Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple Macintosh SE/30

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iMac 24″ (M4) compared with Macintosh SE/30

	AppleiMac 24″ (M4)	AppleMacintosh SE/30
Overview
Released
Released	November 2024	1989
Performance
Processor
Processor	Apple M4	68030 16 MHz (Macintosh SE/30)
CPU cores
CPU cores	8 or 10	1
Graphics
Graphics	8-core GPU or 10-core GPU	–
AI engine (NPU)
AI engine (NPU)	38 TOPS	–
Memory
Memory	16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB (better)	1 MB or 4 MB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 2 TB (better)	40 MB to 80 MB
CPU
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)	Nominal 16 MHz 68030 with 32-bit data path, integrated PMMU and 68882 FPU; 0.5K L1 cache, no L2 or second processor. Original owner manual specifies 15.6672 MHz exact clock; nominal support-sheet rating retained
Memory type
Memory type	–	Eight 30-pin SIMM slots in groups of four, 120 ns or faster; support sheet certifies 1–32 MB and 256K, 1 MB or 4 MB modules. Original manual describes 8 MB with then-current modules and future 128 MB expansion; limits depend on installed modules and software. 256K ROM
GPU
GPU	Hardware-accelerated ray tracing	–
AI engine
AI engine	16-core Neural Engine	–
Memory bandwidth
Memory bandwidth	120GB/s	–
Storage type
Storage type	SSD	Factory choices from original Apple technical procedures are 1 MB RAM with floppy only, 1 MB with 40 MB SCSI disk, or 4 MB with 80 MB SCSI disk; all have an FDHD high-density floppy drive. Original capacity units retained; floppy capacity is removable storage
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	–	One 120-pin 32-bit 030 Direct Slot; optional monitor connection requires a compatible video card
Media engine
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
Screen size	24″	9″
Resolution
Resolution	4480 × 2520 (better)	512 × 342
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	CRT
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	60 Hz	60.1 Hz (better)
Brightness
Brightness	500 nits	–
Display type
Display type	4.5K Retina display; actual diagonal 23.5 inches	Built-in 9-inch one-bit monochrome CRT, 512 × 342 pixels. Maker's explicit note and owner manual correct generic support table's 512 × 384
Pixel density
Pixel density	218 ppi	–
Display features
Display features	1 billion colours; wide colour (P3); True Tone; nano-texture glass option on four-port models	Original owner manual specifies exact 60.1 Hz refresh
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 4, headphone jack	Headphone jack
External displays
External displays	Up to 1	–
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	–
Camera
Camera	12MP Center Stage	–
Back ports
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 ADB ports, DB-19 external floppy, DB-25 SCSI, two RS-232/RS-422 serial ports and stereo mini-phone audio output; no built-in Ethernet or external video socket
External displays
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
Camera	12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View; 1080p HD video recording; advanced image signal processor with computational video	–
Speakers
Speakers	High-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo sound; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos	Apple Sound Chip supports four-voice wavetable synthesis and stereo sampling; mixed stereo through a monophonic internal speaker, stereo through external sound port
Microphones
Microphones	Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming	–
Keyboard and mouse
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	Choice of Apple Keyboard or Apple Extended Keyboard; ADB mouse, as described in original owner manual
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	4.42 kg	–
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	547 × 147 × 461 mm	–
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	–	Maker 19.5 lb; 13.6 in height × 9.6 in width × 10.9 in depth, retained in original units
Power supply
Power supply	143W external power adapter; power lead (2 m)	Maximum 75 W, 120–240 V, 48–62 Hz, 0.63 A; 3.6 V lithium clock battery
Materials
Materials	100% recycled aluminium in the stand; more than 15% recycled content overall	–
Colours
Colours	Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Silver	–
In the box
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)	Original system software 6.0.3. Maker introduction 19 January 1989 is not treated as exact first sale; earliest actual-sale month unresolved in bounded search, released year only