TL;DR: The early iMac M6 reviews agree on three things: the new M6 chip makes Apple’s 24-inch all-in-one much faster than the iMac M4, the design is almost unchanged since 2021, and the price has gone up to $1,499 to start ($200 more than before). Engadget scored it 8.5/10 but says most buyers would get more for their money with a Mac mini and a bigger monitor. The Verge calls it a good desktop that needs a redesign, yet still a good buy for people who want a simple, plug-in-and-go computer.
This iMac M6 review roundup pulls together what the first hands-on reviews found about Apple’s 2026 iMac: performance, the 24-inch display, memory, gaming, AI work and, above all, whether it’s worth the higher price. Apple announced the M6 iMac alongside the new MacBook Pro in late October (see our M6 MacBook Pro and iMac launch coverage), and reviews from Engadget and The Verge went live on November 5.
iMac M6 at a glance
Here are the key specs and prices as reported by the reviewers. Performance figures in the “Apple says” rows are Apple’s own claims, not independent tests.
| Spec | iMac M6 (2026) | iMac M4 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1,499 | $1,299 |
| CPU / GPU (top chip) | Up to 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU | Up to 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU |
| Memory options | 16GB, 24GB or 32GB | Not compared in reviews |
| Memory bandwidth (Apple says) | Up to 170GB/s | 120GB/s |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (Apple N1 chip) | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Display | 24-inch 4.5K, 500 nits, optional nano-texture ($200) | Same |
| Ports | 2 Thunderbolt 4 (base) or 4 (higher-end) | Same layout |
| Camera | 12MP Center Stage | Same |
| Colors | Seven, including blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange and silver | Same seven |
The jump to Wi-Fi 7 is one of the few hardware changes outside the chip. If you’re wondering what that means at home, our Wi-Fi 7 explainer covers the speeds and whether you need a new router to benefit.
Performance: the big upgrade
Because Apple skipped an M5 iMac, the M6 model is a two-generation jump from the last one, and both reviewers noticed. Apple claims the new iMac is up to 50% faster in productivity apps like Microsoft Excel than the previous model, and up to five times faster for on-device AI in LM Studio compared with the M4 model.
Engadget’s Steve Dent tested a 12-core CPU / 12-core GPU model with 16GB of memory and largely backed up Apple’s claims. In his testing, the iMac M6 scored 4,552 single-core and 20,363 multi-core in Geekbench 6, which he describes as about a 20% bump over the previous model. The Geekbench 6 GPU (Metal) score of 88,276 was more than double the last iMac, and SSD speeds also more than doubled, with 12.4GB/s write and 6.76GB/s read.
The Verge’s Todd Haselton, who also tested the upgraded four-port model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, skipped deep benchmark talk but said the iMac scored on par with the 2026 MacBook Pro with M6 in Geekbench 7, PugetBench for Photoshop, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. He only heard the fan when rendering video and pushing it hard.
Where 16GB holds it back
The weak spot both reviews touch on is memory. Engadget found that DaVinci Resolve handled 4K drone clips and 6K RAW footage fine at first, but more effects and tracks led to interface lag and skipped playback. A local AI model in LM Studio ran at around 30 tokens per second, which Dent called “not amazing” for the price. The iMac tops out at 32GB, tied with the MacBook Air for the least of any Mac, so heavy AI or video users should look at higher configurations or other Macs. Our unified memory vs RAM guide explains why memory matters so much on Apple silicon.
Gaming
Gaming isn’t the iMac’s strength. Engadget saw about 50 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p on default settings, and needed lower quality settings to hold 60 fps. Baldur’s Gate 3 and Resident Evil Biohazard showed similar limits, with 1080p the practical ceiling for playable frame rates.
Design and display: same as 2021
This is where the reviews get critical. The iMac M6 uses the same design Apple introduced with the M1 iMac in 2021: thick white bezels, the large chin under the screen, a stand that tilts but doesn’t adjust for height, and a 24-inch 4.5K display.
- Engadget says the design “is getting stale” and that the 24-inch screen is now too small, arguing Apple should offer at least a 27-inch option.
- The Verge finds the screen “perfectly fine and sharp” for writing and video calls, but wants a slimmer chin, thinner bezels, height adjustment and features like Face ID at this price.
- Both praise the speakers, the 12MP Center Stage webcam and the very fast setup with the magnetic power cable.
Price: the main sticking point
Both reviews name price as the biggest issue. The base iMac M6 now starts at $1,499, up from $1,299 for the M4 model. The Verge links this to rising memory costs driven by AI data center demand. The configuration Engadget considers the sweet spot, with the 12-core chip, 24GB of memory and four Thunderbolt ports, costs $1,899, the same price as the configuration The Verge tested.
Engadget’s alternative: a Mac mini with the same M6 chip and 24GB of memory for $1,099, which leaves about $800 for a bigger, height-adjustable monitor. The Verge similarly notes that a MacBook Neo or MacBook Air plus an external monitor is the more flexible, objective choice.
Who should buy the iMac M6?
| Buy the iMac M6 if you… | Look elsewhere if you… |
|---|---|
| Want an all-in-one that’s set up in minutes | Want a 27-inch or larger screen |
| Need a family or small-office computer for work, calls and streaming | Run heavy video projects or local AI models |
| Value built-in speakers, camera and mics | Want the best value per dollar |
| Are upgrading from an Intel or M1 iMac | Play demanding games |
For people choosing between Apple’s new Macs, our MacBook Pro PROLED XDR roundup covers the other big launch from the same event.
The verdict from reviewers
The iMac M6 review consensus is clear: it’s fast, simple and pleasant to use, but it hasn’t changed enough to justify a higher price for everyone. Engadget still calls it the best all-in-one available and says it beats Windows rivals like the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 at a similar price. The Verge says that if you want a desktop that’s great out of the box and will last years, the iMac with M6 is a good buy. If you don’t mind a few extra cables, though, a Mac mini or MacBook with a larger monitor gives you more for less.
Sources
- Engadget: Apple iMac M6 review: Faster, more expensive and deeply in need of a refresh
- The Verge: The new iMac is a good desktop computer that needs a redesign
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