What did you do with your 2.93 GHz i7 iMac? I am using mine as an external monitor.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/dual-imacs.2052555/#post-24790730
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Please review your 2017 iMac
- Thread starter jayfromnova
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https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/dual-imacs.2052555/#post-24790730
My BTO iMac 27" 3.8 GHz with a 512 SSD was ordered September 1 from Apple and arrived early, on September 11. I've spent a day doing a "clean install" and I'm not finished but I have the priorities in place and it's running smoothly.
This is only the second personal computer I've purchased since 1992 as I've spent the last 18 years using university-supplied Apple laptops. I did buy one of the first "new" iMacs in 2007 but I found that trying to "sync" work between a home and work machine (before Dropbox and iCloud) was too frustrating and so I sold it. Whenever I brought my laptop home I connected it to a 23" Apple Cinema Display which cost $1800 (with the educational discount!) back in 2002. That display--still operating perfectly--went off to Goodwill this week.
I'm using this year to transition to a personal machine before I "retire" and so this iMac is the first step in setting up a personal computer I'll take with me.
When I decided to install from scratch I didn't factor in the slow speed of my home network! But my MacBook Pro is the 2013 model (also a clean install) and I felt it was time to start anew. It's also a chance to take a fresh look at my workflows and what apps I really need and use.
What I can say so far is that this machine is (a) heavy! (b) unbelievably gorgeous and (c) quiet (LOL). I've installed 32 GB of OWC RAM, hooked up my external video editing and archive drives (iTunes, backup photo archives for Mylio) and am looking forward to lots of productive--and pleasureable--hours of use. Plus I have a new pair of Beats wireless headphones (I already own a pair) to give to my daughter.
My first Apple computer was an Apple IIc which cost $1,295 (equivalent to $2,985.30 in 2016) plus accessories. It had 128 KB of RAM (!) and was magical. I love looking back on all my Apple computers and the work they have made possible. (My favorite is still the PowerBook G3 Wallstreet. What a workhorse that was!)
This is only the second personal computer I've purchased since 1992 as I've spent the last 18 years using university-supplied Apple laptops. I did buy one of the first "new" iMacs in 2007 but I found that trying to "sync" work between a home and work machine (before Dropbox and iCloud) was too frustrating and so I sold it. Whenever I brought my laptop home I connected it to a 23" Apple Cinema Display which cost $1800 (with the educational discount!) back in 2002. That display--still operating perfectly--went off to Goodwill this week.
I'm using this year to transition to a personal machine before I "retire" and so this iMac is the first step in setting up a personal computer I'll take with me.
When I decided to install from scratch I didn't factor in the slow speed of my home network! But my MacBook Pro is the 2013 model (also a clean install) and I felt it was time to start anew. It's also a chance to take a fresh look at my workflows and what apps I really need and use.
What I can say so far is that this machine is (a) heavy! (b) unbelievably gorgeous and (c) quiet (LOL). I've installed 32 GB of OWC RAM, hooked up my external video editing and archive drives (iTunes, backup photo archives for Mylio) and am looking forward to lots of productive--and pleasureable--hours of use. Plus I have a new pair of Beats wireless headphones (I already own a pair) to give to my daughter.
My first Apple computer was an Apple IIc which cost $1,295 (equivalent to $2,985.30 in 2016) plus accessories. It had 128 KB of RAM (!) and was magical. I love looking back on all my Apple computers and the work they have made possible. (My favorite is still the PowerBook G3 Wallstreet. What a workhorse that was!)
I've been dragging my feet and I haven't sold it yet- looking at values on fleabay its surprisingly undervalued for how powerful it still is. I have a brand new 1 TB SSD from Crucial I was going to install right before I decided to go for the new Imac, which would have given me another 2 to 3 years of use.... but I finally just decided that if I design on computers for a living and I haven't bought a new one in 8 years, I should just get a new one. That secondary monitor idea is a good one- although for me I already have a Cintiq too.
You'll probably get more if you're willing to spend the time parting it out. I've gotten way more for my old one than I would have done if I'd have sold it as a complete unit.
