No 2018 iMac?!

[EugW]

Heheh. The Mac mini's performance blows away all of the non-Pro iMacs now.

> 5500/23500 in Geekbench 4.

https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/10604798

 

[Jorbanead]

Heheh. The Mac mini's performance blows away all of the non-Pro iMacs now.

> 5500/23500 in Geekbench 4.

https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/10604798

I'd wait for more results before assuming this. However, the new mini is looking more impressive everyday! If these results are true, the new mini comes close to the 2013 12-core Mac Pro. That's incredible! If you told me 5 years ago I wouldn't believe you. If only it had better GPU options... I need to edit 4k video.

Dell has an 8K panel in that size, but it's frighteningly expensive ($3699 today, Dell prices vary all over the place). With Apple's volume, they might get it in range for the iMac Pro (the 27" iMac 5K was about the same price as Dell's 27" 5K monitor that preceded it), but it's still far too much for a standard iMac. I couldn't find a 6K monitor on the market, and I'm not sure how much cheaper a custom panel would be than the Dell 8K.

I would find it highly unlikely Apple will go to an 8K display. A 6k monitor would make a little more sense if Apple is wishing to create a 32" iMac, but even then, a 5K monitor at 32" would still look incredibly sharp. I'm not sure any of AMD's mid-range GPU's can handle a 6K monitor while editing video or something more visually demanding. Maybe they could compromise and do a 5.5K 32" display and give it a special "Super Ultra Retina" name for marketing (since 5.5K doesnt really roll of the tongue).

 

[EugW]

If only it had better GPU options... I need to edit 4k video.

Not that I'd really want to go this route, but it can use external GPUs.

 

[Jorbanead]

Not that I'd really want to go this route, but it can use external GPUs.

Of course that's an option, but to me it sort of defeats the purpose of getting a desktop and would add another $400-600 to the price. Plus I don't really want two boxes on my desk on top of my external drives and monitor.

 

[BigBoy2018]

... the new mini comes close to the 2013 12-core Mac Pro. That's incredible! If you told me 5 years ago I wouldn't believe you.

If you had told me 5 years ago the 2013 12-core Mac Pro would still be the CURRENT Mac Pro, I wouldn't believe you.
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Not that I'd really want to go this route, but it can use external GPUs.

Besides the extra 'messiness' mentioned above, getting an egpu to work in Bootcamp with Windows is apparently a big messy process as well, and may or may not work at all. That's kind of a deal killer for me. The integrated gpu in the 2018 mini is definitely too weak imo, so for me, adding the egpu would be the only way I'd consider it. But without it working in bootcamp, I'd rather go with a 2017 top end iMac that has a strong gpu that I KNOW I can count on.

Last but hardly not least, the mini gets those impressive scores because it uses hyper threading. I'm a big fan of the non hyper threading cpu's because they run cooler, and you know they're not going to thermal throttle. Also, not all programs leverage hyper threading, so while it may be able to 'trick' a speed test like Geekbench and inflate the scores, whether it really helps in real world use is dicey.

 

[MathewM]

Of course that's an option, but to me it sort of defeats the purpose of getting a desktop and would add another $400-600 to the price. Plus I don't really want two boxes on my desk on top of my external drives and monitor.

I'm in the minority on this but I don't get the excitement for the new mini. By the time you add external storage and GPU it defeats the purpose: The mini is no longer affordable or mini.

 

[Stephen.R]

By the time you add external storage and GPU it defeats the purpose: The mini is no longer affordable or mini.

Not everyone needs a dedicated GPU, and some of us need more storage than will ever fit inside a mini.

Apple even highlighted a number of 'pro' uses that are perfect examples of where the new Mini will shine.

Heck, a few weeks ago I wrote an email to Tim (Cook) (unanswered, as expected) complaining about this very problem - there was no "pro" Mac desktop that didn't skew heavily towards graphics intensive tasks.

If you need to edit 4K video, but don't want an eGPU, I'd suggest one of the other two "Pro" mac desktops which feature GPUs that are complete overkill for anything else, or even just a regular iMac?

Not every computer is going to suit every role perfectly. That's literally why there are different models. With the expansion capabilities in TB3 (and I expect/hope, eventually Mac-Mini sized, stackable enclosures, but that's more about aesthetics), we have a pretty decent core machine, that's very flexible depending on the use case.

 

[Jorbanead]

I'm in the minority on this but I don't get the excitement for the new mini. By the time you add external storage and GPU it defeats the purpose: The mini is no longer affordable or mini.

