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My 27" iMac with 680mx first impressions

T

torana355

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
3,609
2,676
Sydney, Australia
Ok so my iMac arrived today and here are my initial impressions.

1.This iMac is a thing of beauty, the bulge at the back is not big and i think Apple have done a terrific job here, the iMac also runs cooler then my 2008 iMac so once again Apple have done very well with cooling.

2. The screens anti glare is very good, its a MASSIVE improvement over the previous models. My panel does not have any yellowing or dead pixels but it does have some backlight bleeding issues, however i think this is normal for any LCD/LED panel.

IMG_0678.jpg

3. I have the 3TB fusion model and it boots up very quick, 12 secs to be exact. I also get around 330MB/s write and 430MB read in blackmagic. I am currently filling up the drive of my external and i can confirm the platter HDD is whisper quiet.(currently up to 500GB used and growing.)

4. I had an issue with my existing external USB3 enclosure (its a Stardom iTank) It locks up the finder when i try and use it though the USB3 ports on the back of the iMac, when i plugged it into my wired keyboard port it works fine but at USB2 speed :( I ended up getting a WD My Essentials 3TB USB3 and it works perfectly.

5. I cant comment on gaming as i have the 3TB fusion, so until i replace the 3TB HDD with my 512GB SSD i am not able to bootcamp.

If you have any other questions let us know and here another pic of it setup :)

IMG_0683.jpg
 
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boto

boto

macrumors 6502
Jun 4, 2012
437
28
I would highly recommend a replacement before or on January 9th. Your iMac pronounces significant backlight bleeding and is not one bit normal. The colors are also not uniformed with different shades of whites and yellows.
 
A

atteligibility

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2012
223
2
torana355 said:
Ok so my iMac arrived today and here are my initial impressions.

1.This iMac is a thing of beauty, the bulge at the back is not big and i think Apple have done a terrific job here, the iMac also runs cooler then my 2008 iMac so once again Apple have done very well with cooling.

2. The screens anti glare is very good, its a MASSIVE improvement over the previous models. My panel does not have any yellowing or dead pixels but it does have some backlight bleeding issues, however i think this is normal for any LCD/LED panel.

View attachment 384047

3. I have the 3TB fusion model and it boots up very quick, 12 secs to be exact. I also get around 330MB/s write and 430MB read in blackmagic. I am currently filling up the drive of my external and i can confirm the platter HDD is whisper quiet.(currently up to 500GB used and growing.)

4. I had an issue with my existing external USB3 enclosure (its a Stardom iTank) It locks up the finder when i try and use it though the USB3 ports on the back of the iMac, when i plugged it into my wired keyboard port it works fine but at USB2 speed :( I ended up getting a WD My Essentials 3TB USB3 and it works perfectly.

5. I cant comment on gaming as i have the 3TB fusion, so until i replace the 3TB HDD with my 512GB SSD i am not able to bootcamp.

If you have any other questions let us know and here another pic of it setup :)

View attachment 384048
Click to expand...

Regarding the light bleeding, I am glad you're happy with your purchase and that it doesn't bother you, but when mine come tomorrow, if the bleeding is anywhere close to that, it's going back right away
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,924
3,800
Seattle
boto said:
I would highly recommend a replacement before or on January 9th. Your iMac pronounces significant backlight bleeding and is not one bit normal. The colors are also not uniformed with different shades of whites and yellows.
Click to expand...

Can't say I agree, necessarily. All IPS panels exhibit some "wash out" on the edges. If you move to the left/right, and take a photo, you'll see it looks different because viewing angles of BLACKS are not great on these panels. If you move to the left, the left side will be better, but the right side will was out more, and vice versa.

The other light bleed I can't speak for..., since this picture is taken under what appears to be extreme circumstances (max backlight in dark room?)
 
T

torana355

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
3,609
2,676
Sydney, Australia
boto said:
I would highly recommend a replacement before or on January 9th. Your iMac pronounces significant backlight bleeding and is not one bit normal. The colors are also not uniformed with different shades of whites and yellows.
Click to expand...

Every LCD panel ive owned has this amount of backlight bleed or worse. The photo makes it look worse then it is. Good luck getting one with zero backlight bleed.

Here is a photo that closely represents how my panel looks at 50% brightness. This is perfectly normal. I would return it if i has any issues with it.
IMG_0685.JPG
 
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W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,924
3,800
Seattle
torana355 said:
Every LCD panel ive owned has this amount of backlight bleed or worse. The photo makes it look worse then it is. Good luck getting one with zero backlight bleed.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Absolutely 100% not possible (with the current 27" IPS tech available).
 
flifish

flifish

macrumors member
Dec 6, 2012
50
0
Wyoming, USA
Thanks for sharing

I concur that a photo is not going to give an accurate rendition of the back lighting issue. It looks like a beauty even at side angle. I have the 27" with the 680 3T fusion drive. it is preparing for shipping now. whoooo whoooo. I've been waiting sense summer and feeling foolish acting and peeking at my order like a young child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. So thanks for sharing and letting us live vicariously through your purchase. :apple: If you have any other tidbits please share.

