What 2019 iMac Did You Order?

[WrightBrain]

My 2011 iMac is once again dead with yet another graphics card failure, and I simply cannot put myself through another round of repairs. It's time to let go of this machine.

And thus, I'm contemplating to got for yet another iMac.

To be truthful, it was still fast enough. Perfectly adequate for my needs, both personal and professional. If it was still upgradable (with newer MacOS versions) and if the graphics card wouldn't keep dying, I would be content.

The specs were as follows:

3.4GHz i7
12GB DDR3
256GB SSD
Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5 (piece of crap)

What 2019 iMac would be fast enough for me? Would something like this last me 5 years?

3.0GHz i5
8GB DDR4 (+ 16GB or 32GB)
Radeon Pro 570X
256GB SSD

Honestly if you didn't have the feeling that you had outgrown your machine, then what you specced out would be fine. I'm looking at that model and the 3.7 15/580X, myself. Also concerned about CPU temps. But I hear using Turbo Boost Switcher to temporarily disable Turbo Boost helps.

 

[kaintxu]

Quick question,

For future proffing, how much longer do you guys think the 9900K can outlast the 9600K?

 

[WrightBrain]

Quick question,

For future proofing, how much longer do you guys think the 9900K can outlast the 9600K?

I think for true future proofing, you'd have to go with an AMD chip. Intel is starting to fall behind anyway. PC users keep complaining that the 9900K is overpriced and too hot.

Since your Mac is dead, buy what you need NOW. Planning for a mac that will last for years and years will lead to paralysis and you won't be able to get your work done.

 

[wmagnum1]

Just a thought for you and anyone else looking at this option with the 27": Consider going for the high end model instead. There's a weird almost counter-intuitive price scale at play here when converting the fusion drive to an ssd:
27 base ($1799) + 512 ssd = $2099
27 medium ($1999) + 512 ssd = $2299
27 high end ($2299) + 512 ssd = $2399

As you can see above, simply ticking that 512gb ssd option drops the price gap between the base model and the highest one to only $300. What do you get in return:
a.) a much faster cpu (while still an i5, the high end standard cpu is a 9th gen vs the 8th gen in the other models)
b.) a much faster gpu
c.) more vram

I'm leaning heavily towards this option myself even though I'm in the same boat where the base model is plenty enough for my needs. Out of any possible option you could spec these with, that extra $300 is the best bang for the buck.

100% this. This configuration of the 27" i5 3.7Ghz 9th Generation, 8GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and 8GB VRAM is THE sweet spot Mac.

 

[kaintxu]

I think for true future proofing, you'd have to go with an AMD chip. Intel is starting to fall behind anyway. PC users keep complaining that the 9900K is overpriced and too hot.

Since your Mac is dead, buy what you need NOW. Planning for a mac that will last for years and years will lead to paralysis and you won't be able to get your work done.

Oh no, I'm buying now what I need, been surviving the last 6 months with my work surface laptop 2 (I refused to pay for the 2017 one). After all this waiting I can wait a couple of weeks to see reviews and decide between vega 48 and 580.

 

[bwsteg]

Placed my order last night

i9
8gb ram (will add 32gb myself)
Vega 48
512gb SSD

I also added AppleCare. Is it worth it?

 

[dimme]

Placed my order last night

i9
8gb ram (will add 32gb myself)
Vega 48
512gb SSD

I also added AppleCare. Is it worth it?

Yes! Apple care is worth it!

 

[iono11200]

Income tax check just arrived yesterday. I've been offered $400.00 for my Late 2013 21.5" iMac. I'm ready to pull the trigger on this machine. Unfortunately the 27" iMac is just too big for my desktop.

21.5"
3.0 GHz i5
16gb DDR4 Memory
Radeon Pro 560X
256GB SSD

$1799.00 Home Use. Internet, e-mail and a few documents here and there.

 

[JohanCruyff]

My 2007 24" Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz, with a HD->SSD replacement is still working, except for the DVD reader, but will likely be replaced by a new 2019 iMac:

• 27"
• i5 9th generation 3.7-4.6Ghz
• 8GB RAM (DIY upgradable)
• 512GB SSD
• (Italian) Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad
• 2.869 euros in Italy (VAT included), but I have to check if I can save a bit thanks to my son's status (University Student)

It will be used for general purposes + photo editing, and I expect it to be OK even if in the next years I'll have to post-process RAW files of, say, 50-60 MPixels.

Since I tend to keep my computer for many years, I'm starting to think I could choose the i9 9900K version rather than the i5 9600K one.

If I spend 15% more for a mac that suits my needs for a 30% longer period of time (ten years instead of eight, for example), it could make sense.

PROS:
my iMac would be (maybe significantly) faster for the first (let's say) 8 years

CONS
higher energy consumption


Is there anything else I should consider?

 

[WrightBrain]

Since I tend to keep my computer for many years, I'm starting to think I could choose the i9 9900K version rather than the i5 9600K one.

If I spend 15% more for a mac that suits my needs for a 30% longer period of time (ten years instead of eight, for example), it could make sense.

PROS:
my iMac would be (maybe significantly) faster for the first (let's say) 8 years

CONS
higher energy consumption


Is there anything else I should consider?

Heat. Those i9’s run hot and the iMac only has a single fan to deal with it. You’re bound to experience some throttling and fan noise, much like the i7 before it.

 

[Brookzy]

• 27”
• i9
• 8GB RAM (will add two 16GB sticks myself)
• 512GB storage
• Vega 48

Has anyone been charged/preparing for shipment yet?

It's here and it's impressively silent...

 

[propower]

Wonderful! Any way you could do this YES test on 1, 2 or more cores and see where the temps stabilize?


http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/stress-test-mac-cpu/
https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-power-gadget-20

 

[Bohemien]

New user here, hello everybody!

