply.
The Wi-Fi on the Intel iMac is a much older version of 802.11ac. Bluetooth is also an older version, with Bluetooth 4.2 instead of Bluetooth 5.3 on the M4.
All models come with peripherals, including a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, and a Magic Keyboard. However, the M4 iMac’s keyboard can be set up with Touch ID, bringing biometric security to desktop Macs, something the older iMacs completely lacked.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – Pricing
The 2019 Intel iMac started at $1,299 with an Intel Core i3 chip, AMD Radeon Pro 555X graphics, 8GB of memory, and a 1TB hard drive.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac: The M4 offers a variety of color options
The $1,299 M4 iMac has an 8-core M4 chip, 8-core GPU, 16GB of combined memory, and a 256GB SSD. The quad-port version with a 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD costs $1,499.
Memory upgrades cost $200 per upgrade tier. Storage upgrades start at $200 for 512GB, another $200 for 1TB, and another $400 for 2TB.
Upgrading to Gigabit Ethernet on the dual-port model costs $30, while adding Nano-texture to the quad-port model is $200.
M4 24-inch iMac vs. Intel 21.5-inch iMac – An Overdue Upgrade
When Apple Silicon Macs came out, they were lauded for delivering significant performance gains over the Intel versions they replaced. Four generations of Apple Silicon later, it's moved from “must upgrade” to “must upgrade.”
Not just because of Apple Silicon's performance now, but because of the Intel chips it replaces. 2019 Intel processors are significantly slower by today's standards, to the point where even upgrading to an M1 iMac would be worth it.
The argument for keeping an Intel chip for some software should be dead by now. You'd expect most critical software to have been updated to run on Apple Silicon in the last five years, so that argument should no longer apply.
Add to that the larger 24-inch display, the benefits of SSDs over spinning metal drives, and a more modern design, and the upgrade becomes obvious.
There was a specific reason to keep using an Intel iMac. There are fewer reasons now.
Where to Buy Apple's M4 iMac at a Discount
Apple's 24-inch M4 iMac is on sale now, with exclusive Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama discount coupons offering up to $100 off desktops in addition to $20 off a three-year AppleCare plan. Enter promo code APINSIDER at step 4 of checkout to unlock the deals.
You can also compare M4 iMac prices from leading Apple resellers in our price guide, as well as our roundup of iMac deals.
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