Late 2015 Fully Loaded 5k iMac or Mac Pro

What software do you use? What do you want to use your Mac for? A 'graphics user' doesn't say a lot.

- If you plan on using apps that require good performance and a good screen is your priority, go for iMac 5K
- If the apps you use benefit more from single-core performance, go for iMac 5K
- If screen is not important (or you already have a good monitor) as multi-core performance (video encoding, rendering), go for Mac Pro

 

iMac can do almost anything the Mac Pro can... Mac Pro doesn't have a 5K display. BONUS!

 

Consider both. Use the Mac Pro for hardcore tasks and remote connect to it from that gorgeous 27" iMac display when you need to take advantage of all that intense horsepower.

 

I don't know what you mean by a power, graphics user. However I would go for the 5k iMac. Most of the photo apps these days either rely on single core cpu or graphics card. There really aren't many apps except for video production that can really take advantage of the all the cores that the Mac Pro provides.

I have a new Mac Pro and wish I had a 5K iMac instead. I am a somewhat heavy photoshop user (on avg photos with 10+ layers, multiple channels for luminosity masks) and my buddies 1st gen 5k iMac gets about the same performance that I do.

 

Just curious, what are the specs of the 5k iMac and your Mac Pro?

 

From what you've said so far, It doesn't sound like you need a mac pro.

 

If it were me i'd get a Spec'd out 5K iMac.

 

At this point the MacPro is severely outdated. One of my big reasons for getting the base model nMP a year ago was that I use a wide gamut display so buying an iMac and having to have another huge non-5K monitor attached seemed like a waste. Now that the 2015 model supports close to 100% aRGB for pro work it's near perfect unless you need more than 4 cores for serious video encoding or 3D.

I'm waiting for more reviews and issue reports but I'm seriously considering selling my nMP (they are fetching a decent price used still) and picking up a maxed out iMac. Probably silly but now I want that screen. Fingers crossed it doesn't have the same heat issues as the previous model with the x295 upgraded gpu.

 

Sustained thermal load....that should be the basis of your decision. If you're gonna peg the CPU/GPU wide open for many hours a day, go Mac Pro. Heat kills and I've personally killed an iMac after 4 years of hard use. I think iMacs are a great bargain if you just plan to use them where you only peg the processors an hour per day versus my pegging them 4-6 hours per day.

The iMac will throttle itself to keep from shutting down but thermal damage is cumulative so it adds up over time.