Apple iMac M6 review: Faster, more expensive and deeply in need of a refresh

Since the iMac skipped the M5 chip, the M6 model is noticeably quicker than before. Apple claims it’s up to 50 percent faster for productivity apps like Microsoft Excel compared to the last model, while offering a similar speed bump for things like photo and video editing.

The M6 chip is particularly proficient for AI, with Apple claiming five times faster on-device performance in LM Studio compared to the M4 model. However, keep in mind that AI models work best with plenty of memory and the iMac only offers 16GB, 24GB or 32GB configurations — tied with the MacBook Air for the least of any Mac product.

In my tests, performance largely lived up to Apple’s claims. The iMac M6 scored 4,552 and 20,363 points on Geekbench 6’s single- and multi-core CPU tests, around a 20 percent bump from the previous model. It did even better on Geekbench 6 GPU (metal) with a mark of 88,276, more than double the previous model. Cinebench 2024 scores were also up 38 percent on the GPU side and 25 percent/40 percent in single/multi-core tests compared to the iMac M4. Finally, the M6 iMac scored 81,050 on Geekbench AI ML, a significant increase from 50,704 before.

Disk speeds are key for low-memory computers, and fortunately, the iMac M6 didn’t disappoint here. Those were more than double the previous model, with 12.4GB/s write and 6.76GB/s read speeds — right up there with the Mac Studio M5 Ultra’s pace.

Steve Dent for Engadget

Benchmarks are one thing, but I was keen to test the new iMac for quotidian tasks like content creation, gaming and AI. As a machine for school or corporate work, it’s great, with minimal lag and zippy performance for spreadsheets and video calls. It’s also nice for entertainment, thanks to the bright and colorful (but too small) display with 4K HDR. The six-speaker setup with two force-canceling woofers and Dolby Atmos support also provides decent sound for an all-in-one (AIO) PC.

For some chores, though, my machine was impeded by its relatively meager RAM allocation. Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve is a great test for creative work, and though the iMac did better than I expected, I saw a few issues. I was able to play back a mix of 4K MP4 files from a DJI drone and 6K RAW Nikon files without any issues. However, after adding effects, extra tracks and completing more edits, I saw some interface lag and playback skipping. For basic TikTok and YouTube editing, though, the iMac M6 performed well for me.

Gaming’s not a strong point, though. With Cyberpunk 2077, I saw just 50 fps at 1080p with the default graphics settings, and was only able to achieve 60 fps dialing down the quality. Other games like Resident Evil Biohazard and Baldur’s Gate 3 had similar performance issues, with 1080p resolution the maximum possible for playable frame rates. With an extra 8GB of RAM, my colleague Devindra Hardawar saw slightly better performance when gaming on a Mac mini with the same M6 chip.

When it comes to AI work, my machine definitely needed more RAM. I tested it using LM Studio with the quen3.5-9b model that matches well to this Mac. It ran at around 30 tokens per second for translation and other prompts, which isn’t amazing for a machine at this price. Due to its small model limitations, it also produced some inaccuracies, so the iMac M6 won’t be the AI computer of your dreams unless you upgrade the memory.

In my last iMac review, I said that the 24-inch display was “ample” for most work, but I’m no longer of that mind. With extra speed that makes the iMac more useful for AI and creative work, the display is simply too small and that Apple needs to offer at least a 27-inch screen on future models.

Source: www.engadget.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.