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iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) vs MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)

iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports)1MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)2

Quick look

Quick look: iMac M3 against MacBook Pro M3 Pro
FigureiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Price£1,3993launch price£2,0994launch price
ChipM3chipM3 Prochip
CPU8-coreCPU11-coreCPU
GPU8-coreGPU14-coreGPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base18GBunified memory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base512GBstorage, base
Battery life Not available5No batteryUp to18 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released7 November 20233ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 30 October 2023.7 November 20234ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 30 October 2023.
Security updatesNot available6Security updatesNot available7Security updates
Price
The iMac M3 is £1,399 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Pro M3 Pro is £2,099 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).
Kind of Mac
The iMac M3 is an all-in-one; the MacBook Pro M3 Pro is a laptop. The MacBook Pro M3 Pro has a battery, whereas the iMac M3 has none.

True to scale

iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) · 547 × 461 mm frontMacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023) · 312.6 × 221.2 mm footprint

An all-in-one and a laptop are different shapes, so they stand side by side rather than superposed: the front face of one and the footprint 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 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Dimensions461 x 547 x 147 mm15.5 x 312.6 x 221.2 mm
Weight4.43 kg1.61 kg
ColoursBlue, Green, Pink, SilverSpace Black, Silver
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5 mm headphone jackThree Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe 3 port, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports823
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 4
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.9No USB-A ports.10
HDMINo HDMI port.11HDMI port
SD card slotNo SD card slot.11Yes
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNot available12Yes
KeyboardMagic KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Touch IDNo Touch ID.9Yes
Touch BarNot available13No Touch Bar.14

Display

Display: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Display size24 in14.2 in
Resolution4480 x 25203024 x 1964
Pixel density218 ppi254 ppi
Display type4.5K Retina displayLiquid Retina XDR display
Brightness500 nits600 nits
Peak brightness (HDR)Not available151,600 nits
Refresh rateNot available16120 Hz
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.11No nano-texture display option.14

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
ChipApple M3 chipApple M3 Pro chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores811
Performance cores45
Efficiency cores46
GPU cores814
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM3 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPUM3 Pro with 11-core CPU and 14-core GPU, or M3 Pro with 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU17
Memory (base)8GB18GB
Memory (maximum)24GB36GB17
Memory options8GB, 16GB or 24GB18GB or 36GB17
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents18No, as Apple documents19
Memory bandwidth100 GB/s150 GB/s
Storage (base)256GB512GB
Storage (maximum)1TB4TB17
Storage options256GB, 512GB or 1TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB or 4TB17
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 enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Battery capacityNot available572.4 Wh
Rated charge cyclesNot available51,000 cycles20
Video playback (claimed)Not available518 h
Wireless web (claimed)Not available512 h
Included power adapter143 W2170 W
Fast chargingNot available5Yes

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth5.35.3
EthernetGigabit Ethernet configurableNo Ethernet port.14
External displays (base)12

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera1080p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersHigh-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofersHigh-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamformingStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate22macOS 27 Golden Gate23
Model identifierMac15,424Mac15,6, Mac15,8, Mac15,1025
Model year20232023

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple iMac (24-inch, M3, 2023, Two ports) against Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023)
SpecificationiMac M31MacBook Pro M3 Pro2
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)2,748262,80026
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)11,6712615,29026
Geekbench 7 (Metal)43,0772670,23226

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) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro or M3 Max, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Pro M3 Pro · 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 MacBook Pro featuring M3 chips · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Doesn’t apply: no battery

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

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  7. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 2 Oct 2026

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  8. Different Thunderbolt generations. iMac M3: Thunderbolt 3. MacBook Pro M3 Pro: Thunderbolt 4.

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  9. 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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  10. MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023): No USB-A ports. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro or M3 Max, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  11. 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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  12. Doesn’t apply: MagSafe is a notebook charging port

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  13. Doesn’t apply: the Touch Bar was only fitted to MacBook Pro

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  14. MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro, Nov 2023): No Touch Bar. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro or M3 Max, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  15. Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no separate HDR peak for this display

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  16. 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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  17. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro or M3 Max, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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

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  19. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  20. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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

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

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  23. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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

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  25. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  26. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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Not published by Apple

iMac M3. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user, maximum continuous power, the macOS it shipped with. 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.

MacBook Pro M3 Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user, the macOS it shipped with. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro or M3 Max, Nov 2023) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils new MacBook Pro featuring M3 chips; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro 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 MacBook Pro M3 Pro (14-inch, Nov 2023)?

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