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Mac Pro or iMac 5k
- Thread starter aloshka
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A bit, but that was running crazy things that I doubt I'd ever run regularly.
Really hated the U3014s. They felt blurry, even though the AG coating was small, it still bothered me a lot. One came with a dead pixel and the other had power issues (would shutdown every few hours, and power button did nothing. Had to unplug it and wait 5 mins). I didn't bother getting them replaced, that's pretty bad quality control.
But that's waiting at a minimum 2 years before skywell comes out. And probably much much longer after that as the upgrade cycle on the Mac Pro isn't exactly good. But I guess at that point, the iMac might support a second 5k (it might.. it does 4k now, which is amazing on a mobile GPU). As the difference between two monitors was annoying.
I guess I got a buyer that asked if I was still selling, and that's why this whole thing popped up again.
OK, but over time, that would only get worse...
But I acknowledge that your buying-pattern is different from mine. I don't buy something new every two or three years anymore.
Still thinking about getting one 2nd hand.
Though, there's probably a reason they don't fetch too much in auctions.
Have you tried a high-end NEC display, like the PA272W?
I'm thinking of buying one of those. But at least I have a shop "close by" (80km) where I can take a look first (it's an Apple Reseller, so they have Macs on hand).
Truth to be told, we don't know what Apple has planned for both MP and iMac.
After all, people had (absurdly, I might add) high hopes for the 2014 MacMini - and look what they got.
I've had my loaded iMac 5k (24 gb RAM) for a week.
The screen is everything I hoped it would be, especially for text (which is my main use). Perfect for my eyes, just perfect.
The machine in general seems fast enough, although it's not noticeably faster than my rMBP and the busted hex-core 5,1 (before it broke down, of course).
But . . . I find the display laggy. I work with D810 RAW images in Lightroom 5.7. With the rMBP (and the Dell U2711 it drove) and with the old cMP, when I moved any slider, the image changed smoothly (if it changed at all).
This isn't so for the 5K. I might wait a second, perhaps even two, before anything happens. And by then, because I'm so used to instant response from the other machines, I've gone on past the point I needed, and have to back up.
This isn't going to make me ship it back, and I know I can adjust the way I work. But I'm disappointed. I miss the amazing response I got from my other machines, but I bought this iMac for text more than anything, and that's everything I hoped for.
The screen is everything I hoped it would be, especially for text (which is my main use). Perfect for my eyes, just perfect.
The machine in general seems fast enough, although it's not noticeably faster than my rMBP and the busted hex-core 5,1 (before it broke down, of course).
But . . . I find the display laggy. I work with D810 RAW images in Lightroom 5.7. With the rMBP (and the Dell U2711 it drove) and with the old cMP, when I moved any slider, the image changed smoothly (if it changed at all).
This isn't so for the 5K. I might wait a second, perhaps even two, before anything happens. And by then, because I'm so used to instant response from the other machines, I've gone on past the point I needed, and have to back up.
This isn't going to make me ship it back, and I know I can adjust the way I work. But I'm disappointed. I miss the amazing response I got from my other machines, but I bought this iMac for text more than anything, and that's everything I hoped for.
Get the Mac Pro.
The iMac is (a) first gen tech, (b) an iMac (meaning un-upgradable, and powerful, but not as powerful as the Mac Pro by a long shot). Also the RAM on the Mac Pro is faster and you have double the potential maximum.
As always everyone on MR is awesome. I feel much better about keeping the mac pro. And you are right. Seeing the post above, I think I just forgot when I had the iMac for the short time, the screen was beautiful, but it did lag sometimes.
I think the real issue is, and the question to ask... if i could have an imac with dual 5k's or a mac pro with dual 5k's or even mac pro with dual 4k's (good quality though and probably smaller so there aren't any scaling issues, and of course apple so that brightness, etc, works). I would pick mac pro + good screens 100% of the time.
I think I just want better monitors, but outside of TB can't find any. Tried U3014, Samsung 4K Dell 24" 4K, apple TB, and unfortunately apple TB still feels like the best quality. I don't do any color-accuracy work, so bright crisp text is everything.
