Need advice on replacing old iMac

[Pistol Pete 23]

I need to replace my Retina 5K 27-inch 2019 iMac very soon. I'm a graphic artist and I also do plenty of video editing (Adobe) and 3D (Cinema 4D). My current iMac just can't keep up with the demand of my work. My budget is around 6,000-$7,000. I think the Studio is the perfect tool for me, but waiting for the M2 or M3 is not an option since it could take at least a full year before it's available, if it becomes available at all. My other options are a Mini M2 or a current, very basic Mac Pro. I also could get a Studio M1 but I'm afraid it may become outdated when much more powerful models are available. Any advice on what I should do? Thanks.

 

[Feek]

I also could get a Studio M1 but I'm afraid it may become outdated when much more powerful models are available. Any advice on what I should do? Thanks.

Any computer will become outdated when more powerful models are available.

If the Mac Studio meets your current requirements and your budget, then buy it. It will be a lot of years before the Studio is considered old and slow.

 

[Shazaam!]

I recently made a move from a 2014 Apple iMac 4 GHz Retina 27" to a Studio M1 Max and a Studio Display, so I can assure you that you won't be disappointed with this choice for video work. That said, we appear to be very close to seeing what the new Mac Pro will look like and what price point, so you might want to wait just a couple months or so.

 

[Pistol Pete 23]

I might wait, but the Studio seems to be such a neat, compact yet powerful machine.

 

[Fishrrman]

Remember that the Mac Pro is still Intel-based.
I don't think you want this.

My suggestion is to get an m2pro Mini, properly equipped.
You'll want 32gb of RAM.
At least 1-2tb SSD.
You might consider "upping" the CPU to 12 cores.

You ought to be able to get at least 2-4 years (or more) from this setup.

 

[Pistol Pete 23]

So you would go for the M2 Mini over the M1 Studio? Curiously, most reviews put the M1 studio ahead when it comes to video editing and 3D.

 

[madmin]

Think you should keep your powder dry till WWDC,
Probably a 50/50 chance you'll regret it if you jump the gun now

 

[Pistol Pete 23]

Thanks. This is good advice. I like your expression "keep your powder dry"!

 

[jclin10]

I'm in a similar position - looking to replace an old iMac 27" with either a Mac Studio or possibly a Mac Pro, though that's probably overkill for me as I'm not a creative professional. For "prosumer" photo and video work, what do you recommend for RAM and CPU/GPU?

 

[Shazaam!]

Recommend 32 GB RAM, base CPU & GPU, Apple 2TB storage.

 

[JamesMay82]

Recommend 32 GB RAM, base CPU & GPU, Apple 2TB storage.

Did you notice a day to day improvement in basic usage like finder, opening apps and safari etc.. I weird still find my 2014 iMac usable except for video edits which it struggles with 4k

 

[Shazaam!]

Did you notice a day to day improvement in basic usage like finder, opening apps and safari etc.. I weird still find my 2014 iMac usable except for video edits which it struggles with 4k

I did not sense anything close to a big day-to-day difference. These types of activities are handled by the Studio's two efficiency cores that are not necessarily even running at their 3.2 GHz max. My Intel iMac ran four cores at 4 GHz.

 

[Mr. Bear]

I got a 14” mbp with an M1 Pro & 16gb of Ram in 2021. I just got a Studio with a Max chip & 64gb of RAM. HUGE difference in Lightroom. I suspect it’s mostly the Ram though

 

[spacedcadet]

I got a 14” mbp with an M1 Pro & 16gb of Ram in 2021. I just got a Studio with a Max chip & 64gb of RAM. HUGE difference in Lightroom. I suspect it’s mostly the Ram though

You can never have too much RAM.

 

[Feek]

You can never have too much RAM.

I don't have too much.

I mean, I have more than I need but that doesn't mean I have too much, right? I've never seen the green line go higher than this

 

[wilberforce]

You can never have too much RAM.

Probably true, but it is quite possible to have too little money left in your bank account as a result

 

[pshufd]

I bought a base Studio last fall and sold my 2014 iMac (i7, 4 GB video, 32 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD). I miss the screen, and integreated speakers/webcam but the Studio is a nice replacement once you work out the monitor, speaker, microphone and webcam. I love all of the ports and that it runs cool and quiet.

I would recommend getting the base Studio and adding RAM if needed and using external storage unless you need the absolute highest performance for storage. If something stronger comes out, then you could upgrade or use the old Studio and a new Studio in parallel - if you can partition your workload. Universal Control makes it pretty easy to control 2 or more separate Macs with one keyboard mouse set. So if you have heavy processing on multiple projects, you can use the two in parallel.

I am also running with an M1 mini using Universal Control to work around a software vendor bug as I can partition my workload.