Need advice - pros/cons of this potential order

[ChromeCrescendo]

I currently have a late 2015 27" iMac:

• Processor: 4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
• RAM: 32 GB 1867 MHz DDR3
• GPU: AMD Radeon R9 M395X 4 GB
• Storage: 256GB SSD

The most intensive apps I use are Logic Pro X + plug-ins and iMovie

I want a larger monitor but want it to remain Retina level

As such, here is what I currently have in my Apple cart:

Apple Pro XDR Display

2019 MBP 16"

• Processor: 2.4GHz i9
• RAM: 64 GB (trying to future proof if I upgrade to Final Cut Pro)
• GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory
• Storage: 1TB

Here are some issues I am having regarding clicking "BUY" on my Apple Cart:

1--Is this configuration "overkill" or is it merely a good hedge on future-proofing?

2--I am quite fearful of all the "heat" issues I have been reading about on this site regarding the MBP 16" when connecting to an external monitor and worry that the excessive heat will cause a reduction in the product's lifespan

3--Will I notice an improvement in speed and overall quality versus my current late-2015 27" iMac?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts and advice you provide - be well.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

RAM is best judged from your own usage - keep Activity Monitor opened to Memory while you're working.

32 GB could well be enough (or even more than you need) for what you're doing now. After all, it's not just a matter of what apps you use, but what you do with those apps.

If "future-proofing" means "buying more capacity than you currently use," then you're doing a good job. The trouble with future-proofing is that there are other components/systems in a computer that can't be future-proofed. You can end up having way more capacity than you ever use, yet still feel the need to upgrade in the future to obtain not-currently-available capabilities.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

RAM is best judged from your own usage - keep Activity Monitor opened to Memory while you're working.

32 GB could well be enough (or even more than you need) for what you're doing now. After all, it's not just a matter of what apps you use, but what you do with those apps.

If "future-proofing" means "buying more capacity than you currently use," then you're doing a good job. The trouble with future-proofing is that there are other components/systems in a computer that can't be future-proofed. You can end up having way more capacity than you ever use, yet still feel the need to upgrade in the future to obtain not-currently-available capabilities.

I routinely hit 29 GB RAM usage so I figured 64GB would give me headroom

Oh I have one question that actually might be a make or break for me:

If I connect to the internet via ethernet (and I realize I will need a dongle to do so with the MBP), will I still be connected to the internet if the MBP is closed (clamshell mode) using the XDR display?

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Short answer on Clamshell Mode - in clamshell simply closing the lid does not put the Mac to sleep - other forms of inactivity would do that, so review your Energy Saver settings.

 

[throAU]

1--Is this configuration "overkill" or is it merely a good hedge on future-proofing?

The Pro XDR display is massive, ridiculous overkill for non-graphics work.

You can buy a nice display for 1/8th to 1/3rd of the cost or less which is already more than adequate for regular non-colour critical work. By that i mean a 10 bit 4k 27" IPS display.

I'd take the Pro Display budget and distribute it to more relevant upgrades for your particular work - or put it in the bank (in these uncertain economic times).

2c.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

The Pro XDR display is massive overkill for non-graphics work.

You can buy a nice display for 1/3 of the cost or less which is more than adequate for regular non-colour critical work.

I'd take the Pro Display budget and distribute it to more relevant upgrades for your particular work - or put it in the bank (in these uncertain economic times).

2c.

I am used to a Retina display (5K 27" iMac) and like the crispness of such
I looked at cheaper monitors but they are either 4K or some hybrid type of 5K2K

I do not want to feel as if I am downgrading my monitor by going to a non-Retina monitor

Will I not notice a difference going from 5K Retina to 4K non-Retina?

 

[throAU]

I am used to a Retina display (5K 27" iMac) and like the crispness of such
I looked at cheaper monitors but they are either 4K or some hybrid type of 5K2K

I do not want to feel as if I am downgrading my monitor by going to a non-Retina monitor

Will I not notice a difference going from 5K Retina to 4K non-Retina?

