Posted by Kirk Greene on February 24, 2012 at 11:14 PM
I am 90% sure I am going to switch from a PC to an iMac with a computer upgrade that is long overdue. I have received mixed reviews about going with the higher end model so I thought I'd see what you think. I don't do any gaming and primarily will use the computer with photography programs such as Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. I may eventually want to edit video. I am looking at 2 options that both have a 27" monitor. Here are the primary differences between the 2 & the prices. Thanks for any thoughts and advice you have for me.
1) $1649
2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
4GB memory
AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
2) $1949
3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
4GB DDR3 memory
AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
I'm a PC person, but here's my thoughts...a computer being a computer...
If you are seriously considering doing video you need to think about a couple of things. First, is RAM. I suggest you get at least 8GB; more would be better. Second is your hard drive(s). While still images load into RAM all in one shot, video loads in a stream which willl place a heavy load on your disk (not to mention your CPU, RAM and Video subsytem).Therefore you will need a large and fast HD whether it's a regular drive or an SSD (I recommend Intel for SSD).
I have read that for video editing, a RAID 0 array with a third drive for a mirror is most efficient and safest. RAID 0 stripes the data onto the drives, and is very fast. The downside, (and the reason for the mirror drive) is that if one disk goes south, you lose all the data.
The i5 Quad core is a nice CPU: Get the fastest one you can afford. The 1GB Radeon will also work. Be sure to order a power supply that can handle the load. One thing I will mention that you should research is cooling. Will the cooling system fans and case venting be up to the task, given the load you'll be placing on the system?
--P
Posted by Greg Vaughn on February 25, 2012 at 12:28 AM
Kirk,
I made the switch from PC to Mac a few years ago and my only regret was not doing it sooner (despite the expense).
For the price difference and your intended use, I think you'd be smart to go for the faster processor and video card with more memory. Spread over the life of the computer, the extra cost is a good investment.
And as Preston recommends, bump up the RAM. I don't have any experience with video editing, but Photoshop will be much better/faster with more memory. As far as I know, with an iMac there is no choice of power supply or cooling system.
Posted by Wayne Shakell on February 25, 2012 at 6:07 AM
Hello Kirk,
I was at first a sceptic about making the swop. But have had a Mac now for around 5 years without a problem or regret.
I also do some video and lots of photographic work. I would back up the recommendation of plenty of RAM and if you can more than 1 HDD. You are making a good move for sure.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 25, 2012 at 1:38 PM
I've been a Mac user since they came out. I run Windows only in an emulation application.
For video, you will need the faster processor and at least 8GB of RAM. For regular photo editing (comparatively small images), you can get by with 4GB of RAM. Larger images and video, at least 8GB. The larger cache on the 6970M will help some, too.
Posted by Luke Ormand on February 25, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Kirk, I've got 27" iMac with 3.2 GhZ Core i3 and 4 GB of Memory and an ATI Radeon HD 5670 512MB processor. I have no problem editing photos in CS5 - running multiple programs @ once, using Bridge, Photoshop and streaming video online. It could be faster but it's been excellent (and much better than the previous PC).
If I were in your shoes and prepared to spend the $$ I'd go with this refurbished iMac. I've bought refurbished iPhones and own a refurbished Macbook Air and they perform beautifully and have the exact same warranty. It comes with the outdated OS X but you will get a free upgrade to Lion if you want (or just wait for Mountain Lion which you might as well do).
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 25, 2012 at 9:18 PM
The only problem with a refurbished iMac is that it won't have a Thunderbolt port, and the future is probably thunderbolt. Among other virtues, it gives you the option of another screen, and well as fast storage, which is important if you do much video work.
I just today finished 11 more panel photos for the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Photos from antique postcards blown up to 4 x 7 feet. It takes 12-15 minutes to apply a smart sharpen filter to the final product. And another 6 minutes to write the file to disk. Makes me wish for a newer Mac and a Thunderbolt-based drive.
Posted by Mark Seaver on February 25, 2012 at 9:37 PM
Kirk, I got your #1 about a month ago because I didn't see a need for the faster processor or faster video, of course I don't do video. I am planning to upgrade to 8 Gig of RAM soon, because I see very definite slowdowns when I have both Lightroom 3 and PS 5 running at the same time.
Hank, to date, there are very few Thunderbolt external hard drives available and they're quite expensive...maybe in a year they'll come down in price.
Posted by Luke Ormand on February 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM
I agree with Mark on Thunderbolt - and you don't need thunderbolt to have another screen. I have a second monitor hooked up to my 27" iMac and it works without a hitch
Posted by Michael Elenko on February 26, 2012 at 11:46 PM
I would check to see if a user can replace the hard drive in the latest iMacs easily. If not, I'd order the 2TB upgrade as you only have one internal drive and might as well get it large. If you can replace it yourself, I'd get the base 1GB and order a 3TB from Newegg and install that immediately. Then convert the 1TB into an external FW800 drive for backup or future storage.
Third-party RAM is much cheaper than Apple. Go 8Gb immediately. I think an upgraded video card is more important if you are doing 3D modeling kind of work.