Thanks:cool:
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,924
3,800
Seattle
torana355 said:
Every LCD panel ive owned has this amount of backlight bleed or worse. The photo makes it look worse then it is. Good luck getting one with zero backlight bleed.

Here is a photo that closely represents how my panel looks at 50% brightness. This is perfectly normal. I would return it if i has any issues with it.
View attachment 384060
Click to expand...

If that's 50% brightness in a completely dark room, I'd take that panel in a heartbeat.
 
A

atteligibility

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2012
223
2
torana355 said:
Every LCD panel ive owned has this amount of backlight bleed or worse.
Click to expand...

?? damn, you're not very lucky...

One of my TV has similar bleed and it drives me crazy, I know I could not get used to a similar issue on my iMac...

But, again, not saying you should worry about it, some people just don't care or notice these things. I am not one of them, I used to get crazy about those CRT monitors that were set on 60Hz when I was working in IT, yet people would work on those things all day and not be able to tell the difference when I would switch back to 75Hz or so.
Same thing for the backlight bleed, drives me crazy, but when I try to explain it to my folks, they have no idea what I am talking about..
 
T

torana355

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
3,609
2,676
Sydney, Australia
WilliamG said:
If that's 50% brightness in a completely dark room, I'd take that panel in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...

Exactly :) I think the first photo freaked people out as it was way worse then how it actually looks. That being said there is going to be some backlight bleeding issues even of the most perfect IPS panel.

----------
atteligibility said:
?? damn, you're not very lucky...

One of my TV has similar bleed and it drives me crazy, I know I could not get used to a similar issue on my iMac...
Click to expand...

Even the amount in my second photo?
 
B

blanka

macrumors 68000
Jul 30, 2012
1,551
4
Yeah, it is too bad Samsund did not push PVA/MVA a little more.
IPS is nice, but 9 out 10 times, I miss the great blacks of PVA. Static contrast of the latest VA panels was around 1:2500, IPS 1:1000 looks lousy next to it.
But marketing wins.
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,924
3,800
Seattle
blanka said:
Yeah, it is too bad Samsund did not push PVA/MVA a little more.
IPS is nice, but 9 out 10 times, I miss the great blacks of PVA. Static contrast of the latest VA panels was around 1:2500, IPS 1:1000 looks lousy next to it.
But marketing wins.
Click to expand...

Yep, IPS black levels and black viewing angles are utterly horrible. Shame, really.
 
A

atteligibility

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2012
223
2
torana355 said:
Exactly :) I think the first photo freaked people out as it was way worse then how it actually looks. That being said there is going to be some backlight bleeding issues even of the most perfect panel.

----------



Even the amount in my second photo?
Click to expand...

yeah even the second photo! Actually that second pic is close to what I am experiencing with that TV that's driving me nuts.
 
T

torana355

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
3,609
2,676
Sydney, Australia
atteligibility said:
yeah even the second photo! Actually that second pic is close to what I am experiencing with that TV that's driving me nuts.
Click to expand...

The only way to get better then that is with a Plasma or OLED. No LED/LCD IPS panel will be much better. The good news is i don't sit and look at a black screen all day ;) We have 6 LCD/LED panels in our house and they are all the same or worse lol, i have a Panasonic Plasma in my room and it has perfect blacks :)
 
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A

atteligibility

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2012
223
2
torana355 said:
No LED/LCD IPS panel will be much better.
Click to expand...

mm, ok... I just turned the screensaver on my laptop and turned all the lights off, and I can't see any kind of bleeding, but I have got to say I am not a specialist in those display technologies, so my screen may not fit in the categories you mention (Macbook Pro 2009 with matte screen, because glare drives me crazy too)

Now, I have got to say that it would also bother me a bit less than on a TV, I notice it a lot on the TV when watching movies with lot of dark scenes. I am not planning on watching a lot of videos on the iMac, so this should limit the problem if I have a similar unit. I still think I would return it..
 
thekev

thekev

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2010
7,005
3,343
boto said:
I would highly recommend a replacement before or on January 9th. Your iMac pronounces significant backlight bleeding and is not one bit normal. The colors are also not uniformed with different shades of whites and yellows.
Click to expand...

atteligibility said:
Regarding the light bleeding, I am glad you're happy with your purchase and that it doesn't bother you, but when mine come tomorrow, if the bleeding is anywhere close to that, it's going back right away
Click to expand...

