Updated Skylake 27" iMac this fall?

[EnesM]

Sorry to post this again but l've been waiting since 2007 to buy a new iMac and needed advice from people more computer savvy then me. Thanks for any response.
So I too, need the advice. Been waiting a long time for this upgrade and hoping that this one will last me just as long ( I am retiring next March so I want to buy this now). I am currently using a:

24" 2007 iMac 2.4GHz intel core 2 duo, 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM with ATi Radeon 1TB HD 2600 Pro 256 MB. My capacity is 749.3 GB of which I am using 77.95GB.

Not a big power user, email, internet, do run Photoshop Elements 12, Photo Mechanic. I do have Final Cut Express HD on this computer but almost never use it now. A few games, mostly Angry Birds. Almost never running more than one program at the same time. So I am looking at the:

27" 5K Retina iMac with the 4.0 GHz quad core, 512GB flash storage and 8GB memory which I will probably upgrade to 16 myself.)

I do have a 1TB external hard drive that I am using. I know pretty much anything I get will be an improvement so just wondering what people think. My one big question is the processor choice. Am I better off with the 3.2GHz considering my usage and saving the $300? This is my Christmas present to myself and just want to be sure I have covered my bases. Thanks so much for any help.

Yeah it's pretty good for angry birds

 

[huffy15]

Got it

 

[Aluminum213]

Got it

that much money and only 256GB storage? I assume you don't upgrade your iMac every year, but springing for 512GB HD for a long term investment would make sense, again, especially with the money you're already spending

 

[alexxk]

that much money and only 256GB storage? I assume you don't upgrade your iMac every year, but springing for 512GB HD for a long term investment would make sense, again, especially with the money you're already spending

I plan on getting the same. All content and file would go to external HD. 256 should be more than enough for OS and apps

 

[huffy15]

I plan on getting the same. All content and file would go to external HD. 256 should be more than enough for OS and apps

That's actually in CAD dollar I always use dropbox to be honest since I'm plugged on Fiber 1gb/s. I don't do hard work, just youtube and web development. I currently have a MBP 2008 with 64gb lol.

 

[Sirmausalot]

I plan on getting the same. All content and file would go to external HD. 256 should be more than enough for OS and apps

I'm in agreement. I think the fusion (with a 128Gb SSD and 2TB storage) is a better bet for the budget minded. You will hit the limits of the 256 very quickly and then you HAVE to invest in external storage anyway. So either 512GB SSD (which is the way I went) or one of the large fusion drives.

 

[acrakes]

I don't care much about TB3 or USB-C, but I was really hoping for a 2TB SSD option...looks like one more year for those. Anyways, I can't wait any longer, I'm getting this one now, and I might exchange it next year if a suitable upgrade is released.

Yeah, it's strange because there's so much hype about SSD prices dropping.. Apple still seems to be taking a big cut of profit, and they lowered the solid-state Fusion portion to 24 GB..

 

[MandiMac]

Yeah, it's strange because there's so much hype about SSD prices dropping.. Apple still seems to be taking a big cut of profit, and they lowered the solid-state Fusion portion to 24 GB..

Because only slower SSDs are dropping in price. The NVMe drives hold their price, but perform much better.

 

[pjhewlett]

So I think I'm ready to go on a new one of these after the announcement today. Moving from PC to first Mac.

On the PC I have about 75gb of program files, but about 1.7tb of other media (videos, music, photos etc). Had planned to go 3tb fusion, but many on here seem to recommend SSD only and an external drive for everything else.

I realise this will up the day to day performance of the machine but how will it compare for accessing the other media, given it is "only" a TB2 connection.

Thanks all!

 

[huffy15]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'll be able to upgrade my ssd when my imac will be out of warranty.

 

[Sirmausalot]

Yeah, it's strange because there's so much hype about SSD prices dropping.. Apple still seems to be taking a big cut of profit, and they lowered the solid-state Fusion portion to 24 GB..

These are not standard SSDs at all. They are much, much faster and custom built into the iMacs. Not to say Apple isn't making a profit. Your choice as a consumer is either buy their product or someone else's. Still, with these specs and price point (and really comparing parts to parts) there is nothing else like it out there!

