5K + cMP

[SamPotts]

I'm a designer and recently replaced my work iMac with the 5K model and now coming home to 2 27" Cinema Displays is not quite as visually appealing I've been considering buying a 5K iMac to replace my 6 core cMP but not sure it's the best choice. I've seen a well price UP2715K locally and wondering if my flashed 7970 will run it? I know MacVideoCards posted that it doesn't work but has anyone tried it more recently in El Capitan? It'd be nice to run that with a 27" Cinema Display as well. Probably pushing the limits of the 7970 then. I'd buy a flashed 970 or 980 from MVC but the AUD is weak and it'd make the move more expensive than just getting an iMac 5k and selling the cMP and spare display.

Downside to this solution is of course no Thunderbolt or USB3 with the cMP plus the Dell screen will look a little odd next to the Apple one.

 

[SamPotts]

No one?

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

No one?

If you want some upgradability the cMP is obviously the last real Mac that gives you it, unless you don't mind making a Hackintosh. Just bear in mind the cMP's I/O is slow and won't be suitable for real time video capture if you need that in your workflow. The best I/O it can use for video capture is an ESATA or USB3 connection. If you boot into Windows you have the option of using USB 3.1.

The new iMac5K has excellent all round performance and includes a screen with a great color gamut. It's great value and can handle most workflows, and as you're a designer this will suffice and give you the colour accuracy you need.

 

[SamPotts]

If you want some upgradability the cMP is obviously the last real Mac that gives you it, unless you don't mind making a Hackintosh. Just bear in mind the cMP's I/O is slow and won't be suitable for real time video capture if you need that in your workflow. The best I/O it can use for video capture is an ESATA or USB3 connection. If you boot into Windows you have the option of using USB 3.1.

The new iMac5K has excellent all round performance and includes a screen with a great color gamut. It's great value and can handle most workflows, and as you're a designer this will suffice and give you the colour accuracy you need.

Cheers for the reply. Good points. The iMac 5K here at work is awesome and probably all the power I need. I don't do much with video, just coding and some image work (Sketch, Photoshop).

Having seen the Dell UP2715K screen, I don't think it's the best looking. Total cost of the card + screen is about the same money as a ~6 month old iMac 5K. Another issue is I use a Bretford Mobile Pro to mount two 27" and the iMac 5K has to be specially ordered in VESA mount ?!?. I think I'll wait for now then. Damn.

 

[rawweb]

Cheers for the reply. Good points. The iMac 5K here at work is awesome and probably all the power I need. I don't do much with video, just coding and some image work (Sketch, Photoshop).

Having seen the Dell UP2715K screen, I don't think it's the best looking. Total cost of the card + screen is about the same money as a ~6 month old iMac 5K. Another issue is I use a Bretford Mobile Pro to mount two 27" and the iMac 5K has to be specially ordered in VESA mount ?!?. I think I'll wait for now then. Damn.

Well, look at it this way. The two 27" ACDs at home will remind you you're not at work.

I actually run 'dark menu & dock' at home so when I'm home I feel like I'm not at work. When I'm in the  store and look at the Retina iMac and look at a ATD, the difference is stark side by side...so I guess I can sympathize. I've got 2 Thunderbolt displays at work and 2 cinema displays at home, so on a daily basis I'm not exposed to anything different. I don't know, it's really all preference. Look at it this way, a lot of the world still uses little cheap 23 inch Dell monitors. The apple displays (ACD, ATD) are still a sexy resolution and are ascetically appealing. I've got a hardware calibrator that keeps my colors in check, and I make sure to keep distance guidelines in check, so I don't see pixels anyway. I think these monitors are big, bright and pretty darn cool.

Here's why I will hang on to my ACD's for a long time...The discontinued cinema display will outlive it's successor (ATD) as USB-C/displayport alternate mode starts to become more common. Theoretically, with a simple adapter, the 27 ACD should continue to operate as expected. Just like now, the cinema display is usable on any PC with a display port connection. The same has not been said for the ATD. The display port signal in the thunderbolt display, to date, has been impossible to parse, so I doubt an adapter will ever be created unless Apple has some kind of adapter up their sleeve for Thunderbolt 3, which I'm sure would destroy sales if they truly are intending to unveil a "Retina Thunderbolt Display" at some point in the near future.

On the flip of all that useless information, have you considered a 4k display with your current setup?

 

[SamPotts]

I have the 5K iMac hooked up to a ATD at work (had a 2010 27" prior to the 5K).

You're right about the longevity of the mDP screens. Infact I sold one recently to a local guy who said he was having a hard time finding one and was using it for a PC. Even if you don't like Apple, you have to agree they make nice looking hardware. That's an area I feel the Dell screen falls short.

I guess I'm just being picky. It's one of those things that once you've seen how good 5K is, you want it. I did consider 4K but I like the "usable" resolution of the 27". It's like the 15" rMBP I bought recently, it's "usable" resolution at full retina is pretty useless. I have to run it at scaled and it doesn't look quite as awesome. That's what appealed to me about the 5K, it's a proper retina 2560x1440.

I'll probably just wait for now and put the money away for another time.

 

[deconstruct60]

... I've seen a well price UP2715K locally and wondering if my flashed 7970 will run it? I know MacVideoCards posted that it doesn't work but has anyone tried it more recently in El Capitan? ....

There is some monitor support expansion in OS X 10.11.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/support-for-hp-z27q-5k-display-in-el-capitan.1932330/

However, if the GPU card isn't doing MST over multiple physical ports that isn't necessarily going to help with the GPU's root cause constraint. Perhaps can offset the monitor for a card, but still in the outside the scope of supported cards ( which many have same problem. )

 

[SamPotts]

Well I've bought a UP2715K so I'll find out for myself soon if it works with the 7970. Otherwise I'll be buying an NVS510