iMac purchase advice

[Andytassie]

Hi all, long time Mac user , first time poster.
I'm hoping for some advice regarding purchasing a new iMac 27inch (2017)

My needs are mainly running Adobe CC suite, especially video editing in Premiere. Not high intensive stuff though.

Last week i bought a new iMac 2017 27 Inch

• 3.4GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
• 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 32GB
• 1TB Fusion Drive1
• Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory

Out of the box it runs slower than my 2011 iMac. For example launching Google Chrome it bounces in the dock for a full minute before it launches (same as Word or Xcel)

So I'm assuming it is faulty or if this is what too be expected from this model?
Do i return it? or pump up the ram?

Any ideas would be great please.

 

[jerwin]

what specs did your 2011 imac have (memory, ssd, etc)?

 

[Andytassie]

thanks for your reply.
It was 2.9Ghz i5 with 16 Gig Ram and SSD

I've been told this morning that the slowness is due to fusion drive?
[doublepost=1535334433][/doublepost]thanks. Was a 2012 model
2.9 Ghz i5 with 16 Gg ram and SDD hard drive 500gb

 

[jerwin]

You're expecting ssd performance out of a 1 TB fusion drive, and unfortunately, the fusion drive only has 32 gb of solid state storage-- hardly enough to tier excel or chrome.

 

[Andytassie]

You're expecting ssd performance out of a 1 TB fusion drive, and unfortunately, the fusion drive only has 32 gb of solid state storage-- hardly enough to tier excel or chrome.

Do you think the new 15" MacBook Pro would perform better?

• 2.6GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
• Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
• 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory
• 512GB SSD storage1

 

[294307]

I have the same configuration as you, with the only difference being the RAM at 16 GB. I don't notice the slow load times you are experiencing and I'm using 350 GB of storage on a 1 TB Fusion Drive with a 32 GB SSD, so clearly a lot must be stored on the mechanical drive. I have never noticed an app take 1 minute to load – at most, apps that I haven't opened in a while probably take five or six bounces on the Dock to open. For apps I use frequently, they usually open within one to three bounces on the Dock. The operating system can, in most cases, move all the apps you use most frequently onto the SSD (i.e. the apps you keep on the Dock when they are not open).

As your Mac is new, check if Spotlight is indexing. You can find out by opening Spotlight and searching for something like "safari" or "chrome". You'll see a progress bar as the first result if its still currently indexing the contents of the drive. If it is, that's where the problem is – just wait until indexing is finished.

Do you think the new 15" MacBook Pro would perform better?

• 2.6GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
• Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
• 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory
• 512GB SSD storage1

Yes, because it has a more powerful processor and faster storage, but it should be stressed that the 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5 is also a fast processor – that is not the problem here.

Go through a process of elimination before you rush to buy something more expensive. If Spotlight isn't indexing, check Activity Monitor when you notice apps taking a while to load. In the "Memory" tab, check the graph that represents the memory pressure – if it's amber or red, that might be the cause because it will be having to launch apps with their memory paged to disk, which is very slow (and that's why computers have RAM for storing and retrieving temporary data).

 

[tutusik]

Do you think the new 15" MacBook Pro would perform better?

• 2.6GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
• Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
• 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory
• 512GB SSD storage1

This macbook pro will be a beast You will see significant speed because of SSD and 16gb ram.
If you want to stay with imac you need to upgrade to ssd and buy more ram (2x16gb)

 

[maflynn]

Do you think the new 15" MacBook Pro would perform better?

Completely,
6 cores vs 4. Decent GPU, but the storage will be the biggest boost. Fusion drives in 2018 are so slow compared to SSDs.

 

[294307]

Yes, just spend more money, Andy. That's all you need to do. You need 32 GB RAM. Everyone does! Why the hell does Apple not sell all of their Macs with 32 GB RAM these days...

You know what, you actually really need 64 GB RAM. You can never be too sure these days.

It'll only cost you $4k. Make sure you get that i7 upgrade. Because an i7 is a big processor!

Or how about this... try to identify what the problem is and avoid following stupid advice. Even if your iMac had only a mechanical drive, apps would not take a minute to open. But if you want to buy a $2.6k MacBook Pro, go for it. I've warned you people are giving you misleading advice.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"So I'm assuming it is faulty or if this is what too be expected from this model?
Do i return it? or pump up the ram?"

The RAM isn't the problem.
The 1tb fusion drive is going to HOBBLE that iMac all its life.
That's "the bottleneck".

If you still have the option to return it, and are not afraid to go through the hassle of doing so, I suggest that you DO return this one.

What I'd suggest you get "in return":
Get the 3.5ghz "midrange" model instead, and SPECIAL ORDER it with either a 256gb or 512gb SSD.
Get 8gb of RAM and add more yourself later.
The 3.5ghz midrange model has a better CPU (7600 v 7500 in the 3.4) and better graphics.

