Archicad for iMac 27

[Shauneel]

Hi.
First sorry for my bad english.

I work as interior designer and I use Archicad and photoshop. My projects are becoming more complex. But I have an old computer. I want to buy iMac 27 ( that : http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac?product=MK472LL/A&step=config# )

Is it good for a continuous work and faster rendering in Archicad ? My friends say I bought a PC with Windows , cause iMac has worse components for that price.

Can you help me make a final desicion?

Thank you.

 

[maflynn]

I just looked at that app, and it seems the windows version may be better optimized for the hardware. The technical specs and video card recommendations for the OS X seems a bit lacking in detail.

Perhaps if someone here uses that app, they can better provide details, but I do wonder if a PC may be a better tool for the job

 

[Shauneel]

Ok. Your opinion is shared by most of the people around me. Thank you.

But..Now I have this:
- CPU: i5-3570K
- GPU: Asus GTX 660 Ti DirectCU 2GB
- Motherboard : Asus KCC-REM-MSQ-P8Z77
- RAM : Kingston 8GB DDR3 1600 MHz

Rendering one image ( good - high quality ) takes 30 - 60 min. It depends on the complexity of the project. I want to cut at least in half with new machine. Prove it iMac?

 

[campyguy]

I'm guessing you're somewhat new to the Mac world. I'm a longtime Mac/PC and ArchiCAD (and VectorWorks and AutoCAD) user. A few tips...

The iMac is a fantastic tool to use with ArchiCAD 19 and STAR(T) and BIM Server. The iMac is on-par for performance with any of the Windows boxes we also use.

Next tip - wait about 5 weeks. ArchiCAD 20 should be out in its final form soon, and Apple is hosting its WWDC in mid-June - any money you spend now on current hardware will not be wasted, but current Apple hardware will likely be discounted when the new hardware is announced. Regarding ArchiCAD 20, we're on a subscription so there's no "upgrade" charge - if you're on a single-purchase plan you'll likely be buying a whole new version of ArchiCAD when v. 20 is issued.

Regarding your current configuration, you did not specify which version of ArchiCAD that you're using, or whether you're using any additional plug-ins. Version 19 specifies 8GB of RAM as minimum requirements, with 16GB recommended - we use 64GB on our Win boxes and at least 32GB on our Macs, the difference is vast/huge/big...

We've also upgraded our Win boxes with Samsung 850 Pro SSDs - as OS drives they blow away any other SATA drive we've used. On our production Mac Minis - basically render farms - we use two 1TB 850 Pro SSDs (512GB drives would work fine here too...) in a RAID 0 configuration, and this set up pretty much blows our PCs out the back door (a metaphor here). The Samsung 850 Pro is the best SATA-based SSD for OS drives - period, and we've tested a bunch of them...

If you want an iMac - new versions should be out soon; I'm waiting for iMacs with the updated USB-C port interface. If I were you, I would consider buying an updated iMac and upgrading your PC so that it can be used as a render device, offloading rendering to that while you get back to work with your shiny new iMac.

Regarding your current PC, consider adding a slave hard drive (a small SSD would do nicely here) and using it as your System's scratch disk and designating the slave drive as the System's cache. I taught myself this trick over 10 years to cut down the time needed to import and crop SHAPE files in AutoCAD and ArchiCAD - 7-8 hour renders were cut to 20-30 minutes, and SSDs hadn't even been invented yet...

 

[Shauneel]

Yes , I'm. Apple fascinates and attracts me in all directions. I have iPhone and iPad , but OS X is something new for me.

Yeah , I forgot to write it.. I use two disk in my computer.
- normal disk: VD Black 500GB
- SSD disk: Intel 120GB
- and I use Archicad 19
- Definitely I'll upgrade my RAM on PC.

Do you think Apple announce new iMac in June? This would be fine. I can't wait half a year or year for new iMac.. My work is increasing and still harder. I am also a student and I can't render the whole day.

I would like to ask a lot of things but my English is very bad and it wouln't be easy

Thank you very much for the comment.

 

[maflynn]

If you want an iMac - new versions should be out soon;

I'm not sure we'll be seeing new iMacs at WWDC. New laptops yes, but not new iMacs. The 27" iMac is already on Skylake and the only thing they can add is the new AMD GPUs (and yes, TB3/USB-C).

Do you think Apple announce new iMac in June?

