I tested the M3 iMac again! You won't BELIEVE the results!
Vložit
- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
- ➡️ Fuelled by Gaggia coffee (BIG discounts here): geni.us/YtkdV
Which M3 iMac should you buy? The answer might surprise you! In this video, I reveal the sweet spot spec for most people and test the M3 iMac once again to see how far we’ve come since the Intel days!
GET A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES:
📧 Sign up to my newsletter and receive a behind-the-scenes video from me every week: markellisreviews.ck.page/news...
JOIN MY SUBSTACK
📧 Free creator tips, weekly: markellis.substack.com
CHECK OUT MY OTHER CHANNEL
📺 Mark's Solo Club: / @soloclubonline
JOIN THE CREATOR ACADEMY
🎓 I'm sharing ALL of my secrets for becoming a successful content creator. Find out more here: www.soloclub.online/
BECOME A PATRON (IF YOU’RE NOT ALREADY)!
I’ve built a brilliant community on Discord. Join it and gain loads more behind-the-scenes content by supporting me on Patreon. Free trial available here: / markellisreviews
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
📸 Instagram (behind the scenes stuff): / markellisreviews
🐦 Twitter: / mellisreviews
SOME OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links below will direct you to the Amazon website.
➡️ Fuelled by Gaggia coffee (BIG discounts here): geni.us/YtkdV
➡️ Sanebox (grab a $25 credit!): geni.us/z9hwI
➡️ RoboForm - the BEST password manager: geni.us/P65RE
➡️ Paperlike for iPad mini (and all other iPads!): geni.us/bXXIO
➡️ Brain.fm (the BEST app for productivity - get 20% off with code markellis): geni.us/YIzf4c
➡️ Nord VPN (grab a risk-free 30-day money back guarantee): nordvpn.com/markellisvpn
➡️ TextExpander (get 20% off!): geni.us/Lqep
➡️ IQUNIX F96 Coral Sea Wireless Mechanical Keyboard: geni.us/0WseMl
➡️ Benks AirPods Max stand with charger: geni.us/EINu
➡️ Bose QC 45 noise-cancelling headphones: geni.us/VdMIIH
➡️ Logitech MX Master 3 mouse: geni.us/pyoR
➡️ AGPTEK USB-C Docking Station & Stand: geni.us/bsWRKs
➡️ Kanto YU2 3 Inch 2-Way Powered Desktop Speakers: geni.us/Js1V
➡️ Kanto SUB8 8-inch Powered Subwoofer: geni.us/yzcQ
➡️ Grid Studio dismantled iPhone wall art: geni.us/GtfxlPl
➡️ Inateck Electronics Accessories Travel Bag Tech Organizer: geni.us/h42P1B
➡️ Inateck Laptop Case Sleeve for 16” MacBook Pro: geni.us/MQRgC
MY FREE ONLINE COURSES
🎬 Video editing basics in Final Cut Pro X (for CZcams success!): geni.us/QIfv8
💼 How to Find Your First Freelance Clients: geni.us/LuiNe
📕 How to make money on Medium: geni.us/dD8Z6
LISTEN TO/WATCH THE EIGHT OR SIXTEEN PODCAST
🎤 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/ei...
🎤 Google Podcasts: podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...
* 📺 CZcams: / @eightorsixteen
🌍 My website: markellisreviews.com
HIRE ME!
Voiceover work, help with your own CZcams strategy - get in touch! markellisreviews.com/hire-me/
WHAT IS THIS CHANNEL ALL ABOUT?
I have zero interest in deep spec dives or long-winded comparisons. I review laptops, smartphones, tablets, headphones and the latest tech based on real experience. I'll tell you how it'll make you feel, whether or not it's worth your time (and money) and help you find the tech you need to get stuff done.
WHO AM I?
I'm a UK-based freelance marketer and broke free of a regular job many years ago. Watch my videos to find the tech you need, without the jargon.
GET IN TOUCH
Email: mark@markellismedia.uk
Sponsorship opportunities: markellisreviews.com/sponsor/
Oh, and some of the links in this description are affiliate links from which I earn a small commission!
