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5K now or next year?

M

miza.org

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 8, 2014
17
2
St. Louis, USA
I'd really like to get the new iMac 5K but is there any software that supports it? I'm afraid I'll run into many blurred, stretched and blow out images and icons. That kind of takes away from the 5K experience you paid for. And what about games?

Would it be better to wait till next year, and if I do, what significant upgrades could come?
 
Last edited:
miza,

Existing software is scaled up to the 5K resolution, so existing programs work great right now. Some software will be optimized for 5K over time, but there is nothing that would hold you back right now. You will not run into anything stretched, blurred, or blown out.

As for games, no machine in the world is capable of smoothly playing games with a high frame rate at 5K. But you can continue to play your games at the resolutions that are currently playing them at today.

As for waiting another year, the only likely changes will be a slightly better processor, and some improvements in the GPU. Both of these things are standard with every single upgrade that happens every year. About the only other major thing that may be upgraded in 12-17 months (at the earliest) is the eventual new Thunderbolt 3 standard, which will likely contain the new Display Port 1.3 standard. But this won't come until Skylake (CPU) is introduced, which will be the CPU after Broadwell is introduced. No one knows for sure, but Broadwell will probably be introduced May-July of 2015 and Skylake may be introduced sometime between Nov 2015 and Mar of 2016. What's important about Thunderbolt 3? It will likely enable the 5K iMac to be used as an external display which can be a useful thing 5-7 years down the road when the iMac is outdated....you can still use it as a great external monitor.

If you need a new computer now or you're simply lusting after the amazing display, I would buy now. If the upgrade really isn't necessary and/or money is really tight, then maybe it wouldn't hurt to hold out for another 10-18 months and go with the next revision.

Hope this helps,
Bryan
 
Excellent! Be sure to let us know what you decide to go with. Personally, I think the i7 and M295X are an amazing value for the upgrade price, unless someone only uses there machine for the most casual of uses. So, I would give both of these upgrade a lot of consideration.

Have fun!
Bryan
 
Done

rZEibdg.png
 
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furbzv1 said:
almost $4K... Wowzers!!

i do have to say the screen is amazing!!
Click to expand...

Yeah I wasn't happy with the price either but this ought to last for the next 3 years.

It totaled to $4.2K after taxes. That's the most I ever spent on a computer. But this is a special kind. :)
 
miza.org said:
Yeah I wasn't happy with the price either but this ought to last for the next 3 years.

It totaled to $4.2K after taxes. That's the most I ever spent on a computer. But this is a special kind. :)
Click to expand...

Just remind yourself what a computer used to cost and it will make your choice must easier.

96492.jpg


Old-school-PC-prices-1041428.jpg
 
OP; you've had this for 1 year now how's your 5k 27" iMac holding up??
miza.org said:
I'd really like to get the new iMac 5K but is there any software that supports it? I'm afraid I'll run into many blurred, stretched and blow out images and icons. That kind of takes away from the 5K experience you paid for. And what about games?

Would it be better to wait till next year, and if I do, what significant upgrades could come?
Click to expand...
 
tyche said:
Just remind yourself what a computer used to cost and it will make your choice must easier.

96492.jpg


Old-school-PC-prices-1041428.jpg
Click to expand...

cool - and in a few years, those machines would also have 5200 rpm hard drives
- just like the sealed-up imac of 2015. :(
 
I want to get the 2015 model but my gut is telling me they will redesign the iMac for next years model. Aside from the thinner look, it's been the same look/idea since 2007?
 
MistrSynistr said:
I want to get the 2015 model but my gut is telling me they will redesign the iMac for next years model. Aside from the thinner look, it's been the same look/idea since 2007?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt they will redesign it. Besides, why does it even matter if they do? The current one won't be any less functional.
 
I'm going through the same thing now. I'm not worried about a redesign—I feel like the move to 5K is a pretty big shift—but the I/O situation is the biggest issue for me. Not a single USB Type-C/TB3 port on the new iMac is lame AF.
 
TH3D4RKKN1GH7 said:
I'm going through the same thing now. I'm not worried about a redesign—I feel like the move to 5K is a pretty big shift—but the I/O situation is the biggest issue for me. Not a single USB Type-C/TB3 port on the new iMac is lame AF.
Click to expand...
I had the same reservations, ended up biting the bullet and buying my fully maxxed out imac - very glad i did.
I was really struggling with my 2013 dual core rMBP, working of a dell uh27 monitor, i constantly ran out of ram and it iGPU was struggling for my needs - and i rarely ever game. As i opened a new amex card recently that gave me 5% additional cash-back [ending Dec 2015], along with being in my final year for my masters, affording me the HE discount, i made a whopping £600 saving if i upgraded now!

Not sure a USB-C is that much of a deal breaker IMHO, for my needs. I was hoping for DDR4, and TB3.
When one considers the advantage over ddr4 translated into the real-world, it
One thing i must attest to, is the blazing fast PCI-E SSD, i went for 500gb! wow

upload_2015-12-3_1-27-37.png
 
johnnyturbouk said:
I had the same reservations, ended up biting the bullet and buying my fully maxxed out imac - very glad i did.
I was really struggling with my 2013 dual core rMBP, working of a dell uh27 monitor, i constantly ran out of ram and it iGPU was struggling for my needs - and i rarely ever game. As i opened a new amex card recently that gave me 5% additional cash-back [ending Dec 2015], along with being in my final year for my masters, affording me the HE discount, i made a whopping £600 saving if i upgraded now!

Not sure a USB-C is that much of a deal breaker IMHO, for my needs. I was hoping for DDR4, and TB3.
When one considers the advantage over ddr4 translated into the real-world, it
One thing i must attest to, is the blazing fast PCI-E SSD, i went for 500gb! wow

View attachment 603519
Click to expand...

I'd be trading a nMP for an iMac, want to get rid of the Mac Pro for various reasons.

Also, TB3 is USB-C...
 
Bryan Bowler said:
As for games, no machine in the world is capable of smoothly playing games with a high frame rate at 5K. But you can continue to play your games at the resolutions that are currently playing them at today.
Click to expand...
I ran games just fine at 5k. Now they weren't top of the line GTA 8 or whatever it is you people be playing these days but they were games nonetheless.

 
MistrSynistr said:
I want to get the 2015 model but my gut is telling me they will redesign the iMac for next years model. Aside from the thinner look, it's been the same look/idea since 2007?
Click to expand...
I can't see apple redesigning the iMac, other then making it thinner. The basic design of having the display actually dates back to 2004 with the G5 iMac, though its gone through a number of iterations like going to aluminum instead of the white plastic. Yet the basic design harkens back to the G5 iMac
2015-12-03_05-46-03.png
 
maflynn said:
I can't see apple redesigning the iMac, other then making it thinner. The basic design of having the display actually dates back to 2004 with the G5 iMac, though its gone through a number of iterations like going to aluminum instead of the white plastic. Yet the basic design harkens back to the G5 iMac
View attachment 603554
Click to expand...
Maybe they will introduce a 'Gold' and 'Space Grey' version with next redesign. Maybe even go as far as including 'Rose Gold' :D
 
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