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High End iMac vs Low End iMac Pro
- Thread starter sfwalter
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I never use boot camp. I actually use the LT versions mostly as I have to export drawings into other apps. I prefer the Mac version of AutoCAD as the GUI is much better, especially for one that doesn’t live in it. I run all my Windows apps in VMWare for several reasons, including the ability to move VMs between Fusion and Workstation. Honestly, I can’t think of a single Windows app I use that does not run more stable in a fusion than even a dedicated PC. I think it’s the predictable hardware environment. I generally give my VM about 16GB and 8 cores and it runs great. Revit LT 2016 and up have come miles in performance from the previous versions, but the biggest hit is still upgrading a model. aaa Argh!
I also use a lighting modeling tool that can up multiple cores to in the compute and Ray tracing phases, but not in the modeling.
I have a very hard time giving up QuickLook in the PC environment. I have to dig through hundreds of PDFs and DWG files and Mac users really don’t know how much better QL is than A preview window in Explorer
Could you clarify what you mean here and what the benefit of this is?
Quick Look is awesome! – There's an add-on thingy for Windows 10 that adds QUickLook to Explorer. I mean, obviously not the actualy QuickLook from macOS, but something that works the same. Since it's not native it's obviously more prone to glitch out with updates to Windows, but it works
VMs from Fusion can be lifted from a Mac and run on a PC using VMware Workstation which is their PC equivalent to Fusion. Makes VMs truly portable.
Ah, gotcha. I had seen VMWare market Workstation, but I thought it was just Fusion with more features, not Fusion for a different platform.
Ok thi
Ok this is 2917, what was the top end iMac in 2012-13? Does this make your statement true? Haven’t felt with Apple computers since I retired in 2010. But I’ve always bought the biggest and baddest to a point pc and found mine was about what the companies were selling as their low end system 4 years later. Plus 4 years of enjoyment and still a couple years left in the old girl.
Systems have gotten more complex since 2010. These days there are, if possible, even more variables regarding what the system is used for, what software it runs, and to some extend, how users run their businesses. Thus, future proofing is not really all that easy as the whole dynamics could, in theory at least, shift. Or not shift, despite our hopes.
Kind of a related question:
iMac Pro or 15'' MacBook Pro + 5k Display
I do video editing (1080p at the moment and 4k in the future) and podcasting.
I am well aware, that this is some pretty light work and that the iMac Pro is total overkill for that.
Nevertheless, I have a budget of $5.000 that I will either spend on:
- a 15'' MacBook Pro + a 5k display
- a base iMac Pro
Just in terms of value for money, what would you advise (I mostly work from home)?
Given my work, would I even notice the benefits from the iMac Pro (mostly rendering and exporting files from Final Cut Pro and Logic)?
My thinking is: even if I don't really need the iMac Pro, if it can speed up my work compared to the MacBook Pro, it will probably be worth it.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
iMac Pro or 15'' MacBook Pro + 5k Display
I do video editing (1080p at the moment and 4k in the future) and podcasting.
I am well aware, that this is some pretty light work and that the iMac Pro is total overkill for that.
Nevertheless, I have a budget of $5.000 that I will either spend on:
- a 15'' MacBook Pro + a 5k display
- a base iMac Pro
Just in terms of value for money, what would you advise (I mostly work from home)?
Given my work, would I even notice the benefits from the iMac Pro (mostly rendering and exporting files from Final Cut Pro and Logic)?
My thinking is: even if I don't really need the iMac Pro, if it can speed up my work compared to the MacBook Pro, it will probably be worth it.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
I currently use Macbook Pro i7 2.9 GHz with 460 GPU (2016) + DELL 5k display. I also run 12 core Mac Pro (2013) with the same display at work. I do music, video and graphic design. MP is juicy enough to edit 4K footage, but with some heavy effects and color grade even Final Cut was out of RAM. So i think the main issue is memory limited only for 16GB. For video editing and animatio stuff iMac Pro sounds appealing. Think more terms what would you do with the computer in next 4 years? Having a Mac Pro with 64GB Ram i can basicly keep open logic and video editing apps sametime + many more. Except even better with the iMac Pro. So its also a 'workflow thing' to be consider.
With Logic the MP is really fast and i like to use second display a lot for plugins, consoles etc.
Hope this helps even a little bit. A tough choice!
With Logic the MP is really fast and i like to use second display a lot for plugins, consoles etc.
Hope this helps even a little bit. A tough choice!
the i8700k is already out there and available, the next iMac release should have it but I have doubt they would release it. There are a few geekbench 4 score for hackintosh that have i8700k and they hit as high as 34110 (compared to 36000 of the iMP). If they release this mac, it would undercut seriously the lowest iMP.