The internal SSD will make all the difference in the world.

Unless you're made of money, you don't need to spend the exorbitant price for the 1tb SSD. Get the 512gb (adds $300 to the buy in price), or the 256gb (adds $100 to the buy in price).
If you need "more storage" (and you will, since you are going to do video editing), add an external USB3 SSD. They are cheap and plentiful.

BE AWARE that you MUST "special order" iMacs with SSDs inside.
There is very little chance an Apple Store will have one -- next to none.
But... "the wait will be worth it". You're just gonna have to trust me on this.
You can order through Apple's "build to order" online page, and have it delivered to your home, or specify that you want it shipped to the local Apple Store for pickup.

There are a few places that pre-order this configuration and keep it in stock.
B&H Photo in New York is one (no financial connection to them).

 

[294307]

Oh, look at that. Another user recommending a faster CPU for no reason other than it's "better CPU".

Here's what I'm running on an i5-7400:

2 Development VMs using 2.5 GB RAM, 1Password 7, SourceTree, PhpStorm, Firefox, Textual, SQLEditor, Terminal, Tweetbot, Affinity Designer, Clementine, Spotify, Mail, QuickTime Player, iTunes, Activity Monitor, Intel(R) Power Gadget

Memory: Free: 6.13 GB; Used: 9.87 GB; Total: 16.00 GB

Screenshot of Intel Power Gadget:

Spoiler

I must need that i5-7500.

@Andytassie Unfortunately a lot of people here are providing really poor advice. Check if Spotlight is indexing as I suggested in my original post. You should also check the memory pressure in Activity Monitor when you next come across the issue.

 

[oVerboost]

I've just bought the exact same iMac as the OP, and even with the stock 8GB RAM, I have no delay opening anything, including photoshop. Have also downloaded chrome, and tested, and it opens quickly. Perhaps something isn't quite right with your iMac? I'd go into an Apple store and test them side by side against a new display system - just make sure it's the same spec.

The Fusion drive will never be as good as a SSD, but it's still leagues ahead of a regular slow speed HD drive in older Mac's, but even a 2011 system with an SSD will be a quick setup so perhaps not the best comparison.

As Fisherman above has suggested, a custom order iMac with SSD may be the best option for you if speed is the key thing you want.

Did you set it up as a new machine, or transfer data from the old machine? If the later, perhaps the settings or data is holding back the new system?

 

[Guy Clark]

Hi all, long time Mac user , first time poster.
I'm hoping for some advice regarding purchasing a new iMac 27inch (2017)

My needs are mainly running Adobe CC suite, especially video editing in Premiere. Not high intensive stuff though.

Last week i bought a new iMac 2017 27 Inch

• 3.4GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
• 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 32GB
• 1TB Fusion Drive1
• Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory

Out of the box it runs slower than my 2011 iMac. For example launching Google Chrome it bounces in the dock for a full minute before it launches (same as Word or Xcel)

So I'm assuming it is faulty or if this is what too be expected from this model?
Do i return it? or pump up the ram?

Any ideas would be great please.

If you bought it directly from Apple return it and demand a full refund. Besides the 2011 iMac is a far superior machine and fully user serviceable
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_27"_EMC_2429

Supporting The Right to Repair.

 

[mj_]

I agree with @bbnck: it shouldn't be that slow. I have the same iMac with the same Fusion Drive, only difference is I have 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB of RAM. However, RAM is not the issue here as my Mac behaves exactly the same when running with just 8GB of RAM.

Word took 5 bounces to launch.
Excel took 4 bounces to launch.
Chrome took 2 bounces to launch.

The Fusion Drive is much better than people on the interwebs make it out to be. There's an SSD bubble around here that seems to circle around the consensus that anything but the latest and greatest SSD is going to be pure crap, which is simply not true. Yes, generally speaking SSDs are faster than HDDs. But not everybody will notice the difference, and sometimes even a slow HDD can be plenty fast.

 

[oVerboost]

Besides the 2011 iMac is a far superior machine and fully user serviceable

OP needs it for video editing, photoshop etc and being someone who's just upgraded from a fully upgraded mid-2011 iMac for the same reasons, the new machine is a massive step up in terms of speed, functionality, and more importantly screen quality - which is often overlooked for editing, unless people use a secondary display of course.
I agree the 2011 is a great machine, but even with the maximum amount of RAM installed, mine was slow - largely down to the HDD I suspect, and although I could have added a SSD, the larger screen (mine was a 21.5") and better quality screen sold it for me as I don't have space for a secondary monitor.

But in general when comparing specs and real time usage, the 2017 machine is the superior one (IMO).