I don't think either of you are familiar with the difference between photos and the way things really look. It's a general problem with lcds. The way the really expensive displays get around it is by sacrificing contrast ratio. They basically lighten the rest to match within a certain tolerance. That's the only feasible way of obtaining near perfection within acceptable yields. Some of them also bin exceptional panels and units for their high margin lines while the others are sold under different branding. Apple doesn't really have any way to sink these into a volume product with slimmer margins. Some implementations are better than others. If we eventually get away from the backlit design in favor of something like direct LED illumination, perhaps this will be a problem of the past.

torana355 said:
Exactly :) I think the first photo freaked people out as it was way worse then how it actually looks. That being said there is going to be some backlight bleeding issues even of the most perfect panel.
Click to expand...

I agree. I just mentioned a couple methods used to compensate for it on displays designed for critical use (color grading, medical use, etc.). If it's enough to bother you in actual use, you can take your chances on an exchange. I've read posts by people on here that have exchanged six or more products looking for the perfect ipad. My macbook pro gets some really bad backlight bleed when it's running hot. That worries me a little, as I'm concerned what is shifting to cause that.
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Mar 29, 2008
9,924
3,800
Seattle
atteligibility said:
mm, ok... I just turned the screensaver on my laptop and turned all the lights off, and I can't see any kind of bleeding, but I have got to say I am not a specialist in those display technologies, so my screen may not fit in the categories you mention (Macbook Pro 2009 with matte screen, because glare drives me crazy too)

Now, I have got to say that it would also bother me a bit less than on a TV, I notice it a lot on the TV when watching movies with lot of dark scenes. I am not planning on watching a lot of videos on the iMac, so this should limit the problem if I have a similar unit. I still think I would return it..
Click to expand...

That's a TN panel in your MacBook Pro. VERY different panel type. No bleed (that I ever noticed on my 2009 MBP).
 
T

torana355

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
3,609
2,676
Sydney, Australia
atteligibility said:
mm, ok... I just turned the screensaver on my laptop and turned all the lights off, and I can't see any kind of bleeding, but I have got to say I am not a specialist in those display technologies, so my screen may not fit in the categories you mention (Macbook Pro 2009 with matte screen, because glare drives me crazy too)

Now, I have got to say that it would also bother me a bit less than on a TV, I notice it a lot on the TV when watching movies with lot of dark scenes. I am not planning on watching a lot of videos on the iMac, so this should limit the problem if I have a similar unit. I still think I would return it..
Click to expand...

Backlight bleed will be much less prevalent on a smaller TN panel, i just did the same test on my 13" MBA and it does not have any bleed either. On a 27" IPS screen you are going to have some bleed issues.

Here is a photo of my MBA and imac screen together on similar brightness.
IMG_0686.jpg
 
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A

atteligibility

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2012
223
2
torana355 said:
Backlight bleed will be much less prevalent on a smaller TN panel, i just did the same test on my 13" MBA and it does not have any bleed either. On a 27" IPS screen you are going to have some bleed issues.
Click to expand...

I understand, well that sucks then, looks like I am gonna have to just accept it...

I know not everybody has the same priorities and sensitivities when it comes to display quality, but I have a hard time understanding how the new iMac screen gets so much praise when it sounds like it has bleeding and glare(even if less than previous model), when my almost 4 y old macbook pro has none of those...

I was actually excited about the macbook pro retina back in the summer, and went to the Apple Store to buy it. I changed my mind when trying it in the store, I just preferred my 3 y old matte screen than the glossy retina...
 
T

torana355

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
3,609
2,676
Sydney, Australia
atteligibility said:
I understand, well that sucks then, looks like I am gonna have to just accept it...

I know not everybody has the same priorities and sensitivities when it comes to display quality, but I have a hard time understanding how the new iMac screen gets so much praise when it sounds like it has bleeding and glare(even if less than previous model), when my almost 4 y old macbook pro has none of those...

I was actually excited about the macbook pro retina back in the summer, and went to the Apple Store to buy it. I changed my mind when trying it in the store, I just preferred my 3 y old matte screen than the glossy retina...
Click to expand...

I hate it aswell hence why i have a plasma for watching movies (backlight bleeding pisses me off when watching movies on a dark screen), im actually OCD but ive had to learn to not get worked up over smaller issues. I used to return everything i purchased cause i could find a problem with anything. Ive come to accept things are not perfect and my life is better for it.
 
H

Hexley

Suspended
Jun 10, 2009
1,641
504
torana355 said:
Yes my SSD is a Samsung and my HDD is a Seagate. Im not a fan of Seagate but it seems very quiet so we will see how it goes.
Click to expand...

Model number of the Samsung and seagate. Seagate has fast drives in their 7200.14 series.
 
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