No, their typical release date is in the fall, which they did in 2015. I don't see much being rolled out in June for the iMac. I've been wrong before but generally speaking, I think its a long shot to see new iMacs.

At this point however, being in May, you should wait, as I just said, I've been wrong before

 

[campyguy]

... and the only thing they can add is the new AMD GPUs (and yes, TB3/USB-C).

Honestly, those are the only adds I really want! My vendors are pushing the USB-C port and that's what I'm standardizing on. Cheers!

 

[maflynn]

Honestly, those are the only adds I really want! My vendors are pushing the USB-C port and that's what I'm standardizing on. Cheers!

No question its something that many people are eager to see, but is it enough to justify a mid-cycle refresh?

 

[campyguy]

I'll offer additional advice, however, I'm preparing for an office move so I'll be to the point now that additional hardware spec are available. And, please do not apologize for your native language and English skills - you're conversing quite well in a non-native language FWIW.

First, the brief IMHO not-so-good news - I would upgrade, either to a newer Windows PC or to a newer iMac, and I would not invest any more money in your current PC. Your current PC is an older, mid-range (in 2012) PC that was not designed for use as a CAD or production machine - in my office, I would call your PC a "door stop" as in the only task we would use it for is to hold open a door; I am not being disrespectful here - renders that are taking your PC 20-30 minutes would likely take 2-3 minutes (maximum) on a newer, optimized PC or iMac.

Now that I've looked over the specs a bit more, you're using a mid-range Ivy Bridge processor that was designed in 2011 and available in 2012, and the i5-3570K was barely an improvement over its predecessor from 2 years earlier - and there aren't any decent newer i7 processors that I'm aware of that will fit into Intel's LGA1155 socket - Intel moved on with the newer architectures a couple of years ago. You'd be spending US$350+ to update your processor in a PC that wouldn't really take advantage of the new speed.

RAM. You're using 8GB, and I'm now guessing that you're using a 32-bit version of Windows. More RAM really won't help you here as the OS won't take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM and then the OS will be looking for HD space for RAM swap space, which really bogs down the speed of your PC. We run our CAD apps in Windows 8 or 10 Pro, the 64-bit editions, and our apps can use as much RAM that's available.

Hard drives. I love the Black, and I love most Intel SSDs - but (again, IMHO) using the HD by itself and a tiny SSD is not the choice in my office or pretty much anyone I know. Spinner HDs go in the PCs that use MS Office - our production PCs use only PCIe SSDs now; I started out with SCSI drives in the late-80s and there's no way I'd go back to spinners in my production PCs or Macs. We use Black drives in some of our archival machine and NAS boxes (in a room that has a door we can shut, as they are a bit, um, noisy...).

You don't need a top-of-the-line PC or Mac, but a newer PC/Mac will go a long way to spending less time waiting for your work to complete. Suggestions are to read up on Graphisoft's web portal a few things that may offer some insight (sorry, I bookmark only the English-language information):
http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/technotes/setup/software-technologies/virtual-memory-usage/
http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/technotes/setup/software-technologies/multiprocessing-and-archicad/
http://www.archicad.co.nz/support/support-options/system-requirements - note that they recommend only 64-bit OSes.

Last bit, your choice of video card is likely also bogging down your work. It's an ASUS-branded Nvidia "gamer" card - gamer video cards are not optimized for CAD/3D/rendering work. Do take a look at Grapisoft's recommendations for video cards: http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/technotes/video-cards/recommended-video-cards-for-archicad-19/ - we only use higher-end Quadro cards, but they're expensive; at least make sure your video drivers are updated!

Keep in mind that Apple offers refurbished Macs in a special store (start with refurb.me - they have country-specific web sites, and it's just a front end for Apple's web portal). If Apple does offer new Macs soon, then the current iMacs will get marked down as well! Cheers!
[doublepost=1462912877][/doublepost]

No question its something that many people are eager to see, but is it enough to justify a mid-cycle refresh?

Financially, for Apple, not likely. Most of the peers I know have completely stopped buying peripherals and PCs without the USB-C port, and I have too. In my aforementioned move, I have a bag that's going to Free Geek - all but two of my Firewire cables are in it, along with some of the older components that are near the end of their warranty (this keeps my bond rates lower too, less risk on me being covered by warranties and not the insurance company...).

