Following the presentation of the new iPad mini, Apple is continuing the phased release of its "Pro and Tell" products with the launch of its latest iMac model. Equipped with the new Apple M6 processors, it promises a "significant boost" in performance and AI capabilities thanks to additional cores and new neural accelerators in each core. UNN reports this, citing Engadget.
Details
The M6 processor first appeared in the Mac mini and Mac Studio, but it is now also available in entry-level iMac desktop computers.
As noted, the M6 chip offers not only greater performance per core but also more cores overall: up to a 12-core CPU, a 12-core GPU, and two 16-core neural processors. This processor, together with higher memory bandwidth of 170 GB/s, will make the iMac twice as fast graphically compared with the previous iMac M4 model, accelerating resource-intensive tasks such as photo editing and gaming, Apple said. Models start with 16 GB of unified memory, with options for 24 GB and 32 GB.
Since it is primarily intended for work, Apple claims that the iMac is 50 percent faster in tasks such as Microsoft Excel compared with the iMac M4, or 2.5 times faster than the M1 model. However, these machines are more than capable of handling resource-intensive tasks such as photo editing and even video editing. According to Apple, it also delivers up to twice the gaming performance with ray tracing.
However, as with the Mini and Studio models, Apple is focusing on promoting the iMac’s artificial intelligence capabilities. The additional speed is much more noticeable there: on-device AI performance in LM Studio is up to five times higher compared with the M4 model, or 12 times higher than with the M1 model.
This AI performance, the publication writes, is important given that the iMac running macOS 27 operates on the next generation of Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, which Apple calls significantly more functional than the old Siri. iMac users will be able to use this AI for tasks such as setting tasks and searching for information in emails and photos. Siri AI is also integrated into Spotlight, so, as noted, users can find answers to any questions and ask questions. At the same time, it is noted that Apple Intelligence is not yet available in Europe.
The 4.5K 24-inch Retina display with 500-nit brightness and wide P3 color gamut remains unchanged. However, the iMac with the M6 processor has new Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 capabilities, as well as 2.5-gigabit Ethernet, providing 250 percent more speed than before. Unlike the latest version of the Mac Studio, it supports only Thunderbolt 4, rather than the twice-as-fast Thunderbolt 5. Nevertheless, up to two external 6K displays can be connected if additional workspace is needed.
Other features include a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, a choice of seven colors, as well as color-matched accessories and Touch ID. Orders for the new iMac with the M6 processor will open on October 28 at a starting price of $1,499 with a 10-core processor, a 10-core processor, and 16 GB of RAM, or $1,699 with a 12-core processor and a 12-core graphics processor.