Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): Two-minute review

Apple’s announcement of a new Mac Studio for 2025 took a lot of people by surprise. While many of us had assumed (correctly) that Apple was gearing up to announce new M4-powered MacBook Airs, few were expecting a new Mac Studio.

That’s understandable – by its very nature, the Mac Studio is a product that's aimed at a more niche market than a thin and light laptop. Mac Studio devices are powerful, professional-grade computers that offer a level of performance that was once only found in Mac Pro desktop PCs, but built into a stylish and compact body that looks like a super-sized (yet still small) Mac mini.

The latest Mac Studio continues that tradition. The design keeps the iconic (and technically impressive, considering the hardware) compact look of previous Mac Studios, with dimensions of 3.7 x 7.7 x 7.7 inches (9.5 x 19.7 x 19.7cm) and a weight starting at 6.1lbs / 2.74kg. It’s a device that would look at home in any modern office or studio, and its size means it can be easily installed, and moved, wherever and whenever you want.

You are, however, missing out on the modular and upgradable nature of desktop PCs. You won’t be able to swap out the GPU or increase the internal storage in a few year’s time – two upgrades which are relatively simple with traditional PCs.

That said, for many people one of the upsides of buying a Mac is that they don't need to fiddle around with internal components, and a lack of upgradability is a small price to pay for a compact device that's well-built and works dependably. And, depending on the configuration options you choose when buying your Mac Studio, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to upgrade for a long, long time.

The new Mac Studio comes with a choice of two chips – one that was expected, and one that has come as quite a surprise.

The base model of the new Mac Studio features the M4 Max chip – the same chip that debuted late last year in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. There’s no option to have the standard M4 or M4 Pro chips, which is in line with Apple’s pitching the Mac Studio at power users and professionals who need the very highest levels of performance. If your requirements (and budget – I’ll get to prices in a moment) are more modest, then the aforementioned MacBook Pros will be better picks; or if you want a desktop PC, then the brilliant Mac mini from last year will do the trick, and can be configured with either an M4 or M4 Pro chip.

According to Apple, the Mac Studio with M4 Max offers 1.6x faster image processing in Adobe Photoshop compared to the Mac Studio with M1 Max, and 2.1x faster code compilation in Xcode. Video transcoding in the Compressor app is claimed to be 1.2x faster, and video processing in Topaz Video AI 1.6x faster.

While any speed increase that makes workloads faster is welcome, those aren’t mind-blowing numbers, so most people using the now three-year-old Mac Studio (M1 Max) won’t feel any pressing need to upgrade to the M4 Max model, and that will be even more true for owners of the Mac Studio (M2 Max). Apple hasn’t supplied performance comparisons for that model, but you’d imagine the differences are even smaller. That said, you could argue that this speaks to the longevity of these devices, and the high price tag and lack of upgradability of the new Mac Studio becomes easier to swallow if it’s still going strong in 2028 and you have no need or desire to upgrade it.

As with previous M-class releases, the real leap in performance comes when comparing the Mac Studio with M4 Max to an Intel-based Mac, which Apple stopped producing in 2020 with the launch of the M1 chip.

Again according to Apple, you’re getting around 3x the performance with the Mac Studio M4 Max compared to a 27-inch iMac with an Intel Core i9 CPU, with Topaz Video AI processing seeing up to 5x faster video rendering. These are all vague performance promises by Apple, so take them with a grain of salt and refer instead to our benchmark tests below, where you'll be able to see just how well the new Mac Studio performs. Still, taking Apple’s claims as hints of the kind of performance the new Mac Studio is capable of suggests that people using Intel-based Macs will see the biggest benefit from upgrading.

Apple also surprised us by announcing an even more powerful Mac Studio, powered by the brand-new M3 Ultra chip. The reason why this is particularly surprising, and potentially confusing, is that the M3 Ultra is, as the name suggests, based on the previous generation M3 chip architecture, rather than the newer M4.

As with previous Ultra chips, the M3 Ultra is made up of two Max chips (in this case, two M3 Max chips), which are connected via an ultra-fast bridge to turn them into a single, extremely powerful, chip.

So, while you’re getting up to a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128GB unified memory, 546GB/s memory bandwidth, and 16-core Neural Engine with the M4 Max, the M3 Ultra offers up to a 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 512GB unified memory, 819GB/s memory bandwidth, and 32-core Neural Engine.

