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What Mac should I buy?

A

AndreasOL

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 27, 2012
6
0
Hello.
I am going to buy another Mac as my programming skills has improved, also my Macbook Pro 2010 is getting worse every day.

I am going to spend about 5000$

I am open to whatever Mac. iMac, Mac Pro, Macbook Pro, Mac mini, not the MB Air.

What I do on my Mac:

25% Web
20% Programming
25% Movies
20% Gaming
10% Design

I will also be running both OS X and Windows 7

I need a really powerful Mac with good graphics that lasts, also a superb processor.

Thanks for all replies! :)
 
If you want portability, MacBook Pro (15 or 17, your choice) with an SSD and 8GBs (or more) of RAM. If you want a desktop, Mac Pro, hands down.
 
Oh good grief - what you already have is more than adequate.
Maybe buy an SSD & reinstall, but a new mac? Puhlease!
 
AndreasOL said:
Hello.
I am going to buy another Mac as my programming skills has improved, also my Macbook Pro 2010 is getting worse every day.

I am going to spend about 5000$

I am open to whatever Mac. iMac, Mac Pro, Macbook Pro, Mac mini, not the MB Air.

What I do on my Mac:

25% Web
20% Programming
25% Movies
20% Gaming
10% Design

I will also be running both OS X and Windows 7

I need a really powerful Mac with good graphics that lasts, also a superb processor.

Thanks for all replies! :)
Click to expand...

Based on your particular set of uses, I would suggest maxing out a Macbook Pro when the new refresh hits later this spring, making sure to get the top GPU option and an SSD for internal storage, adding thunderbolt or USB3 external storage for your movie collection, and then flipping your current MBP on eBay or similar. Your current equipment isn't so far behind the front edge that you're making a substantial workflow jump; rather you are doing about two or three increments worth of upgrade, and when that happens you flip. If you were upgrading from, say, a 2007 or 2008 MBP, I would say to buy the new unit and just keep the old for supplemental utility.

Hope this helps!
 
AndreasOL said:
How is that compared to the Mac Pro and a cinema display?
Click to expand...

The Mac Pro does not actually come with a display; that is why the iMac is such a good value when compared to the Mac Pro.

The Cinema Display and the iMac have the exact same display panel

A Mac Pro + a Cinema Display would be just as glossy as an iMac.
 
The best choice at the moment will be the highest end iMac 27" customized with a Core i7 Sandybridge with a 6970M 2GB & SSD and 16GB of ram..

It'll easily outperform the Nehalem in gaming thats for sure, and most likely even in general tasks.. You won't find any use with an 8 - Core Mac Pro unless you do 3D rendering...

I personally do Web Design and Coding and currently have a Mac Mini 2011 which is sufficient..

But since your wanting to spend up to $5000 and you want to do gaming then I'd say go for the Highest end iMac..
 
robbie12345 said:
need more info,

what games?

any flash web browsing

do u already have a screen e.g. the mac pro or mini

for design what programs

etc
Click to expand...

I have two monitors, but they aren't very good, I really want a better monitor.

Games like Call of Duty, Battlefield etc..

Any flash web browsing = YES

Design for apps, I use Photoshop CS5

Thanks.

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Yamcha said:
The best choice at the moment will be the highest end iMac 27" customized with a Core i7 Sandybridge with a 6970M 2GB & SSD and 16GB of ram..

It'll easily outperform the Nehalem in gaming thats for sure, and most likely even in general tasks.. You won't find any use with an 8 - Core Mac Pro unless you do 3D rendering...

I personally do Web Design and Coding and currently have a Mac Mini 2011 which is sufficient..

But since your wanting to spend up to $5000 and you want to do gaming then I'd say go for the Highest end iMac..
Click to expand...

Okey, so the best iMac is better that a stock 8 core Mac Pro?

----------
Yamcha said:
The best choice at the moment will be the highest end iMac 27" customized with a Core i7 Sandybridge with a 6970M 2GB & SSD and 16GB of ram..

It'll easily outperform the Nehalem in gaming thats for sure, and most likely even in general tasks.. You won't find any use with an 8 - Core Mac Pro unless you do 3D rendering...

I personally do Web Design and Coding and currently have a Mac Mini 2011 which is sufficient..

