Buy the old 27" iMac, or wait for M1 version?

[MarklarE]

Hi everybody!

I was waiting this spring event for the 27” (or higher) iMac to be presented, but that probably won’t be the case to later this year (or later still). For this I can’t wait, since I’m sometimes experiencing screen freezes, certain websites that aren’t loading anymore as they once used to, and something seems to be wrong with the display lighting, so I really need a new iMac.
I’m thinking about not waiting for this new model iMac, and instead purchase the “old” 2020 model iMac. With this plan in mind, I have a question:

Currently I have the Late 2015 version, and I only need a working memory upgrade, really. I now have 16 GB, but I’m experiencing problems when I try to run multiple programs at the same time. My 'memory pressure' gets full quickly, and even 'swap' is used sometimes. I’m also a Photoshopper, and I don’t want to be limited by the amount of files I can work on at the same time.
Moreover, on this Macrumors page it says that “M1 Macs max out at 16GB RAM, but even the base 8GB is enough for everyday tasks”. The same goes for the Mac mini, they don't go higher than 16 GB. This must also be the case for the future 27” (or larger) model, right? Or am I drawing the wrong conclusion here? I might be way off, making that inference, because it’s only the small Macs where working memory can’t get an upgrade, but it’s a different story for the larger Macs? Does anybody know whether the old model small iMac (which has been replaced by the new model this week) could be upgraded its working memory? Well, my final point is this: if this future iMac can’t be upgraded to 32 GB or 64 GB, I’m not going to wait for it, because I believe that I need at least 32 GB for my demanding activities.

So my question is this: why should I wait to get this holy M1 chip? It’s not involved in working memory, is it? Mainly with speed. Sure, it also says that: "as a "System on a Chip," the M1 integrates several different components, including the CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM)", but that doesn't mean that 16 GB all of a sudden equals to something like 32 GB. And I don’t really need "faster video processing" or "faster image processing", in fact, I’m already switching from a 2015 model (quad core) to a 8-core in the 2020 model, so there’s my speed increase anyway. I don’t even need more speed, to be honest. It’s like buying a faster car, which reaches 150 MPH, but I’m never going to exceed 80 MPH anyway, so why bother, why wait for this faster model? But because it feels rather wrong to purchase an old model, when a new iMac is on the horizon, I’m asking you, people on this forum, this question first, before I make the decision, to find out whether you’re following my line of reasoning, or totally not.

There's one last issue that's on my mind. About 2 years ago, when Apple launched Catalina, they changed their OS software to a higher bit. This meant that the Photoshop CS 6 was nog longer 64-bit compliant, and so one had to switch to Photoshop CC. Would it theoretically be possible that, at some point in the future, Adobe would only able to run only on Macs with an M1 chip, and not anymore on Macs with an Intel chip? If theoretically possible, it would not be such a smart move to now invest in an older version iMac, with that hypothetical possibility.

Thanks in advance for your replies, I really appreciate it.

P.S. Would you, in my situation, with my above described activities (which are not "everyday tasks", I presume), would you go for 32 GB, or 64 GB (to be sure)?

 

[batmanofvietnam]

it is very highly likely that the upcoming 'pro' iMac + MacBooks will have 16, 32+ gb ram options.

It kinda depends how often you update your devices - if you buy a new mac every 2ish years the intel iMac will def suit your needs now, and will be supported for another 3 years, but if you buy a new mac every 3-6 years it would absolutely make sense to wait a few more months for the complete design overhaul, so you are 'future proof'.

If your current iMac is 27 inch you can upgrade the RAM yourself, perhaps this is the cheaper option whilst you are waiting for the M1 'pro' devices.

Some people are buying the M1 devices for now and intending to sell them when the new 'pro' models come out because the resale on macs is quite high ie. you will make most of your money back.

 

[MarklarE]

it is very highly likely that the upcoming 'pro' iMac + MacBooks will have 16, 32+ gb ram options.

It kinda depends how often you update your devices - if you buy a new mac every 2ish years the intel iMac will def suit your needs now, and will be supported for another 3 years, but if you buy a new mac every 3-6 years it would absolutely make sense to wait a few more months for the complete design overhaul, so you are 'future proof'.

If your current iMac is 27 inch you can upgrade the RAM yourself, perhaps this is the cheaper option whilst you are waiting for the M1 'pro' devices.

Some people are buying the M1 devices for now and intending to sell them when the new 'pro' models come out because the resale on macs is quite high ie. you will make most of your money back.