Joined because I'm planning to buy the 2019 iMac and as many others am wondering which model to get (high performance vs. probably noisy machine), currently working on a 2011 17" MBP with the 2,2GHz i7 (first Mac was a IIsi last millennium ). Main uses for me would be Office work and photo editing, with the occasional video edited and sometimes (far too rarely these days ) I'm using the Mac for making music (Logic, Ableton).

Could someone who already has his iMac (congrats!) maybe do something like import 100 RAW files into Lightroom (or suchlike) with a preset applied and report back on fan noise/performance?

Would be much appreciated!!! - Thanks!!

 

[kaintxu]

Since I tend to keep my computer for many years, I'm starting to think I could choose the i9 9900K version rather than the i5 9600K one.

If I spend 15% more for a mac that suits my needs for a 30% longer period of time (ten years instead of eight, for example), it could make sense.

PROS:
my iMac would be (maybe significantly) faster for the first (let's say) 8 years

CONS
higher energy consumption


Is there anything else I should consider?

I totally support your thinking, but my counter thinking is the following. If you get the i5 9600K and the Vega 480, that's like £800 aditional quid. You could save them, and instead of making the computera last 10 years, it will last 8, but you then already have £800 towards the next one.

£3100 for 10 years is £310 a year.
£2300 for 8 years is £288 a year.

Comes out a little bit cheaper but yes you get a worse computer, but you also update earlier. I Guess it's all up to your computing needs and your wallet.

 

[Brookzy]

Wonderful! Any way you could do this YES test on 1, 2 or more cores and see where the temps stabilize?


http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/stress-test-mac-cpu/
https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-power-gadget-20

Only have time to max it out to all cores, but here you go:





Stabilises at 3.9GHz and about 93 degrees Celsius. The fans were not audible at the point the first screenshot was taken, but ramped up to an audible level in the second, but were not maxed out at any point. (Perhaps if you can override the fan you can get higher clocks but this is how Apple has decided to tune it.)

 

[T_Oscura]

Only have time to max it out to all cores, but here you go:

View attachment 829120

View attachment 829121

Stabilises at 3.9GHz and about 93 degrees Celsius. The fans were not audible at the point the first screenshot was taken, but ramped up to an audible level in the second, but were not maxed out at any point. (Perhaps if you can override the fan you can get higher clocks but this is how Apple has decided to tune it.)

For an all in one it looks good to me. I expected worse. If you have time, can you check fan rpm during load pls?

 

[JohanCruyff]

I totally support your thinking, but my counter thinking is the following. If you get the i5 9600K and the Vega 480, that's like £800 aditional quid. You could save them, and instead of making the computera last 10 years, it will last 8, but you then already have £800 towards the next one.

£3100 for 10 years is £310 a year.
£2300 for 8 years is £288 a year.

Comes out a little bit cheaper but yes you get a worse computer, but you also update earlier. I Guess it's all up to your computing needs and your wallet.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I was just considering the i9 vs i5 option (difference = 480 € less 10% students' discount in Italy); the standard Graphic Card should be more than adequate for me.

Anyway I will wait for the reviews.

 

[propower]

Only have time to max it out to all cores, but here you go:

Stabilises at 3.9GHz and about 93 degrees Celsius. The fans were not audible at the point the first screenshot was taken, but ramped up to an audible level in the second, but were not maxed out at any point. (Perhaps if you can override the fan you can get higher clocks but this is how Apple has decided to tune it.)

Super appreciate this!!
Can sure see the 95W limiting...
Temps are as expected for all cores - nice to hear the fans aren't full blast...

 

[Kaelis]

Got this config :

i5 9600K
8GB RAM - will add 24GB myself
512GB SSD - faster, silent and less heat for a mere 100€
RX 580X
Trackpad instead of Magic Mouse

I have good discounts on Apple gear so I got this one at a great price. Think half-price discount so pretty no-brainer in my situation.

Will use it for working on my website, photo editing and some games like Total War Warhammer 2.

 

[kaintxu]

Only have time to max it out to all cores, but here you go:

View attachment 829120

View attachment 829121

Stabilises at 3.9GHz and about 93 degrees Celsius. The fans were not audible at the point the first screenshot was taken, but ramped up to an audible level in the second, but were not maxed out at any point. (Perhaps if you can override the fan you can get higher clocks but this is how Apple has decided to tune it.)

is that the i9 or the i5?

 

[propower]

is that the i9 or the i5?

i9,
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/what-2019-imac-did-you-order.2173991/page-7#post-27232175

 

[kaintxu]

Super appreciate this!!
Can sure see the 95W limiting...
Temps are as expected for all cores - nice to hear the fans aren't full blast...

The thing is, if the 95W limit is there and limits the cores to 3.8, is it actually worth over the i5? Would love to see those results on the i5.

 

[TVreporter]

Got this config :

i5 9600K
8GB RAM - will add 24GB myself
512GB SSD - faster, silent and less heat for a mere 100€
RX 580X
Trackpad instead of Magic Mouse

I have good discounts on Apple gear so I got this one at a great price. Think half-price discount so pretty no-brainer in my situation.

Will use it for working on my website, photo editing and some games like Total War Warhammer 2.

What discounts do you have to get that much off?

 

[marzfreerider]

I decided to get the i9 8 core, 8GB RAM (will upgrade myself when I find something), Vega 48, 1 TB ssd. Going to try 32GB of Crucial RAM

 

[Kaelis]

What discounts do you have to get that much off?

Retail employee, we get 27% off and you can use a special discount every 3 years that cut off another 550€ off the price. Got me down to 1512€ for my config instead of 2783€. Compared to anything in the PC world where an external 5K display already costs more than 1.000€ it’s a good deal.