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
02:15 - The capabilities
05:56 - Waiting for the big one
06:51 - Design
07:46 - No alternatives
08:16 - The ecosystem
09:01 - Wrap up
So... I listened and re-tested the M3 iMac with the 16GB version and... well, the video tells the story.
Thoughts, please!
Thanks, your video was helpful in helping my decide my future purchase.
I'm deciding to return to Apple as I get more out of the programs offered by Adobe and it just seems to be far more techie-friendly....
Hi Mark! I do enjoy your perspective on Apple. I do find it annoying that Apple still considers 8GB and 256GB of storage a "base model". In my opinion, the base model shoudl be 16GB and 1TB of storage. This is 2024, not 2014. Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
A great video. I have no need to use rendering or exporting, but I do enjoy watching your results. You also get extra points for getting 'man vegetables' into a review. Love it.
It’s been my life’s work.
Love watching M3 iMac videos. There isn't enough on CZcams. Thanks Mark!
Glad you like them!
Great review...the M3 is a jewel...you summed up clearly and concisely the reasons why this iMac is the best desktop out there...
I ordered a 16GB RAM M3 iMac back in November… still waiting for it to arrive here in Guatemala. Guys… it’s sad to live in the third world. Anyway, great review that made me feel good with my purchase.
Nice!
Great Job Mark! I totally agree with recommendation. Happy New Year!
Nice! Same to you!
Good job on the videos and getting straight to the point with the resulting data on this one! Your previous Imac M3 comparison/review video was first I viewed on your channel. It all helps as I’m preparing purchase an IMAC M3, just waiting for USB-C to arrive on the accessories. Was on the fence about RAM but looks like 16gb is the way to go. Thank you and looking forward to future videos!
Happy New Year Mark! I have to say I really look forward to your videos and can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2024! I appreciate all the hard work that goes into making this great content! I am waiting with bated breath for the MacBook Pro Max review, as I know you returned the 48GB version for the 64GB! I am holding out making a purchase until such time-so no pressure!!😄
Thanks for the lovely words 😊
I usually do spend about $2k on my computer when I replace it since they last so long. My issue is for the price, I don't feel the iMac is worth it for me anymore. When they come out with a M3 Mac Studio it'll be more powerful at the same price point. Yes I would need to get my own monitors (forget if it comes with keyboard and mouse), but I already have most of what I would need as I already run my iMac with a second screen (wish it could support 2 external monitors. IMO, the iMac is purely the entry computer for people like my parents who don't know a lot about computers and need something that just works straight out of the box and don't need to worry about issues with it.
That is definitely the better route to go then.
I'm in the camp who likes to have simplicity and have everything mac ( not good I know ) and that's who is going to go the route of the iMac.
that's how I've always been. the first Mac I ever purchased myself was a clam shell iBook, then an eMac after that, then it's been iMacs ever since, but these days I don't feel they hold their place in power like they used to, I feel they used to be a good deal more powerful than a Mac mini and these days they're the same.@@PromotingTheBeat
talking about design, that imac silver intel was iconic. i have one and I feel really bad that sometime later I will have to replace it. But I trust I will buy a small desk and keep it round the corner and look at it everyday (27 inch). I hate the new design, though I love the M series chip. Thanks for the vids
Thanks for the great follow-up video! You've got me leaning that way. I'd love to see you take that 16GB M3 iMac and really dress it out for the needs of a photographer and/or videographer. Since it doesn't even come with an SD card reader, that would be one of my first purchases along with a fast external SSD. Push it to the max!
Happy New Year sir. This was a fascinating followup. I’ll be sticking to my M1 in that case 😊
Same to you! And glad you enjoyed it 👍
Doesn't matter that the Intel machine had loads more RAM because Apple's whole schtick with Apple Silicon is that it's a system-on-a-chip design, where the processor is unified on the same silicon as the working memory and storage. All you can do is compare the end performance, which is why people use standardised benchmarking tests. It's like comparing an electric supermini's acceleration with a petrol Ferrari's acceleration. In the end it's the result (processing speed/time taken) that people are interested in.