Thanks for your reply! Could you please define “future proof”? How would an Intel Mac not be future proof? Could Photoshop not be compatible with it, for instance? Because that would be my only fear.

 

[velocityg4]

Thanks for your reply! Could you please define “future proof”? How would an Intel Mac not be future proof? Could Photoshop not be compatible with it, for instance? Because that would be my only fear.

If the past holds true. Adobe will maintain compatibility for a couple years after Apple drops macOS support for Intel Mac.

they will eventually drop support. Probably not for another six or seven years. It’ll mostly depend on Apples support life. Plus how long it takes the majority of Adobe users to upgrade to ARM. When it will no longer make sense to keep spending money on developing for an old device.

 

[batmanofvietnam]

Thanks for your reply! Could you please define “future proof”? How would an Intel Mac not be future proof? Could Photoshop not be compatible with it, for instance? Because that would be my only fear.

this is only speculation, only guesswork, but if they aren't making any more intel macs it's only a matter of time before intel macOS and intel mac apps stop getting updated. That could be 2 years from now, 5 years, no one knows.

maybe you should wait until the M1 iMacs start getting benchmarked and reviewed next month- see what other photoshop users are saying

 

[Andrea Filippini]

Hi everybody!

I was waiting this spring event for the 27” (or higher) iMac to be presented, but that probably won’t be the case to later this year (or later still). For this I can’t wait, since I’m sometimes experiencing screen freezes, certain websites that aren’t loading anymore as they once used to, and something seems to be wrong with the display lighting, so I really need a new iMac.
I’m thinking about not waiting for this new model iMac, and instead purchase the “old” 2020 model iMac. With this plan in mind, I have a question:

Currently I have the Late 2015 version, and I only need a working memory upgrade, really. I now have 16 GB, but I’m experiencing problems when I try to run multiple programs at the same time. My 'memory pressure' gets full quickly, and even 'swap' is used sometimes. I’m also a Photoshopper, and I don’t want to be limited by the amount of files I can work on at the same time.
Moreover, on this Macrumors page it says that “M1 Macs max out at 16GB RAM, but even the base 8GB is enough for everyday tasks”. The same goes for the Mac mini, they don't go higher than 16 GB. This must also be the case for the future 27” (or larger) model, right? Or am I drawing the wrong conclusion here? I might be way off, making that inference, because it’s only the small Macs where working memory can’t get an upgrade, but it’s a different story for the larger Macs? Does anybody know whether the old model small iMac (which has been replaced by the new model this week) could be upgraded its working memory? Well, my final point is this: if this future iMac can’t be upgraded to 32 GB or 64 GB, I’m not going to wait for it, because I believe that I need at least 32 GB for my demanding activities.

So my question is this: why should I wait to get this holy M1 chip? It’s not involved in working memory, is it? Mainly with speed. Sure, it also says that: "as a "System on a Chip," the M1 integrates several different components, including the CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM)", but that doesn't mean that 16 GB all of a sudden equals to something like 32 GB. And I don’t really need "faster video processing" or "faster image processing", in fact, I’m already switching from a 2015 model (quad core) to a 8-core in the 2020 model, so there’s my speed increase anyway. I don’t even need more speed, to be honest. It’s like buying a faster car, which reaches 150 MPH, but I’m never going to exceed 80 MPH anyway, so why bother, why wait for this faster model? But because it feels rather wrong to purchase an old model, when a new iMac is on the horizon, I’m asking you, people on this forum, this question first, before I make the decision, to find out whether you’re following my line of reasoning, or totally not.

There's one last issue that's on my mind. About 2 years ago, when Apple launched Catalina, they changed their OS software to a higher bit. This meant that the Photoshop CS 6 was nog longer 64-bit compliant, and so one had to switch to Photoshop CC. Would it theoretically be possible that, at some point in the future, Adobe would only able to run only on Macs with an M1 chip, and not anymore on Macs with an Intel chip? If theoretically possible, it would not be such a smart move to now invest in an older version iMac, with that hypothetical possibility.

Thanks in advance for your replies, I really appreciate it.

P.S. Would you, in my situation, with my above described activities (which are not "everyday tasks", I presume), would you go for 32 GB, or 64 GB (to be sure)?

If you can upgrade the memory of your machine, do it.
Otherwise, go for a iMac 27-inch i9 3.6 (5K, 2019). Powerful machine with upgradeable memory (up to 128 GB) and storage (it has a SATA III connector for a 3.5" hard drive and a PCIe connector for the SSD).

