Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac G3 (Revision B)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac 24″ (M4) | AppleiMac G3 (Revision B) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2024 | October 1998 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Apple M4 | PowerPC G3 233 MHz (iMac) |
| CPU cores | 8 or 10 | 1 |
| Graphics | 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU | ATI RAGE Pro (6 MB) |
| AI engine (NPU) | 38 TOPS | – |
| Memory | 16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB (better) | 32 MB or 256 MB |
| Storage | 256 GB to 2 TB (better) | 4 GB |
| CPU | 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores (two-port model), or 10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores (four-port models) | 233 MHz PowerPC G3 with 66 MHz system bus and 512 KB backside L2 cache. The generic chip record names no supplier; MacGeneration identifies a Motorola PowerPC 750 in its reviewed Revision B unit. |
| GPU | Hardware-accelerated ray tracing | ATI RAGE Pro graphics with 6 MB video memory; Apple’s developer history confirms the graphics change from the original RAGE IIc model. |
| Memory type | – | 32 MB SDRAM standard, two SO-DIMM slots. Current retained Apple Revision B sheet supports up to 256 MB; the older developer history gives 128 MB. Configurations use the current maximum, with the conflict recorded. |
| AI engine | 16-core Neural Engine | – |
| Memory bandwidth | 120GB/s | – |
| Storage type | SSD | 4 GB IDE hard drive and tray-loading 24x CD-ROM. |
| Media engine | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; video encode engine; ProRes encode and decode engine; AV1 decode | – |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 24″ | 15″ |
| Resolution | 4480 × 2520 (better) | 1024 × 768 |
| Panel | IPS LCD | – |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 75 Hz (better) |
| Brightness | 500 nits | – |
| Display type | 4.5K Retina display; actual diagonal 23.5 inches | Nominal 15-inch CRT, 13.8-inch viewable diagonal; no fixed LCD native resolution. |
| Pixel density | 218 ppi | – |
| Display features | 1 billion colours; wide colour (P3); True Tone; nano-texture glass option on four-port models | 1024 × 768 at 75 Hz, 800 × 600 at 95 Hz and 640 × 480 at 117 Hz (EveryMac exact A/B specification). |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × Thunderbolt 4, headphone jack | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, 2 × headphone jack |
| Ethernet | – | 0.1 Gb/s |
| External displays | Up to 1 | – |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | – |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | – |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage | – |
| Back ports | 2 × Thunderbolt / USB 4 (two-port model) or 4 × Thunderbolt 4 (four-port models), each with Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s) and DisplayPort; Gigabit Ethernet on the power adapter, standard on four-port models and optional on the two-port model | Two USB ports, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K modem and audio line-in/out, plus two front headphone jacks. The retained combined maker sheet lists IrDA; Apple’s developer comparison lists it only for the original revision, while MacGeneration’s physical Revision B review shows the infrared window. No standard FireWire or VGA output. |
| External displays | Two-port model: one at up to 6K 60Hz; four-port models: two at up to 6K 60Hz, or one at up to 8K 60Hz | – |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View; 1080p HD video recording; advanced image signal processor with computational video | – |
| Speakers | High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo sound; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos | Built-in stereo speakers and microphone. |
| Microphones | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming | – |
| Keyboard and mouse | Magic Keyboard (two-port model) or Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (four-port models), and Magic Mouse; Magic Trackpad or Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad available instead | Apple USB Keyboard and round Apple USB Mouse. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 4.42 kg | – |
| Width × depth × height | 547 × 147 × 461 mm | – |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | – | Maker retained sheet gives height 15.8, width 15.2 and depth 17.6 inches, weight 40 pounds. Metric figures from the original revision are not borrowed. |
| Power supply | 143W external power adapter; power lead (2 m) | – |
| Materials | 100% recycled aluminium in the stand; more than 15% recycled content overall | – |
| Colours | Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Silver | – |
| In the box | iMac, Magic Keyboard (with Touch ID on four-port models), Magic Mouse, 143W power adapter, power lead (2 m), USB-C Charge Cable, polishing cloth (nano-texture glass only) | Mac OS 8.5. Conservative October 1998 sale month follows MacGeneration’s exact Revision B retrospective; published introduction days differ and are not treated as a verified worldwide first-sale day. |
More comparisons
- Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac 24″ (M4)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac Pro (2017)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) vs Apple iMac 24″ (M4)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) vs Apple iMac 24″ (M4)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014) vs Apple iMac 24″ (M4)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) vs Apple iMac 24″ (M4)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) vs Apple iMac 24″ (M4)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)