I guess I just want the iMac for the screen only and nothing else really. Mac Pro beats everything else on it hands down. Single core, that's fine, but running multiple VM's, more cores = less lag = faster.
Thanks again, it's nice to hear from professionals. It seems I'm not the only one in the boat of iMac vs Mac Pro, googling the question has a lot of blogs, but nothing that applies to what I want.
Thanks again, hopefully this thread is finally closed.
I think going back to the iMac is a bit much, when all you really want is a good monitor (actually two - keep that in mind).
That's the first thing that came to my mind too - what about an NEC (or an EIZO)? The 3014U isn't even a 4K display, so you shouldn't expect too much from it.
This weekend I was at the mall where the Apple Store is. After lunch there, I spent over an hour browsing on my week-old iPhone 6+. Then I went back to the Apple Store. I was shocked at how bad the Thunderbolt Display looked. I hadn't noticed before lunch, but now it looked really bad (that is, low res). Obviously, staring at the retina display on the 6+ had affected my judgement - I must have subconsciously noticed that even the sometimes very small text on the phone was readable because of the display - and even with my eyes, which really should have glasses. So neither of the displays you've been using is that good, resolution-wise.
The bottom line is I think you're compromising by going back to the iMac. Return the newer TB display while you still can - the display some have called "one of the most awful Apple's ever made." Get a couple of monitors that work OK. If you can't find quite the ideal display yet, I bet there will be one within about 6 months. The Mac Pro is the machine where Apple's more likely to ensure they have good 4K and/or 5K monitor support.
If I had to guess, I'd say the EIZO FlexScan EV3237 http://www.eizoglobal.com/products/flexscan/ev3237/index.html or the NEC EA244UHD http://www.necdisplay.com/4kuhd/portfolio.html would be the safest bets right now. But new 4K monitors are being released at a rather rapid pace, so if the right one's not out there yet, it will be soon! I'd expect Apple to come out with one as well. Personally I'd first look at a monitor less expensive than the NEC and EIZO for your use (EDIT: I see you've already tried that!), but if you compare it to the money you're going to be loosing by buying and selling Macs again, maybe you should just pick one of these.
For finding a monitor that will work for the next 6-12 months, these MacWorld articles look like a good place to start. After all, they're reviewing them for use with Macs!:
http://www.macworld.com/article/259...ys-wide-color-gamut-ideal-for-production.html
http://www.macworld.com/article/215...iracles-from-this-inexpensive-4k-display.html
Also, one reviewer on Newegg (for the Samsung 4K monitor) said he's had problems unless he uses only Apple cables when connecting to a Mac. I don't know if there's anything to it, but it's certainly worth the small investment considering all you've gone through.
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Yes, but iMacs have historically worse reliability. And really, we're talking about first gen screen technology, which ALWAYS has its issues when it comes to Mac hardware.
MacPro 6 vs. iMac5k..and a 27"iMac as display
Odd and interesting situation. (sorry for any interruption not allowing me to sub a new thread)
Just purchased a base model 6-core. all for nle. avid and fcpx. Bought in a hurry before year end, just broke the seal this week, due to connectivity ext I had to purchase another keyboard/ track pad to pair to each machine accordingly when transferring screens in target disc mode. this is something apple had a very hard time answering for me prior to purchase.
I'm now unsure if I need to feel some buyers remorse based on the numerous positive reviews on the new reiMac.
cpu/ performance/ and the 5k display loaded up for a tad less than a macpro seems unbalanced.