FWIW, I'm also not keen on Rev. 0 Macs, having not good experience over time. I'm hoping that their experience with the new Macbook and its recent update plus PC makers experience with the new TB3/USB-C hardware/ports will make the refreshes of rMBPs and iMacs go a bit smoother. I still recall my stepping off an underwater shelf on my qualifying diving trip in 1989 - I let others go first now, and I'm sure Apple's taking note with the newer ports/chipsets as well!

 

[Shauneel]

Ok , thank you. I appreciate it. Little about my curent situation...

I'm from Czech Republic ( "poor heart of Europe" ). There aren't official stores , only premium ressellers. That's the reason why I don't have access to refubrished Apple products. Maybe some unofficial , but it's a big risk ( nation of thieves ). I have to buy a new machine and prices there are much higher -> As I wrote earlier , I can't wait half a year for "maybe" new iMac.

I know , my "door stop" ( ) is bad. It was a cheap purchase used computer for my beginnings. You're right , but I'm using a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional.

Really thank you for a detailed description. I read all the links you posted ( Thank goodness for google translator ).

Now , I decided for iMac. Maybe it's a mistake , but we learn from mistakes.
You do not even know how much you helped me. Now I know a lot more. I didn't expect such a response.

I wish you much success!

 

[campyguy]

Prosím. No worries, we're here to help all who come - I'm pretty new here and the community has been very helpful.

The first time I visited your country I spent time in Praha (I stayed near Wenceslass Square and ate at some of the restaurants around the Old Town Square), České Budějovice (one of my favorite cities on Earth), and Český Krumlov. I will return to your country - soon.

Your English skills are much better than my Czech - I only learned the basics, like "Mluvíte anglicky?", "Dobrý den/večer", and "Děkuji" - and I'm really good at pointing what I want in the display to eat. There's no way I could talk about Macs in your native language! The proprietors of a pension I was staying in while in Praha introduced me to Turkish coffee, and I'll be forever in their debt - honestly, their family were among the nicest people I've ever met while traveling and I'll never, ever forget their kindness (they even loaned me a TV so I could watch World Cup football games!).

Stay in touch, and do update this thread. I also will recommend updating your Windows OS to Windows 10 Professional - it's currently a "free upgrade" and its memory management is much "better" and far more efficient than Win 7 Pro. The upgrade to Win 10 will not be "free" in about a month - the kernel is the same, and Graphisoft has certified Windows 10 so you have nothing to lose; we've already moved to Win 10 and have had no problems with the updated OS.

Regarding your existing older PC, don't think of it as a waste of money - it can be used as a file server or render farm, and not just as a "door stop". I own several 2012 i7 Mini Servers, and they host and serve files to my several offices - your PC is about the same age, so don't give up on it. At least PCs are far more easily upgradable. Cheers!

 

[Shauneel]

Ohhh , you don't stop to amaze me. It's great.

I live 20 minutes from Prague down the river Vltava. I'm glad that you have a positive experience from CZ , but I think you had luck to people. Just few people are so kind there. It's great that you'll return , there is little chance meet ( CZ is small country ).

Thank you. It's "normal" cause we learn English for several years at schools ( and still bad ) , but Czech language is unnecessarily complicated. Today isn't problem communicate via smart phones especially in larger cities. I understand.

Update to Windows 10? Ok. Much my friends have problem with that. I don't know why , sometimes games don't work , sometimes shuts down the browser and doesn't react Archicad. But I'll try it. ( there is still the possibility of downgrade )

That's exactly what I thought , but didn't know how to write it . Standby render station. I know that , but I would have to replace all components.

I want to stay in touch. I wish you much success!

 

[knucles_17]

Ohhh , you don't stop to amaze me. It's great.

I live 20 minutes from Prague down the river Vltava. I'm glad that you have a positive experience from CZ , but I think you had luck to people. Just few people are so kind there. It's great that you'll return , there is little chance meet ( CZ is small country ).

Thank you. It's "normal" cause we learn English for several years at schools ( and still bad ) , but Czech language is unnecessarily complicated. Today isn't problem communicate via smart phones especially in larger cities. I understand.

Update to Windows 10? Ok. Much my friends have problem with that. I don't know why , sometimes games don't work , sometimes shuts down the browser and doesn't react Archicad. But I'll try it. ( there is still the possibility of downgrade )

That's exactly what I thought , but didn't know how to write it . Standby render station. I know that , but I would have to replace all components.

