When compared to the Mac Mini, which remains practically inaudible at the same performance, the new iMac 24 simply gets much too loud under load.
We can even measure a maximum of 46 dB(A). In everyday use (browsing, videos), the system is almost always silent and even pure GPU load is practically inaudible, but under high CPU load, the two fans quickly reach more than 40 dB(A), both in native and emulated apps. Apple uses the space in the case cleverly and the built-in modules will be completely sufficient for most users. We also really like the 6 speakers that can easily replace cheap external speakers. However, thanks to the ARM base, you have access to Apple's arcade collection, which you can get from the iPhones and iPads. The system is only suitable for gaming to a limited extent because not many titles are supported. In practice, the iMac 24 is an extremely responsive system, but the old Intel models offer even more performance, especially in multi-core tests.
The results are on par with the Mac Mini as well as the MacBook Pro 13.
Two fans are used in the iMac with 8 GPU cores (model with 7 GPU cores only one fan), which is why the performance is stable. The Apple M1 SoC we already know from the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13 and the Mac Mini. If you want to write a lot, you will certainly get better alternatives, but they do not offer all comfort features. The keyboard is very practical thanks to the integrated Touch ID, but it only offers very little travel for desktop input (comparable to the MacBooks) and is also not illuminated. We already know the input devices from the predecessors and especially the TrackPad works very well. Thus, you will hardly get around a USB hub. We would have liked to see an additional USB connector on the side, similar to the jack on the left edge. The iMac is very flexible with these ports, but the position is not very practical in practice when you want to quickly connect an external hard drive or a USB stick. However, the signal quality was very good in the test.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are also included, although the WLAN performance (as with the M1 MacBooks) is a bit low (Wi-Fi 6 only with 80 MHz). Those who opt for a configuration with 8 GPU cores get two more USB-C ports (3.2 Gen.2) as well as the Gigabit Ethernet plug on the power supply as standard. The base model with 7 GPU cores only offers two USB-C ports on the back (USB-4/Thunderbolt 3 with 40 GBit/s).