iMac 2017 5k or Mac Pro 2012?

[LeRoi3]

Hi guys,

Especially for this 'problem', I have created an account with MacRumors. Hopefully, you can give me advice on this, because I have been in doubt for months and now want to finally make a decision!

I'm a graphic designer who works mainly with Adobe Photoshop / InDesign / Illustrator and Cinema 4D. At the moment I own an iMac 21'5 2012 and a MacBook Pro 2015. But I mostly work on my iMac, the MacBook Pro is just for when I'm on the go

I would like to get more involved in Cinema 4D and especially in the Octane render engine that bases its speed on the strength of a GPU. The machines I have atm are too slow for the heavy render assignments, so it's time to get a real monster.

So I doubt between a 27" iMac (2017) and a Mac Pro (2012). The iMac performs better in Photoshop, but I think the Mac Pro is performing better in Cinema 4D by its 12 cores. Both own the 1080 Ti GPU so that would be the same for Octane in terms of performance?

(The iMac Pro is not an option anymore, because Octane does not support AMD cards, and the prices of a 10 core iMac Pro are ridiculous.)

Below you can find my system specs at the moment and the ones that I might want to purchase:


Mac’s I own at the moment:

21.5-inch iMac (Late 2012)
- 3,1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
- 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
- Fusion Drive 1TB
- Nvidia Geforce GT 650M 512 MB

15-Inch MacBook Pro (Mid 2015)
- 2,5 GHz Intel Core i7
- 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
- SSD 500 GB
- AMD Radeon R9 M370X


Buying options:

27-inch iMac 5K (2017) + EGPU
- 4,2‑GHz quad‑core Intel Core i7
- 40 GB 2400‑MHz DDR4
- SSD 1 TB
- Radeon Pro 580 8 GB

EGPU + Graphic Card
- Akitio Node
- Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
- Thunderbolt 3 cable

Total price: +/- €4340,25 ex VAT

or

Mac Pro 5.1 (2012 / Custom Made)
- 3,46 GHz 12 Core X5690
- 96 GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
- Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
- SSD 512 GB + HDD 6 TB
- 27 inch display

Total price: +/- €3979,65 ex VAT

The difference in price would be €360,60 ex VAT, so that is not very much. What mainly keeps me in doubt is that I then possibly buy a Mac that's 8 years old, the advantage is that you can expand it if necessary.

Loooooong story! But I think I'm not the only one with this issue, so I'm looking forward to your reply's!

 

[filmak]

You have 4 cores vs 12 for multithreading.
You have also included a 6tb HD with the 5,1. This and an external case must be added to imac's price, all additional storage will be external with the iMac.

iMac will be pretty noisy, you will notice higher temperatures and it will throttle under load, this also raises a question about its longevity. There is also the fact that in a case of a hardware failure you loose everything, display, cpu, gpu etc.
Also if you need Adobe RGB you 'll need another display.

Can you wait for the upcoming new and modular MacPro?

 

[bsbeamer]

Would you consider running an eGPU on your existing machines? Until more is known about the new MacPro (7,1?) it's hard to make a solid recommendation that would be sustainable and a worthy return for the investment.

 

[AlexMaximus]

I think it comes down to the golden M8 - the magic 8 questions that will bring total enlightenment:

#1 How important is it to you and your work to have the newest MacOS on your machine?
On top of that, lets assume you would have been stuck with Maverics a view years ago, -would you have had a serious software issue encountered till this day? -> This is where you would be in 3 years having chosen the golden MP5.1

#2 Do you have a proper Display for a theoretical Mac Pro Solution (your $ balance / accounting above might influence that)

#3 Are you a geek and a collector? Would you rather drive a stylish old 2010 cadillac or a brand new VW Passat from 17'

#4 What would be the re- sell value of your chosen solution in 4 - 5 years from now, and would you consider to keep the computer and repurpose it for you or a friend / family member. In other words: Would a very very very long product live cycle present a true benefit to you?

#5 How important is the high-resolution 5K Display to you? - Do you have a good display that you love to use.

6# "Synergy effect" - Would it be a benefit for your work, if you could use your 2015 Macbook Pro on that Display, that would be used for a theoretical MP 5.1 Solution?

7# Would it be nuts for your work to consider a curved display or a very very wide format display?

8# Would you or a friend / family member use a console / PS4 / Xbox / SteamBox / on such a display, (that otherwise would not work on an iMac)

8# Do you use a Virtual Reality Headset at the moment, would that ever be an issue for your current type of work / contracts at the moment or in a near future?


Hands down, two years ago when I did get my 5.1 - I would have never considered the iMac at that time.
But today we have 2018. The iMac has become a lot better since 2015. As one of those core 5.1 fanboys it really hurts to say it out loud, but I might even choose the iMac setup today. The only difference I would do, I'd use a different configuration on your GPU Add On Box. I absolutely would choose the 550 Watt GPU case from Sonnet Tech, and I would go for a certain GPU cooler design on that 1080Ti. The single fan design is not sufficient and mediocre, so I would either go for that two fan design I have on my 980Ti or consider to use an aftermarket heatsink upgrade for that standard GPU. Its as easy as the CPU swap on the 5.1 and lots of fun to pimp that up and see through the window kit on the sonnet box.

 

[Chancha]

Your use case seems to fit greatly if (and when) the modular Mac Pro is available. Core counts plus the ability to insert a full card is something missing from all modern Macs. The Cheese Grater when maxed out like how you intend to is actually still respectfully powerful, but putting this sort of investment on an old tech box with close to no hardware guarantee is pretty troubling to me, considering how your income will depend on it.

Using eGPU is a workable option but not totally economical or stable for now. I think now is a pretty bad timing to buy a Mac for your use case, the iMac Pro was supposed to fill gaps like yours but like you noted, mandating AMD GPU internally is a waste when your software need nVidia.

If I were in your case I would wait. At least until WWDC in June, by then even if the mMP hasn't shipped, at least Apple should already come clean with its specs, and more importantly it configurability. If you absolutely need a stopgap Mac now then I would go for the iMac+eGPU route, by the time when better options are available then you can decide to sell part or all of this setup. With the Cheese Grater it is a little harder, or you will need to repurpose the machine instead.

 

[macjunkie2013]

I recently faced a similar choice (my hex core hackintosh quit...), I do illustrations, and a lot of 3d modeling and rendering. Would have been nice to have a iMac Pro, but instead got a maxed out cMP 2012 for 1/2 the price w flashed 1080 ti installed.

NO regrets.

IMHO, iMac Pro looks great, but value wise a cMP seems much better, at least until the proper Mac Pro is available in a year or two.

PS: You may need to add the cost of the 27 inch display to your 27 inch iMac list... if running eGPU.

 

[bsbeamer]

PS: You may need to add the cost of the 27 inch display to your 27 inch iMac list... if running eGPU.

You might be able to use a headless adapter as a stopgap, if running the iMac display is enough real estate. “Official” eGPU support should be coming soon.