Any 4k display of say 30" or smaller is "retina class" (all "retina" means is high enough pixel density at the regular viewing distance, and pretty sure most 4k desktop monitors hit that metric!), particularly if you go for one with HDR or Wide colour gamut/10bit colour (that will exclude trashy image quality TN gaming monitors, that just focus on 144hz instead of quality, etc.).

My AOC U2790PQU is pretty darn similar in quality to the retina display in my macboook pro 2015 and it was $400 Australian. I'm not suggesting you just buy that specific model, but it is an example of what you can get that is on par with a previous gen imac or macbook pro display, for FAR less. It's no Pro XDR display, but i'd wager it is "plenty good enough", coming from an iMac or Retina Macbook. It's also anti-glare rather than glossy.

You really don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a Pro Display. I'd suggest, if you can go and look at some IPS 4k monitors in person (look for 10 bit colour and IPS for nice ones) at a computer hardware store - but seriously... you don't need to spend anywhere near the Pro Display price to get something plenty good enough for non-graphics work.

If you were doing graphics work with a requirement for high end colour accuracy then sure... go Pro Display, but if you're not, it's just a huge expense for something that won't matter, in opinion. Only you can be the judge for sure - but i'd strongly suggest looking at some IPS, 10 bit colour 4k monitors before throwing money at the Pro Display, that you could either save or put somewhere more useful (more RAM, more SSD, etc.).

If you look at some decent say, 27" 4k, 10 bit displays and decide they don't look good enough... by all means, go for the Pro Display. But you could buy multiple 27" 4k displays for that price, or a lot of other things... at least check some of them out in person first.


edit:
alternatively - for the cost of a Pro display, you could add a 27" imac to your order for less money and then not worry about the 16" heat/noise issues when docked to a monitor...

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

Any 4k display of say 30" or smaller is "retina class" (all "retina" means is high enough pixel density at the regular viewing distance, and pretty sure most 4k desktop monitors hit that metric!), particularly if you go for one with HDR or Wide colour gamut/10bit colour (that will exclude trashy image quality TN gaming monitors, that just focus on 144hz instead of quality, etc.).

My AOC U2790PQU is pretty darn similar in quality to the retina display in my macboook pro 2015 and it was $400 Australian. I'm not suggesting you just buy that specific model, but it is an example of what you can get that is on par with a previous gen imac or macbook pro display, for FAR less. It's no Pro XDR display, but i'd wager it is "plenty good enough", coming from an iMac or Retina Macbook. It's also anti-glare rather than glossy.

You really don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a Pro Display. I'd suggest, if you can go and look at some IPS 4k monitors in person (look for 10 bit colour and IPS for nice ones) at a computer hardware store - but seriously... you don't need to spend anywhere near the Pro Display price to get something plenty good enough for non-graphics work.

If you were doing graphics work with a requirement for high end colour accuracy then sure... go Pro Display, but if you're not, it's just a huge expense for something that won't matter, in opinion. Only you can be the judge for sure - but i'd strongly suggest looking at some IPS, 10 bit colour 4k monitors before throwing money at the Pro Display, that you could either save or put somewhere more useful (more RAM, more SSD, etc.).

If you look at some decent say, 27" 4k, 10 bit displays and decide they don't look good enough... by all means, go for the Pro Display. But you could buy multiple 27" 4k displays for that price, or a lot of other things... at least check some of them out in person first.


edit:
alternatively - for the cost of a Pro display, you could add a 27" imac to your order for less money and then not worry about the 16" heat/noise issues when docked to a monitor...

I will definitely check them out online (really no way to check them out in stores these days) but, like I previously stated, I want a larger monitor than 27"

 

[Adult80HD]

I will definitely check them out online (really no way to check them out in stores these days) but, like I previously stated, I want a larger monitor than 27"

If you want bigger than 27" and retina resolution then your primary option is the XDR or you can see if you can find one of the ASUS ProArt displays. But if you have the money...the XDR is just awesome. The laptop specs are the same as what I have; that's a killer setup that will future-proof you for some time.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

If you want bigger than 27" and retina resolution then your primary option is the XDR or you can see if you can find one of the ASUS ProArt displays. But if you have the money...the XDR is just awesome. The laptop specs are the same as what I have; that's a killer setup that will future-proof you for some time.