Not with my i5 7600. Do you have an i7? This could happen with an i7 with some browser content.
Not with my base model 2017 iMac but Safari does hang a lot with 100%+ cpu usage and I have to force quit the app. Usual culprit is Facebook, but not always.
My iMac 27" 2017 doesn't maintain the volume level after restart. Is this normal?
Every time I start the computer after shutdown, the volume level of the system is set automatically to FULL volume, although just before restart I set it at minimum.
I've tried reseting PRAM and SMC, but still happening the same.
EDIT: Solved! It was a problem caused by software, exactly TeamViewer app that launched automatically at every system start. This app was setting the volume at maximum every time when launch.
Every time I start the computer after shutdown, the volume level of the system is set automatically to FULL volume, although just before restart I set it at minimum.
I've tried reseting PRAM and SMC, but still happening the same.
EDIT: Solved! It was a problem caused by software, exactly TeamViewer app that launched automatically at every system start. This app was setting the volume at maximum every time when launch.
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Been reading this thread since it first started as I was trying to determine which iMac to purchase. I read everything I could find and watched every YouTube video I came across on the 2017 iMac. After some 5 or 6 weeks of this I made up my mind as to what configuration I thought would be right for me. So here I am, a brand new member to MacRumors, and thought I'd participate in this thread since it helped me out a LOT.
I'm coming from a 2010 maxed out i7 where the most stress I put on it was probably Photoshop, some HDR stuff, and several other photo programs. I'm not into editing videos, playing games, etc., so I never felt like I was using it to its fullest. Always felt like it was overkill for my needs but ya know what...I was "future proofed". Oh and I might add, wow...did it ever get hot! So much so that it was concerning as to how much heat it was putting out and how hot the case felt. Anyway.....After MUCH debate, I decided that the mid tier, 3.5GHz (7600), 512GB SSD, and 24 gigs of ram, that I would upgrade from 8GB myself, was the way to go. I also wanted the lower, 67 watt (I think) power supply vs the 3.8Ghz (7600K) version. This seems to be the absolute least reviewed configuration available. PLENTY of 2.4 and 4.2, and even 3.8 (which is only maybe 3 or 4 percent faster than the 3.5 per Geekbench) reviews but VERY few 3.5GHz reviews so I had to kind of read between the lines and put two and two together. Another reason I decided to post my thoughts here.
Knowing that I was going to purchase this configuration eventually I want ahead and bought 16GB of Crucial Ram, which I lucked into at $129.00, to add to the 8GB supplied. Same ram is now selling for $159.00 IF you can find it in stock. So the wait for them to begin showing up on Apple's refurbished site was on as Every Mac I've ever purchased, except one, has been an Apple refurbished unit (note: the ONLY computer I've ever had to send in for service was the one I bought brand new...knock on wood) and about a week after making my decision there was a refurbed 3.5, 512GB SSD, 16GB Ram, 2017 5K iMac sitting on the website. Taking it as a sign I jumped on it while saving, with tax included, slightly over $400.00 from the new one I was looking at with only 8GB of ram so I also have 32GB of ram now vs 24.
All I can say is.....best purchase decision I've made in a long time. This thing absolutely flies through anything I throw at it all without the least amount of heat. It constantly feels almost like room temp on the back and I've yet to rev up the fans which are pretty much dead silent. If you aren't into Video editing or anything that requires the hyperthreading, grunt, etc., of the i7 I can't recommend this "ugly step child" version highly enough. I really think that for "most" users this set up will make you very, Very happy. Thanks again to all who have posted here. It's been a great help.
I'm coming from a 2010 maxed out i7 where the most stress I put on it was probably Photoshop, some HDR stuff, and several other photo programs. I'm not into editing videos, playing games, etc., so I never felt like I was using it to its fullest. Always felt like it was overkill for my needs but ya know what...I was "future proofed". Oh and I might add, wow...did it ever get hot! So much so that it was concerning as to how much heat it was putting out and how hot the case felt. Anyway.....After MUCH debate, I decided that the mid tier, 3.5GHz (7600), 512GB SSD, and 24 gigs of ram, that I would upgrade from 8GB myself, was the way to go. I also wanted the lower, 67 watt (I think) power supply vs the 3.8Ghz (7600K) version. This seems to be the absolute least reviewed configuration available. PLENTY of 2.4 and 4.2, and even 3.8 (which is only maybe 3 or 4 percent faster than the 3.5 per Geekbench) reviews but VERY few 3.5GHz reviews so I had to kind of read between the lines and put two and two together. Another reason I decided to post my thoughts here.
