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yoak

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 4, 2004
1,678
202
Oslo, Norway
Seeing the M3 iMac will stay 24", and to buy one with 1TB and 24Gb RAM would cost something like 2700 USD (without sales tax) here, I'm tempted to pick up an iMac Pro instead.
Someone is selling a base version (8 core, 1TB SSD, Vega 56 8Gb and 32gb RAM) for 1500 USD.
I would really like a 27" screen, but is it worth it?
The only Pro app I would use is FCX for editing.
Thoughts?
 

kingtj1971

macrumors 6502a
Feb 11, 2021
522
607
Alton, IL
As an iMac Pro owner myself, I'm asking this same question right now! I'm willing to upgrade and resell or trade in my iMac Pro at this point, except the 5K 27" display on it is amazing -- and despite Apple's hype in the M3 product launch video? It's still going from 27" down to 24" and basically down from 5K to a 4.5K display.

I'd also lose the ability to dual boot into Windows like I can with an Intel CPU, and it's really Apple's best/highest-end Intel based machine they're still supporting with MacOS Sonoma (besides Mac Pro towers with price tags out of reach for most of us using one of these at home).

Right now, I'm primarily using my iMac Pro to work with my new 3D Bambu Labs Carbon X1C printer but also use it for some music editing/recording work and to run patch librarian type software for a synthesizer and F/X processor.

There are definitely apps like Blender that feel kind of clunky on my iMac Pro compared to how smooth they let me drag around complex objects on an M1 Max Macbook Pro. So I'm sure the new M3 iMac would just feel faster/smoother all around. I'm just not sure it justifies the cost, when you consider what you give up in exchange for the upgrade.
 

TheBeverage

macrumors member
Feb 2, 2014
70
194
If you really want a 27" screen, just get a Mac Mini from Best Buy or B&H (best prices currently) and an external monitor. The Studio Display if you really need that Apple logo, but there's many alternatives. I wouldn't recommend an Intel Mac to anyone at this point unless they have such specific needs and requirements that they wouldn't be asking the question in the first place. It's a dead end platform.
 

Just_Kevin

macrumors member
Jan 31, 2024
48
58
As an iMac Pro owner myself, I'm asking this same question right now! I'm willing to upgrade and resell or trade in my iMac Pro at this point, except the 5K 27" display on it is amazing -- and despite Apple's hype in the M3 product launch video? It's still going from 27" down to 24" and basically down from 5K to a 4.5K display.

I'd also lose the ability to dual boot into Windows like I can with an Intel CPU, and it's really Apple's best/highest-end Intel based machine they're still supporting with MacOS Sonoma (besides Mac Pro towers with price tags out of reach for most of us using one of these at home).

Right now, I'm primarily using my iMac Pro to work with my new 3D Bambu Labs Carbon X1C printer but also use it for some music editing/recording work and to run patch librarian type software for a synthesizer and F/X processor.

There are definitely apps like Blender that feel kind of clunky on my iMac Pro compared to how smooth they let me drag around complex objects on an M1 Max Macbook Pro. So I'm sure the new M3 iMac would just feel faster/smoother all around. I'm just not sure it justifies the cost, when you consider what you give up in exchange for the upgrade.
Are you using Bambu Studio on your Mac? Any issues? I’ve read some reports it’s not fully Mac friendly.

I’ve got a P1 and using Windows now, but about to switch to Mac.
 

kingtj1971

macrumors 6502a
Feb 11, 2021
522
607
Alton, IL
Are you using Bambu Studio on your Mac? Any issues? I’ve read some reports it’s not fully Mac friendly.

I’ve got a P1 and using Windows now, but about to switch to Mac.
Yes, I use Bambu Studio on my Mac as well as the open source "Orca" slicer, which is essentially the same program except Orca gets some more experimental things added to it that Bambu may/may not add in future releases of Studio, as both move along with updates.

Both programs work pretty well for me on the Mac. I do *sometimes* get a fatal crash that causes the app to close. But to be honest? I feel like Windows users probably get the same experience? It doesn't happen often. There are just random occasions where, say, I open a large file and send it to the printer and it might send 100% of it and then suddenly close/crash. But I often keep the app on screen and running for days at a time, and can keep going back to it to load/print a number of different projects. So it's stable enough to do that.

I've also, rarely, had other odd behaviors like it refusing to re-sync the list of filaments I've got in the AMS unit on my Bambu X1C, or one time the other day? It just decided to make the entire toolbar of settings disappear, so I had the 3D model on my screen and could move it around or even right-click on it and do things to it. But the main list of options to modify were no longer accessible. Had to quit and go back into it to get everything back. Again, not real sure these aren't just software bugs that happen on any platform?
 

Just_Kevin

macrumors member
Jan 31, 2024
48
58
Yes, I use Bambu Studio on my Mac as well as the open source "Orca" slicer, which is essentially the same program except Orca gets some more experimental things added to it that Bambu may/may not add in future releases of Studio, as both move along with updates.

Both programs work pretty well for me on the Mac. I do *sometimes* get a fatal crash that causes the app to close. But to be honest? I feel like Windows users probably get the same experience? It doesn't happen often. There are just random occasions where, say, I open a large file and send it to the printer and it might send 100% of it and then suddenly close/crash. But I often keep the app on screen and running for days at a time, and can keep going back to it to load/print a number of different projects. So it's stable enough to do that.

I've also, rarely, had other odd behaviors like it refusing to re-sync the list of filaments I've got in the AMS unit on my Bambu X1C, or one time the other day? It just decided to make the entire toolbar of settings disappear, so I had the 3D model on my screen and could move it around or even right-click on it and do things to it. But the main list of options to modify were no longer accessible. Had to quit and go back into it to get everything back. Again, not real sure these aren't just software bugs that happen on any platform?

Thank you for the detailed response.

I've had some issue with Bambu Studio on my Windows machine. Like you, issues with sync, odd GUI issues and locking up. Like you, not very often, but it does happen. I haven't used Orca, I was using Cura when I had an Ender 3.

I should have asked the first time, do you do any CAD/modeling on the Mac? I've been using/learning Fusion 360. They recently started to fully support Apple Silicon, I've read mixed reports on how well it runs.
 

yoak

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 4, 2004
1,678
202
Oslo, Norway
If you really want a 27" screen, just get a Mac Mini from Best Buy or B&H (best prices currently) and an external monitor. The Studio Display if you really need that Apple logo, but there's many alternatives. I wouldn't recommend an Intel Mac to anyone at this point unless they have such specific needs and requirements that they wouldn't be asking the question in the first place. It's a dead end platform.
I just wanted to pop in with an update. I actually (kind of) went down this path. I realised the only thing that would be better on an iMac Pro would be the screen. I have a MBP 14" M1 that runs very well, so I was lucky and found a LG 5K display second hand for half price. Very happy with this setup.
 
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