Yes there was no point. I'm on still on vacation from work so had far too much time on my hands. Some of it was definitely not well spent...
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Awesome wife bought me a new 2019 iMac with Fusion Drive. Should I go with SSD instead?
- Thread starter cannondale1974
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Yes there was no point. I'm on still on vacation from work so had far too much time on my hands. Some of it was definitely not well spent...
I'm pretty sure I replied in a subsequent post. But as said enough enough. I do have the right tools for the job which is all that matters to me. 😀 All the best for 2020.
I think you did the right thing returning the iMac. I wouldn't buy anything other then SSD any more.
1TB SSD should be fine.
I would then still purchase an external SSD as your project/render/scratch drive for all video related work.
My MBP 16 has a 1TB SSD but I rarely go over 100GB! All of my documents and applications live on the internal drive, but I use external SSDs for all video related work. I like to keep th erender/project file son a separate drive so the internal drive just needs to run the application alone - things seem to work better for me this way.
Avoid the Samsung X5. Its a very fast and capable drive - I actually did recommend it in my initial review - but the cooling is poor and it WILL throttle the speed right down to HDD speeds after some video editing.
Personally I use either a ThunderBlade V4 (although appreciate a SSD RAID is very expensive), or if you want to go portable then the Glyph Atom Pro - as fast as the X5 but does not throttle with use. The speed is sustained even when the drive warms up as the cooling seems MUCH better.
Ive been through a lot of drives, as you can see from my YouTube channel, but the ones Ive stuck with are the two I mention above - the ThunderBlade and the Glyph Atom Pro.
If on a budget then the Glyph AtomRAID SSD is also highly recommended, and plenty enough in terms speed for iMovie related work......
Entire playlist of external SSD reviews as well as docks and hubs you may find useful!
Internal/External Drives & Storage / NAS / DAS / Docks & Hubs
NAS Drives, External RAID Arrays, External Disk Drives, and getting the most of your external media - its all here!www.youtube.com
Wow, thanks SO much for all the information and helpful advice! I may need to investigate using something like the ThunderBlade V4 for video editing. Would this take some "load/heat" off the actual computer itself? I'll definitely go SSD internally, probably 1T due to my budget. What are your thoughts on the processor and GPU? Definitely go i9 and the Vegas48? I'm trying not to go over $3k but that may be impossible to get what I want. Thanks again!
in post #35 he told us we are ONLY allowed to use those port on a temporary basis. I think Apple even says this on the website - "ports on the back of the iMac are only intended for temporary attachments of peripherals, why else would you ever choose the iMac, do not use these ports for long-term and more beneficial usage, if you need to use ports buy another Mac...seriously why consider the All-In-One iMac."
Actually it says this on the iMac Product Description Page:
Packed with ports. And possibilities.
Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports come standard on all iMac models, each delivering up to 40Gb/s data transfer for external drives and cameras and ample bandwidth for video and display connectivity. Four USB 3 ports give you plenty of options for connecting peripherals, including your printer, iPhone, thumb drive, and more. And with ultrafast three-stream Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology, you’re instantly connected to all your favorite content.
It depends on the type of video you will be working with. The i7 or i9 would be perfect, and the best GPU you can get will definitely help when it comes to rendering etc.
As for the external drive - if working with 1080p video the AtomRAID SSD would be more then enough, or any fast Type-C external SSD, whereas if you are looking to move into 4k territory then you'll want to start looking at ThunderBolt 3 SSDs and RAID arrays.....
Thanks for ALL the advice, I really appreciate it. I ended up getting another 27" iMac w/i9, 8 gig RAM, Vega48 GPU and 1 TB SSD. Typing this on it as we speak, it's awesome so far!
Lucky man. I'd hang onto her.
512 gig SSD. For Boot only and Apple apps.
1TB SSD External. For Apps.
1TB SSD External. For Data.
Keeps your iMac boot drive clean through out the life of your machine.
And you'll have more storage and probably some change out of that. You'll probably be able to get all three options for the price Apple would charge you to upgrade to that one drive.
Azrael.
Lucky man. I'd hang onto her.
512 gig SSD. For Boot only and Apple apps.
1TB SSD External. For Apps.
1TB SSD External. For Data.
Keeps your iMac boot drive clean through out the life of your machine.
And you'll have more storage and probably some change out of that. You'll probably be able to get all three options for the price Apple would charge you to upgrade to that one drive.
Azrael.
You do realize the original post was from DEC 2019 and he wound up returning it and getting a new SSD-based iMac in Jan?
I find 1TB overkill, unless you lots of data heavy lifting like processing and editing 4K video files.
I have a 512 GB SSD + many TBs via external USB 3.0 disks, some in RAID0. Programs on the internal SSD, data on external disks, incl. double backup.