The Mini is great for specific workflows. I’m an audio engineer and music producer, so for my job I don’t need a dedicated gpu (I need it for my hobby so that’s a different story). All of my projects are always run off an external drive, so having limited storage options also doesn’t matter to me. 500gb is plenty for my OS drive.

The i7 mini is almost a perfect desktop for audio production, recording studios, and sound design. It’s also great as a server, or for live sound purposes. I would be getting the mini next week, but my hobbies outside of my job require a better gpu. I know of two fellow audio engineers that are getting the mini though.

 

[EugW]

The Mini is great for specific workflows. I’m an audio engineer and music producer, so for my job I don’t need a dedicated gpu (I need it for my hobby so that’s a different story). All of my projects are always run off an external drive, so having limited storage options also doesn’t matter to me. 500gb is plenty for my OS drive.

The i7 mini is almost a perfect desktop for audio production, recording studios, and sound design. It’s also great as a server, or for live sound purposes. I would be getting the mini next week, but my hobbies outside of my job require a better gpu. I know of two fellow audio engineers that are getting the mini though.

Does fan noise matter to you? Cuz the i7 could be loud under sustained load.

 

[BigBoy2018]

Does fan noise matter to you? Cuz the i7 could be loud under sustained load.

Also thermal throttling could be an issue under sustained load. Bottom line, I suggest people learn a lot more about real world use with this mini before getting all excited about it

 

[Jorbanead]

Does fan noise matter to you? Cuz the i7 could be loud under sustained load.

Of course - though I have a spot in my rack that I could put the mini to suppress the noise. But as I said earlier, I need a better GPU so I probably won’t go with the mini for that reason.

Also thermal throttling could be an issue under sustained load. Bottom line, I suggest people learn a lot more about real world use with this mini before getting all excited about it

For sure! It’s always good to wait for reviews. I’m excited for the potential possibilities, but staying skeptical until I see the reviews. We still don’t even know if those Geekbench scores are legit or a fluke.

 

[toddzrx]

I have three options with the current 21.5 Mid-2010 iMac which doesn't support Mojave... Continue to wait for the inevitable space grey iMac that comes with an SSD drive (no reason not to do this if they just did it to the Mac Mini)... Buy the Mac Mini and sacrifice amazing display and the ability to some gaming... Buy NUC with Windows 10 and save $1-1.5k (over what a base 27" iMac will cost).

I might choose one and wait... The one thing I liked about my iMac was that even after eight years it still works amazingly fast. Granted, this is largely due to the fact that I did the manual SSD upgrade. The Mac Mini looks great but having experienced the Early-2009 Mac Mini and how fast it became slow (even with a Crucial SSD inside), I don't see it lasting as long as the iMac. Plus I'd have to buy a FHD-WQHD screen as I'm certainly not going to buy a $+1k screen. Finally, the NUC... I bought one to my elderly mother and it works just as flawlessly in her use as her old Mac Mini did. However, for my multitasking purposes, OS X is just better than Windows 10 in terms of speed, ease of use and that premium, everything-works-and-then-some feeling.

I'm in the same boat as you. I've got the 3.2GHz i3, and also did the SSD and 8GB RAM upgrades. Honestly, as much as I'd like to throw down for one of the shiny new things Apple just released, it's hard to justify doing so given that my old iMac does just fine for the simple web surfing/MS Office/iTunes/Photos work I need it for. I'm hoping that Apple is planning a redesign for WWDC, and includes FaceID, slimmer bezels, and of course new internals.
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a 24-inch 4K for a sensible price is my dream iMac.

I'd love to see that again, with the 16:10 ratio.
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I'm in the minority on this but I don't get the excitement for the new mini. By the time you add external storage and GPU it defeats the purpose: The mini is no longer affordable or mini.

The new Mini is aimed at a different market if you ask me. I would guess that Apple's own sales data shows that most shoppers looking to enter the Mac ecosystem opt for a laptop versus a desktop, so the new Air will sell well to those customers. OTOH, the Mini does have a strong following for deployment in special purpose applications like servers or for parallel computing, and the new design is extremely flexible to allow a wide range unique situations.

 

[Jorbanead]

Possible look at the new Pro Display -

https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5mac.com/2018/11/03/apple-display-poll/amp/

This could certainly be a placeholder, but may also offer clues as to what the new iMac may look like.

 

[partsofspeech]

I'm in the minority on this but I don't get the excitement for the new mini. By the time you add external storage and GPU it defeats the purpose: The mini is no longer affordable or mini.

I wonder what thinking is behind the decision of not having an AMD GPU in the mini. Probably, money for shareholders and contempt for end users.

 

[Jorbanead]

I wonder what thinking is behind the decision of not having an AMD GPU in the mini. Probably, money for shareholders and contempt for end users.

