Apple iMac M1 2021, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Green
The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with P3 color and True Tone makes this iMac a vivid workspace. Its M1 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU handle everyday tasks smoothly, while 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD keep multitasking responsive. Best for home-office or business users who want a color-accurate, quiet all-in-one for productivity and media work.
No current retailer price
Snapshot
The 30-Second Version
A stunning 4.5K screen wrapped around a middling performer. Great for office life, terrible for gaming.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- That 4.5K Retina display is absolutely stunning 99th
- Dead quiet, even under load
- Reliability is top of the charts
- M1 sips power while staying snappy for daily work
Cons
- Gaming performance is a real letdown
- Only two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports
- 512GB storage fills up fast
- No customer reviews to back up the refurb quality
The proof
Performance
The M1 chip surprised us by holding its own in everyday tasks despite that 33rd percentile CPU score. The 8-core chip chews through browser tabs, photo edits, and office work without breaking a sweat. But the 7-core GPU is where the wheels come off. Gaming lands at a brutal 12.3 out of 100, which is one of the worst we've seen for anything pretending to handle modern titles. The 16GB of RAM is fine for most people, but the 512GB SSD is just average these days.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Apple M1 8 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Frequency | 3.2 GHz |
Graphics
| GPU | Apple M1 7-core GPU |
| Type | Integrated |
| VRAM | 8 GB |
| VRAM Type | System Shared |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Build
| Form Factor | aio |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 2 |
| USB Ports | 2 |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt/USB 4 ×2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ethernet | Ethernet (adapter) |
System
| OS | macOS |
vs Competition
Stack this against the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 and the iMac looks silly for anyone who wants to game or render. Those towers crush it in GPU and CPU performance. But none of them come with a 4.5K display built in. The iMac wins on simplicity and screen quality. The Dell Aurora and ASUS ROG GM700 are even further ahead on gaming, but they're also big, loud boxes. Pick your poison: elegance or horsepower.
| Spec | Apple iMac M1 | Lenovo T Series Towers Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 | Dell Desktop ECT1250 | HP OMEN GT16-0364 | CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM | MSI Aegis ZS2 A9NVP-1407US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M1 8 | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | Intel Core Ultra 7 265 | AMD Ryzen 7 8700F | Intel Core i9 14900KF | AMD Ryzen 9 9900X |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 | 4096 | 2048 | 1024 | 8192 | 2048 |
| GPU | Apple M1 7-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | Intel UHD Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 |
| Form Factor | aio | mid-tower | sff | mid-tower | mid-tower | mid-tower |
| Psu W | - | 850 | 180 | 850 | 850 | 750 |
| OS | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | CPU | GPU | RAM | Ports | Storage | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iMac M1 | 42 | 53.6 | 31.6 | 39.3 | 29.5 | 99.3 |
| Lenovo T Series Towers Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 Compare | 73.5 | 93.1 | 78.1 | 88.4 | 98.1 | 70 |
| Dell Desktop ECT1250 Compare | 88.4 | 58.7 | 81.8 | 74.5 | 82.8 | 70 |
| HP OMEN GT16-0364 Compare | 69.7 | 89.3 | 87.2 | 97.9 | 53.6 | 70 |
| CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM Compare | 94.9 | 89.3 | 96.5 | 84.2 | 99.2 | 11.6 |
| MSI Aegis ZS2 A9NVP-1407US Compare | 92.4 | 89.3 | 87.2 | 90.5 | 82.8 | 37.3 |
Price
Value & Pricing
At CAD 1,400 refurbished, this is a tough sell. You're paying a premium for the display and the Apple badge, not the performance. If you need a beautiful screen for office work and light creative tasks, it's fine. But for that money, you can get a lot more raw power elsewhere.
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Overview
The 24-inch iMac M1 is still one of the best looking all-in-ones you can buy, and that 4.5K Retina display remains a knockout. But this refurbished unit is a weird fit for our database. It scores great on reliability, yet the raw performance numbers put it in the middle of the pack against gaming towers that cost similar money. The one thing to know? This is a gorgeous office and creative machine, not a powerhouse.
Common Questions
Q: Can this iMac handle gaming?
No. The 7-core GPU scores 12.3 out of 100 for gaming. Stick to Apple Arcade or very light indie titles. For real games, get a Windows tower.
Q: Is 512GB of storage enough?
For basic office work and browsing, yes. But if you keep a lot of photos, videos, or large apps, you'll fill it up fast. External drives help, but they clutter the clean look.
Q: Is the refurbished model worth it?
At CAD 1,400 with no customer reviews to verify quality, it's a gamble. The reliability score is excellent, but you're trusting the refurbisher. Make sure there's a solid return policy.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for gaming performance or heavy video editing, this isn't it. Go get an HP OMEN or Lenovo Legion tower instead. You'll get way more power for the same money, just without the pretty screen.
Verdict
Buy this if you want a gorgeous, quiet all-in-one for office work, browsing, and light photo editing. Skip it if you care about gaming, heavy video work, or getting the most performance per dollar. The display is the star here, and for the right person, that's enough.
Usage Scores
- Overall51.3
- AI/LLM30.6
- Gaming13.4
- Portability43.4
- Creator22.9
- Business59.4
- Developer46.2
- Home Office51.7
- Workstation44.6
