i5 with 580 vs i7 with 575

[Smellmet]

I'm currently rocking a 2017 4.2GHz i7 iMac with the 575 graphics card, 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD for work, we're looking to upgrade the other Macs, as they're the 1.8GHz 21.5" iMacs and are simply not fit for purpose. I'm generally very pleased with the performance of my machine - it's a design studio I work in, so it's Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator we work in. My question is, would the i5 with the better graphics card (but the same spec as my i7 otherwise) perform better in these applications?

 

[AlexMaximus]

I'm currently rocking a 2017 4.2GHz i7 iMac with the 575 graphics card, 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD for work, we're looking to upgrade the other Macs, as they're the 1.8GHz 21.5" iMacs and are simply not fit for purpose. I'm generally very pleased with the performance of my machine - it's a design studio I work in, so it's Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator we work in. My question is, would the i5 with the better graphics card (but the same spec as my i7 otherwise) perform better in these applications?

In my opinion, this is a clear No. The reason is the larger difference between i5 and i7 because of hyperthreading. When it comes to design work, the CPU is key. On the other hand, the difference between the 575 and the 580 is not really big, its more like a marketing gimmick to kind of fool people. On top that, you can upgrade your TB3 iMac later on with an eGPU but not with an eCPU. So, forget the marketing on the gimped AMD GPU, what really propels your machine is your CPU and the core count in terms of hyperthreading. And if you are talking rendering power, you better go with a Sonnet Breakaway Box with a Vega 64. The tiny mobile 580 GPU upgrade will not move your system into world-class computer territory.

 

[gian8989]

Nothing certain but there should be an event this months for new iMac so you should wait few days.

 

[Smellmet]

It won't be happening any time soon, I've been badgering my bosses for over a year to upgrade our Macs.