 

[zhenya]

I am certain that any Intel Mac bought today will have a useful lifespan of at least 5 years. Probably more.

I am not at all certain the the iMac "Pro" people here are waiting for will be coming in the next few months. I would not be at all surprised if we do not see it until next year. I would expect the MacBooks to get upgraded with more powerful processors and up to 32GB of RAM first (likely fall) then pro iMacs after that (hopefully going to 64GB).

 

[BrianBaughn]

I've seen predictions that the Apple Silicon "iMac Pro", or whatever it will be called, will be 30" or 32".

Not sure if that factors in your decision.

 

[4sallypat]

..... “M1 Macs max out at 16GB RAM, but even the base 8GB is enough for everyday tasks”. The same goes for the Mac mini, they don't go higher than 16 GB. This must also be the case for the future 27” (or larger) model, right? Or am I drawing the wrong conclusion here? I might be way off, making that inference, because it’s only the small Macs where working memory can’t get an upgrade, but it’s a different story for the larger Macs? Does anybody know whether the old model small iMac (which has been replaced by the new model this week) could be upgraded its working memory? Well, my final point is this: if this future iMac can’t be upgraded to 32 GB or 64 GB, I’m not going to wait for it, because I believe that I need at least 32 GB for my demanding activities.

So my question is this: why should I wait to get this holy M1 chip? It’s not involved in working memory, is it? Mainly with speed. Sure, it also says that: "as a "System on a Chip," the M1 integrates several different components, including the CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM)", but that doesn't mean that 16 GB all of a sudden equals to something like 32 GB. And I don’t really need "faster video processing" or "faster image processing", in fact, I’m already switching from a 2015 model (quad core) to a 8-core in the 2020 model, so there’s my speed increase anyway. I don’t even need more speed, to be honest. It’s like buying a faster car, which reaches 150 MPH, but I’m never going to exceed 80 MPH anyway, so why bother, why wait for this faster model? But because it feels rather wrong to purchase an old model, when a new iMac is on the horizon, I’m asking you, people on this forum, this question first, before I make the decision, to find out whether you’re following my line of reasoning, or totally not.

There's one last issue that's on my mind. About 2 years ago, when Apple launched Catalina, they changed their OS software to a higher bit. This meant that the Photoshop CS 6 was nog longer 64-bit compliant, and so one had to switch to Photoshop CC. Would it theoretically be possible that, at some point in the future, Adobe would only able to run only on Macs with an M1 chip, and not anymore on Macs with an Intel chip? If theoretically possible, it would not be such a smart move to now invest in an older version iMac, with that hypothetical possibility.

Thanks in advance for your replies, I really appreciate it.

P.S. Would you, in my situation, with my above described activities (which are not "everyday tasks", I presume), would you go for 32 GB, or 64 GB (to be sure)?

The M1 Unified Memory is not the same as traditional DDR memory sticks that we have been brainwashed to get more for more performance.

The new M1 SOC runs differently with RISC like instructions for efficient memory use - the 8GB of an M1 is not the same as a 8GB Intel RAM.

About 6 months of use on 2 BASE (8GB) machines already tells me that it is not underpowered. As a matter of fact, these base M1 machines run better than Intel powered Mac w/ double or triple the RAM!

No more spinning beach balls - no more heating up - no more lags in app opening.

I suppose you can wait for the Pro versions with more Unified Memory but I don't think I will ever need that for my daily use at home and work.

I am quite happy with 8GB - more than sufficient due to the efficient clocking & instruction cycles of the M1.

I'll be ordering the BASE iMac this month and opt for the $30 Ethernet option which the only thing I really use (never use WiFi on my Macs except for the MBA).

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Don't be a lemming and run off the cliff with everyone else.

I wouldn't buy one of the 24" m1 iMacs.
They aren't a "big enough jump up" from the entry-level m1 Macs that preceded them.

If the 2015 is doing ok, I suggest you "hold out" just a few more months until Apple releases the "larger" iMac.

This will almost certainly have the "next-generation" m-series CPU in it.
It will probably be sized around 30-32" (I don't see why Apple would keep it at 27" with the new iMac coming in at 24").
It will probably have more memory capacity (perhaps 32gb, maybe even 64gb).
It may have a couple more ports.

One prediction I'll make about the upcoming 30" iMac:
(and remember from whom you heard this first)
Like the other m1 iMacs, it, too, WILL NOT have user-upgradeable RAM.
There will be no "user serviceable" or upgradeable parts inside.

This is due to the design of the m-series CPU, "unified memory", etc.