Usually for programs and the OS around 100-150 GB is ok, so 256 GB for an internal SSD is a bit tight.
EDIT: and yes, it's still a joke Apple sells iMacs with a HDD. Probably just marketing to keep the base price as low as possible.
I have a 512 GB SSD + many TBs via external USB 3.0 disks, some in RAID0. Programs on the internal SSD, data on external disks, incl. double backup.
Usually for programs and the OS around 100-150 GB is ok, so 256 GB for an internal SSD is a bit tight.
EDIT: and yes, it's still a joke Apple sells iMacs with a HDD. Probably just marketing to keep the base price as low as possible.
Seems the way to go.
I used to think having one big drive with boot, apps, data on it was the way.
But I've since wrapped my idea around having:
a clean boot drive = 512 gig SSD. Plenty of room for OS, updates and Apple programs.
external = 1TB SSD for apps. (Apps can grow and grow.)
External = 1TB SSD for data. (Data grows like wildfire.)
(and yes, another of those for a 'double' back up.)
External = 512 gigs SSD (for back up boot. Just in case.)
For the sake of £300-£400 you get more insurance and flexibility and safety for whatever it is you're doing.
It's what I'll be doing for my next rig. So if it gives more flexibility. Along with a back up Mac server.
The idea of everything me having everything on one computer's HD, especially if you want to run a business, is now a quaint notion. A handful of drives reflecting flexibility, a fall back position, backing up data...twice...etc.
With my current rig going down due to a gpu failure. I've learned the lesson the hard way.
Azrael.
Surely for what you’re describing a NAS is the way to go? That’s what I use in conjunction with my iMac.Seems the way to go.
I used to think having one big drive with boot, apps, data on it was the way.
But I've since wrapped my idea around having:
a clean boot drive = 512 gig SSD. Plenty of room for OS, updates and Apple programs.
external = 1TB SSD for apps. (Apps can grow and grow.)
External = 1TB SSD for data. (Data grows like wildfire.)
(and yes, another of those for a 'double' back up.)
External = 512 gigs SSD (for back up boot. Just in case.)
For the sake of £300-£400 you get more insurance and flexibility and safety for whatever it is you're doing.
It's what I'll be doing for my next rig. So if it gives more flexibility. Along with a back up Mac server.
The idea of everything me having everything on one computer's HD, especially if you want to run a business, is now a quaint notion. A handful of drives reflecting flexibility, a fall back position, backing up data...twice...etc.
With my current rig going down due to a gpu failure. I've learned the lesson the hard way.
Azrael.
NAS. Don't know much about a 'NAS' set up in terms of what it is and how much it costs.
The one thing I did see Apple advertise with the Mac Pro 'Can' and the iMac was the Pegasis system which looked like a mini filing cabinet of Hard Drives.
I'd thought for a Hackintosh 4 internal drives. Two boot. Two apps. External two.
ie. 1 each for a dual boot Mac/Win set up.
Similarly for iMac. If they dump the hard drive surely room for two SSDs inside?
But if I get the iMac. I'd be be Boot Camp Mac/Win. And 4 external SSD drives for apps and data. Two each for Mac/Win.
If you have any links to price/links to NAS. Feel free to send along. My mind was set on SSDs as they are quite cheap these days.
Azrael.
Go 1TB internal and then add external SSD with TB enclosure.
Works like a charm. Attach it to the back of the case and it’s like having two internal drives.
I have this setup and it’s flawless.
In the long run SSD is the only reasonable way to go. It’s mid 2020.
Also your wife is awesome. Makes sure she knows that even though she didn’t go for the perfect setup.
Works like a charm. Attach it to the back of the case and it’s like having two internal drives.
I have this setup and it’s flawless.
In the long run SSD is the only reasonable way to go. It’s mid 2020.
Also your wife is awesome. Makes sure she knows that even though she didn’t go for the perfect setup.
Are there reasonably priced TB enclosure cabinets where you can eg. stack 4 M.2 SSDs in?
I have an 'internal' SSD samsung plugged in the back of my 'Walking Dead' iMac. It works or it used to before my GPU fried (faster than the fusion drive I had inside...) but it's a bit unsightly/untidy.
Azrael.
I have an 'internal' SSD samsung plugged in the back of my 'Walking Dead' iMac. It works or it used to before my GPU fried (faster than the fusion drive I had inside...) but it's a bit unsightly/untidy.
Azrael.
Reasonably priced? Depends.
The problem is that you have only 4 lanes. 4 NVMe blades going down TB3 will divide to 1 lane each at 1/4 speed. If you need 8TB storage, that is a way to go and they are available but it's not cheap—especially at $595 per blade plus the PCIe box ($1,200?). A Samsung X5 gives you the same speed and is bus powered. 2TB goes for $800.