I want to stay in touch. I wish you much success!

Hi!

Don't be a fool.

I have been using ARCHICAD + MAC for 10 years now since Architecture School. Do not, i repeat - do not buy a windows PC.

Trust me on this, archicad is better optimised for Macs, runs great and it will save you tons of problems in the future. Archicad is the CAD equivalent of macs (autocad being the windows).

You have chosen the best program of all (trust me i have tried many), don't ruin it with a crappy OS.

 

[campyguy]

Ohhh , you don't stop to amaze me. It's great.

I live 20 minutes from Prague down the river Vltava. I'm glad that you have a positive experience from CZ , but I think you had luck to people. Just few people are so kind there. It's great that you'll return , there is little chance meet ( CZ is small country ).

Thank you. It's "normal" cause we learn English for several years at schools ( and still bad ) , but Czech language is unnecessarily complicated. Today isn't problem communicate via smart phones especially in larger cities. I understand.

Update to Windows 10? Ok. Much my friends have problem with that. I don't know why , sometimes games don't work , sometimes shuts down the browser and doesn't react Archicad. But I'll try it. ( there is still the possibility of downgrade )

That's exactly what I thought , but didn't know how to write it . Standby render station. I know that , but I would have to replace all components.

I want to stay in touch. I wish you much success!

Thanks for the invite to stay in touch, I'd like that. This year is out of the question as I'm starting up two new businesses but I'll be ready for an extended break next year - I like traveling before the children break for the summer or after they are back in school, and I'm sure you know what I mean!

And, if not for losing a coin flip, I would have visited the city in which you live - I studied art history for my elective courses in my engineering programs and fell in love with Italian Renaissance work, and wanted to see the Nelahozeves Chateau and I still do. We went to Budějovice and Krumlov and I still enjoyed the beautiful architecture - but, the bus ride from Praha was a bit scary! On the trip to Praha, we had to park our Golf at Marktredwitz (because of insurance restrictions) and take the train - I couldn't read any signs once we crossed the border, and all I could read then was Cheb and Pilsen!

Two more tips for you to consider, related to your current PC. You could (first) buy two 512GB Samsung 850 EVO or 850 Pro SSD drives and install them in your PC (I prefer Pro drives for OS drives and EVO drives for storage but it will not matter much for your PC) and put them in a RAID 0 configuration - this will speed up your current PC a lot. Then (second), when you buy your new iMac (or a PC) remove those Samsung SSDs from the PC and put them in an external enclosure; I would recommend EVO drives here for you. We put 2 or 4 850 EVO drives in external enclosures, format them together in a RAID 0 configuration, and use them as a very, very fast scratch disk for rendering.

For example, I own a personal 2012 i7 Mini Server. I left the two stock 5400RPM 1TB drives in the Mini and put them in a RAID 0 configuration - my read/write speeds almost tripled, from about 60 MB/s to 170 MB/s. In my small company, we have 4 of these same Mini Servers but the spinners have been replaced with 1TB Samsung 850 Pro drives the Minis benchmark at around 1 GB/s - but, we back up everything, every day and often work on file copies in case the RAID array fails.

Investing in two SSDs now gets you a product you can use in the future as well. As for knucles_17's comment, regarding ArchiCAD and other Graphsoft products I agree. We have clients that use Revit and Access as a backend, so we're stuck with Windows; Revit isn't very nice with Boot Camp, and neither is Access. The other cross-platform applications we use are Nemetschek's Vectorworks and Architect applications.

OK, last bit of advice for now. Are you aware that Autodesk and Nemetschek offer free software to students?
https://student.myvectorworks.net
http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all

You can buy me a Budvar!

 

[Shauneel]

You're welcome , me too. It sounds good. Yeah , I know what you mean.

That'd be amazing! In my area is a lot of sights. You must to check Vetrusy. It's very close to Nelahozeves. I wrote the seminal work about Nelahozeves Chateau at the high school. I really like history and architecture. Yes , all our bigger or important cities have their own history with history buildings. That's the only nice on CZ. Buses there are little scary

I just looked on this disk. It encourages everyone and ratings are awesome! I have to buy it. Thank you very much for the great advice , again.

Yesterday I was at the Apple Store to try Archicad on their iMac. They told me , they have there "demo" version of mid 2014 iMac. That young man told me they get demo versions to exposure. I've never heard it , but ok , I tried it. I render here simple image of modern room ( on mid details with no shadows ) for 9 minutes. My "door stop" render the same picture with the same options for 8 minutes. ( CineRender ). Is it possible ?