And in any case, Apple Silicon is designed to have advantages over Intel chips, partly because they use RISC, and because they are built on a much smaller process (currently 3nm for M3) so are super quick and super efficient.
Happy new year Mark.
Same to you!
This video helped me so much really wanted the all in one. Returning my Studio Display and keeping my 24 GB 512GB M3 iMac
Every single person I am friends with, who is an imac user, has avoided all of these 24" iMac's ... and hasn't swapped out their 27" .. that tells you a lot even if it is anecdotal. Speed is important but my well specced 2018 imac does almost all I need most times BUT with a bigger display. I will stick with this until Apple launch a larger display unit. For many people cost just isn't a factor.
That has really tickled me! Great ‘review’ 😂 Oh, and happy New Year!
Same to you!
Great video as always Mark. I have something to ask of you. I would like you to dig deeper into the iMac and discuss Sonoma.. I use my Intel Mac mostly for iTunes and Apple Music. I've been told that Sonoma doesn't play well with Apple Music. Before someone writes that iTunes doesn't work after Mojave, that just isn't true. I would buy a new iMac, but I would like to take the operating system back to the previous operating system. In the end, I really would like to hear your comments about Sonoma. Thank you.
Thanks for this Mark, a refreshing analysis. BTW what do you think about the reduction in hard disk space? I have 2tb on my 27 inch 2019 Intel iMac, I am hesitant to go down to 512Gb.
Mea culpa, Mark. Appreciate you making this video.
I recently purchased a brand shiny new Apple iMac 24 M3 with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB internal SSD drive after my good old Apple Macbook Pro 2015 model finally bit the dust (hardware issue).
After watching some CZcams videos including your great videos, I decided to exchange my Apple iMac on the 14th day for the Apple iMac 24 M3 16GB RAM and the same 512GB internal SSD drive. At the time of buying the first one, I was foolishly not aware about the soldered on RAM and that an upgrade was not possible. This gave me a few sleepless nights until I realised I was still able to exchange it. Phew!
I just felt that in the long term, I have future-proofed my wonderful machine as I felt with the 8GB RAM version I was going forever close down programs and use CleanMyMac X every time just to ensure all was working well. Even then I did run into RAM issues.
Hopefully, now I should be absolutely fine in the long term.
Keep up the good work!
🙏
I made that mistake with my first Apple Silicon Mac. 8/7/8/256. Today even though Apple had released the M3 iMac, I decided that a used M1 with 16 GB of Unified memory was more in my affordability. I am very happy with my own purchase. The great thing about it was that I was able to cut the cost even further by offsetting it with the sell of my First Apple Silicon Mac - The MacBook Air M1. like many others, I agree Apple should make a base model with at least 16 GB /512 SSD. Anything less I just like they are being ridiculous in the pricing.
Happy New Year!! Maybe the embedded video encoders are doing all the work in this test, so very similar results? But, I also agree the 16GB/512GB model is the sweet spot. In so many other workloads it will far exceed what your 8GB model can do, especially if you use it like a normal person, with lots of apps open in the background. Maybe compare some other operations while you've got both at hand, and see what you find??
My #1 reason to get an iMac is the perfect font rendering on the retina display. I write code, and this is a huge win. macOS is optimised for 218 pixels per inch, which almost no 4K monitor provides. Santa was kind to me this year, and I'm very happy with the M3 iMac - it's a beast! I'll be writing code on my new iMac for many many years to come, and I don't have to worry about insufficient memory or slow SSD speeds rendering the whole device obsolete any time soon, nomatter what I end up using it for.
Finally someone who understands! I would say for day to day use I’ve never had a single issue with 8GB 512GB iMac 24. Mind although I multi task anymore than about 10 tabs in safari and I’ll get a twitch 😂
If Apple reintroduced sub pixel sampling it wouldn’t be an issue. I like Apple kit but I’m not dropping £1499 on a screen just because Apple pushes phone resolutions. I was giving serious consideration to a 1440p monitor purely on this basis. Either support 4K properly or stop price gauging. The panel in my Dell U2723QE is beautiful.
True enough. To be fair native retina is still better than sub-pixel smoothing, but it was so much better using my Mac Mini before Apple dropped the feature. It's a real shame.
