Apple iMac M4 2024, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Silver

The Apple iMac M4 is a stunning all-in-one desktop with a gorgeous 4.5K display and a fast M4 chip that handles everyday tasks with ease. It's not built for gaming or heavy creative workloads, and the base 16GB RAM and 512GB storage feel tight for the $1,899 price. If you want a beautiful, reliable Mac for home or office use and you're already in the Apple ecosystem, it's a great buy.

The M4 chip is the star here, and in our database it lands around the middle of the pack for CPU performance compared to all desktops. That might sound underwhelming, but context matters. This is a 10-core chip running in a fan-cooled all-in-one that sips power compared to the gaming towers it's being ranked against. For everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, photo work, and light video editing, it feels snappy. Apps like Photoshop and Excel launch fast, and multitasking across a dozen Safari tabs plus Slack plus Spotify doesn't make it sweat.

The GPU story is more mixed. The 10-core integrated graphics sit at the 62nd percentile in our database, which means it's solid for an integrated solution but nowhere near a dedicated graphics card. You can play older titles and indie games at reasonable settings, but don't expect to run Cyberpunk 2077 at anything approaching playable frame rates. The 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD both rank in the 33rd percentile, which is the weakest part of this package. For a machine at this price, Apple's base storage and memory are stingy. You'll likely want to pay for upgrades or lean on external drives and cloud storage.

Stacked against the gaming towers in our database like the HP OMEN GT22-3080 and Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10, the iMac M4 looks like a different species entirely. Those machines pack dedicated GPUs and are built for frame rates, not desk aesthetics. The OMEN and Legion will absolutely crush the iMac in gaming and GPU-heavy workloads. But they're also big, loud, and require a separate monitor. The iMac's 88th percentile port ranking actually beats many of these towers in connectivity, which is a nice surprise. Four Thunderbolt 4 ports plus USB-A and Ethernet means you can hook up two external 6K displays and still have room for accessories.

The Dell Tower ECT1250 and CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM are more traditional desktop options that offer better upgradeability. You can swap RAM, storage, and GPUs in those machines. The iMac locks you into whatever you buy on day one. That's the trade-off. If you value longevity through upgrades, the iMac is a dead end. If you value a clean setup that just works, the iMac wins. The ASUS ROG GM700 is another gaming-focused option that makes the iMac's gaming score of 34.6 out of 100 look pretty sad by comparison.

At $1,899 USD, the iMac M4 is not a value play in the traditional sense. You're paying a premium for the display, the design, and the Apple ecosystem integration. If you spec out a comparable 24-inch 4.5K monitor plus a decent Windows mini PC, you might save a few hundred bucks, but you'd lose the seamless integration and the clean single-cable setup. The real question is whether 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage are enough for you. For a family computer or a home office machine, probably yes. For a creative professional working with large files, you'll want to budget for upgrades, and Apple's upgrade pricing is not kind. Compared to the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10, you're getting far less raw performance per dollar, but those machines don't come with a 4.5K display built in.

The Apple iMac M4 is Apple's latest take on the all-in-one desktop, and it's the kind of machine that makes you wonder why anyone still buys a separate tower and monitor. At $1,899 USD, you're getting a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, the new M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD all packed into a chassis that's thinner than most standalone monitors. It comes in seven colors, which is either charming or gimmicky depending on your desk aesthetic, but there's no denying it looks clean.

People searching for the best all-in-one desktop for home offices or family use will find a lot to like here. The iMac M4 is built for Apple Intelligence, which means it handles AI tasks on-device with Apple's usual privacy pitch. If you're already in the Apple ecosystem, the integration is genuinely useful. You can mirror your iPhone, copy and paste between devices, and take calls without touching your phone. That's the real selling point for a lot of buyers.

But this isn't a machine for everyone. The base config ships with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which feels tight for a $1,899 computer in 2025. And if you're hoping to game, you should probably look elsewhere. The integrated GPU is fine for casual titles but nothing more. We'll dig into all of that below.

Skip the iMac M4 if you're a gamer, a heavy video editor, or anyone who likes to tinker with hardware. The integrated GPU simply can't keep up with modern games, and the soldered RAM and storage mean you're stuck with whatever you buy on day one. If you need serious GPU performance, look at the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 instead. If you want upgradeability and don't mind a separate monitor, the Dell Tower ECT1250 or CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM offer more flexibility. And if you're on a tighter budget, there are plenty of Windows all-in-ones and mini PCs that cost less, though you'll sacrifice the display quality and build polish.

Should you buy the Apple iMac M4? If you want a beautiful, quiet, all-in-one desktop for everyday computing, light creative work, or a family shared computer, yes. It's one of the most reliable machines in our database, and the social proof is off the charts. People who buy these tend to love them. The display alone is worth a chunk of the asking price, and the M4 chip keeps everything feeling fast and responsive.

But if you're a gamer, a video editor working with 4K footage daily, or someone who likes to upgrade components over time, this isn't your machine. The integrated GPU and non-upgradeable RAM and storage are real limitations. For the same money, you can build or buy a Windows tower with dramatically more performance. The iMac M4 is a lifestyle product as much as a computer. If you're already in the Apple ecosystem and want a desktop that feels like an extension of your iPhone, it's an easy recommendation. If you need raw power, look elsewhere.