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iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) vs Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)

iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports)1Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)2

Quick look

Quick look: iMac M3 against Mac Studio M2 Max
FigureiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Price£1,3993launch price£2,0994launch price
ChipM3chipM2 Maxchip
CPU8-coreCPU12-coreCPU
GPU8-coreGPU30-coreGPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base32GBunified memory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base512GBstorage, base
Display24-inchdisplayNot available5No built-in display
Released7 November 20233ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 30 October 2023.13 June 20234ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 5 June 2023.
Security updatesNot available6Security updatesNot available6Security updates
Price
The iMac M3 is £1,399 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the Mac Studio M2 Max is £2,099 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).
Kind of Mac
The iMac M3 is an all-in-one; the Mac Studio M2 Max is a desktop. The iMac M3 has a built-in 24-inch display and a camera, whereas the Mac Studio M2 Max has neither.

True to scale

iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) · 547 × 461 mm frontMac Studio (M2 Max, 2023) · 197 × 95 mm front

An all-in-one and a desktop are different shapes, so they stand side by side rather than superposed: the front face of one and the front face of the other, from Apple’s published dimensions, at one scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Dimensions461 x 547 x 147 mm95 x 197 x 197 mm
Weight4.43 kg2.7 kg
ColoursBlue, Green, Pink, SilverSilver
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5 mm headphone jackFour Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s), HDMI port, 10Gb Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack; on front (M2 Max): two USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s), SDXC card slot (UHS-II)
Thunderbolt ports724
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 4
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.82
HDMINo HDMI port.9HDMI port
SD card slotNo SD card slot.9Yes
Headphone jackYesYes
KeyboardMagic KeyboardNot available10
Touch IDNo Touch ID.8Not available11

Display

Display: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Display size24 inNot available5
Resolution4480 x 2520Not available5
Pixel density218 ppiNot available5
Display type4.5K Retina displayNot available5
Brightness500 nitsNot available5
Wide colour (P3)YesNot available5
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.9Not available5

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
ChipApple M3 chipApple M2 Max chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores812
Performance cores48
Efficiency cores44
GPU cores830
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM3 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPUM2 Max with 12-core CPU and 30-core GPU, or M2 Max with 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU12
Memory (base)8GB32GB
Memory (maximum)24GB96GB12
Memory options8GB, 16GB or 24GB32GB, 64GB or 96GB (96GB with 38-core GPU)12
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents13Not available14
Memory bandwidth100 GB/s400 GB/s
Storage (base)256GB512GB
Storage (maximum)1TB8TB12
Storage options256GB, 512GB or 1TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB12
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decodeHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginetwo video encode enginestwo ProRes encode and decode engines

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Included power adapter143 W15Not available16
Maximum continuous powerNot available17370 W

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth5.35.3
EthernetGigabit Ethernet configurable10Gb Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ-45 connector)
External displays (base)15

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Camera1080p FaceTime HD cameraNot available18
SpeakersHigh-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofersBuilt-in speaker19
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamformingNot available14

Platform

Platform: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31Mac Studio M2 Max2
Shipped withNot available17macOS Ventura20
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate21macOS 27 Golden Gate21
Model identifierMac15,422Mac14,1323
Model year20232023

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, 2023, Two ports) - Tech Specs · Default for iMac M3 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2023) - Tech Specs · Default for Mac Studio M2 Max · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple supercharges 24-inch iMac with new M3 chip · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Doesn’t apply: no built-in display

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  6. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  7. Different Thunderbolt generations. iMac M3: Thunderbolt 3. Mac Studio M2 Max: Thunderbolt 4.

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  8. iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports): No USB-A ports. No Touch ID. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, 2023, Two ports) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  9. iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, 2023, Two ports) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  10. Doesn’t apply: no built-in keyboard

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  11. Doesn’t apply: no built-in keyboard, and Touch ID is a keyboard feature

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  12. Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  13. Apple Support (UK) — Install memory in an iMac · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  14. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2023) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, 2023, Two ports) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  16. Doesn’t apply: internal power supply, no power adapter in the box

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  17. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, 2023, Two ports) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple supercharges 24-inch iMac with new M3 chip. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  18. Doesn’t apply: no built-in camera

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  19. Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  20. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  21. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  22. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  23. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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Not published by Apple

iMac M3. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, 2023, Two ports) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple supercharges 24-inch iMac with new M3 chip, read 9 Oct 2026.

Mac Studio M2 Max. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart lists the Mac Studio M2 Max only with a 38-core GPU, not the 30-core GPU this Mac has, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2023) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my iMac M3 (24-inch, 2023, Two ports)? · Should I upgrade my Mac Studio M2 Max (2023)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.