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iMac 5k I7 vs MacBook Pro I7 2014

P

popaine

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 27, 2010
10
0
Malta
Hi,

I have a late 2009 Imac I7 and want to replace it either with a retina macbook pro late 2014 or with the Imac 5K. I mainly want to use the computer for mainly photo editing (lightroom, photoshop and capture one) and sometimes for video editing (imovie or final cut).

I am in a dilemma between the mentioned 2 systems as both costs almost the same. Obviously the advantage of the rmbp is portabilty whilst the Imac has a 27inch screen. Which one do you think is more suitable for my needs in terms of gpu and performance.

Thanks in advance.
 
The biggest question you need to answer, is mobility. Do you require a mobile computer, because if you do, then the iMac is not a good choice.

Outside of that, I think spec wise, the iMac is much better. A larger better display, faster processor, faster GPU, more storage/ram capability.
 
actually mobility is not a priority. Infact if I buy the mbp, I will connect with my current 27inch Imac to have a larger screen as I am used to work with it.
 
popaine said:
actually mobility is not a priority. Infact if I buy the mbp, I will connect with my current 27inch Imac to have a larger screen as I am used to work with it.
Click to expand...

I'd say based on your remarks here, the iMac is the better choice by far.
 
Definitely. I just replaced my rMBP with a 5k, the screen is fantastic and the increase in performance significant.
 
thanks a lot guys for your advices. Definitely I will go for the 5K Imac. What I have to see is if the base Imac is suitable enough for photo editing.

Is it true that I can buy the 5K Imac with an I5 processor and do the upgrade later on?
 
popaine said:
thanks a lot guys for your advices. Definitely I will go for the 5K Imac. What I have to see is if the base Imac is suitable enough for photo editing.

Is it true that I can buy the 5K Imac with an I5 processor and do the upgrade later on?
Click to expand...

Theoretically yes.

Realistically, no. Anything outside of upgrading the RAM will void the warranty.

I'd recommend an i7/8GB/4GB 295X/512GB SSD configuration.

You can upgrade the RAM yourself.
 
yjchua95 said:
Theoretically yes.

Realistically, no. Anything outside of upgrading the RAM will void the warranty.

I'd recommend an i7/8GB/4GB 295X/512GB SSD configuration.

You can upgrade the RAM yourself.
Click to expand...

I'll second most this.

The first thing I would do is swap to the SSD (512GB is ideal if you can afford it but if not, it doesn't cost anything to swap to the 256GB SSD).

Regarding the processor upgrade, the biggest difference between the i5 and i7 is that the i7 supports hyperthreading. If the apps you use don't receive a significant benefit from the additional threads (usually stuff like rendering and encoding see the biggest benefit), I'd stick with the i5 though (the $250 upgrade cost to go from a ~$200 CPU to a ~$300 CPU is a tough sell for me).

Upgrade the RAM yourself. The prices Apple charges are absolutely absurd.
 
popaine said:
thanks a lot guys for your advices. Definitely I will go for the 5K Imac. What I have to see is if the base Imac is suitable enough for photo editing.

Is it true that I can buy the 5K Imac with an I5 processor and do the upgrade later on?
Click to expand...

You should be fine with the i5. But i think the upgraded gpu for the 5k imacs are a must.
 
Last Saturday I went to our local Icentre and checked the Imac 5K. Definitely it is a superb machine :)

As upgrades, I am going to go for the I7 cpu and the R295 4gb GPU. Still undecided if to replace the 1Tb Fusion drive with a 512gb SSD.
 
popaine said:
Last Saturday I went to our local Icentre and checked the Imac 5K. Definitely it is a superb machine :)

As upgrades, I am going to go for the I7 cpu and the R295 4gb GPU. Still undecided if to replace the 1Tb Fusion drive with a 512gb SSD.
Click to expand...

At the very least, use a 256GB SSD.

Less chance of failure.

512GB would be preferable.

Besides, you're already spending so much on it, so give it the best.

And a pure SSD is always faster.

1TB FD: 350MB/s write, 700MB/s read.
256GB SSD: 650MB/s write, 720MB/s read.
512GB and 1TB SSD: 720MB/s write, 750MB/s read.

And just stick with 8GB of RAM. Apple's pricing for RAM upgrades are daft. Upgrade RAM yourself.
 
Last edited:
popaine said:
Last Saturday I went to our local Icentre and checked the Imac 5K. Definitely it is a superb machine :)

As upgrades, I am going to go for the I7 cpu and the R295 4gb GPU. Still undecided if to replace the 1Tb Fusion drive with a 512gb SSD.
Click to expand...

where is located your icentre ?
 
I think the GPU and CPU upgrades are essential for a machine this high end as it is designed for high end tasks that will use them. If you can afford the 512 SSD, get that! If not, I'd go for the 1TB fusion as you'll run into space limitations with the 256GB SSD if you want to store any sort of final video or RAW photos locally. The idea that the fusion might fail shouldn't be a worry. You should have an inexpensive back up anyway.

popaine said:
Last Saturday I went to our local Icentre and checked the Imac 5K. Definitely it is a superb machine :)

As upgrades, I am going to go for the I7 cpu and the R295 4gb GPU. Still undecided if to replace the 1Tb Fusion drive with a 512gb SSD.
Click to expand...
 
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