But since your wanting to spend up to $5000 and you want to do gaming then I'd say go for the Highest end iMac..
Click to expand...

How is a Mac Mini with cinema display vs the best iMac?

----------
Sirolway said:
Oh good grief - what you already have is more than adequate.
Maybe buy an SSD & reinstall, but a new mac? Puhlease!
Click to expand...

Haha, The only problem with my MB Pro 13" is that i think the screen is too small.... and I want higher resolution :)
 
AndreasOL said:
I need a really powerful Mac with good graphics that lasts, also a superb processor.
Click to expand...

As you should know by now, such a Mac doesn't exist -- "graphics that lasts" is not an available option in the industry. If it's really that important for you, buy either a desktop PC or a Mac Pro where you have a chance of replacing an old graphics card against a new one. But since Apple is always at least one generation behind the rest of the industry, you'd be better off with a Hackintosh (if you really need OS X, that is).

Also, for 5000 bucks, you could get some really powerful Workstations (read: Workstation, NOT your average supermarket PC).

On the other hand, looking at your use case, the 20% gaming are the only section that demands a powerful computing. And even that only when titles like RAGE are what you want to play. Maybe you should consider buying an Xbox 360 for your gaming needs and a 27" iMac for the rest. Donate the rest of that money to the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace or something like that.
 
Winni said:
As you should know by now, such a Mac doesn't exist -- "graphics that lasts" is not an available option in the industry. If it's really that important for you, buy either a desktop PC or a Mac Pro where you have a chance of replacing an old graphics card against a new one. But since Apple is always at least one generation behind the rest of the industry, you'd be better off with a Hackintosh (if you really need OS X, that is).

Also, for 5000 bucks, you could get some really powerful Workstations (read: Workstation, NOT your average supermarket PC).

On the other hand, looking at your use case, the 20% gaming are the only section that demands a powerful computing. And even that only when titles like RAGE are what you want to play. Maybe you should consider buying an Xbox 360 for your gaming needs and a 27" iMac for the rest. Donate the rest of that money to the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace or something like that.
Click to expand...

Will all software be the same in a hackintosh? will the magic track pad work with it?
 
thanks for the info

the mac pros are going to be upgraded very shortly so i dud wait for those and get the 8 core equivalent which by that time will be a 12 core (see 09-10 where the 5k 8 core turned into a 3500 8 core and a 5k 12 core) or maybe even get the stock 6 core if it even is 6 core

at this point i dud not buy an iMac mbp or mac pro due to upgrades coming soon.

also have you ever considered getting the base iMac 27 nch for 1700

it is a very capable computer that is very fast and u can use it as a 27inch screen versus the 1k fior the screen itself

just trying to help

you will probably be able to get a 16 core 7950 mac pro when they get updated
 
Get the latest iMac or Mac Pro if you are interested in high performances system and high end graphics card that comes with the Mac's
 
solution....

For your needs, you should get a MacBook. The Pro is for more advanced uses such editing video and compiling audio. Plus, the MacBook is lighter, cheaper, and you might even be able to get a student discount on it.
 
i think you should get the 27 inch imac with i7 quad, SSD and 2TB HD, the 2GB graphic card and even with the apple 16GB memory you have a 3,6k$ computer extremly powerful...

sell your MBP and keep the rest of the money (around 2K$) to change your computer in 3 years if you want... you can be sure that your imac will sell well above 1K$ in 3 years, so a new puter for 3K$ even more powerful.....
 
Vantage Point said:
also my Macbook Pro 2010 is getting worse every day.

So what's wrong with it? Mine works like new!!!
Click to expand...

Think its the hard drive... I changed it so that Id hva more storage but its so slow.... and the dual core doesn't of it for me anymore

----------

I've earned the money from my apps so don't look at me like a spoiled child heh
 
Think its the hard drive... I changed it so that Id hva more storage but its so slow.... and the dual core doesn't of it for me anymore

That must be the 13" since the 15 and 17" 2010's don't use C2D CPU's.

I needed more storage as well and changed my stock drive, 320gb 5400 rpm drive for a 750gb 7200 drive and there is a noticeable difference including boot time from about 55 secs to 38 seconds
 
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