 

[ohsnaphappy]

How does that compare to the 4790K i7? (Limited internet at work and probably can't reach any of the webpages with that info)

It was 16000, but hey 18000 is faster than the entry Mac Pro if I remember right

 

[wtxwt]

I kind of understand why USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 are missing in this update. Apple is known to adapt the right technologies at the right time. Skylake is undoubtedly the right decision. USB-C is supposed to replace most of the existing ports we are using. Imagine most ports at the back of iMac are replaced by USB-C, then we need an adaptor for each port to use our accessories, which is not a good idea. This is possible in the 12 inch retina MacBook because they want to make it as small as possible and the form factor is a complete redesign. For this iMac refresh, probably they want to upgrade the internal without touching the form factor. Given the availability of USB-C devices in the market, it would be desirable to stick with the existing ports until the market is ready.

 

[wtxwt]

If we are lucky enough, we may get USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 next year. Otherwise if we have to wait for the market to fill with USB-C powered devices, the right timing for Apple, it may take 2 years, 3 years, or even more, depending on how fast manufacturers are adapting the standard. I guess we have to wait for motherboards starting to have both USB-C and USB 3 at the back. Then manufactures will start producing USB-C powered devices. After that, it's Apple's turn to adapt it.

 

[vetruvian]

So I think I'm ready to go on a new one of these after the announcement today. Moving from PC to first Mac.

On the PC I have about 75gb of program files, but about 1.7tb of other media (videos, music, photos etc). Had planned to go 3tb fusion, but many on here seem to recommend SSD only and an external drive for everything else.

I realise this will up the day to day performance of the machine but how will it compare for accessing the other media, given it is "only" a TB2 connection.

Thanks all!

I may be wrong, but even with TB3, an external spinner for storage is still hamstrung by the read/write speeds of the spinning drive...

 

[vetruvian]

It was 16000, but hey 18000 is faster than the entry Mac Pro if I remember right

Even the 2014 i7 iMac (16,500) is faster than the entry level Mac Pro (14,500) in Geekbench. Still, I wouldn't weigh this too heavily as it is only one benchmark and may not reflect real-world performance accurately.

 

[ohsnaphappy]

Unless you know exactly which thunderbolt drive you're buying, and you have a very specific use for it, you'll never buy thunderbolt. End of story. I don't know one photographer who uses it. I know one production studio that does. The rest of the world? Nope. Never.

And usb-c? Maybe in the future. Cool. Maybe. But right now? I guess you could charge your MacBook.

 

[762999]

for myself the real question would be: do I want a mechanical component inside or outside the computer? The iMac screen is glued and I would prefer getting a SSD (even if it's small) that a normal/fusion drive. I would probably get the 256gb inside and add a 512gb externally.

I replaced the internal drive in my iMac around 2-3 years after and it was a pain...

 

[applenium]

Can anyone here vouch for the 512GB SSD as a good solid foundation for someone who does heavy photo editing and design work? I currently have a 2009 iMac with 1TB and my space fills up pretty fast during the year as I have to keep backups of my photos and design work on externals.

I was thinking of upping to the 512GB SSD model for the speed of it, but the 3TB fusion looks really tempting as I won't have to worry to much about space/buying more externals. Would be interesting to hear the contrasts between the fusion and SSD models as I'll be upgrading from an old 2009 iMac. I know the speed is going to be a huge upgrade none the less.

Does anyone here use their 512gb SSD with externals? Would be cool to hear what you guys have setup.

Also wondering if anyones ever cracked open their macs to upgrade their SSD. OWC https://www.macsales.com offers upgrade DIY kits for iMac SSD's and I was wondering if anyone here has ever gone through them or what they're opinion is in general about cracking their iMac open to do this.

 

[fob]

Everyone wanted a Skylake update. I think people were looking more towards what Skylake brings along (USB-C/TB3 DDR4) than the 10% performance/efficiency improvement itself. This update feels like a carry over. The fact they couldnt bother drilling in USB-C harbingers a major redesign in the next 12 months.

 

[vetruvian]

Unless you know exactly which thunderbolt drive you're buying, and you have a very specific use for it, you'll never buy thunderbolt. End of story. I don't know one photographer who uses it. I know one production studio that does. The rest of the world? Nope. Never.

And usb-c? Maybe in the future. Cool. Maybe. But right now? I guess you could charge your MacBook.