So they were all wrong bout the RAM! Very funny!
The plot thickens, eh?!
Great video! Glad you called out the salty comments on the last review. Honestly, I think the iMac is great for someone who just wants to use macOS as their personal desktop. I have a gaming windows desktop but trading that for a souped up iMac is not a good idea, so an entry level iMac for daily use would probably work for someone who’s already in the Apple ecosystem. Happy new year!
thanks for the effort to do the test again. not sure it changes anything. let me present the opposite argument, if anyone has a 27" iMac, I have the 2020 model, I can spend a few hundred and max the RAM to 128gb and voila, I would have a machine that would accomplish the tasks I need faster than 16gb m3 iMac (on average). I personally do not buy computers as accessories and I dont invite my house guets "come look at my computer". but I guess most of your pro arguments are for those people that treat computers as a decoration (beyond its useability). no judgement, that is a perfectly valid use.
he literally did one test. I would bet money he can't find anything else the Intel iMac does better/faster than the 16GB M3. I have one, it is scary fast. Runs rings around my i7 Mac mini.
@@paulwoodward8265there are things that still run better on the top spec Intel iMac if you have a dedicated GPU but in general Apple silicon is amazing.
noticed if doing comparisons, if other stuff is also processing like background scans. this will show differences in whats best.. i'd really like an m3 mac.. using a m1 14 mbp which i use daily.. does whats intended. looking for a homebase setup. for video also.. seeing 16gb running, i think it should be plenty.. the 24gb seems overkill. unless someones maybe using spectrasonics omnisphere , with 8 sound fx settings per plugin, and times that by 4. then ok.
Definitely no need for an iMac Pro. Pro users don't need their monitor attached to their computer.
I would like to see them add a separate 24 inch monitor for the home user who wants a (somewhat) affordable monitor from Apple that works with the Mac mini. Being able to swap out the computer every 2-3 years and hold onto the monitor for 5 or more years would be a good way to simplify Mac upgrades.
So, I had just finished re-watching your first video with the Intel and Apple Silicon iMac's and after the second watch, I saw this one so, I decided to have a look. I would have not called you an idiot and I don't think I did in my first response of your testing. However, after watching the video a second time I did do a follow up pointing out the obvious that while the Intel iMac exported faster than the Apple Silicon iMac's they in turn over-all out-preformed the Intel iMac each in their combined total time tested both rendering and exporting. Nonetheless, you are a fun presenter and I look forward to watching more CZcams vids posted from you! Thank you again!
Good update and interesting how increasing RAM made little difference. What about number of CPU and GPU cores? Would an increase make any significant difference? I’d like you to consider what happens when you buy a new M3 iMac how it handles an upgrade from Big Sur (on an iMac with Intel) to Sonoma on an M3 chip with a photos library around 1TB (photos and videos). The changeover for me literally made the Photos App freeze and shutdown many times over several days. It finally stabilized after a week and many hours with Apple Support who really offered no support because, “we’ve never seen this before” responses and failure to call me back to see if problem resolved itself. All that said, the Photos App has been running nearly continuously for 4 weeks and it still has not sorted through and collect all its data to put together something that I don’t know what it is yet.
lol Man vegetables! Great video and now I want one!
The iMac, I assume (hope) you're referring to? 😉
@@MarkEllisReviews lol indeed
I wonder if you buy a Apple studio monitor 27", gut it out and take the M3 or M3 pro components and put inside Apple studio display, if it would work.
i got the 24 gig version i will share my thoughts. I run multiple OS's in VMware. shopping for more external storage. It's dirt cheap here.
HI Mark, can this Mac, once memory upgraded, support a graphic designer workflow with 2-3 Adobe creative suite apps open at the same time?
Loved that explanation of yours ! am using a MacBook Air m1 and thinking of getting me this iMac (I use photoshop, illustrator etc..)
Nice! Thanks for watching 👍
I always wind up giving my old devices to a friend or relative.
Now compare it to a 16gb M1 iMac ! That’s what I recommend for the m1 series. I’m still keeping it.
