MBP vs. iMac?

[kat.hayes]

I am considering a new iMac or Macbook Pro with an external display for my primary computer. I work with Photoshop, Premiere and AfterEffects. How do the specs of the new high end MBP compare with the high end iMac for these programs?

Thanks.

 

[Steve121178]

Both are ideal for your work. If you do not require portability I'd choose the iMac.

 

[kat.hayes]

Is the high end graphics card of the MBP as capable as the high end iMac?

Thanks.

 

[leman]

Is the high end graphics card of the MBP as capable as the high end iMac?

Thanks.

Short answer: no.

Long answer: it probably does not matter anyway. Look at these benchmarks. The GTX 680 is only around 9% faster than GTX 650 for Photoshop CS6, despite it being around 3-4x as powerful in games. So fast GPUs don't seem to scale well for current applications. Maybe this will change in the future. Would be interesting to benchmark the new Pixelmator, they have added extensive GPU support.

Edit: After Effects might be a different animal, at least for some things. Look here, the GPU impact is much more pronounced.

 

[maflynn]

I'd say if you have some mobility needs the MBP is a great product and will serve you nicely. If the computer is going to be sitting on the desk all the time, then an iMac may be a better option.

I personally have a MBP just because it offers me the freedom to move around and travel with the computer, but your needs may be different.