Apple has announced refreshes for the iMac and the entry-level, 14-inch MacBook Pro. Both machines are getting the M6 chip, which was introduced in the Mac mini several weeks ago.
The M6 is split into two variants for the iMac. Picking the “M6 chip with two Thunderbolt ports” option gets you a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, whereas picking “M6 chip with four Thunderbolt ports” gets you 12 cores for each, instead. The two-port variant maxes out at 24 GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, whereas the four-port one maxes out at 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
There’s only one M6 chip option for the MacBook Pro—the one with the 12-core GPU and CPU. It caps out at 32GB of RAM, but can go to 4TB of storage.
It’s a more substantial refresh for the iMac, as its previous update introduced the M4. Apple skipped the M5 and went straight to the M6 here. In terms of performance gains moving from the M4 to the M6, Apple said with the Mac mini that users can expect up to 40 percent faster CPU performance, up to double graphics performance, and nearly five times faster on-device AI. All that largely matches what we saw when we tested the M6 Mac mini last month, and users of the new iMac should expect similar numbers.
The M6 iMac should see up to double SSD read/write performance compared to the M4 model, too.
The previous entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro had the M5, so that one is just stepping up a single generation. In this case, that means up to 30 percent faster graphics and up to double the Neural Engine performance.
In addition to the M6 chip, both computers now have the N1 chip for wireless connectivity (that means Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6). The iMac is now configurable with up to 2.5Gb Ethernet, while the MacBook Pro still lacks an Ethernet port.
There are no outward design changes to either device; they both look exactly the same as their immediate predecessors. The iMac starts at $1,499 for the two-port version, or $1,699 for the four-port version. The M6 MacBook Pro starts at $1,999.
Pre-orders start October 28, and they ship November 6.
Samuel AxonSenior Editor
Samuel AxonSenior Editor
Samuel Axon is the editorial lead for tech and gaming coverage at Ars Technica. He covers physical and generative AI, large language models, software development, gaming, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and he is a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development.
Source: arstechnica.com