Knowing that I was going to purchase this configuration eventually I want ahead and bought 16GB of Crucial Ram, which I lucked into at $129.00, to add to the 8GB supplied. Same ram is now selling for $159.00 IF you can find it in stock. So the wait for them to begin showing up on Apple's refurbished site was on as Every Mac I've ever purchased, except one, has been an Apple refurbished unit (note: the ONLY computer I've ever had to send in for service was the one I bought brand new...knock on wood) and about a week after making my decision there was a refurbed 3.5, 512GB SSD, 16GB Ram, 2017 5K iMac sitting on the website. Taking it as a sign I jumped on it while saving, with tax included, slightly over $400.00 from the new one I was looking at with only 8GB of ram so I also have 32GB of ram now vs 24.
All I can say is.....best purchase decision I've made in a long time. This thing absolutely flies through anything I throw at it all without the least amount of heat. It constantly feels almost like room temp on the back and I've yet to rev up the fans which are pretty much dead silent. If you aren't into Video editing or anything that requires the hyperthreading, grunt, etc., of the i7 I can't recommend this "ugly step child" version highly enough. I really think that for "most" users this set up will make you very, Very happy. Thanks again to all who have posted here. It's been a great help.
3.4ghz i5, 1tb Fusion drive, 27” w/8gb ram. I know a lot
Of people dislike the Fusion drives but I havent had many issues so far.
Of people dislike the Fusion drives but I havent had many issues so far.
I have an i7 and the fans barely kick in at all unless I'm really pushing it.
Haven't heard them ramp up during "normal" use at all. Seems to be luck of the draw.
Haven't heard them ramp up during "normal" use at all. Seems to be luck of the draw.
Apple's 16GB refurb came with two 8GB RAM modules? I had read that Apple ships above 8GB in four-DIMM configurations only.
Yes...my computer arrived with two 8GB modules and two empty slots.
Interestingly, someone else confirmed that Apple ships 32GB configurations in 4x8GB.
That is true. If you look under the technical specs for the refurbished model you're interested in it will tell you how the Ram is configured in that model but the 32GB configurations do come with 4x8GB's.
I ordered my 2017 27'' Imac on June 8 and received it on June 20th. I bought it with the i7 4.2 Ghz processor, 8GB of ram, and the 512 SSD. In July I went looking on here to see what ram to buy and bought the ram SaSaSuchi recommended so I now have 40Gb of ram. I was upgrading from my 2013 13'' MBP 2.4 Ghz with 8GB of Ram as my daily driver to this. Fan noise is barely noticeable on this machine my MBP acutely gets louder with use that it, but then again fan noise does not really bother me as I have my G5 Quad right is next to my imac and a Rabbit Air air purify is not even five feet away. My next order of business will be to try to setup synergy between between this Imac, my MBP, G5 Quad, and 20'' G4 Imac (I still think this is one of the best looking macs ever made) and get them all working together which I don't know if they will with the Imac and MBP upgrading to High Sierra soon. Until then I will have to experiment with it.
Received mine (2017 27" - i7 7700k - SSD - Radeon Pro580) yesterday...
& replacing my old 2012 27" - i7 3770 - Fusion - GTX680MX
(+): Impressive screen, Ultra fast SSD, very nice keyboard and mouse, simple setup procedure, ...
(-): way too expensive, same or slower boot time compared to my 2012 model, my fan frequently kicks in (only mail and safari active) making a lot of noise (?????????)
( ? ): Bootcamp Win10 + games on an external Samsung T5 USB-C to test (someone with experience?)