For costing, determine how long you expect to get full use and value out the iMac and then amortize the costs. This one should last you 3-6 years. My Mac Pro 1,1 is on its sixth year and going strong with 4 internal drives, 12 Gb RAM, two DVD drives, and a higher end video card.
ME
Posted by Walter Rowe on February 27, 2012 at 4:14 PM
If I were having to choose between more memory and faster CPU then I would choose more memory. Consider using 3rd party memory. You can get 16GB of iMac compatible RAM from Crucial for $240. Your system will already have a quad-core processor.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on February 28, 2012 at 12:23 AM
Kirk, what you have listed for photo editing is just grand. If you're serious about video editing, just a couple of things to note: you want the OS and editing software on your OS drive, but you absolutely need your assets (video footage) on a separate internal drive at a bare minimu
As for ram, 8gb is OK, 16gb would be great. Ram is the cheapest it's been in a long time, and definitely get it 3rd party. 16gb is about $79 right now, at least for PCs but all should be relative. Lastly, if you're going to use Final Cut Pro then your video card is fine. If you're going to use Adobe Premiere Pro, then Radeon won't work, you HAVE to use an Nvidia card that supports CUDA in order to leverage the GPU, and there aren't a lot of Mac Nvidia cards that do that, I'm not even sure what is avaable for the iMac. But again, if you're going FCP, moot point.
Have fun! Mac hardware is pricey but worth it if you have the budget.
Discussion
11 replies1) $1649
2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
4GB memory
AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
2) $1949
3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
4GB DDR3 memory
AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
I'm a PC person, but here's my thoughts...a computer being a computer...
If you are seriously considering doing video you need to think about a couple of things. First, is RAM. I suggest you get at least 8GB; more would be better. Second is your hard drive(s). While still images load into RAM all in one shot, video loads in a stream which willl place a heavy load on your disk (not to mention your CPU, RAM and Video subsytem).Therefore you will need a large and fast HD whether it's a regular drive or an SSD (I recommend Intel for SSD).
I have read that for video editing, a RAID 0 array with a third drive for a mirror is most efficient and safest. RAID 0 stripes the data onto the drives, and is very fast. The downside, (and the reason for the mirror drive) is that if one disk goes south, you lose all the data.
The i5 Quad core is a nice CPU: Get the fastest one you can afford. The 1GB Radeon will also work. Be sure to order a power supply that can handle the load. One thing I will mention that you should research is cooling. Will the cooling system fans and case venting be up to the task, given the load you'll be placing on the system?
--P
I made the switch from PC to Mac a few years ago and my only regret was not doing it sooner (despite the expense).
For the price difference and your intended use, I think you'd be smart to go for the faster processor and video card with more memory. Spread over the life of the computer, the extra cost is a good investment.
And as Preston recommends, bump up the RAM. I don't have any experience with video editing, but Photoshop will be much better/faster with more memory. As far as I know, with an iMac there is no choice of power supply or cooling system.
I was at first a sceptic about making the swop. But have had a Mac now for around 5 years without a problem or regret.
I also do some video and lots of photographic work. I would back up the recommendation of plenty of RAM and if you can more than 1 HDD. You are making a good move for sure.
For video, you will need the faster processor and at least 8GB of RAM. For regular photo editing (comparatively small images), you can get by with 4GB of RAM. Larger images and video, at least 8GB. The larger cache on the 6970M will help some, too.
If I were in your shoes and prepared to spend the $$ I'd go with this refurbished iMac. I've bought refurbished iPhones and own a refurbished Macbook Air and they perform beautifully and have the exact same warranty. It comes with the outdated OS X but you will get a free upgrade to Lion if you want (or just wait for Mountain Lion which you might as well do).
I just today finished 11 more panel photos for the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Photos from antique postcards blown up to 4 x 7 feet. It takes 12-15 minutes to apply a smart sharpen filter to the final product. And another 6 minutes to write the file to disk. Makes me wish for a newer Mac and a Thunderbolt-based drive.
Hank, to date, there are very few Thunderbolt external hard drives available and they're quite expensive...maybe in a year they'll come down in price.
Third-party RAM is much cheaper than Apple. Go 8Gb immediately. I think an upgraded video card is more important if you are doing 3D modeling kind of work.
For costing, determine how long you expect to get full use and value out the iMac and then amortize the costs. This one should last you 3-6 years. My Mac Pro 1,1 is on its sixth year and going strong with 4 internal drives, 12 Gb RAM, two DVD drives, and a higher end video card.
ME
As for ram, 8gb is OK, 16gb would be great. Ram is the cheapest it's been in a long time, and definitely get it 3rd party. 16gb is about $79 right now, at least for PCs but all should be relative. Lastly, if you're going to use Final Cut Pro then your video card is fine. If you're going to use Adobe Premiere Pro, then Radeon won't work, you HAVE to use an Nvidia card that supports CUDA in order to leverage the GPU, and there aren't a lot of Mac Nvidia cards that do that, I'm not even sure what is avaable for the iMac. But again, if you're going FCP, moot point.
Have fun! Mac hardware is pricey but worth it if you have the budget.