my current iMac is basic late 13' 3.2 refurb. had a ridiculous amount of problems using fcpx last year while rendering. would crash 4-8 times a session so I wasn't sure how much I would gain with a loaded up reIMac
also will be shooting more 4k. and noticed the rendering from 4k to 1080 crushed the macpro vs the iMac. not sure how or if I would do that very often but some of the processing times on adobe based software also was alarming. wondering what the current pros in the industry might recommend. meanwhile I hate to use the late iMac as display simply due to the obvious reasons but I wouldn't get enough out of selling it to even buy a worthwhile 4k display. (not sure if this is a bad thing?) my grind is deciding if I should cash in both macs and settle on a 5k and heat up the room on ocasion or was my initial investment the right move
Odd and interesting situation. (sorry for any interruption not allowing me to sub a new thread)
Just purchased a base model 6-core. all for nle. avid and fcpx. Bought in a hurry before year end, just broke the seal this week, due to connectivity ext I had to purchase another keyboard/ track pad to pair to each machine accordingly when transferring screens in target disc mode. this is something apple had a very hard time answering for me prior to purchase.
I'm now unsure if I need to feel some buyers remorse based on the numerous positive reviews on the new reiMac.
cpu/ performance/ and the 5k display loaded up for a tad less than a macpro seems unbalanced. my current iMac is basic late 13' 3.2 refurb. had a ridiculous amount of problems using fcpx last year while rendering. would crash 4-8 times a session so I wasn't sure how much I would gain with a loaded up reIMac
also will be shooting more 4k. and noticed the rendering from 4k to 1080 crushed the macpro vs the iMac. not sure how or if I would do that very often but some of the processing times on adobe based software also was alarming. wondering what the current pros in the industry might recommend. meanwhile I hate to use the late iMac as display simply due to the obvious reasons but I wouldn't get enough out of selling it to even buy a worthwhile 4k display. (not sure if this is a bad thing?) my grind is deciding if I should cash in both macs and settle on a 5k and heat up the room on ocasion or was my initial investment the right move
Odd and interesting situation. (sorry for any interruption not allowing me to sub a new thread)
Just purchased a base model 6-core. all for nle. avid and fcpx. Bought in a hurry before year end, just broke the seal this week, due to connectivity ext I had to purchase another keyboard/ track pad to pair to each machine accordingly when transferring screens in target disc mode. this is something apple had a very hard time answering for me prior to purchase.
I'm now unsure if I need to feel some buyers remorse based on the numerous positive reviews on the new reiMac.
my current iMac is basic late 13' 3.2 refurb. had a ridiculous amount of problems using fcpx last year while rendering. would crash 4-8 times a session so I wasn't sure how much I would gain with a loaded up reIMac
also will be shooting more 4k. and noticed the rendering from 4k to 1080 crushed the macpro vs the iMac. not sure how or if I would do that very often but some of the processing times on adobe based software also was alarming. wondering what the current pros in the industry might recommend. meanwhile I hate to use the late iMac as display simply due to the obvious reasons but I wouldn't get enough out of selling it to even buy a worthwhile 4k display. (not sure if this is a bad thing?) my grind is deciding if I should cash in both macs and settle on a 5k and heat up the room on ocasion or was my initial investment the right move
How often do you render, on occasion or is the iMac5k going to be on fire at least once a day?
My story, I went from Mac Pro to custom built PC, to a iMac5k. Lost a lot of money in the process, waiting for the 5k to come in right now. Got one last week but counted over 10 dead pixels (you can't see them unless they are clustered like mine were). In the time I had it, I got to play with it some more. I realized how important the screen is for me. But keep in mind, I'm getting it solely for the screen. I think if the Mac Pro supported 5k and there were screens out there, I'd go Mac Pro all in and this thread would not exist. It's whisper quiet no matter what you throw at it, and if dual monitors is a must, it's always nice when they actually match. But my issue, is I need at least 1 good screen to stare at 14 hours a day, whether text, code, graphics, etc. I don't render / convert but my VMs do sometimes spike 100% cpu.
Until the technology for external 5k screens comes around or at least a better quality TB display, I'll stick with the iMac5k. From what I hear, we are a long way off 5k and a good TB display is not in the works and we may never see one. I do suspect, it's possible, that one will be released with the new MBA. It's my prediction because the new MBA will not have a TB port (based on rumors anyway), and I can't imagine Apple will leave dock/external monitor not around for the MBA.