( ? ): When booting, the white bar stops, screens goes black and 1-2 seconds later, boot continues
& replacing my old 2012 27" - i7 3770 - Fusion - GTX680MX
(+): Impressive screen, Ultra fast SSD, very nice keyboard and mouse, simple setup procedure, ...
(-): way too expensive, same or slower boot time compared to my 2012 model, my fan frequently kicks in (only mail and safari active) making a lot of noise (?????????)
( ? ): Bootcamp Win10 + games on an external Samsung T5 USB-C to test (someone with experience?)
( ? ): When booting, the white bar stops, screens goes black and 1-2 seconds later, boot continues
=> my fan frequently kicks in (only mail and safari -4 to 5 tabs- active) making a lot of noise
This is abnormal. I've got the same 7700k/R580 and I've regularly got anywhere from 5 to 25 tabs open in Chrome with Mail running in the background and because the CPU temperature never rises above about 46°C, the fans never go above idle.
That is, unless it is a problem with Safari which I don't use.
I will check this tonight with Chrome (vs. Safari) while monitoring the temps. If the fans keep on kicking in, I need to contact apple...
Specs are as follows:
5K i7 4.2GHz/580/512SSD/24GB RAM 2TB T3 SSD and Dell P2715Q 4K
Primary usage includes writing, professional photography for catalogue and web presentation and some light video work.
I spec'd out the system to an i7 because virtually every pro shooter I know told me to stay away from the i5 and not to worry about drives, which could be updated. I initially chose the FD 2TB drive, but a memory failure on that machine resulted in Apple shipping me this new unit with the 512 SSD at no charge.
OVERALL
I love this system. The i7 is noticeably quicker than the new i5 (my son's machine). The screen is beautiful. Apple continues with the crummy magic keyboard which somehow is STILL not backlit, so I use the excellent Logitech unit which is vastly better and backlit. It also connects to three systems with a press of a button. Running photoshop with various plug-ins I able to load up a huge amount of RAW Nikon or Canon files and batch process with ease. Everything happens very quickly and there's little to complain about. If you're a photographer, picking up a good card reader is essential.
5K DISPLAY
It's a beautiful display, but really no better than the 450 dollar 4K P2715Q right next to it. The Apple display seems to have a slight advantage in dynamic range via better control of highlights. But the Dell does a bit better with shadow details. Pixel density at 27" is high on both monitors so it's tough to see much (if any difference). The matte finish display of the Dell is superior to the highly reflective Apple display when it comes to video/photography. With the right room lighting either monitor is up to pretty much any task. The Dell is a superior product in the end because of the matte display. The Dell also rotates to portrait mode and has a FAR more adjustable and stable stand.
SSD VS. FUSION & i7 VS. i5
I had the 2TB fusion. In the next room is the same unit with the 1TB Fusion. All of these are fast machines once you add some RAM. The SSD version that I'm reviewing brings up programs and files a bit faster, but I don't see it making a huge difference in most workflows. Obviously there will be some situations where the SSD will be MUCH better. But listen to folks at a few of the top Hollywood post production houses (and in NY too!). Get the i7. Don't get a far slower processor to get the SSD because you can add the SSD later on. If there's ever going to be a bottle-neck, choose a machine where this can be addressed with a fairly easy upgrade. Start with the i7, add RAM, maybe an external T5 SSD and later on, if you need it, swap out the FD for a nice SSD.
SOUND
The sound of the iMac isn't terrible, but you already know that it's best to go with some external speakers. I use the HK sound sticks, but they're barely acceptable. You can spend thousands on a good computer sound system, so good luck.
MAGIC MOUSE/KEYBOARD
Boy, is this thing long in the tooth. Microsoft has some far better alternatives. My son stole mine, so I'm about to order something better. The best use for the Magic Mouse is with my MacBook Air as it's a very slim mouse and easy to carry around. As for the keyboard...no thanks! An illuminated keyboard is a must and I have it with the Logitech K811 Apple keyboard, which also controls my Air if want.
FINALLY
So this is the setup that replaced my new MBP with the awful defective keyboards. The Air will suffice for work on the go and this desktop is a monstrously powerful system that should last quite a while. There's not much to complain about...but I'm always looking! ;-)