2019 i5 iMac... Is it enough!?

[Jimmy Mac]

I dropped £2.5k on a top tier iMac 27” that has the fastest i5 chip, but immediately started the obligatory panicking that it wouldn’t be powerful enough for my needs.

I’m a professional Graphic/Web Designer and both laptops I currently have are i7’s, but conventional wisdom suggests this is overkill for my needs - I work mostly in Sketch, Illustrator in Photoshop.

I do work with some video in After Effects and would like to learn it deeper (mostly for animation). I would also like to learn C4D, but both of these will constitute a smaller portion of what I do. Oh and I will also use it for hobbyist music production.

So what do you think? Is the current 6-core i5 going to be solid, or do you think the i9 is worth an extra 300 quid (*cry*).

Also, if I do decide I want to upgrade, what’s the process? Do I need to make sure it’s not opened and return it?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

 

[snyp1193]

I dropped £2.5k on a top tier iMac 27” that has the fastest i5 chip, but immediately started the obligatory panicking that it wouldn’t be powerful enough for my needs.

I’m a professional Graphic/Web Designer and both laptops I currently have are i7’s, but conventional wisdom suggests this is overkill for my needs - I work mostly in Sketch, Illustrator in Photoshop.

I do work with some video in After Effects and would like to learn it deeper (mostly for animation). I would also like to learn C4D, but both of these will constitute a smaller portion of what I do. Oh and I will also use it for hobbyist music production.

So what do you think? Is the current 6-core i5 going to be solid, or do you think the i9 is worth an extra 300 quid (*cry*).

Also, if I do decide I want to upgrade, what’s the process? Do I need to make sure it’s not opened and return it?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

I ordered the same machine and I’m Web/API developer and it’s more powerful than my Xeon desktops at work. I think you should be fine for your use cases. If you’re doing heavy rendering or processing then an i9 would be a good option.

 

[ruslan120]

It depends on how long you plan to keep the machine.

You'll notice the difference on a daily basis, and if you plan on keeping it for years, paying 300 quid now for years of improved performance is worth it (IMO).

 

[marzfreerider]

Apple has a 14 day no questions asked return policy (I'm not sure where you live, so contact Apple to confirm). If your regretting it now and the money isn't a issue then go for it. Like others said how long you looking at keeping it for? If your planning on keeping it for quite a while then upgrade while you can.

 

[Jimmy Mac]

Thanks for the replies. Tough one. It's most likely more than enough for what I need, but there's always that slight fear-factor.

In terms of how long I will keep it... who knows. Depends largely on what happens to me work-wise and what Apple do with their next refreshes.

I think I will probably return it and go for the beefier chip.

 

[Fishrrman]

I think you'll be fine with what you've ordered...

 

[Jimmy Mac]

I should probably add - in case it helps anyone else's decision making - that Apple are currently offering an extended return period due to Christmas. I believe anything bought in December can be returned up until 8th Jan (or thereabouts).

Advice from Apple customer service... open it, try it out with all the software you would typically use, take advantage of the extended return period and if it isn't right, send it back.