So for you, if you have good monitors, the Mac Pro is a beautiful machine. I did a bunch of tests with the Mac Pro vs 4ghz iMac and outside of benchmarks for single-core there was not much of a difference. Also keep in mind, while it may be faster on **some** tasks, it will come at a cost of risk of fire (joking of course, but you know what I mean). To get the speeds that make it faster than the Mac Pro, it's giving everything it has. But the Mac Pro keeping up with the iMac barely moves the fan if at all. And there is no doubt that the mac pro can keep pushing that speed for days if not weeks without a hiccup.
But again, that's all dependent on what you use it and how important the screen is for you and if you render, etc, and how long you do it for.
Going down every single path possible (including PC, which I actually kind of liked), I'm sticking to iMac ONLY because I can't find any good screens for the mac pro. And I want apple screens. I want brightness control, and no weird wake issues like all the dell 4k screens have. And if Apple does release good monitors (even if they are the non-retina iMac screens) I will sell iMac and get Mac Pro.
All being said, I did feel better having $5k back in my bank account and only spending $3800 on the iMac. Not too big of a diff, but big enough.
Are you thinking of the iMac for power or solely for the screen? I agree with Tim Cook, it's a screen with a free computer inside. Happens to be that computer is nice, but the screen is what the iMac is.
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I tried a 27" 4k screen and the scaling is awful at that size. It's either 1920x1080 with text being too big, or you do smaller resolutions with major scaling issues. I think Apple is on to something when they did the 5k. Not about pixels, they just double horiz/vert resolutions. The 4k 24"'s are better, but there are no good ones out there yet.
depends on my projects but yes, labor intensive rendering seems to be a trend for my workflow. I appreciate your response, display isn't huge for me but I feel the frustration of such limited, mediocre displays for the pro. and your right about the Mac Pro not breaking a sweat when you start adding to the pot. just comes at an inconvenient expense in comparison with all the bells and whistles you can throw onto the 5k and for the price. Hoping to hear from someone that uses for the same fcpx or avid. Would like to hear if there are any flames being extinguished editing 4k on a loaded up iMac?
I'm very happy you have said this as it needed to be read. Not everyone need.wants to "live on the edge" and not every "client" will appreciate being "Dazzled" with a cheap display and false colors. You are right about the Dell 4k screens, they are cheap and full of compatibility issues that I don't want to encounter. Apple's own TB display is the best option at the moment and I can see why many have gone that route. You are also very right about the iMac not being in the same class as the nMP. While the iMac has a speed advantage in some cases, it's not the nMP which can go on for days without so much as a cough.
Hope you get more specific responses, and do some more research on the net, but since FCPX makes pretty good use of the GPU I think you'll find any nMP will be a better solution, especially since the availability of "ideal" displays isn't a huge sticking point for you.
I think anything from a refurbished base model 4-core to an 8-core D700 model will generally give you your money's worth. All nMPs are potentially good solutions. Get the RAM you need (third party is OK) and get the storage you need. If you're using it heavily then it'll be worth buying now, even if updated models come later this year. The productivity now should be worth the cost of depreciation. Get OK monitors now, and upgrade when you find the ideal ones later.
Since you already got the 6-core it sounds like you're good. If you realize you should've got D700s (a possibility) or 8-core (another possibility) then do so now. Otherwise you're good - RAM and storage can be upgraded later if needed. Did you get the refurb. 6-core and save $600?
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I got a basic 6 with the 500 new from macmall, decent deal when adding ebates ect. But again I was short on time and had to spend some before year end so my research was limited. reading more I see some recommend a 4 core w/700gpu than a 6 with 500 for anyone doing nle. Once again I'm lost when reading GPU comparisons as the MP(500) gets a 2.2 tf vs the 5kimac amg card with commute power up to 3.5tf. Again I am fairly new in this industry but your previous response does give me some confidence this wasn't a bad investment. had I not broke the seal I may have sent it back for a 5k. My last question is regarding using my current late iMac as display. No problems other than the hassle of two trackpads and boards but Curious if this has any negative influence on either of the machines. Until I see a display worth keeping I will likely continue using this layout.