Essentially, even with previous-gen tech (the M3 Max was launched in October 2023), the M3 Ultra blows past the M4 Max. Apple hasn’t explained why it went with M3 rather than M4 as the base, though there have been suggestions that the M4 Max lacks the high-speed bridge (known as UltraFusion) needed to combine two of the chips into an M4 Ultra. However, we also heard similar rumors about the M3 Max, and that has been proven to be incorrect with the announcement of the M3 Ultra.

The M3 architecture has seen a few additions with the M3 Ultra, which makes it able to compete feature-wise with the M4 Max. The M3 Ultra now supports Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports and speeds of up to 120Gbps, and supports up to 512GB of unified memory, both upgrades over the M3 Max.

So, currently, the most powerful Apple silicon is not an M4 chip, but an M3 chip, and that could be a bit confusing – as such, I’m pleased that Apple is being transparent about the M3 Ultra being based on M3 Max chips, rather than fudging the naming conventions to call it an M4 Ultra.

While the Mac Studio with M4 Max will offer performance that most people might not ever need, the M3 Ultra Mac Studio goes even further, promising to offer the kind of performance that will only be needed by large enterprises – think the likes of Pixar when it comes to 3D animation, rather than smaller businesses and individuals, for whom the M4 Max model will likely be more than enough.

Price will also be a factor here, as unsurprisingly these are expensive machines that are professional investments rather than something you’d buy on a whim. The Mac Studio with M4 Max starts at $1,999 / £2,099 / AU$3,499 while the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra starts at $3,999 / £4,199 / AU$6,999 – and these can all be configured to add more power (and cost).

Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): Price and availability

• How much does it cost? M4 Max model starts at $1,999 / £2,099 / AU$3,499 
• What about the M3 Ultra? M3 Ultra model starts at $3,999 / £4,199 / AU$6,999
• When is it available? Available to pre-order now, ships March 12, 2025 

Apple announced the new Mac Studio on March 5, 2025, and opened preorders at the same time, with the compact PC going on sale on March 12, 2025 globally.

The base model of the new Mac Studio comes with an M4 Max chip featuring a 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, plus 36GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD, and costs $1,999 / £2,099 / AU$3,499.

This is essentially the same starting price as the previous Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, though there's a slight price increase for Australian buyers (the M2 Max model cost AU$3,299). It’s good to see launch prices remain the same in the US and UK, and the new Mac Studio remains a lot cheaper than the $6,999 / £7,199 / AU$11,999 Mac Pro, while offering a more compact design and similar, if not better, performance.

The more powerful M3 Ultra model of the new Mac Studio, meanwhile, starts at $3,999 / £4,199 / AU$6,999. That’s quite a leap, but the specs go some way to justify the high price (while also hopefully making it clear that this machine will be overkill for most people). You get the new M3 Ultra chip with a 28-core CPU, 60-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine, plus 96GB unified memory, and a 1TB SSD for storage.

As usual, you can configure the new Mac Studio before you buy, and considering that it’s basically impossible to upgrade the hardware within the machine, it’s important to make sure you take this opportunity to adjust the configuration to suit both your needs and your budget. Adding more powerful components does increase the price, sometimes considerably. The fully-maxed-out Mac Studio comes with an M3 Ultra chip with a 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine, 512GB unified memory and 16TB SSD – those are stunning specs, and they come with an equally stunning price tag of $14,099 / $14,299 / AU$22,149.

Of course, you don’t have to max out all of the specs, so you do have some flexibility; but make no mistake, any configuration of the Mac Studio is going to be extremely expensive. You need to see it as an investment for a business or creative professional. For individual users who want a great-performing compact PC, but don’t need nearly the power on offer with the Mac Studio, then I highly recommend the latest Mac mini, which comes with an M4 chip starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999, or with an M4 Pro starting at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199. In my view, the M4 Mac mini remains the best Mac Apple has ever made thanks its combination of price, performance, and an all-new design, but creative professionals looking for more power will likely need to choose between the Mac mini M4 Pro or the Mac Studio M4 Max, and in that case the price difference is smaller, though still substantial.

What about non-Mac alternatives? The fact is that there remains no real rival to the Mac Studio in the world of Windows PCs – no one else is making compact workstation PCs that offer professional-grade performance. However, if the size of the machine doesn’t matter, and you don’t mind doing a bit of tinkering, you could put together a workstation PC (or get someone to build it for you) that offers similar levels of performance for less money, although you'd miss out on the Mac Studio’s compact design and ease of use.