I know that , but I use only Archicad , Autocad , Sketchup and Photoshop.

Budvar? Oh noo. That's the worst beer there. You have to try Pilsner urquell. Top!

 

[jerwin]

The Mid 2014 iMac was a bit of a turkey-- it was designed to appeal to the exceptionally price sensitive, and was much slower than most of Apple's lineup.

http://www.macworld.com/article/236...review-lower-price-way-lower-performance.html

The 5K retina iMacs were released in late 2014, and were designed to be fast machines.

 

[Shauneel]

Great. I was just surprised.
Thanks for the link.

 

[campyguy]

First, I'll definitely agree with jerwin on that iMac, and that much changed in the newer iMacs. I'm going to guess that that the iMac you checked out is a door stop as well. It likely was a baseline or near baseline iMac - 5400RPM drive (as opposed to the 7200RPM Black you use now), a similar i5 Intel processor, likely the same amount (8GB) of RAM, and they're running the demo in a restricted user account.

I'm going to stick to my opinions that'd I had expressed earlier, but add one more for you to consider - but it's more money to spend. Read this, comparing the iMac to a Mac Pro, copied from iMore and I can't stress how much I agree with this:
"In the end, these are two thoroughly different classes of computer. The iMac's "Skylake" underpinnings are incredibly powerful and it excels at single thread operations. But the Mac Pro is a parallel processing monster that's designed for more specialized work than the iMac."
Original URL: http://www.imore.com/retina-imac-vs-mac-pro-which-mac-powerhouse-should-you-get

ArchiCAD will use as many cores as you can open it up to. The baseline Xeon processor will blow an iMac away with any multicore-demanding applications, including a top-of-the-line iMac - at least that's what we've found in our experience.

A refurbished Mac Pro will blow away any iMac - we use a few 8-core Mac Pros, however, the 4-core Mac Pros are fast, fast, fast. I'm also hoping that they'll be refreshed in the coming months, and that would lead to lower prices on the 2013 version as it's closed out. We may still be using the existing Mac Pros for years to come, they're just that good...

Then, there's the "less money" option that I had alluded to earlier: find and buy a 2012 quad-core i7 Mini Server. We don't use them as file servers but small rendering devices. Set up the work on our main workstation, transfer the file to the Mini Server (with RAID 0-formatted dual SSDs) and let them do the work while getting on to the next project. There's no reason why a newer Mini (with a SSD - Fusion Drives are nice, but SSDs are much nicer IMHO) couldn't be set up that way, using a fast DAS setup attached via TB2 or USB. This set up allows you to get on to your next project while the Mini works alongside you...

As for beers, Urquell was the first Czech beer I'd tried (back in 1983...) - but I was living in Austin Texas at the time, and the beer was terrible as it had likely been sitting in the hot stockroom for a long, long time before being put in the cooler! Back then, Austinites and other Texans just didn't drink too much Czech beer - I worked the beer case, so I did know that at the time. Urquell is much better fresh, and I did enjoy several while I was in Praha last time. No worries about Budvar, and I agree with you there.

And, when you come to North America visit the place that shows up on the iMac promotional picture - the one with the alpine lake surrounded by several mountains. I've been there several times - Moraine Lake, surrounded by The Ten Sentinals, and it's close to Lake Louise, in Banff National Park. I've canoed and hiked around both, and be sure to visit the adjoining three National Parks!
Enjoy! http://360panos.com/local/moraine-lake-banff-alberta.php - I use Chrome to view these...

 

[Shauneel]

Yes , that's exactly what they told me.

Similar articles I've also read and I know that. If I'm satisfied with Apple , I want to buy some MacBook for college. I'm looking at the MacBook Pro 2013 with an amazing price. For school supplies and simple projects that will be enough.

I agree with the Mac Pro , but that price almost killed me.

Mac mini? This is an interesting option , I have never seen that yet for that work. Maybe it wouldn't be bad like next device.

Now I understand it. In general CZ beers have a good reputation in the world , I heard from friends. Budvar is very sweet and gentle , but the true beer should be bitter, strong and refreshing. ( My father taught me all about beer )

I would like to. I really like these America's National Parks. That are awesome views but unfortunately the picture , so far. So many amazing places I'd like to see. I would like to travel around the world too.
My sister is leaving CZ to study at Wyoming high school. Lucky one.. Do you know that shool ?

