I need to compare an iMac available for sale with what I have now, but a change in terminology makes it hard for a non-techie like me.
My machine has a 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i3 processor, but the other machine lists no processor but rather "Chip Apple M1".
I assume the Apple M1 is faster and more powerful, but by how much?
Any knowledgeable advice would be appreciated.
iMac 21.5″, macOS 11.5
First, if you are considering a used Mac PLEASE only buy from a reputable source. NEVER EVER buy from a private party you do not know, never buy from Ebay, Amazon etc... These forums are full of stories from users that bought something and then inherited someone else's problems. If you are considering used only buy from either Apple's refurbished Macs or from a reputable resellers such as macsales.com.
An M1 based iMac would orders of magnitude faster than a i3 based Mac. The only way to tell how much faster is to search for benchmark tests between the 2. That being said an i3 is very old and a M1 is pretty new so you would be looking for a road test comparison of a Model T vs a Corvette which is not very likely.
I use the MacTacker database, free in the Mac App Store. In addition to a comprehensive listing of each model's specs, clicking the link that shows processor speeds bring up benchmark performance results.
I am not sure which iMac sub-model you currently have, but here are that data from MacTracker comparing the 2021 M1 a 21.5-inch 2019 4K model with a 3.6Ghz i3 processor:
Not to worry. The owner was my wife’s sister, who died last month.
How do I compare Mac specs?