• Price: 3.5 / 5

Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): Specs

Here are the specs for the Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) at a glance.

Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): Design

• Looks the same as previous models on the outside 
• Now comes with Thunderbolt 5 ports 
• M3 Ultra model is slightly heavier

Perhaps the biggest selling point of every generation of Mac Studio has been its design, and while the new Mac Studio doesn’t feature any major changes, that remains true.

It’s a testament to Apple’s designers and engineers – and to the power efficiency of M-class chips like the M4 Max and M3 Ultra, which enables Apple to put powerful hardware into compact designs without them overheating.

The latest Mac Studio is unmistakably an Apple product. Its compact dimensions of 3.7 x 7.7 x 7.7 inches / 9.5 x 19.7 x 19.7cm, with a weight starting at 6.1lbs / 2.74kg means it’s easy to find space for it on a desk, and you can hide it behind a monitor if you want, and it also means it’s easy to pick up and move if needed.

The silver body (you don’t get any fun color choices with the Mac Studio, this is all about professionalism) is sleek and minimalist, with a black Apple logo on the top. On the front of the Mac Studio are two USB-C ports (which if you get the model with the M3 Ultra will be Thunderbolt 5), alongside an SDXC memory card slot (always welcome for professional photographers) and a small white LED power light.

The rear of the Mac Studio features four Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports for legacy peripherals, a HDMI port and a headphone jack. Much of the rear is a grille-like vent that's used to expel hot air.

The most recent Mac mini got a major design overhaul to make it look more like the Mac Studio, and for the most part the new look was a triumph. However, Apple’s decision to place the Mac mini's power button on the underside of the device did frustrate some people, as you have to lift up the Mac mini to turn it on or off.

The good news is that Apple hasn’t seen fit to move the Mac Studio's power button to the underside of the device to match the new Mac mini – it’s still located on the rear of the Mac Studio on the left.

As someone who likes using big, ugly desktop PCs I’ve never had a problem with having a power button on the front of a device for easy access, and some people might find having the button hidden at the rear makes it a little awkward to reach. It does mean, though, that the Mac Studio’s front looks clean and minimalist, which many Apple fans will appreciate, and at least you don’t have to lift up the Mac Studio to reach the button. If you have other Apple devices, particularly the Studio Display, then the new Mac Studio will fit in brilliantly.

The Mac Studio is made with 30% recycled content, according to Apple, with 100% recycled aluminum used for the case, and doesn’t contain mercury or PVC. The packaging is also entirely fiber-based, and is part of the Apple 2030 project, which aims to make the company’s entire carbon footprint neutral by the end of the decade.

Overall, while some people might be clamoring for a bold redesign, the reason why the latest Mac Studio still looks identical to the first one launched back in 2022 is because, frankly, Apple nailed the design first time. It looks modern, and more stylish than any Windows-based compact PC; and with the Mac mini having recently been redesigned to look more like the Mac Studio, I think this look is going to stick around for a long time.

The one major drawback with the design is that it’s essentially impossible to open up the Mac Studio and upgrade or repair components. This might not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Apple’s products, but it does impact the flexibility of the Mac Studio when compared to traditional tower desktop PCs, which are usually quite straightforward to upgrade. It also undermines Apple’s environmental credentials a little, though the company does offer an upgrade program whereby you can trade in your older Mac for money off the new model.

Also, despite the new Mac Studio coming with some of the latest and most powerful components on the market, Apple's designers have for some reason decided to stick with older wireless technology: Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, which means you're missing out on the performance benefits of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

While the wireless tech in a professional-grade workstation might not be at the top of most people's list of priorities (you'll likely be using an Ethernet cable for networking), it's still a bit of an odd omission considering the no-holds-barred design approach Apple has taken to the rest of the Mac Studio's design.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): Performance

• The M3 Ultra is now the most powerful chip Apple has ever made 
• It's likely to be overkill for most people 
• The new Mac Studio remains quiet even when under load 

When I learned that Apple was sending me the new Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra chip, I was both excited and apprehensive. Excited because I really wanted to see what such a powerful, even over-the-top, piece of silicon could do.