And no excessive thermal throttling? fan noise?

I assume I will need a dongle to connect to ethernet

Did you get Apple Care+ on both? Adds an extra $1k to the price

 

[Adult80HD]

And no excessive thermal throttling? fan noise?

I assume I will need a dongle to connect to ethernet

Did you get Apple Care on both? Adds an extra $1k to the price

I mostly use the 16" alone and not connected to the XDR; I have a Mac Pro where I use my two XDR's. If you're doing something GPU/CPU intensive the fans will spin up on the 16" but they're no noisier than the iMac you are used to. It doesn't seem to get as hot as my previous 15" MBP.

You do need a dongle for ethernet.

I always get the AppleCare...it's one of those things that you regret not having when something does go wrong, as rare as it is!

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

I mostly use the 16" alone and not connected to the XDR; I have a Mac Pro where I use my two XDR's. If you're doing something GPU/CPU intensive the fans will spin up on the 16" but they're no noisier than the iMac you are used to. It doesn't seem to get as hot as my previous 15" MBP.

You do need a dongle for ethernet.

I always get the AppleCare...it's one of those things that you regret not having when something does go wrong, as rare as it is!

I will almost always be using the MBP 16" connected to the XDR
I thought about getting the Mac Pro but I will save about $3500 by getting the MBP 16"

I am wondering though, is there a downside to always using the MBP 16" with the XDR rather than using it specifically as a laptop device?

Can you connect a printer cable to the USB-C ports on the XDR?

 

[Adult80HD]

I will almost always be using the MBP 16" connected to the XDR
I thought about getting the Mac Pro but I will save about $3500 by getting the MBP 16"

I am wondering though, is there a downside to always using the MBP 16" with the XDR rather than using it specifically as a laptop device?

Can you connect a printer cable to the USB-C ports on the XDR?

You can connect anything you want as long as you're good with them mostly running at TB2 speeds. If need the portability, even if only occasionally, then there aren't any downsides to using the MBP connected to the XDR most of the time. Not that I can see, at least.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

You can connect anything you want as long as you're good with them mostly running at TB2 speeds. If need the portability, even if only occasionally, then there aren't any downsides to using the MBP connected to the XDR most of the time. Not that I can see, at least.

I would basically connect a USB-B to USB-C printer cable - just wanted to be sure it would work connected to the USB-C port on the XDR so I can leave it always plugged in rather than having to waste a port on the MBP 16"

I have been staring at my Apple cart since last night -- it's such a big purchase and I keep wondering if the 10th gen chips will become available the day after my 14-day return window closes LOL

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

WOW this video scared me

 

[Saturn007]

RAM is best judged from your own usage - keep Activity Monitor opened to Memory while you're working.

There have been many threads on MacRumors disputing that. Many people, who are far more knowledgeable about tech matters than I am, say that the Mac OS will use whatever RAM you give it. So, if you had 8GB, it would likely use most of that; 16GB, most of it; etc.

From what I recall, the real measure is how much paging or use of the SSD or hard drive is going on. In other words, when RAM is really under pressure, the Mac OS uses drive space as virtual RAM. So, checking out what's going on with drive paging under Activity Monitor is far more important, indeed, is THE barometer of whether you need more RAM — not how much of the RAM you have is being used.

In addition, the Mac OS handles all this efficiently and the SSDs on Macs are very fast, so that, even with paging, it isn't that big a deal.

Perhaps the real question is whether you are experiencing lags, seeing spinning beach balls, etc. but even those can be due to other things, e.g., using Chrome and having lots of tabs open.

