GTX 775M... and why it's the right choice

[MacOG728893]

For me Fusion is only for people who have no external storage options - NAS etc..

SSD all the way... I got the 256 (total programs and OS usually ~100G - rest is super fast scratch space for light video or audio editing). NAS and off machine storage space for me is 4+TB....

Not trying to hijack this thread, but out of pure curiosity, what kind of setup do you recommend for external storage, including backup?

 

[violst]

Not trying to hijack this thread

Please hijack it, its going nowhere.

 

[Arfdog]

The SSD is the same price as the Fusion Drive so I don't see the premium you're referring to?

http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/imac?product=ME089LL/A&step=config

Storage
Configure your iMac with a large Serial ATA hard drive. Or choose flash storage for greater performance. Or get the best of both worlds and select Fusion Drive.
Learn more (Storage)
Storage

1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

3TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $150.00]

1TB Fusion Drive [Add $200.00]

3TB Fusion Drive [Add $350.00]

256GB Flash Storage [Add $200.00]

512GB Flash Storage [Add $500.00]

1TB Flash Storage [Add $1,000.00]

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You know MikeChicago you are a whiner, who doesn't like to be wrong.

You are wrong about the GPU and you are also wrong about the fusion drive. Right off the bat you got push back on that. Tanax is right on the money with his comment.



A computer is an investment for a lot of professionals who use their systems to make money, and a hell of a lot more money then they spend on their computer, its called an ROI and the better your system the faster, better and more work you can do the better your ROI. And unlike a mac pro which you can continue to upgrade, you are stuck with what you get with an iMac so you had better think long and hard about your GPU and CPU choices. If you get an internal SSD you can get a fast and large TB extenal raid as your work drive. If you get a crappy GPU now you're stuck with a crappy GPU. Do you understand? If someone doesn't need that kind of horsepower then you get the base model 27" iMac i5 3.2 and 755m and if thats the case then thats the best bang for someones buck.

Just because you don't understand performance per dollar doesn't mean the 780 is the one to get because it's the fastest. You pay a price for that performance. You pay less of a price for the performance by getting a Fusion drive.

And you messed up by getting the 780 GPU. You should have gotten the best and got the Mac Pro. Why did you sell yourself short?

 

[violst]

You should have gotten the best and got the Mac Pro. Why did you sell yourself short?

I didn't sell myself short, I do have a Mac Pro.

And come december i'll have an nMP.

Now make a graph of that.

 

[Arfdog]

I didn't sell myself short, I do have a Mac Pro.

And come december i'll have an nMP.

Now make a graph of that.

then you win the thread. You have the best of the best

 

[MythicFrost]

There is a value difference between the 2 gig version of the 775m and the 4 gig correct? even if you don't think there is a performance difference which you are wrong about, again. With that being said the value of the 775m in the iMac is diminished because it has 2 gigs of vram and not 4. Also you said the power of the GPU is more important the the vram which then makes the 780m the better gpu just based on performance but then you add in 2 more gigs of vram and you have a solid mobile GPU. So now the 780m becomes the better bang for the buck hands down.

Now on to your link, which shows a comparison of the GTX 680 which is one of the most powerful desktops GPU's you can get for gaming, So yes maybe in a GPU with that much horsepower you won't see that much of a difference in certain games but once you punch up all the setting and add more monitors you see the vram difference. But in a mobile GPU with much, much less power you will feel the difference in vram size much faster. That was just a test of games but with the advent of 4k monitors and video editing and retina displays the more vram you have the better you will be when these new technologies become the norm. And lets not get into professional work for apps like Premiere, AE, final cut, avid, all 3d programs and so on which will push any GPU to its limits.

just give it up its clearly a losing battle for you.

With regards to gaming, I have to disagree with you. There's little benefit, if any, from more than 2GB of VRAM.

Even at highest settings (inc. 16x MSAA) most games are unable to break that 2GB barrier at 2560x1440. Even if a game did, dropping the AA down to 8x, 4x, or 2x, would drop it well, well below 2GB.

The exceptions are with multiple displays, and ultra-high resolution displays, but neither of those apply here.

And in this instance, the iMac's 780M simply isn't powerful enough to run a game at 2560x1440 at high enough settings to exceed 2GB of RAM. And the 775M which is only about 25% weaker than it certainly couldn't either.

 

[MikeChicago]

With regards to gaming, I have to disagree with you. There's little benefit, if any, from more than 2GB of VRAM.

Even at highest settings (inc. 16x MSAA) most games are unable to break that 2GB barrier at 2560x1440. Even if a game did, dropping the AA down to 8x, 4x, or 2x, would drop it well, well below 2GB.

The exceptions are with multiple displays, and ultra-high resolution displays, but neither of those apply here.

And in this instance, the iMac's 780M simply isn't powerful enough to run a game at 2560x1440 at high enough settings to exceed 2GB of RAM. And the 775M which is only about 25% weaker than it certainly couldn't either.

It really isn't worth trying to explain anything to this guy... He'll pick through your answer posting content taken out of context without any understanding of what is being discussed here.

 

[kaellar]

Taking the comment parts out of the context without understanding them and insulting anyone who disagrees with your nonsense are the only things you've been doing in this thread, Mike.
I'm really surprised somebody is still discussing so-called 'analysis' and trying to explain why your logic is faulty to you.

 

[mad3inch1na]

Don't forget that the 780m has 4GB VRAM. This may not be relevant for you, but there are already AAA games that recommend 3GB VRAM. That much VRAM probably isn't really necessary, but it represents a general trend towards poor VRAM management from gaming companies . Professionals are the real market that will value the 4GB VRAM, and who will value the 780M the most.

My first thought when I saw the 2013 lineup was "Holy crap, if I was into any sort of heavy graphics or video work I would jump on that 780m". It isn't all about the 3D benchmarks for the 780m. A big focus was on the VRAM. The bump in VRAM is at least $80 of value in itself. Just something to consider .

Matt

 

[Irishman]

I think we should all just agree that we wouldn't all be so damn worried about future-proofing if we could actually upgrade the machine

EGPUs for OSX work on iMacs. They aren't elegant, they require a second monitor for now, but they work.

There are numerous threads discussing thunderbolt options here on MRs.

 

[X-Ravin]

EGPUs for OSX work on iMacs. They aren't elegant, they require a second monitor for now, but they work.

There are numerous threads discussing thunderbolt options here on MRs.

Now perhaps, but back in October when I posted that there wasn't much in the way of EGPUs around. I gave up and when with a custom PC build with a hackintosh partition. I use it identically to the iMac, except when I want to game I just reboot into Windows and fire up the GTX780 (no m).

The hackintosh works fine, but I'd like to get a Mac Mini and just switch between the PC and the Mini. But I need dual 1440p support from the Mini first.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

So, less than two years later and now the mighty 780M sucks 25% less roughly than the 775M depending on what you compare it to. I am bad at math too so someone correct me if I got that wrong but the basic idea would still be the same. It would be awesome if the guy who cooked up the charts saw this and could chart how the sad story unfolded over time and who got the most bang or the least suck depending on how you want to see it, for their money.

I'd say the guy that went with the 775M probably made out better all things considered but then I am just looking for validation for my own decision to go with the 775M.

Just to avoid any confusion, I'm just looking for those willing to tell me what a smart choice I made. All others need not apply.

Thanks for stopping by.