While the M4 Max chip is certainly no slouch, we’ve had the chance to see how it performs since the launch of last year’s MacBook Pros. However, the M3 Ultra, despite being based on the older M3 Max chip, is entirely uncharted territory, and has the potential to blow Apple's other chips out of the water when it comes to pure performance. The idea that I could play around with this ridiculously powerful hardware and try to push it as hard as possible got my nerd senses tingling.

So why was I also apprehensive? Mainly because how do you begin reviewing a hardware configuration that will be overkill for the needs of maybe 98% of our readers? No matter how good the M3 Ultra is (and I’ll get to just how good it is in a moment), for the vast majority of people I would still recommend they don’t buy it, and instead get the M4 Max model – and for most, the M4 Mac mini would be a much more sensible buy.

In some ways this is Apple’s problem – and it’s a good problem to have. Because its M-series chips have been so good, generational leaps can be less visible to mainstream customers. If you still use a Mac with an M1 or M2 chip there’s a good chance that it’ll still do almost everything you need it to. If not, then upgrading to an M4 Mac, such as the new MacBook Air or the Mac mini (sorry, I keep mentioning it, but I really love that little PC) is a much more affordable option that will keep you chugging along nicely. A smaller percentage of people who need more power for creative applications will find the M4 Max in the MacBook Pro or new Mac Studio more than enough; and if it isn’t enough power, then the M3 Ultra will be extremely welcome.

To be blunt, the number of people who will need the full power of the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra will be limited. But, if you do need an extremely powerful PC for rendering complex 3D models, animating feature-length films, or even developing and testing games, then the new Mac Studio with M3 Ultra will be a very attractive package indeed.

The Mac Studio Apple sent me to review comes with the highest-end M3 Ultra chip with a 32-core CPU (made up of 24 performance cores and eight efficiency ones), an 80-core GPU and a 32-core Neural Engine. It also has 256GB of unified memory, and a 4TB SSD. While it's not completely maxed out, this is an incredibly powerful bit of kit. The 256GB unified memory doesn’t just act like standard RAM in a PC, but is shared with the 80-core GPU, which means the Mac Studio I’m reviewing is an incredibly powerful device for graphic-intensive tasks. The fact that all this power is contained in a compact body that remains impressively quiet, even when under stress, is particularly impressive.

So it’ll come as no surprise to learn that for regular day-to-day tasks, the Mac Studio absolutely zips by, with macOS Sequoia and apps such as Photoshop running incredibly smoothly. Web browsing with Safari and Chrome, with multiple tabs open, certainly doesn't challenge the Mac Studio. Chrome might still be a memory hog, but with 256GB of the stuff you’re not going to miss a beat.

Even if you buy the Mac Studio in a less powerful configuration, the results will very likely be the same. Of course, you’re not buying an uber-powerful computer like the Mac Studio to browse the web and write up documents. The Mac Studio has been built to handle demanding creative tasks, and it’s here that it really excels.

Editing high-quality 4K footage in Adobe Premiere Pro was extremely quick and smooth, and I was able to scrub through the footage quickly to find points in the timeline, while previewing any changes I made instantly. The super-fast SSD meant that video files were loaded and complex projects saved very, very quickly (using the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test app, the SSD hit write speeds of 7,115.6 and read speeds of 5,799MB/s).

Even when working with large 4K video files and multi-scene projects (while browsing the web and writing up this review at the same time), I never felt like I was ever really pushing the Mac Studio (hence the apprehension I mentioned earlier), as I don’t have access to files and projects from professional movie studios, to pick a more demanding and likely use case for the new Mac Studio.

What I could see, however, is that the real value of the new Mac Studio lies in its potential to speed up creative workflows. If you can create, code, compile and more, so much more quickly, it means projects can be completed more quickly. This could in turn reduce costs for large-scale businesses, and it also allows professionals to take on more clients. Even with the lowest memory configuration for the M3 Ultra model, 96GB, there's plenty of headroom to run multiple tasks simultaneously, which again potentially makes a huge difference to productivity.

Throughout all my testing with the Mac Studio it remained incredibly quiet – a welcome change from the desktop PCs I usually use, which have fans that like to whirr into life at the drop of a hat. During some particularly demanding benchmarks I did notice the top of the Mac Studio got quite hot to touch, but it certainly wasn't alarming – and the fans still remained all but silent. I also didn’t notice any instances of the M3 Ultra being throttled (a process whereby components are deliberately slowed down to avoid overheating, which impacts performance), though again I wasn't subjecting the Mac Studio to industry-level workloads – but I really can’t imagine too many scenarios where the Mac Studio’s performance wouldn't be enough.

