Apple iMac M4 Blue 2024

A breathtaking all-in-one that's a joy to use, but the base model's 256GB storage is a cruel joke. Pay up for more space and you'll love it.

What surprised us most is how the M4 chip makes 16GB of RAM feel a lot more capable than the 33rd percentile ranking suggests. For photo editing, juggling a million browser tabs, and running Microsoft 365, this thing is a silent, cool-running champ. The integrated graphics are a solid middle-of-the-pack performer, fine for everything except serious gaming, which is a total flop here. The real shocker is that storage speed, not the CPU, is the bottleneck you'll notice first when you run out of space.

Stacked against traditional desktop towers like the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or Lenovo Legion 90Y6003JUS, the iMac is in a completely different universe. Those PCs will obliterate it in gaming and offer easy, cheap upgrades for RAM and storage. But they're also bulky, loud, and come with a mess of cables. The iMac's real competition is the Mac mini M4 with a separate Studio Display. That combo costs more but gives you flexibility. For most people who just want one beautiful screen on their desk, the iMac is the simpler, cleaner, and ultimately better choice than any tower PC.

Value is a tricky word here. You're paying a massive premium for the design, the screen, and the ecosystem. The price spread across vendors is a wild $443, so if you're buying, hunt for the deal closer to $1456, not $1899. At the lower end, it's a justifiable splurge for a clutter-free, powerful workstation. At the high end, you're getting into MacBook Pro territory, which is a much more versatile machine for the money.

The M4 iMac is basically the poster child for Apple doing what Apple does best: making a gorgeous, dead-simple computer that just works. The one thing to know is that this is a stunning centerpiece for a home office or dorm room, powered by a chip that handles everyday tasks and creative work with zero fuss. But that sleek design comes with a catch you'll feel in a few months: a laughably stingy 256GB of storage in the base model. It's the definition of a love-at-first-sight machine that asks you to live almost entirely in the cloud.

If you're looking for a gaming rig or a machine you can crack open to add a bigger SSD and more RAM down the line, this isn't it. Go get a Lenovo Legion tower or build your own PC instead. You'll get way more performance per dollar and the freedom to upgrade whenever you want.

Buy the M4 iMac for its stunning screen, silent performance, and zero-cable lifestyle. It's a joy for everyday computing, creative hobbies, and being the nicest-looking thing in your house. But for the love of your future self, do not buy the 256GB model. Spend the extra cash on at least 512GB of storage, or accept that you'll be paying for iCloud forever. If you need serious GPU power or internal expansion, this simply isn't your machine.