"Downgrade" to nMP?

[dollystereo]

Wait for revision 2.0.
You Imac is really a fast computer, and the mac pro is really expensive.
If you get the base model, you will not see a huge improvement in CPU performance (the 3770 is equivalent to the quad core XEON, same gen).
If you dont use final cut X, your imac maybe faster than the mac pro. (you have a good CUDA card)
If you are really a rich kid, and want to have the last gadget get the mac pro, but I dont understand how you can justify such a updgrade as a student.

 

[Radiating]

Thank you for your answer.
Do you think, graphical wise, that no matter which graphics cards i choose, it'll fell as an upgrade? Due to the iMac being a mobile GPU, and nMP has two, workstation GPU's?

The iMac has a mobile GPU only in name and form factor. The 680MX is basically a 680 desktop chip with a slightly reduced core speed, and other modifications to fit in a slimmer package.

The dual D500 setup should be faster, but only combined. Using 3D Mark as the Benchmark:

A normal 680MX scores: 4500
An overclocked (windows) 680MX scores: 5500
Dual D500's score: 7000
Dual D700's score: 10000

Not all applications make use of the dual GPU's though so if yours doesn't you'd be slightly slower with the D500. Overall you'd be nearly twice as fast though.

The 1620v2 processor, found in the 4 core is basically a beefed up i7 3770 processor. The last gen iMac which is the one you have features a 3770S which is a slower low voltage version of the 3770, so it will be about 7% faster at everything compared to your computer. The current iMac gen features a 4770S, which can be faster in single thread than the 1620v2, which is where the comments about a slight single thread difference came from. You don't have that processor though.

Basically the D500, 4 core, will be faster in almost every way except situations that force single GPU rendering than the last gen iMac (single GPU will be around 20% slower). That's the one you want. Just check your ram and storage needs.

 

[ifraaank]

...

Thank you for the answer! Now I'm almost sure which one I'm gonna pick! I checked my ram usage, and when I load what I call a bit heavy load, I use 16 gigs of RAM. Flash storage is going to be the 512 option.