 

[Adult80HD]

WOW this video scared me

LOL. What a ridiculous video. Yet another reminder why I never watch YouTube when I want to learn something--it's mostly trash. I couldn't even make it past his "coil whine" part. First, he whines about the Touch Bar and says he's going back the 15" which has....a worse Touch Bar! Like seriously, the real Escape key and the improved power button with WAY better Touch ID are both big improvements. Why on earth go backwards? The fan noise? I coudn't tell any difference from my 15" at all. Same with his "coil whine." I've never heard it.

Seriously, who is that guy and why on earth are you giving so much weight to his breathless hyperbole?

I personally consider the 16" to be one of the best upgrades in the MBP line since the 2012 intro of the retina screens. I went from a 2018 15" and the jump in overall performance was very noticeable. The keyboard is way, way better than the previous MBP keyboards (and back to the old style that was so good).

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

LOL. What a ridiculous video. Yet another reminder why I never watch YouTube when I want to learn something--it's mostly trash. I couldn't even make it past his "coil whine" part. First, he whines about the Touch Bar and says he's going back the 15" which has....a worse Touch Bar! Like seriously, the real Escape key and the improved power button with WAY better Touch ID are both big improvements. Why on earth go backwards? The fan noise? I coudn't tell any difference from my 15" at all. Same with his "coil whine." I've never heard it.

Seriously, who is that guy and why on earth are you giving so much weight to his breathless hyperbole?

I personally consider the 16" to be one of the best upgrades in the MBP line since the 2012 intro of the retina screens. I went from a 2018 15" and the jump in overall performance was very noticeable. The keyboard is way, way better than the previous MBP keyboards (and back to the old style that was so good).

Well, I am basically trying to do as much research as I can and that video was something that popped up on YouTube

 

[Stephen.R]

Op have you considered two displays rather than one crazy expensive one?

Eg a current model iMac or iMac Pro, plus a 27” UltraFine (so 2x 27” 5K).

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

Op have you considered two displays rather than one crazy expensive one?

Eg a current model iMac or iMac Pro, plus a 27” UltraFine (so 2x 27” 5K).

I have looked at dual monitor setups but do not like having the bezels in between monitors -- I would much rather have one large screen

Is the XDR really that bad of a purchase if I am not doing color grading?

 

[Stephen.R]

I can’t comment on it’s quality but it’s a lot of money just to have no bezels, IMO.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

I can’t comment on it’s quality but it’s a lot of money just to have no bezels, IMO.

Well, I am also assuming that it is a kick-a$$ monitor overall regardless of whether I will use it for color grading

I have looked into the LG 49" ultra wide monitor but the resolution is 5120 x 1440 (~108 ppi)
Not sure I could abide such a drop off in clarity

 

[blackadde]

The XDR is an unbelievable waste of money if you aren't regularly consuming or producing HDR content, IMO. Same goes for any similar monitor in its class (eg. Asus PA32UC* series).

HDR and wide-gamut displays have very specific use-cases for very specific professions. If you don't know why you need it, you probably don't. It's like buying a tractor-trailer when you needed a hatchback.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

The XDR is an unbelievable waste of money if you aren't regularly consuming or producing HDR content, IMO. Same goes for any similar monitor in its class (eg. Asus PA32UC* series).

HDR and wide-gamut displays have very specific use-cases for very specific professions. If you don't know why you need it, you probably don't. It's like buying a tractor-trailer when you needed a hatchback.

OK but what other true 5K monitor is out there in a size bigger than 27" -- if one exists I would surely purchase that instead

 

[blackadde]

I think the real questions are "what display size, aspect ratio, and PPI would help me do my work best?" and working backwards from there.

For the vast majority of people who absolutely need 32"+ panel real estate, 4K will be fine. I work all day every day with image-critical work on a NEC panel with ~150ppi and have no issues with sharpness moving back and forth from a Retina Apple display.

If you need 5K for some reason, LG makes a 34" ultrawide 5K panel (34WK95U-W).

If you really need more resolution (and your use case doesn't suggest that in the least), the Dell 8K (UP3218K) exists, although I hear there are lots of issues with it running on MacOS.

You can see a list of monitors ordered by resolution here: https://www.sven.de/dpi/

Hope that helps.