This is of course great news for people who need that performance, but it also underscores why the Mac Studio won’t be for everyone, especially considering the price.

• Performance: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if... 

Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): Also consider

How I tested the Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)

• I used the new Mac Studio for five days
• I ran multiple benchmarks
• I used the Mac Studio for editing raw 4K footage and high-resolution photos, as well as other intensive tasks

I've been using the Mac Studio since our review sample came in, using it as my primary work computer. As well as writing this review on it, and using it to perform my regular day-to-day tasks, I used it for intensive workloads, including editing and exporting raw 4K video footage in Adobe Premiere Pro, and photos in Photoshop, with the Mac Studio connected to an Apple Studio Display monitor. I also ran our suite of synthetic benchmarks to help give me an overall view of the Mac Studio's performance. I've been reviewing Macs for TechRadar for the past decade, including the original Mac Studio, as well as a range of Windows-based creative workstations, and my experience has enabled me to thoroughly evaluate Apple's latest Mac Studio.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: March 2025

 Apple iMac 24-inch (M3): Two-minute review 

Let’s be honest: the title of the best all-in-one computer is the Apple iMac (M3)’s to lose. No Windows-based all-in-one comes close to Apple’s iconic product – and that’s not always a good thing. In the past, it’s led to a sense that Apple is resting on its laurels a bit; there was a period of time in the late 2010s where Apple seemed to pump out Intel-based iMacs with seemingly little to no enthusiasm, just a slight specs bump and the same, increasingly dated, design.

That changed with the launch of the iMac 24-inch (M1, 2021), which not only featured Apple’s new (at the time) M1 chip – the first non-mobile chip the company had produced – but also an overhauled design that slimmed the bezels down, modernized the look and added some much-needed color options. It was easily one of the best redesigns we’ve seen recently, and firmly cemented the iMac as the best all-in-one computer And then… nothing.

When Apple launched the M2 chip, there was no iMac refresh, even though other products, including the Mac mini, got the new SoC. Nor was there any sign of a 27-inch iMac or iMac Pro – both of which have currently never had Apple silicon versions.

It seemed like Apple had fallen out of love with the iMac once again. That was until its ‘Scary Fast’ event on October 30, 2023, where it finally unveiled a new 24-inch iMac (M3), featuring its cutting-edge M3 chip, but keeping pretty much everything else the same as the one from two years ago.

Design-wise, the iMac 24-inch (M3) is identical to the M1 model from two years ago. It remains a great looking device with bright color options – a rarity both for modern Macs and Windows-based PCs – that don’t look childish, but that add a splash of individuality to the all-in-one. The screen remains the same as well, and is bright, sharp and offers excellent color accuracy with the P3 gamut. 

However, sticking to the same design also brings back some old frustrations, such as the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse, which means you can’t use it while it’s charging, plus a reliance on the increasingly obsolete Lightning connection for charging all of the peripherals, rather than getting with the times and using USB-C. And there's the lack of larger screen options; this is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the new model, as 24 inches no longer feels that large, especially for power users who like to work on multiple apps and windows at once.

On the inside, things are much more different, however, with support for Apple’s impressive M3 chip, which offers a noticeable performance increase over the previous M1-powered iMac, and does an excellent job with intensive tasks such as coding and video rendering. It can even play modern games, and while you’re not getting the kind of frames per second seasoned PC gamers expect from their rigs, it’s a promising sign that gaming on Macs may one day no longer be the joke it once was.

One thing I’d have liked them to keep the same, however, is the price. Unfortunately, the new iMac 24-inch (M3) now starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199, a leap over the starting price of the previous model. In some ways this is understandable – the M3 chip represents a big upgrade in performance, and what isn’t getting more expensive these days? Still, Apple was developing a habit of launching new models for the same price as the previous one, so it’s a shame that has not happened here.

Also, the base model comes with just 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD, which is pretty low these days, and because the iMac isn’t upgradable (this is an Apple product, after all), I’d recommend upping the memory and SSD to future proof your purchase – but that, of course, raises the price further. The new iMac remains the best all-in-one computer you can buy, but it doesn’t feel as good value as the previous model.