I’d imagine it’s heat dissipation. This is merely speculation, but it appears Apple is really targeting the server/parallel processing pro market with the mini, as well as audio production professionals. The 10gb Ethernet and the Apple Stadium comment at the event really shows this IMO.

But aside from that, I’d imagine it’s laregly due to thermals and properly cooling the CPU. Since a large portion of the mini market is buying them in bulk for servers and offloading workloads, they decided to invest heavily in CPU/RAM options at the expense of a better gpu.

 

[Icaras]

Possible look at the new Pro Display -

https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5mac.com/2018/11/03/apple-display-poll/amp/

This could certainly be a placeholder, but may also offer clues as to what the new iMac may look like.

I was looking at this just now too. I hope the redesigned iMac has bezels this thin!

 

[TheIntruder]

The Intel processors with the integrated AMD GPUs have quad-core CPUs based on Kaby Lake, and 100W TDPs.

From a marketing standpoint, though they wouldn't be as out of place in a mini, some would surely find reasons to complain that they're behind the curve for a long-awaited update. Technically, a 100W-rated package in an ~8x8x1.5" enclosure along with the power supply and everything else might have been a challenge to keep cool, or would have to be throttled to an undesirable degree.

Apple had to make a choice mostly based on what was available from Intel, and they chose the same path they used in the most beloved 2012 minis -- a faster CPU with adequate integrated graphics. At least the 2018s have the capability to use eGPUs, which few owners are still likely to employ anyway, casual or pro.

 

[MakeAppleAwesomeAgain]

I've given up, Apple has won. Just ordered the 27" iMac with a i7 processor and 512 GB SSD.

 

[peterh988]

I've given up, Apple has won. Just ordered the 27" iMac with a i7 processor and 512 GB SSD.

I'm more confused now. I was sure an (even only spec bumped) iMac would be released, and was ready to fire on it.

Now I'm going to wait and see what comes, but my dilemma then will be between an iMac or a mini with a pair of 4k monitors.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[tmorel]

I've given up, Apple has won. Just ordered the 27" iMac with a i7 processor and 512 GB SSD.

iMac 2017 + i7 = fan noise all the time

I was considering buying this configuration and no way to endure the fan noise all the time.

Hope you did not pick the AMD 580 otherwise it will be worse

The iMac 2017 has not been designed to handle such a high TDP (i7 = 95W and AMD 580 = 150W).

That’s why I am waiting a redesign with the same thermal design as the IMac Pro.

I was even considering buying the iMac Pro. The silence is very important for me.

 

[MakeAppleAwesomeAgain]

iMac 2017 + i7 = fan noise all the time

I was considering buying this configuration and no way to endure the fan noise all the time.

Hope you did not pick the AMD 580 otherwise it will be worse

The iMac 2017 has not been designed to handle such a high TDP (i7 = 95W and AMD 580 = 150W).

That’s why I am waiting a redesign with the same thermal design as the IMac Pro.

I was even considering buying the iMac Pro. The silence is very important for me.

I chose the AMD 575 because I use it for app/web development and Logic Pro X. I still use a Geforce 640 with two 1900x1200 displays and it has never been a limiting factor. To be brutally honest, I don't think I will keep this machine for a very long time, I will probably upgrade when they move to 6/8 cores.

 

[zerostarr]

Hi guys, this is my first post here but i needed to ask a question after months spent reading this topic: no new imacs, so would it make sense to buy a used 2017 27 i7 imac, for 1600€ (covered with warranty until june 2019) and then resell it when the new imacs come out? or save the money and stick with my 2011 i7 macbook pro? i manly use it to edit raws in lightroom and photoshop, and with the 2018/19 updates sometimes i have crashes when i’m using both apps at the same time. I also need a better display than the one i have (an old 1080 samsung)

Thanks for your tips,

Carlo

 

[BigBoy2018]

I've given up, Apple has won. Just ordered the 27" iMac with a i7 processor and 512 GB SSD.

Very close to doing the same and get the top i5 27 inch model (because I dont want the fan noise - as another poster stated above). I can probably wait, but then again i worry the nect model will be locked down with a T2 chip and soldered in ssd, so I wouldnt want that one anyway

 

[xgman]

The fan noise isn't that bad and when it does run it quiets back down pretty quickly. In any case it wouldn't keep me from buying one.

 

[BigBoy2018]

The fan noise isn't that bad and when it does run it quiets back down pretty quickly. In any case it wouldn't keep me from buying one.

Fair enough. I just think the i7 is overrated. All it gives you is hyperthreading, which makes for somewhat higher scores on benchmarks but I question how much real world software is able to leverage it.
But thats just me...