Apple Puts M6 Chip in iMac and Entry-Level MacBook Pro
Pre-orders open on October 28 for the refreshed iMac and 14-inch MacBook Pro, with shipping from November 6.
Apple has refreshed the iMac and the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip, which debuted in the Mac mini several weeks ago. Pre-orders start on October 28, and the machines ship on November 6.
The iMac gets two M6 variants. The version with two Thunderbolt ports has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU and tops out at 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The four-port version has 12 cores each and goes up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. The iMac starts at $1,499 for the two-port model and $1,699 for the four-port one.
The MacBook Pro comes in a single M6 configuration, with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU. It can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and 4TB of storage, and it starts at $1,999.
Performance claims
The iMac update is the bigger one. Its previous refresh introduced the M4, and Apple skipped the M5 entirely. Apple said at the Mac mini launch that users moving from the M4 to the M6 can expect up to 40% faster CPU performance, up to double the graphics performance and nearly five times faster on-device AI. The M6 iMac should also deliver up to double the SSD read and write speed of the M4 model. Tests of the M6 Mac mini last month largely matched Apple's figures, and buyers of the new iMac should expect similar numbers.
The previous entry-level MacBook Pro had the M5, so the step is a single generation. Apple cites up to 30% faster graphics and up to double the Neural Engine performance.
Both computers also get the N1 chip for wireless connectivity, which brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The iMac can now be configured with up to 2.5Gb Ethernet. The MacBook Pro still has no Ethernet port.
Apple offers a single M6 option for the MacBook Pro. Neither machine changes outwardly. They look the same as their predecessors.
Source: Ars Technica