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Price and availability

• How much does it cost?  Starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Though Apple launched several MacBook Pros with a range of screen sizes and configuration options (including powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max chips), the new Apple iMac (M3) comes in just one size, 24 inches, and you only get the M3 chip – though that can be configured.

The base model of the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199, which gets you an M3 chip with 8-core GPU, 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory, 256GB SSD and Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse.

This is a step up in starting price from the previous M1 model, which launched at $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,899, and puts it at the pricier end of all-in-ones. However, Apple is making some big claims about the performance of the M3 chip (which we’ll get to in a bit), so the pressure is on to prove that this price bump is worth it.

You can also buy the new iMac with a slightly more powerful M3 chip with 10-core GPU (and same 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD) for $1,499 / £1,599 / $2,499, and this model comes with two additional USB 3 ports, support for Gigabit Ethernet, and Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard to allow you to log in with your fingerprint.

You can configure the base models to come with either 16GB or 24GB of unified memory, which ups the overall price, but which is probably worth doing if you want the iMac for more intensive tasks. That's because, unsurprisingly, you can’t open up the iMac and upgrade the memory later, and 8GB is a bit low these days, especially as with unified memory, you’re sharing it as both standard system RAM and video RAM for the GPU.

You can also configure the iMac 24-inch (M3) for more SSD storage, up to 2TB, and again this is an upgrade I’d recommend you make before you buy, as 256GB will fill up fast, especially if you work with video and photo files. At least you can always add more storage with an external hard drive later on, however.

• Price score: 3/ 5

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Design

•  Same design as M1 model 
•  Seven color choices 
•  Peripherals still use Lightning cables 

The Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) keeps the same design as the M1 model from two years ago, and that’s both a good and bad thing. On the plus side, it remains an attractive and stylish all-in-one, and the 2021 redesign did a great job of updating the aesthetics to make it feel more modern.

This means thinner bezels around the screen, so less overall space is taken up, and the angular-yet-rounded corners bring to mind modern iPhones such as the iPhone 15 range. Thanks to the size and efficiency of the M3 chip (which uses the 3nm process, allowing for an incredibly small chip), the body behind the screen is impressively thin. There’s no chunky parts or big whirring fans that kick in when in use here, as with many other all-in-ones that have to balance a relatively compact form factor with making sure the components inside don’t overheat.

The only concession to the hardware included in the iMac is with the thicker bottom bezel, which is where the bulk of the components are placed.

The 24-inch screen is again the same as the last model: it has a 4.5K Retina resolution which supports the P3 wide color gamut and over a billion colors, and 500 nits of brightness. It also features a 1080p FaceTime camera and 'studio-quality' microphones, plus a six-speaker setup for spatial audio. The screen is held by a base and arm that feel sturdy but allow it to be easily tilted and positioned.

Perhaps the best thing about the 2021 redesign also returns: the varied colors in which you can buy the iMac. You have a choice of seven: green, pink, blue, silver, yellow, orange and purple, and the cables and accessories that come with the iMac reflect the color you choose. However, bear in mind that only the first four of those colors are available on the base-level model.  

It was lovely seeing Apple bring a bit of color back to its Macs, serving as a nod to its past with the colorful iMac G3, as well as a break with current style of PCs and laptops generally coming in variations of gray and black.

As with the previous model, the colors give it a sense of personality that other all-in-ones lack, but thanks to their muted, pastel, hues, they look stylish rather than childish. They’d fit into any modern home, office or studio without much issue. Apple sent TechRadar the iMac in pink, and it really looks lovely. The fact that the peripherals and braided cables also come in the same color is a great touch that has been carried over from the 2021 model.

With dimensions of 54.7 x 46.1 x 14.7cm (21.5 x 18.1 x 5.8-inches) and a weight of 4.48kg (9.75lbs), the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) doesn’t take up much space on a desk, and is relatively easy to pick up and place where you need. Thanks to the all-in-one form factor, which combines the screen and computer in one connected device, it’s far less hassle to set up and move than a standard desktop PC which requires various cables and a separate monitor.

The included Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard (plus the Magic Trackpad if you pay extra), are wireless, again minimising the clutter on your desk, and come charged and paired with the iMac, so you can take them out and start using them straight away. It’s a nice bit of Apple’s ‘it just works’ philosophy, and while it might not sound like a big deal, some Windows-based all-in-ones come with peripherals which need to be initially paired or charged, which makes the setup process less simple.