The main difference is the media encoders. He has the base spec M1 iMac so it’s missing some of the features. I use mainly M1 iMac with 8GB RAM but the better spec model and never had any issues day to day. If you need more spec up or get a Mac Studio!
Good afternoon Marks… I work with photo editing and advertising materials. My photo edits have a lot of layers, and I work with a very large flow of batches of images. I was thinking about buying an iMac M3 24GB 1TB. Will I be able to complete my production with this machine? I currently use a 2010 Mac Pro with 12-core Intel Xion and 16GB of Ram. Great video!!!
So for basic computing and amateur photo editing and processing, iMac 3 or Mac mini? I will need a bigger screen regardless so I’ve been leaning toward the mini and a dock for my SD cards.
iMac.
Jesus mark the coffee machine is pricey 😳
Was this the (apart from RAM) base model M3 with only 1 fan? I'm thinking thermal throttling
Still using my 5k retina for Lightroom and photoshop despite the OS warning from adobe . It works ..but encountering now expected problems as well as speed issues . Fully expect next releases from adobe to make it unworkable . Would have loved someone to test a Lightroom ai denoise with the m3 Mac . Planning to upgrade to m3 iMac in next couple of weeks . Considered Mac mini and MacBook Pro , but can’t afford all and the external screen hassle punched me back to iMac . Something didn’t ring true with the export numbers .
Thank you for this video. The key difference is the M3 has the media encoders that you only used to get in the M1 Pro or above. The RAM used to make more difference (and does in none optimised apps) with the M1 base series. Your Intel iMac will be using the GPU not the RAM too (I would imagine) for the second test (hence why the numbers are very close). So actually those calling idiot probably haven’t done their research 😂 If you did that test on a 21 inch iMac with a lower end GPU or integrated Intel graphics the difference would be massive!
In terms of screen size, the iMac supports up to 6K @60hz external. Consider: 2 or 3 years after your iMac purchase, you "need" a much bigger display. TV specs/features are improving and getting cheaper each year.....so just attach a decent 4K HDTV.....up to 65" and beyond. Maybe not elegant for some...but you do have that "upgrade" path.
Well done Mark another brilliant video
And you’ve now proved what I’ve thought for a long time all those benchmarks they do are totally pointless!
I agree with you the iMac is most beautiful product Apple has produced in a very long time
Bosh.
Thanks for the video. Even though your example didn't show any difference in 8 GB vs 16 GB in my opinion it does show that Apple has done a good job of optimizing memory usage. You can get much perfomance from 8 GB and even more from 16 GB, etc.
Exactly.
But doesn’t the 8GB model hammer the SSD with swap?
Interesting video - as usual - and love the comparison of using Windows to be akin to 'attaching your man vegetables to a three phase mains outlet' Not sure about the thumbnail though - I assume this is to appear more appealing to 'the algorithm'? 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it! And that's always the thumbnail's job 😉
Great info presented in a funny and engaging way. Thanks!
Our CEO belongs to that "small group" which use the 24 GB version of the M3 iMac together with the Apple Studio Display. Her reasons for this combo are larger screen estate and the possibility to simultaneously use several applications and have a lot of Google Chrome tabs open. She is very content with this setup and when she travels she brings her M2 MacBook Air with 16 GB of "unified memory". She does the typical office stuff using MS Office and some light video editing with Descript, CapCut, Filmora and Camtasia, where I help her with the fine tuning.
“…attaching your man vegetables to a three phase mains outlet for three hours …”. HILARIOUS. Great expression. Brilliant content. Thanks!
😆👍
It is really surprising that the export is not faster. We've had an Imac 24 M1 with 8GB for 2.5 years and it's a dream machine that the whole family loves. 16 GB is a waste of money
How much storage does the iMac M3s have?
Mark - You rave about the Mac Mini M2 Pro and also the iMac M3. So, between the two of them which one is the best and which one would you recommend buying? Im confused because you spoke highly of both models. I mostly use my computer for word processing, internet, email, zoom calls, storing photos, and editing photos and videos. Is it true the Mac Mini M2 Pro is more faster and powerful than the M3 IMac??
