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1GB vs 2GB graphics card on 27" imac

S

Swift Sketcher

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 26, 2007
129
25
I'm debating which graphics card to opt for. I don't really game that often, but I do a lot of intensive photoshop/aftereffects/finalcut/maya type stuff. Just wondering what kind of pros and cons I'm looking at, or if I won't really notice a difference. Thanks for the input :)
 
2GB couldn't hurt, it's nice for bragging rights. :)

But 1GB is pretty good. I'd probably care more about system RAM, not so much the VRAM.
 
I agree with DNix.

For your tasks, it seems as though you should be more focused on your CPU and RAM choices. (I'm sure you've already taken a look at these though. :eek:)

While 2GB is nice to have, I don't think you will notice a significant performance difference (for the tasks you listed) if you choose to go with 1GB.

Good Luck! :D
 
Photoshop, Maya, Final Cut Pro? 2GB no doubt you will get your moneys worth out of it for that type of work.
 
In maya you will see a performance gain by going with the 2 GB VRAM graphics card. However, I have 1 GB of VRAM in my 27" iMac and Maya runs just fine. Earlier I was running a scene with 450,000 faces, and I could view it "decently" with textures turned on. At school with 2 GB (I think) it was a bit more responsive. As for Photoshop, I *think* it's more main RAM intensive, and I normally use Nuke instead of After Effects, so I don't know.
 
I originally went with 1GB but felt it lacked oomph, so backed that machine and got a BTO with 2GB.
Add in 12GB RAM and you're good to go.
 
2GB version might help if you're doing light 3d work. The extra ram would help with properly displaying textures. Photoshop won't show a bit of difference between the two. It uses the gpu a little but OpenGL drawing of 2d images isn't a lot to ask of a modern graphics card.
 
I doubt that many will see a performance difference between the 1GB and 2GB cards.

Maybe for FCP and a few other professional applications, but even then, it is very case dependent (and still very unlikely).
 
I was planning on getting 2gb for mine so Starcraft II runs at max settings. And hopefully whatever game I buy in two years can run at max settings.

Still haven't ordered yet, maybe next week. Some of you might convince me 1gb vram is enough but I doubt it.
 
You won't be running games at full settings in two years. You can barely do that now.

The issue isn't the amount of memory on the graphics card, it's the power of the GPU itself. It isn't terrible (in fact for what the iMac is, it is a very impressive inclusion), but it certainly isn't going to hold up for two years.
 
swmr said:
I was planning on getting 2gb for mine so Starcraft II runs at max settings. And hopefully whatever game I buy in two years can run at max settings.

Still haven't ordered yet, maybe next week. Some of you might convince me 1gb vram is enough but I doubt it.
Click to expand...

I am going to be purchasing an iMac this week and I was wondering the same thing. Is it worth the $100? Also how easy is it to upgrade the ram after you purchase the computer?
 
The thing with gaming is the extra VRAM is only beneficial when playing at resolutions greater than 1080p. Since the 27" iMac is 1440p native, it is absolutely beneficial.

At $90 it's a no-brainer. Get the 2gb!
 
brucem91 said:
As for Photoshop, I *think* it's more main RAM intensive, and I normally use Nuke instead of After Effects, so I don't know.
Click to expand...

You would be correct. It uses the gpu a little but it doesn't lean on it very hard. This may change in future versions but we have no way of knowing what the hardware requirements to unlock future features will be. Maya might make the extra vram worthwhile simply because it should help with unbaked textures.
 
It never hurts to have more. It's not going to hurt you in anyway other than costing more. More is always better and will last longer for Software and Games in the future as they demand higher System Specs.
 
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