However, as I said, by sticking with the same design as the 2021 model, there are some frustrations as well, and it’s perhaps most apparent with the peripherals. When rumors of a new iMac started swirling, many people (myself included) had hoped that Apple would use this new model as an excuse to give the peripherals a design tweak.

This is mainly because they still use a USB to Lightning connection, which feels out of place considering that Apple has finally (and begrudgingly) swapped its proprietary Lightning port in its new iPhone 15 range for the much more widely-used USB-C. Back when iPhones (and other Apple devices) still used Lightning, it sort of made sense for the iMac peripherals to use it as well, as it meant you could use an iPhone charger to charge the peripherals – and vice versa. However, there will become a time when that’s no longer possible, and with pretty much every wireless mouse or wireless keyboard coming with USB-C ports, the fact Apple didn’t include them with the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard feels like a wasted opportunity – and a rather dated decision.

What’s more frustrating, in my opinion at least, is that this also means that the charging port of the Magic Mouse remains on the bottom of the mouse. Apple’s argument is that by having it there, rather than on the front or back of the mouse, like pretty much every other wireless mouse in existence, it has a sleeker design. However, the downside is that when you need to charge the mouse, you simply cannot use it due to the wire sticking out of the bottom.

It’s a baffling design decision from a company that usually nails the form and function of its devices, and the fact that Apple still clings on to this choice is even stranger, and feels a bit like stubbornness. Sometimes you do something in a different way from everyone else because you’re innovating – but other times it’s because you’re wrong.

The lack of a new design means that you’re stuck with 24 inches, which will be a blow to people hoping to finally see an Apple silicon-powered 27-inch iMac. Also, 24 inches no longer feels like a particularly large screen size, especially for creatives looking for a device to work on their footage and images.

Of course, you can plug in a larger external USB-C monitor, but that kind of defeats the point of having an all-in-one device.

The front of the iMac is free from buttons and ports, and on the back you get the power button, along with two Thunderbolt USB 4 ports on the base model. If you go for a more expensive model, you also get two additional USB 3 ports next to the others. This can lead to a bit of confusion, as all four ports use the USB-C interface, but two of them are slower, maxing out at 10Gb/s, rather than 40Gb/s of the USB 4 ports.

The two faster ports are identified by a small lightning bolt icon above them, but because the ports are at the back of the screen, and are the exact same shape, it makes it very hard to distinguish between them. For peripherals this won’t be an issue – they’ll work the same – but if you plug in a storage device, such as an external SSD, you’ll see a big impact on file transfer speeds depending on which port you plug it into.

Overall, then, the design of the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) provides a welcome return of a stylish redesign, along with a less welcome return of some less successful design decisions.

• Design score: 4/ 5

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Performance

• New M3 chip is big step up from M1 

The new iMac 24-inch launched alongside new MacBook Pros showcasing Apple’s latest M3 series of chips, and while the all-in-one doesn’t come with the more powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max variants, which are currently exclusive to the new MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3) and MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) models, those two higher-end chips are going to be overkill for most regular users.

The base M3 chip is still a significant upgrade over the previous iMac’s M1 chip (Apple didn’t release an M2 version of its all-in-one), and an even bigger leap over the Intel processors found in older iMacs. That makes the new iMac a far more justifiable upgrade than the two new MacBook Pros, which are replacing M2 Pro and M2 Max versions that launched only 10 months ago.

Apple claims that the M3 chip is up to 35% faster than the Apple M1 chip, and you can configure the new iMac with up to 24GB of unified memory – whereas the M1 model maxed out at 16GB. For multitasking and more intensive workloads, this is going to be very welcome.

The base iMac (M3) comes with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, compared to the 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU of the base M1 model, and you can also upgrade the M3 to have an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU (whereas the M1 model could only be upgraded to an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU).

The model Apple sent in for us to review is the highest-end version, with the 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU M3 and 24GB memory, plus 2TB of storage, so the kind of performance I experienced with it during my time using and reviewing the new iMac may not quite match yours if you go for a more affordable model (though the difference shouldn’t be that extreme).

When it comes to our benchmark tests, Apple’s claims about the M3’s impressive performance certainly hold up. In the Cinebench R23 CPU tests, which look at how well the chip’s processor performs, the new iMac with M3 scored 1,897 in single core tests, and 9,796 in multicore tests. This is a big leap over the iMac with M1’s scores, which hit 1,489 and 7,754 respectively in the same tests.