Thanks for elaborating from a professionals perspective. I'm a student and software engineer. TB3/USB-C does absolutely nothing for me right now. And I don't see the need for it in the foreseeable future...

 

[turbineseaplane]

Thanks for elaborating from a professionals perspective. I'm a student and software engineer. TB3/USB-C does absolutely nothing for me right now. And I don't see the need for it in the foreseeable future...

lmao - Umm, tons of "professionals" in here.
If you care about the $3k-$4k you're plunking down here, you'd want TB3/USB-C for longevity.

Funny how Apple is "forward looking" when the rMB has USB-C, but when the new iMac update doesn't have it....suddenly "nobody needs it". They could have at least thrown in 1 USB-C port but instead they are milking the absolute most out of existing tooling & parts.

Apple is just being Apple - It's a pretty "meh" update and they know it.

 

[vetruvian]

I have been on the fence about the 2014 27" retina for the last 4-5 months. At points I was ready to pull the trigger, but the rational side of me decided to hold off. For many people with the same mindset, this refresh is huge.

Personal Reasoning:
-Skylake (minor speed boost, runs cooler helping with thermal issues)
-Slightly better retina display (nothing major, but I'll take it)
-Slightly faster memory clock speed (may not notice real-world improvements most of the time)
-Much faster Pcie SSDs (from 700MB/s read/write to 1800MB/s read/write)
-Upgraded GPU (even though its only a rebrand, I'm hoping they improved the thermal throttling issues)
-New Keyboard/mouse (don't really care about the redesign, but the built-in rechargeable batteries is a huge plus)

For people waiting for the TB3/USB-C additions, I can see why this refresh may have been a let down. For most of us, this is a pretty big refresh and an easy tipping point to pull the trigger. I specced mine out and ordered it first thing this morning. Can't wait to pick it up next week! Feel free to critic my assessment above if I am off-base on anything...

Cheers!

 

[turbineseaplane]

I have been on the fence about the 2014 27" retina for the last 4-5 months. At points I was ready to pull the trigger, but the rational side of me decided to hold off. For many people with the same mindset, this refresh is huge.

Personal Reasoning:
-Skylake (minor speed boost, runs cooler helping with thermal issues)
-Slightly better retina display (nothing major, but I'll take it)
-Slightly faster memory clock speed (may not notice real-world improvements most of the time)
-Much faster Pcie SSDs (from 700MB/s read/write to 1800MB/s read/write)
-Upgraded GPU (even though its only a rebrand, I'm hoping they improved the thermal throttling issues)
-New Keyboard/mouse (don't really care about the redesign, but the built-in rechargeable batteries is a huge plus)

For people waiting for the TB3/USB-C additions, I can see why this refresh may have been a let down. For most of us, this is a pretty big refresh and an easy tipping point to pull the trigger. I specced mine out and ordered it first thing this morning. Can't wait to pick it up next week! Feel free to critic my assessment above if I am off-base on anything...

Cheers!

No reason at all to critique you! The machine is what you're looking for and that's great!

Not sure I'd lump in the KB/Mouse though - That's an update that the iMac shouldn't get credit for.

 

[EnesM]

I have been on the fence about the 2014 27" retina for the last 4-5 months. At points I was ready to pull the trigger, but the rational side of me decided to hold off. For many people with the same mindset, this refresh is huge.

Personal Reasoning:
-Skylake (minor speed boost, runs cooler helping with thermal issues)
-Slightly better retina display (nothing major, but I'll take it)
-Slightly faster memory clock speed (may not notice real-world improvements most of the time)
-Much faster Pcie SSDs (from 700MB/s read/write to 1800MB/s read/write)
-Upgraded GPU (even though its only a rebrand, I'm hoping they improved the thermal throttling issues)
-New Keyboard/mouse (don't really care about the redesign, but the built-in rechargeable batteries is a huge plus)

For people waiting for the TB3/USB-C additions, I can see why this refresh may have been a let down. For most of us, this is a pretty big refresh and an easy tipping point to pull the trigger. I specced mine out and ordered it first thing this morning. Can't wait to pick it up next week! Feel free to critic my assessment above if I am off-base on anything...

Cheers!

For those of us who never owned an iMac it's like first mission to Mars, honestly. I'm super excited even though the specs are not all I've hoped for. Cheers to all the new buyers, fun times ahead!