Looking to get a Mac desktop? Here are our top choices.
If you aren’t sold on Apple laptops, they aren’t the only game in town when it comes to Mac. There are also excellent desktop models. Our favorite desktop solution for this year (so far) is the 24-inch iMac (2021). The colorful all-in-one offers an Apple M1 system-on-a-chip (SoC) and is packed with outstanding features. There are other desktop Macs worth considering depending on your needs.
Best overall: 24-inch iMac (2021)
As 2022 begins, Apple’s offering two very different iMacs. The latest, the 24-inch iMac (2021), is the first to offer Apple silicon. In this case, the Apple M1 chip. And then there’s the 2020 27-inch model that still has Intel parts inside. Both are excellent choices, but the overall edge goes to the 24-inch iMac since Apple’s shifting away from Intel long-term. It’s also one of our favorite Macs overall.
The newest iMac offers a terrific 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and comes standard with an 8-core Apple M1 chip and up to 16GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage. The thinnest iMac ever, the 24-inch iMac also includes a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. And then there are the colors. There are seven shiny dual-tone colors available: Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, and Purple.
Beyond colors, it’s essential to get your internals right before choosing this model. Although EVERY model ships with the same M1 chip and an 8-core CPU (four for performance and four for efficiency), beyond this, there are significant differences to understand.
The base model, for example, starts with (only) a 7-core GPU, while the mid and high levels are 8-core GPUs. Those who choose the base model will only get 256GB SSD, which is configurable up to 512GB or 1TB. The mid and high-level models start with either 256GB or 512GB SSDs and can be configured to 1TB or 2TB, though the price will increase significantly. And like the other M1 Macs, the iMac starts with 8GB of unified memory but can be configured up to 16GB. Take your time and carefully choose since you can’t update the internals on this model after purchase.
It’s unlikely the 24-inch iMac will get a replacement in 2022. Therefore, you should select the configuration you can afford and be happy knowing Apple isn’t like to make changes to it anytime soon.
Pros:
Beautiful, bright colors
Amazing display
First iMac with Apple silicon
Cons:
Limited choices internally
M1 could soon feel dated
Best overall
24-inch iMac (2021)
From $1,299 from Apple
From $1,249 from Amazon
Oh, the colors!
Colorful and powerful, the 24-inch iMac is worth seeing and considering. For most folks, this is the best Mac desktop solution.
Best with Intel: iMac 5K
Apple offers an excellent lineup of three 27-inch iMac versions, starting with the entry-level model that includes a 3.1GHz 6-Core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz, 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory, configurable up to 128GB, Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, and 256GB SSD storage. You can increase your RAM, processor, and storage for more money. It features an aluminum and glass enclosure with a five-millimeter-thin profile and ships with a matching Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2. There’s also an option to get nano-texture glass instead of standard glass.
The biggest negative about this iMac is that it’s likely to get replaced with the first Apple silicon 27-inch model in the coming months. Regardless, Apple plans on supporting Intel-based models for many years to come.
Pros:
Beautiful Retina 5K 5120-by-2880 P3 display with True Tone
1080p FaceTime HD Camera
Cons:
Price can rise quickly with add-ons
Apple silicon version coming soon
Best with Intel
iMac 5K
From $1,799 from Apple
From $1,699 from Amazon
Look at that display!
Great internals and a terrific display in one fantastic package.
Best for hobbyists: Mac mini (2020)
The latest Mac mini is the first Apple desktop to feature Apple silicon. It launched in late 2020 alongside Apple silicon versions of the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. A more expensive Mac mini featuring an Intel-based processor remains on the market for those looking to add more memory or storage than the M1 version currently provides.
With the Apple M1 Mac mini version, you receive an Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB unified memory, 256GB SSD storage, and Gigabit Ethernet. Memory (up to 16GB) and storage (up to 2TB) are upgradeable.
The Intel version arrived in March 2020 with the least expensive model shipping with a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel UHD Graphics 630, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz, 8GB memory, and 512GB PCIe-based SSD storage. You can upgrade the processor, memory (to 64GB), and storage (to 2TB) by paying extra.
If you’re looking at a Mac mini, you are already aware that you need to add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. In that situation, we recommend upgrading the memory beyond the minimum. Ideally, you should start with the more expensive version, if only because you’ll get more storage too.
Pros:
Least expensive solution among desktops
Works great with all types of monitors
Cons:
Remember, no monitor or accessories
Can get expensive quickly
Best for hobbylists
Mac mini (2020)
From $699 from Apple
From $649 at Amazon
Look, no monitor!
Mac minis are a great solution if you already have a terrific monitor and other accessories. Otherwise, stick with iMac.
Most niche: Mac Pro (2019)
No doubt, the Mac Pro (2019) is the best professional-graded computer Apple has ever created. Made in the United States, the Mac Pro has been designed for maximum performance and expansion. It features Xeon processors, an Earth-shattering high-performance memory system, eight PCIe expansion slots, and graphics architecture supporting what Apple calls the world’s most powerful graphics card. There’s also the all-new Apple Afterburner accelerator card that lets you playback as many as three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video simultaneously.
On the downside, no doubt is the price. There’s also concern it could soon get replaced by an Apple silicon model, although that’s more likely to happen in 2023, not 2022.
Pros:
Workstation-class Xeon processors up to 28 cores
High-performance memory system with a massive 1.5TB capacity
Apple Afterburner accelerator card
Cons:
Recommended Pro Display XDR monitor adds to the price
Overkill for most folks
Could soon get replaced
Most niche
Mac Pro (2019) – Desktop
It’s a Pro Mac!
Get this Mac if you want everything and have the resources to build the best machine to suit your needs. Otherwise, stick with iMac as your desktop app.
Best Mac desktop of 2022
If you’re looking for a desktop, we recommend the 24-inch iMac (2021) as our favorite. The model includes lots of great features for everyone. It consists of a mind-blowing 4.5K Retina display and comes standard with an 8-core Apple M1 chip. In addition, unique dual-tone color choices include Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, and Purple.
Choose your storage and unified memory carefully since there’s no way to update either later. Our advice: Get the configuration you can afford and wait by the door for your new iMac to arrive!
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Bryan M. Wolfe is a dad who loves technology, especially anything new from Apple. Penn State (go Nittany Lions) graduate here, also a huge fan of the New England Patriots. Thanks for reading. @bryanmwolfe