In Geekbench 5, which again puts the CPU part of the chip to the test, the new iMac scored 2,284 in single-core tests, and 10,716 in multi-core tests, compared to the previous iMac’s scores of 1,725 and 7,650.

These scores show a clear leap in CPU performance, and while the M1 iMac was no slouch when it first launched, I was immediately impressed with how fast and fluid the new M3 iMac felt when using macOS Sonoma. Even with multiple open Chrome tabs and numerous apps running, the iMac 24-inch (M3) was ultra-smooth in use.

Interestingly, the single-core scores for the M3 in both Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5 actually beat those for the M1 Max, which was once the flagship chip from Apple. While the M1 Max overtook the M3 in multi-core tests, due to having more cores, this is a great example of how quickly Apple silicon is evolving, and while the new iMac doesn’t have M3 Pro or M3 Max configurations, it’s a formidable performer, and few – if any – all-in-one PCs can match it.

When it comes to graphics performance, the M3 (which is what’s known as a System on Chip, and which features a CPU, GPU and memory all on the same chip) also impresses. At the launch event, Apple made a big deal about the new graphical prowess of the M3 family, with hardware-accelerated ray tracing now included – something even some dedicated gaming laptops lack.

There’s also Dynamic Caching that makes use of the fast unified memory included on the M3, and mesh shading for geometry processing in complex 3D scenes.

These improvements mean workflows are seriously sped up compared to the previous-generation iMac, as evidenced by our Handbrake video encoding tests, and for the first time ever, the iMac is also a viable gaming device.

Playing Lies of P, a graphically intensive game where timing is everything, the iMac with M3 scored on average 33fps (Frames Per Second) – an impressively playable experience. Shadow of the Tomb Raider also ran well at 36fps, and Total War: Warhammer III, which is quite CPU-intensive due to its complex battles featuring a multitude of units, scored 38.4fps.

While these scores aren’t going to make PC gamers with RTX 4090-equipped rigs consider switching, it’s an impressive result for a thin all-in-one PC with integrated graphics. The six-built in speakers get a good workout during games, and music via Apple Music and YouTube sounds fantastic, again impressive due to the thin design of the iMac 24-inch, which limits the kind of speakers you can include. Thanks to macOS Sonoma’s new Game Mode, the iMac also cleverly detects when you’re playing a game and ensures resources are allocated to keep the game running smoothly, while lowering the latency of wireless peripherals such as the PS5 DualSense controller, or AirPods earphones.

One thing to note is that these results were for games running at 1080p. They looked fantastic on the iMac’s screen, but they don’t make use of its native resolution of 4.5K (4,480 x 2,520). At that resolution, the M3’s GPU really struggles. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, for example, drops to just 6fps at native resolution – making it resemble a slideshow more than a game.

Despite not coming with the high-end M3 Pro or M3 Ultra, the iMac 24-inch (M3) is an excellent performer, outclassing any Windows-based all-in-one at this price point, and represents a very good leap over the previous M1 model as well. Thanks to the efficiency of the M3 chip, along with a clever thermal solution, I didn’t notice any performance throttling while using it, even when testing out 4K video editing in Adobe Premier Pro, and the fans didn’t kick in either, so the iMac was essentially silent in use as well.

• Design score: 4.5/ 5

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3): Specs

Should you buy the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the iMac 24-inch (M3)

• Spent several days testing and using the iMac 
• Ran our suite of benchmark tests 
• Played several games 

As soon as the iMac 24-inch landed in the office, I set it up and began testing. This involved using it for day-to-day tasks, such as writing up articles in Google Docs and sending emails, as well as browsing the web in both Chrome and Safari (with multiple tabs open).

I also played several games, including Lies of P and Total War: Warhammer III to test out Apple’s claims about the M3 chip’s gaming performance. With the help of my colleague John Loeffler, we ran our usual suite of benchmarks over the weekend as well, so I could get a full idea of just how well the new iMac performs.

I’ve tested several iMacs in the past for TechRadar, including the previous model with the M1 chip, as well as the iMac Pro and 27-inch Intel-based iMacs, so I compared my experience of those devices, as well as many Windows-based all-in-one PCs, to inform this review.

First reviewed November 2023