Not really. Two different machines with different hardware, for different kinds of uses. A bigger issue is thermals, and Apple would need to seriously underclock the i7 8700k for the regular iMac model (which needs a better thermal system), which would cut into that geekbench score. Nah, this is Apple protecting those margins..
If you're doing audio stuff, it's nice to have the laptop because you can bring projects with you (playing live, another studio, etc.)
This is a nice thread. Glad I found it.
For me, I had the iMac Pro (64GB, graphics card upgrade) ordered a few days ago then canceled it while I do a little more research. I've been using a 2011 iMac 27 inch (3.4 GHz Intel i7, 24 GB memory and AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2 GB).
I mostly work in CS5.5 using Premiere Pro (commercial video and creating my own films) and After Effects (and Element 3D) for motion graphics. I'm not fully into 4K videos now (as I'm still using the Canon 5D mkII) but sometimes on my short films, I have a different Director of Photography and he can shoot in 4k. I also do some coding in Python.
Yes, it's time for an upgrade, and my business is starting to grow enough to support it. I also can get 2 years of interest-free financing w/Apple and I can get the educator discount since I teach part-time.
I am now looking at 3 options:
1) Build an editing beast for about $3000 and venture over to PC land (ugh).
2) iMac Pro (upgrades on graphics and memory to 64)
3) new iMac 27inch
I'm spending a few more days to make a more informed decision. I plan on having this machine be my source of primary income over the next 4 years. I have never built my own machine, and since I will be depending on it, not sure if this is the way to go. iMac Pro is tempting, but would I ever max it out? Probably not.
For me, I had the iMac Pro (64GB, graphics card upgrade) ordered a few days ago then canceled it while I do a little more research. I've been using a 2011 iMac 27 inch (3.4 GHz Intel i7, 24 GB memory and AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2 GB).
I mostly work in CS5.5 using Premiere Pro (commercial video and creating my own films) and After Effects (and Element 3D) for motion graphics. I'm not fully into 4K videos now (as I'm still using the Canon 5D mkII) but sometimes on my short films, I have a different Director of Photography and he can shoot in 4k. I also do some coding in Python.
Yes, it's time for an upgrade, and my business is starting to grow enough to support it. I also can get 2 years of interest-free financing w/Apple and I can get the educator discount since I teach part-time.
I am now looking at 3 options:
1) Build an editing beast for about $3000 and venture over to PC land (ugh).
2) iMac Pro (upgrades on graphics and memory to 64)
3) new iMac 27inch
I'm spending a few more days to make a more informed decision. I plan on having this machine be my source of primary income over the next 4 years. I have never built my own machine, and since I will be depending on it, not sure if this is the way to go. iMac Pro is tempting, but would I ever max it out? Probably not.
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I rarely edit raw 4K footage. I know there's a limited number of devices that can stream or playback native 4K uploaded video, so most of my exports are 1080p. If I want cinema-quality exports I will capture in 4K, then downscale to 1080p. But most of my footage is 1080p60/30.
I purchased my 2017 iMac from the online Apple Edu Store. Take advantage of those savings while you can.
https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/compare/5751298?baseline=5752964
what's up with sqllite and raytracing?
So I got the regular iMac 4.2GHz and attempted to Handbrake a 10GB movie from (MKV to MP4) as a test. Yowzers it took over an hour and the fans were at full speed the entire time. Might seriously contemplate returning this for the low end iMac Pro.
For everything else the 4.2GHz standard iMac is buttery smooth. Even in Photoshop and my very large Lightroom library.
I guess it really comes down to video conversion and 4k or greater editing when determining if you should go regular iMac or iMac Pro.
For everything else the 4.2GHz standard iMac is buttery smooth. Even in Photoshop and my very large Lightroom library.
I guess it really comes down to video conversion and 4k or greater editing when determining if you should go regular iMac or iMac Pro.
These things are really, really nuanced these days. You need to know what you are doing, how you are doing it and to run test to see what works the best for you. Also, given how tech gets better and better, assuming that something is future proof might be a fools errand. I bet the next iMac might surprise a few people already.
Of course I want an iMac Pro 
... But still ...
How I wish the regular imac would have this cooling system - then the 7700K would have been a great choice (for my audio work). The 8700K even better! To my view (recovering Engineer... the 8 core iMacPro is at least reasonably capable of doing some serious audio work and keeping temps more like in the 70degC range. It will take a paradigm shift for me to be OK with any machine that routinely hits >90degC...
... But still ...How I wish the regular imac would have this cooling system - then the 7700K would have been a great choice (for my audio work). The 8700K even better! To my view (recovering Engineer
... the 8 core iMacPro is at least reasonably capable of doing some serious audio work and keeping temps more like in the 70degC range. It will take a paradigm shift for me to be OK with any machine that routinely hits >90degC...
I wonder if Apple will be using this design in future non-pro models. I think they could extend the power and add even faster components