 

[campyguy]

2013 MacBook Pro? Be careful there, my friend... Read the very helpful web page here, specifically the "Internal Differences" section - it's pretty easy to follow:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...-pro-retina-display-early-2013-late-2013.html

My company has a mid-2012 15 inch unit as a backup, for emergencies if another unit goes down - it's basically identical to an early-2013 rMBP. I bought it new, and it was a great Mac and now it's an OK Mac - I transferred it to my company. SATA SSDs or spinners, and slower Ivy Bridge processors and slower GPUs compared to the late-2013 rMBP.

I can compare a mid-2012 15 inch rMBP to a late-2013 15 inch rMBP - I'm typing on a late-2013 rMBP right now. My newer rMBP has slightly better graphics (both of mine have dGPUs), 16GB RAM (8 in my older rMBP), AND a much, much faster PCIe SSD. Plus, my late-2013 rMBP can drive 1 or 2 4k displays plus the internal display at full resolution - all at 60Hz; one doesn't need to activate 60Hz for rendering work (I dial my down to 30Hz during rendering). IMHO, the late-2013 rMBP is a much better "deal" than an early-2013 rMBP - and I'm assuming you're not even considering a non-Retina rMBP, and because of the option for a dGPU IMHO a 13-inch unit isn't suited for ArchiCAD or other work in CAD. Also, I would also not consider an i5 processor or non-SSD drive in a rMBP. Put differently, consider only a late-2013 15" rMBP with a dGPU and an SSD (512GB or 1TB - mine has the 1TB drive).

I mentioned the Mini option as it can do some work and you can keep your PC and let both work for you!

As for beer, I used to like hoppy beers a lot but found out something that turned me off a bit. I used to brew for fun and for parties when I was in college, and two of my buddies liked very hoppy beers. During my environmental engineering coursework I discovered that hops (and some other plants I was studying at the time - from time to time, I write specifications to remove invasive plant species) contain a lot of plant-based estrogen. Look up estrogen, if you don't know what it is, and read about what it does to our bodies over time!

And, Wyoming is a lovely state. I haven't been in that state in about 20 years, but traveled through it several times over a 15-year period. My first visit was to Yellowstone, in 1976 as a teenager. There's no real way to describe the entire state as some of it is flat and some of it is very mountainous. For someone coming from CZ, the two adjustments one will encounter are the elevation/climate change and the relatively "few" people live there. Regarding population, I think that Praha has about 4 times the number of people living there as in the entire state of Wyoming, which I think has the fewest people living there (including Alaska). The climate is generally dry-to-arid and it can get very windy/hot/cold (you'd see temps that go from -40°C to 40°C in the same year...), and I think that the lowest elevation is about 1000m. Some of the beauty there is stunningly beautiful, some of the state seems to go on as far as the eye can see - and then there's Cody, where you can look east and see the horizon or you can look west and "up, up, up" as part of Cody is built on what seems to be the side of mountain but it's really at the base of the beginning of the Bighorn Basin. Your sister will love her experience there - as with anywhere, I've met some very nice people there and some not nice people there (long story, 30 years ago...). Wyoming is a very, very large place... Cheers!

 

[Shauneel]

I was looking at this: MacBook Pro 15 retina 2013 with
- CPU: Intel Core i7 2.0GHZ
- GPU: Intel Iris Pro
- RAM: 8GB
- SSD: 256GB

Thank you for the warning! There are so many differences between each Apple device. I'm already losing at it... Anyway, I thank you very much , again , again and again.

Yeah , I know it. In large amount it can decreases the level of testosteron and much more. A few years ago they wrote about estrogen everywhere , but I don't care a bit. I drink a little , just for taste. It's wonderful that you know so much.

I'm sorry , I was wrong. It's Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania. My bad.. It sounds similar for me. ( but after your description I'm also interested in that state ). She plays ice-hockey and she is very good at it. This school is a great opportunity for her , cause in the CZ isn't women's hockey so much expanded. She is always flying to abroad with the national team.

Is there a place where you have never been ?

