iMac vs. MacBook Pro

[circatee]

Not impressed! I bought an iMac today, and my bloody MacBook Pro (8GB ram, 128GB SSD) is FASTER than it!
I'm now guessing it has to do with the 1TB SATA drive in the iMac. To be honest, I presumed with the iMac being a 3.2 GHz. and the MacBook has 2.7 GHz.

 

[cruisin]

For everyday use the biggest upgrade you can do is switch to a SSD, as hard drives have barely improved in speed over the years compared to CPU or memory. The CPU speed difference is not noticeable unless you do tasks that come with a progress bar. The iMac has better cooling so it can turbo boost higher, but again for short tasks you won't see the speed.

It is interesting how Apple refuses to ship the teeny 24 GB SSD as standard for iMacs and Mac minis. I remember how the Air was faster than the Pro for certain things when it had a SSD.

 

[Clix Pix]

Return the iMac and buy a fully-loaded rMBP -- if you need larger screen real estate, add on an external monitor and you're good to go.

 

[MRxROBOT]

Not impressed! I bought an iMac today, and my bloody MacBook Pro (8GB ram, 128GB SSD) is FASTER than it!
I'm now guessing it has to do with the 1TB SATA drive in the iMac. To be honest, I presumed with the iMac being a 3.2 GHz. and the MacBook has 2.7 GHz.

As mentioned in your other thread, you went from a PCIe SSD to a HDD. No real surprise here.
[doublepost=1463637403][/doublepost]I have to ask. You state your an IT Support Manager, what IT do you support?

 

[varian55zx]

Not impressed! I bought an iMac today, and my bloody MacBook Pro (8GB ram, 128GB SSD) is FASTER than it!
I'm now guessing it has to do with the 1TB SATA drive in the iMac. To be honest, I presumed with the iMac being a 3.2 GHz. and the MacBook has 2.7 GHz.

But, we warned you about this in the other thread.

It has EVERYTHING to do with the drive. The drive is the biggest factor.

Processor is a much smaller factor, there's an argument that gpu is more crucial a component than processor, which for many users, this is probably true.

For me, it wouldn't be. Because I don't use the gpu. I just don't use it. I use my computer for (possibly) relatively mundane tasks, granted, many of them at a time (at times).

If you buy an iMac with a 1 tb HDD that may as well be the iMac for the doghouse.

I had read a post on here from another user, which I would say is some of the best advice I have seen for someone purchasing their new Mac

"Select a high end SSD storage option, whether it be pure SSD or 2 tb fusion at a minimum, and assess your budget after that point."

In other words, to put it in a way that may be blunt, purchasing the correct storage option can be considered more vital in the process than the computer model itself you're purchasing.

 

[circatee]

As mentioned in your other thread, you went from a PCIe SSD to a HDD. No real surprise here.
[doublepost=1463637403][/doublepost]I have to ask. You state your an IT Support Manager, what IT do you support?

The usual IT stuff. To be honest, I was banking on the fact that the processor was faster, thus it would make up for the difference in not having an SSD. Clearly a faux pas on my part...

 

[circatee]

LMAO at this, "If you buy an iMac with a 1 tb HDD that may as well be the iMac for the doghouse."

But, we warned you about this in the other thread.

It has EVERYTHING to do with the drive. The drive is the biggest factor.

Processor is a much smaller factor, there's an argument that gpu is more crucial a component than processor, which for many users, this is probably true.

For me, it wouldn't be. Because I don't use the gpu. I just don't use it. I use my computer for (possibly) relatively mundane tasks, granted, many of them at a time (at times).

If you buy an iMac with a 1 tb HDD that may as well be the iMac for the doghouse.

I had read a post on here from another user, which I would say is some of the best advice I have seen for someone purchasing their new Mac

"Select a high end SSD storage option, whether it be pure SSD or 2 tb fusion at a minimum, and assess your budget after that point."

In other words, to put it in a way that may be blunt, purchasing the correct storage option can be considered more vital in the process than the computer model itself you're purchasing.

 

[theluggage]

Not impressed! I bought an iMac today, and my bloody MacBook Pro (8GB ram, 128GB SSD) is FASTER than it!

Well, yes (see other posts) - the SSD in the Macbook Pro will make it boot faster, open applications faster, cope better when memory runs low and reduce the performance impact of things like Spotlight indexing the drive or Time Machine backing up in the background.

Once you have your application loaded and running, however, you might start to see the advantage of the better CPU and GPU.

Also bear in mind that, when you've started up a new Mac, re-installed the OS or restored from a backup, Spotlight will often spend hours indexing the drive and - especially on a mechanical HD - this can really clobber performance until its done. Best to leave it running overnight before drawing to conclusions. However, no, that's not going to account for all of the difference between HD and SSD - an entry-level Air will probably boot and load applications faster.

Return the iMac and buy a fully-loaded rMBP

No, return it and get an iMac with either the 2TB Fusion drive or straight SSD + external storage.

 

[varian55zx]

Best to leave it running overnight before drawing to conclusions. However, no, that's not going to account for all of the difference between HD and SSD - an entry-level Air will probably boot and load applications faster.

theluggage

It is absolutely only the SSD that is the primary factor here.

No period of time has to be waited before a conclusion can be drawn, a conclusion can be drawn right now.

The speed difference between an HDD and SSD is incredibly dramatic, and especially with the SSDs that Apple uses. It is night and day.

Your post completely downplays that fact.

The extent of the difference between the two needs to be properly highlighted so that the poster can make a well-informed decision.

The extent is large. It is very large.

It's just like the posters that say there's "no" difference between the fusion drive and SSD speed. Well there is a difference. Stop saying there isn't. Depending on the machine the difference may not be that large. But to say there's no difference is simply not true.

 

[loby]

In other words, to put it in a way that may be blunt, purchasing the correct storage option can be considered more vital in the process than the computer model itself you're purchasing.

I have noticed this to be true in some cases. I put a SSD in my old Macbook Pro 2010 and it seems like a new laptop, speed comparable to newer models. SSD make a world of difference. Should be standard OP now days...

 

[Sirmausalot]

LMAO at this, "If you buy an iMac with a 1 tb HDD that may as well be the iMac for the doghouse."

So please return it and get the right thing. Either the 2TB Fusion or a 512GB NVRAM drive. (you'll likely be unhappy with the 256 NVRAM drive as it will fill up too quickly). If you were outside of your return/exchange period, you could use an external SSD. But you're not, so just exchange it already.

 

[theluggage]

Your post completely downplays that fact.

What part of "an entry-level Air will probably boot and load applications faster" (I'd delete the 'probably' if I'd actually tried it) or "return it and get an iMac with either the 2TB Fusion drive or straight SSD" downplays that fact?

However, re-indexing the HD can make a Mac unusably slow - versus disappointingly slow - until it gets done. We're all assuming that trading up is an easy proposition: only the original poster knows whether their wallet will stretch to the 2TB Fusion or SSD.

 

[circatee]

Brilliant post! I posted another thread, KISS, and detailed what am about to do

What part of "an entry-level Air will probably boot and load applications faster" (I'd delete the 'probably' if I'd actually tried it) or "return it and get an iMac with either the 2TB Fusion drive or straight SSD" downplays that fact?

However, re-indexing the HD can make a Mac unusably slow - versus disappointingly slow - until it gets done. We're all assuming that trading up is an easy proposition: only the original poster knows whether their wallet will stretch to the 2TB Fusion or SSD.