The weirdest thing about the iMac is how beautiful they are for everybody else, but for the ones sitting in front of them.
couldn't watch all the video.. stress levels through the roof every time you span the iMac around on your desk with that cup of coffee right in front of you lol
Haha - always in full control!
@@MarkEllisReviews fate. Tempted. 🫣
I see with all your recent Apple ecosystem remarks in your recent videos, you are rocking an Apple Watch Ultra on the wrist. All joking, nice Garmin. I have an Epix Gen 2 and really like it.
So why do you recommend the 16GB M3 over the 8GB M3 when the rendering time is only 4 seconds faster with the 16GB and the export time is identical? And is the 16GB version the one with 10 core GPU or still the base version?
I can't argue with your conclusion - I have a 16Gb/512Gb M1 iMac, bought refurbished from Apple - but the point I keep drawing from all of these performance test reviews (here and on many, many other sites) is that actually, any Apple Silicon Mac will get the job done. So unless you're a pro for whom time is money, any modern Mac will be great. Juystr get what you can afford.
:) at 9:06 you say, "32 inches iMac" !! I agree with you, we may never see that one (you meant, 27"). Happy holidays Mark, best wishes for 2024!
EXPORT PERFORMANCE: If both Macs have the same SSD installed, that's the reason. A 256 GB SSD is generally a bad idea because it's only single-channel. With a 512 GB model, two 256 GB SSDs are used, thereby almost doubling the performance.
Ok they are fast for develepors, but, what about gamers etc. I originally ordered M1 Max Studio and Display, then cancelled order and ordered a Apple Refurbished 27" iMac 8 Core/16 thread cpu, 16gb 5700xt, with 1TB nvme ssd integrayed and 8gb ram, which i ripped out and put in 64gb ram from Timetec. Now with this mac i can game either in windows or Mac OS. I play games like War Thunder which runs fluently under Mac OS now. It's not as fast as a develepor machine, but over all departments, It can do it all. Once Apple warranty expires, i'll be cutting open the back and putting in liquid AIO cooling on CPPU and GPU and upgrade to i9 max cpu.
24" iMac is just too small, I would rather get a Mac Stdio M3 Max, but only if I can game on it as well.
Ah another test . Surely the export speeds are heavily dependent on your interface port and destination peripheral ?
Great video as usual... but IMHO the iMac 24" design lacks the charm from the 27"/21" previous versions, it feels like a toy in comparison - Just talking about design, not performance-
I went from the base m3 iMac to the 24gb model, and i've seen a significant increase in performance for render and export times in FCP. The base model is just not worth it imo.
The M3 will only be the best performer IF your application takes advantage of ALL the cores (performance and efficiency), as opposed to just the performance cores. The M1 has more performance cores (8) than the M2 (6) and M3 (5), so it has a slight edge in performance where the app only uses those. That means my Studio One DAW would likely perform better on an M1 iMac since, for whatever reason, it does not utilize the efficiency cores. I hope Presonus fixes that soon!
I've got the 27 inch intel iMac with an i5....it still works but I want to get the M3......."Sigh"
“ I asked for Vision Pro and they sent me an IMac “ 😢
I always have the feeling when I’m listening to you that you are speaking in that tone (constant whispering) because you do not want to wake up somebody…
Constant whispering? Eh?
Is 2k expensive for a M3 computer with 16gb ram plus a 24” monitor, personally I don’t think so.
It’s a lot of money, but it’s not expensive for what you get.
@@MarkEllisReviews True, I wasn’t being flippant, 2K is a lot of money to me as well but when I compare that to my M1 Mac mini with 16 gb and my LG 5K monitor plus the mouse and key board the iMac seems quite reasonable.
Yet another real world informative video. So predictable 😂😂😂😂😂
They were probably the same Apple fanboys that would tell you that 8GB Apple RAM performs as well as 16GB PC RAM
Still, we love calling random people idiots on youtube, don't take that from us.
Apple just can't do nothing without a notch and chin, sadly
Why is that sad?
No thanks. In the absence of a new iMac 27", I'll be buying a mac mini and nothing else from Apple.