Apple puts the M6 chip in the 24-inch iMac and claims up to 5x faster on-device AI

Apple has announced a new 24-inch iMac with the M6 chip, and the pitch is almost entirely about AI. The company says the machine is up to 5x faster than the M4 iMac at on-device AI prompt processing in LM Studio, and 12x faster than the M1 model. It is the second launch in a staggered run of announcements that began with an iPad mini the day before.

The speed claim rests on the chip's design. M6 carries a Neural Accelerator in each GPU core and what Apple calls a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which it says doubles AI compute over the last generation. The same design first appeared in the Mac mini in August 2026 and then in the Mac Studio. All of the performance figures are Apple's own comparisons. MacRumors, working from Mac mini Geekbench results, estimates the higher-end iMac is around 40% faster on the CPU.

Beyond AI, the numbers are broad. The chip offers up to a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, two more cores each than before, with graphics up to 2x faster than M4. Apple says it is up to 50% faster in Microsoft Excel than M4 and up to 18x faster than the last Intel iMac. Memory bandwidth rises to 170GB/s from 120GB/s, and RAM starts at 16GB with 24GB and 32GB options. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 come through Apple's N1 chip, and 2.5Gb Ethernet is standard on the higher model and a $30 option on the base one. Ports are still Thunderbolt 4, not the Thunderbolt 5 on the Mac Studio.

The memory and storage changes support the AI pitch, since running local models leans on bandwidth and RAM. The SSD is up to 2x faster, storage tops out at 2TB, and the machine supports two 6K external displays. Apple's other comparisons are with earlier Macs rather than with rivals: the 12-core model is said to be 2.5x faster than an M1 iMac in Excel, and the neural engine gain is set against the previous generation rather than any other maker's chip.

Almost nothing else changes. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, the design and the seven colours stay as they were, along with a 12MP Center Stage camera, six speakers and three microphones.

The software story is macOS 27, which brings the next generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, a feature Apple calls profoundly more capable than the old Siri and builds into Spotlight. Apple presents the iMac as a powerful, privacy-preserving machine for running local AI models and for vibe coding, and lists AI apps tuned for Apple silicon, among them LM Studio, Bionic and Topaz Studio. Engadget observes that Apple is hyping AI hardest here, as it did with the Mac mini and Studio, and that buyers are still waiting for a 27-inch iMac.

The software side is meant to make the hardware useful straight away. Siri AI sits inside Spotlight, so a search box on the desktop doubles as the entry to the assistant. Apple's argument is that keeping models on the machine also keeps work private, and that is the reason it leans on local-model apps in its own marketing.

The price is worth reading against recent history. The M4 iMac's $1,499 starting point followed a June 2026 increase from $1,299, so the M6 model holds that higher price instead of raising it again. The August Mac mini with the same chip started at $899, $100 more than before, after Apple price rises, and Engadget says AI hobbyists had been buying Mac minis in bulk to run local models and assistants. The iMac now offers a similar chip in an all-in-one with a screen.

The iMac costs $1,499 for the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU model with 16GB of memory, 256GB of storage and two ports, and $1,699 for the 12-core version with four ports. Pre-orders open on 28 October and it ships on Friday 6 November. MacRumors adds that a redesigned MacBook Pro is rumoured for the same window.