The new 24-inch iMac has a 143-watt power adapter.
Which begs the question: what is the extra power for?
The answer hints at future iMac models expected in the fall or winter of 2021.
Apple
Instead, Yuryev draws together credible leaks and adds context by comparing leaks to existing Apple products.
Thats far less than the new iMacs power adapter can deliver.
Some spare power is consumed by components not found in the Mac mini.
Apple
“The only other factor is pass-through charging if you plug in a equipment or phone.”
Pass-through charging is limited to 15 watts on existing M1 Macs.
In total, it’s possible for you to estimate these factors at no more than 20 watts.
What about the display?
Yuryev thinks it will use around 30 watts of power.
Lets assume the worst and pencil in the iMacs 24-inch 4.5K display at 40 watts.
Adding these factors together puts the new 24-inch iMacs maximum power consumption at 99 watts.
That leaves 44 watts of power the new iMac doesnt need.
Twice the Performance Without Twice the Power
Theres even more performance headroom than appears at first glance.
“The 8-core M1 CPU took around 13 watts peak in our testing,” said Yuryev.
“The 8-core GPU took 5.6 watts peak.”
Youll notice these figures are far less than the Mac mini M1s maximum power consumption.
Its maximum power consumption includes far more than the CPU and GPU.
The Mac minis speakers, wireless connectivity, RAM, and storage all draw power.
Even the M1 chip has several co-processors, such as the Neural Engine.
This tells us future M1 chips with increased core counts need less power than napkin math suggests.
What Will Apple Do With All That Power?
Its clear Apple can increase the new 24-inch iMacs performance without upgrading the power adapter.
What does that tell us about Apples future plans?
However, it consumes up to 105 watts at XDR brightness, which peaks at 1,600 nits.
If the 27-inch iMac M1 upgrades to an XDR display, however, the 143-watt power adapter seems inadequate.
In any case, the current power adapter all but confirms future 24-inch iMac performance upgrades.
Thats good news for iMac fans holding out for more powerful versions of the M1 chip.
