Apple iMac 24" 2024, M4, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Silver

The M4 iMac nails reliability with a 99th percentile score, but the 8-core GPU is a weak spot at the 14th percentile. It's a solid business machine with a 61.7 score for office work, but the 8.2 gaming score means it's not built for play. Buy it for dependable everyday work, not for graphics or gaming.

The M4 chip is a solid performer, landing in the 54th percentile for CPU performance. That's middle of the pack in our database, but remember, this is a thin all-in-one pulling minimal power. For spreadsheets, video calls, and light photo editing, it's more than enough. The 16GB of RAM sits at the 33rd percentile, which is mediocre for a desktop in 2024. Apple's memory management helps, but heavy multitaskers will feel the ceiling.

The 8-core GPU is the weak link. At the 14th percentile, it's a disappointing performer for anything graphics-heavy. Don't expect to edit 4K video timelines smoothly or run modern games at anything beyond low settings. The 512GB SSD lands at the 42nd percentile, which is about average, but it fills up fast if you're storing photos and videos locally.

Stacked against the HP OMEN GT22-3080, Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10, and Dell Area-51, this iMac looks like it wandered into the wrong fight. Those are gaming towers with dedicated GPUs that would absolutely crush the M4's 8-core graphics. The iMac's 8.2 gaming score versus what those machines would post is not even a contest. But flip the script to reliability and everyday office work, and the iMac's 99th percentile reliability makes those gaming rigs look like they're built for a different job. The CLX SET and Horizon Pcs Autherium Dragon are similarly spec'd for gaming, not spreadsheets. If you want a quiet, dependable machine for work, the iMac wins. If you want frame rates, look elsewhere.

Pricing isn't listed for this open-box unit, so we can't calculate a price-per-performance ratio. But here's the thing: open-box iMacs can be a great deal if the discount is deep enough. The reliability numbers suggest this machine will last for years, which matters more than raw specs for most buyers. Just don't pay anywhere near retail for the base config with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The weak GPU and port situation mean this is a productivity machine, not a workstation.

The M4 iMac posts a 49.1 out of 100 in our database, which sounds rough until you realize it's being dragged down by a gaming score of 8.2. This thing was never built for gaming, and our scoring punishes it hard for that. For business use it hits 61.7, and for home office work it lands at 56.2. Those are the numbers that actually matter for the people who should be buying this machine.

Reliability is where this iMac flexes. It sits in the 99th percentile, which means it's basically the most dependable all-in-one we've tracked. The M4 chip with 10 cores and 16GB of RAM handles everyday work without breaking a sweat. But the 8-core GPU and limited ports are real compromises, and we'll get into those.

Skip this if you need graphics performance or expandability. The 8-core GPU at the 14th percentile is a real letdown for photo and video work beyond the basics, and the port selection at the 6th percentile is one of the worst we've seen. Gamers should absolutely look elsewhere, the 8.2 gaming score is dead last territory. And if you're the type who likes to upgrade RAM or storage down the road, the iMac's sealed design means you're stuck with what you buy today.

The M4 iMac is a reliable, capable machine for business and home office use, and the 99th percentile reliability score is genuinely impressive. But the 8-core GPU and port selection are serious compromises that limit what this machine can do. If your workflow is email, documents, web browsing, and the occasional photo edit, this iMac will serve you well for years. If you need graphics performance or expandability, the 14th percentile GPU and 6th percentile port ranking should send you running toward a tower.