 

[campyguy]

On the Mac you described, pass on it. The processor is average, the GPU is very weak for what you're seeking, and the RAM/SSD combination are also weak in comparison to what is available today - keep in mind that you would be pairing modern, up-to-date software with 4-year-old hardware, which is the situation you're in right now. IMHO you would be spending money and gaining no advantage. That's what we're here for...

Regarding your "mistake" - don't worry, you didn't make one. "Wyoming" loosely translates to "extensive meadows", and the area that Wyoming Seminary is in is very picturesque, and bisected by the Susquehanna River (a very significant river in our country, in beauty and history). Even the name "Seminary" meant something different at the time that the school was named. And, yes, I have traveled through the area - I was born not too far away, in New York, and still have friends in Pennsylvania. As American peoples traveled west, they took the name "Wyoming" with them, like the English named so many cities "Portland" as they traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania hosts many, many buildings/colleges/parks/monuments with the name "Wyoming" attached, but I'd wager that 99% of Americans don't even know this - so, don't feel left out.

The Wyoming Seminary has been famous for a few types of graduates - politicians, soccer and American football players, and men's and women's hockey players (including several Czech hockey players).

The geographic region is not at all arid, but it sure does get cold and snowy in the winter, and hot and humid during summer months. FWIW, we welcome your sister to our country, as your country welcomed my friends and I some 20 years ago!

 

[Shauneel]

I apologize for inactivity , but I graduated.

Ok. I thought it so. I have another stupid question.. Let's say I have an iMac with 2x4gb RAM and later buy 2x8gb RAM ( https://www.alza.cz/crucial-16gb-ki...ered-pro-apple-mac-d518256.htm?catid=18852020 ). Together is 24gb RAM. Will it work ?

Exactly.. I wrote Wyoming to Google and I did not expect so many results. When I look at America, it's beautiful everywhere. I really love that kind of nature , lakes , mountains.. She decided to many schools, but she chose the most expensive school she could.. Classic. She got a scholarship about 85% and we'll still pay 14 000$ for year. It's insane for us , but she is daddy's princess.

We are accustomed to the change in the weather. I hope so.

 

[Shauneel]

Hi.

I just bought that iMac 27. First impressions were amazing!! But..

When I started Archicad my impressions were gone.. My "door stop" read objects and rendering faster than that iMac... Yes , for real. Could someone tell me how this is possible ??
Yes , I have just 8Gb RAM , but I don`t know if bigger RAM accelerate rendering. Is it possible to return the iMac , But I want to ask whether more RAM will help , or not. I'm willing to buy 16GB + basic 8GB.

Thanks..

 

[campyguy]

Hi, Shauneel - if you don't want your shiny new iMac, I'll give you my address and look for a box soon! I'll pay for the shipping!!!

Back to it! Your new iMac is pushing a lot more pixels than your PC was. My first recommendation is check AC's Work Environment Settings, and make two adjustments to the advanced user settings. The first (shown in a screenshot) is to dial up the 2D Drawing Hardware Acceleration - tweaking/adjusting that setting can go a long way to making your experience better. Second, I'd adjust the second setting slider - Memory Usage - to between 1/2-to-2/3, and no more than that as you have 8GB of RAM; all of our production iMacs and Mac Pros have at least 32GB of RAM, and I'd recommend at least 16-24GB in your iMac, then adjust the slider to the right (100%) after you add some RAM!

EDIT: I added the image I promised!

And, consider a separate cache disk (they're also called "scratch disks"). We use a scratch disk for our rendering, drafting, and illustration work - we use an external SSD for our Macs, attached via either TB or USB 3. The SSD doesn't need to be large in size (we use 128-256GB SSDs) - you might be very surprised at how a cache disk can speed up a PC or Mac. The settings for AC are in the Special Folders (Options > Work Environment > Special Folders) Settings dialog box. See this post on Graphsoft's support portal:
http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/gu.../work-environment-dialog-box/special-folders/

Also, there's a nasty redraw issue bug in the current build that is supposed to get fixed in the next build - it killed performance in some of our Macs and PCs, but it was lucky for us that we test on one PC and one Mac before updating our machines - this could be causing you some issues. We reverted those two machines until the next AC Build is issued. See this post on Graphsoft's support portal:
http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/tr...rchicad-19-performance-troubleshooting-guide/ - it's the first item in the post, and it's a US English web page. Again, my Czech is pretty poor aside from personal conversations!

It's time to get back to my TV - I'm recording the two Euro football matches... Cheers, and keep me posted!!!