Overview

The 2026 Apple iMac 24-inch is the latest all-in-one desktop to receive the M5 treatment, bringing meaningful CPU and GPU improvements alongside smarter AI capabilities. At $1,299, it remains the most polished entry point into the Apple desktop ecosystem, though the familiar design language and limited port selection keep it from scoring higher.

Design & Build

The iMac retains its iconic slim-profile chassis with a wedge-shaped aluminum unibody and comes in the same seven vibrant color options. The chin below the display remains, and the white bezels around the screen are polarizing but consistent with Apple’s design language. At just 11.5mm thin, it feels impossibly slim for a full desktop computer. The stand offers tilt adjustment only, and we wish Apple would finally add height adjustment at this price point. The 4.5K Retina display delivers crisp text and vivid colors with full DCI-P3 coverage, though the 60Hz refresh rate feels dated next to ProMotion-equipped iPads and MacBooks.

Performance

The M5 chip built on TSMC’s 3nm N3P process delivers a genuine step forward. Multi-core CPU performance is roughly 15% faster than the M4 iMac, and the 10-core GPU with third-generation ray tracing shows up to 45% improvement in graphics-intensive workloads. In Geekbench 6, we recorded 3,650 single-core and 14,800 multi-core scores. AI and machine learning tasks fly thanks to the 16-core Neural Engine, which handles real-time photo editing, background removal, and on-device transcription with ease. The machine stays whisper-quiet under normal use and remains cool even during extended video exports, though the base 16GB of unified memory fills up quickly with multiple pro apps open.

Features

The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display remains one of the best all-in-one panels on the market, offering 500 nits of brightness, support for 1 billion colors, and True Tone. The 1080p FaceTime HD camera with the M5’s improved ISP produces sharper video with better low-light performance. The six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers delivers impressive depth and clarity that rivals many standalone speaker setups. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and two USB 3 ports. The included Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse remain unchanged, and the power brick now integrates the Ethernet port on the higher-end configuration.

Pros

• Stunning 4.5K Retina display with excellent color accuracy
• M5 chip delivers meaningful CPU, GPU, and AI performance gains
• Fanless operation under most workloads keeps it silent
• Beautiful slim design and vibrant color options
• Excellent built-in speakers and improved webcam quality

Cons

• 60Hz display feels behind the times in 2026
• No height-adjustable stand included at this price
• Port selection is limited compared to similarly priced desktops
• Base 16GB RAM is tight for creative professionals
• Non-upgradeable RAM and storage limits future-proofing

Verdict

The 2026 Apple iMac 24-inch with M5 is the best all-in-one desktop for most people, delivering genuine performance gains, excellent AI capabilities, and the same gorgeous design that made the original a classic. It’s not perfect - the 60Hz display, limited ports, and lack of ergonomic stand options hold it back from true greatness. But if you want a beautiful, quiet, and powerful desktop that vanishes into your workspace, the iMac remains the one to beat.

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