Talk Me Out of Buying a 2020 27"

[jaybek]

Hey, I currently have a 2023 15" MBA with 8 GB RAM and a 500gb ssd. I am an engineering student and do a decent amount of photo editing, and work in Fusion 360, AutoCAD, and Illustrator. For the most part, the MBA can keep up but sometimes it is definitely lacking when looking for a decent external display I came across the idea of getting something like a 2020 iMac for around $800, and using it as a desktop and then as a display once the internals reach the end of their usable life. I like the idea of an Intel Mac because of boot camp but wonder how long it will be supported, and want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck (ie. i can get a 2018 27" iMac for $500 but at that point id problly just be buying it as a display, I've heard of installing a 5k driver board.)

Does anybody have any advice or recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[marioman38]

I believe Apple removed Target Display mode in 2014.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

 

[ChrisA]

Hey, I currently have a 2023 15" MBA with 8 GB RAM and a 500gb ssd. I am an engineering student and do a decent amount of photo editing, and work in Fusion 360, AutoCAD, and Illustrator. For the most part, the MBA can keep up but sometimes it is definitely lacking when looking for a decent external display I came across the idea of getting something like a 2020 iMac for around $800, and using it as a desktop and then as a display once the internals reach the end of their usable life. I like the idea of an Intel Mac because of boot camp but wonder how long it will be supported, and want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck (ie. i can get a 2018 27" iMac for $500 but at that point id problly just be buying it as a display.

Does anybody have any advice or recommendations?

Thanks!

$800??? Buy a Mac Mini and a Dell 27" monitor and you will have a modern Mac for about the same price.

I'm running Fusion360 in a M2-Pro mini with 16GB RAM. One of my projects has 500+ parts (bodies) and even uses modeled screws and threads. Fusion runs fast enough. Actually, Fusion will never run well on any Mac because while the Fuion360 version I have is a native Apple Silicon app, Autodesk is not using the native API and not even using the GPU for rendering. But still, it runs well enough that my brain, and not the computer is the bottleneck.

The M2-Pro and 27" Dell would put you over the cost of a used iMac but you'd have a MUCH better system.

That said, If you are out working in the real world you'd be using SolidWorks on Windows and for that, you need what is basically a "gammer PC", not a virtual machine running on an older Intel iMac.

BTW, I'm considering moving to FreeCAD from Fusion360. I think it might work better on the Mac. Still evaluating.

 

[GMShadow]

As others have noted, the 5K iMacs don't work as displays, just as computers.

As far as support goes, it's really a crap shoot at this point. Could be just security patches until 2026, could be longer.

 

[Spock]

Apple will kill Mac OS support for all Intel Macs within the next few upgrade cycles, you would get two years at best of support. You would be better off finding a Mac mini or even a used M1 iMac if you want an AIO. You can AirPlay to the 2020 iMac and it works pretty well but I am not sure how high the resolution is with AirPlay.

 

[OrenLindsey]

Literally any apple silicon Mac, even with 8gb ram, will be faster than any Intel Mac (other than the Mac Pro and iMac Pro). You can see in the benchmark charts: https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks
The highest Intel 27" is a huge gap below the lowest M1 MacBook Air in single core performance:

And the absolute highest Intel iMac in multi-core performance is literally below the M2 MacBook Air (what you currently have):

Switching to an iMac - any iMac - would in fact be a downgrade in terms of raw performance, which you were looking for.
For you, I don't think there's going to be any cheap option that's a big upgrade. Just to be honest.
Now, if you go up to a Pro or Max chip (any of them), I think that will be the upgrade for you. It gives you the big performance upgrade you need.

 

[Chuckeee]

If you are not sure, don’t buy it. There will always be another deal. When you know for certain that you need it, you will know what you need.

 

[pmiles]

You're issue isn't whether Apple continues to support the Mac in question, but rather whether the vendors of your software will continue to support the hardware/OS version of said Mac.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that Autodesk, Adobe, and Dassault Systems will abandon older hardware and operating systems sooner rather than later. If you are running any software that requires Windows in any form, you are better off getting a PC.

In my years working with said software, I had never worked for a company that used a Mac version of said software. It's always been PC based. You're mileage might vary, but over a decade or so, that has been the truth. I've run said software via bootcamp on a Mac capable of running bootcamp over the years and have even run the Mac versions of the Adobe products at the same time on the same machine. Dual booting becomes problematic over the long haul. You need to pick an ecosystem and stick with it. If your chosen profession requires access to a PC to run PC only software, your decision is actually quite simple... get a PC. You can still have a Mac for other things, but remember that you will always need a PC.

It's not a question of whether bootcamp will continue to be supported on the older Macs, its a question of whether your software will continue to support the OS version that you are able to run under bootcamp. That window is essentially closing fast if it hasn't already happened.

The most bang for your buck would be a PC. Applications as resource hogging as Autodesk, Adobe, and the like run best natively, not via an emmulator. So Parallels and the like are not a viable solution. Bootcamp is going away. If you need bootcamp, you need a PC at this point.

 

[Sarah_Baker]

Considering your needs as an engineering student and the shift away from Intel-based Macs, an investment in a 2020 iMac might not offer the best long-term value, especially with the growing focus on Apple's M1 & M2 chips. You might find better longevity and performance by exploring other options like an external monitor for your current MacBook Air or a newer Mac model.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Buying an Intel Mac now for any reasons other than collecting/nostalgia is a waste of money. But… it’s your money ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ do with it as you wish.