The only reason the old machine launches programs faster is the SSD, put the same SSD (or modern version) into the new machine and it will be even quicker again.

 

[Guy Clark]

OP needs it for video editing, photoshop etc and being someone who's just upgraded from a fully upgraded mid-2011 iMac for the same reasons, the new machine is a massive step up in terms of speed, functionality, and more importantly screen quality - which is often overlooked for editing, unless people use a secondary display of course.
I agree the 2011 is a great machine, but even with the maximum amount of RAM installed, mine was slow - largely down to the HDD I suspect, and although I could have added a SSD, the larger screen (mine was a 21.5") and better quality screen sold it for me as I don't have space for a secondary monitor.

But in general when comparing specs and real time usage, the 2017 machine is the superior one (IMO).

The only reason the old machine launches programs faster is the SSD, put the same SSD (or modern version) into the new machine and it will be even quicker again.

The mid 2011 iMac is more than capable at video editing and photoshop. I have the 21.5" mid 2011 iMac with the excellent 2.7GHz (Sandy Bridge) i5 CPU with a Seagate Hybrid Drive running macOS High Sierra. Performance is awesome and kicked my late 2015 21.5" 4k Retina iMac that I had out of the park before I sold it.

 

[oVerboost]

Yes, but the 2017 iMac better again than that from 2015, how much video ram have you got on your 2011 machine? Probably not much... If you edit 4k, I highly doubt your setup works smoothly and quickly, I know mine didn't which had the same processor, ram upgraded to pretty much the maximum etc. I didn't say it wouldn't run photoshop and Final Cut etc, but it won't run it as fast or smoothly as a well spec'd new machine and for some, time is important, otherwise no one would buy the new ones and the old 2011 models wouldn't be for sale for peanuts online.

I'm not arguing, if your happy with your setup then thats all that matters, but I know my 2011 wasn't anywhere close to the performance of my new iMac 5k.

 

[Guy Clark]

Yes, but the 2017 iMac better again than that from 2015, how much video ram have you got on your 2011 machine? Probably not much... If you edit 4k, I highly doubt your setup works smoothly and quickly, I know mine didn't which had the same processor, ram upgraded to pretty much the maximum etc. I didn't say it wouldn't run photoshop and Final Cut etc, but it won't run it as fast or smoothly as a well spec'd new machine and for some, time is important, otherwise no one would buy the new ones and the old 2011 models wouldn't be for sale for peanuts online.

I'm not arguing, if your happy with your setup then thats all that matters, but I know my 2011 wasn't anywhere close to the performance of my new iMac 5k.

Agreed video ram is a valid point. In the 21.5 " mid 2011 iMac there is 512mb AMD Radeon HD 6770M card. On the late 2015 21.5" 4k Retina iMac there was integrated Intel Iris Pro 6200 graphics which in theory should have performed much faster whilst running macOS when the benefit was only apparent when running Windows 10 in Bootcamp.
Apple claims the mid 2011 21.5" iMac will support a maximum of 16GB RAM when in fact it can be pushed to 32GB RAM which is enough for any task thrown at it.
Sure the late 2015 21.5" 4k Retina iMac is great to look at but in reality that is only a small part of equation as I found out when comparing performance to the 2011 machine.
On paper everything should have been dramatically faster but in practice the opposite was the case. I remain puzzled at this.
[doublepost=1535742187][/doublepost]

the old 2011 models wouldn't be for sale for peanuts online.

Which makes the mid 2011 models the best value iMacs available. True they will not be able to run Mojave but that is a small trade off.

 

[Pangalactic]

Hi all, long time Mac user , first time poster.
I'm hoping for some advice regarding purchasing a new iMac 27inch (2017)

My needs are mainly running Adobe CC suite, especially video editing in Premiere. Not high intensive stuff though.

Last week i bought a new iMac 2017 27 Inch

• 3.4GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
• 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 32GB
• 1TB Fusion Drive1
• Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory

Out of the box it runs slower than my 2011 iMac. For example launching Google Chrome it bounces in the dock for a full minute before it launches (same as Word or Xcel)

So I'm assuming it is faulty or if this is what too be expected from this model?
Do i return it? or pump up the ram?

Any ideas would be great please.

First, you should get at least 16GB of Ram for video editing in Adobe, it will be a huge difference.
Second, the fusion drive is REALLY BAD, I would go for a 256GB SSD + external storage any day.

 

[oVerboost]

I hear so much bad press about the Fusion drive... Mine is fast to boot, and programs open quickly. Have they changed the speed of the current Fusion drives over the previous ones perhaps? I've had an SSD MacBook Pro and it wasn't a massively amount quicker, perhaps it's due to the machine being pretty much brand new I don't know but I'm happy with mine.