Talk me out of spending 500 € to upgrade to an iMac.

[TomOSeven]

Hi all,

I'm currently on a 2015 Macbook Pro 15" (512 GB, otherwise base model).

There's nothing wrong with the model and I generally like it. But I keep thinking about side-grading to an iMac 5k. The display is just too enticing, and having a dedicated GPU would be oh so sweet.

The i5-7600k / 2 TB Fusion Drive / RX 580 model is currently 2100 Euro where I'm at, which is 500 more than I can get for my 2015 MBP. That also has the added bonus of getting a new warranty...

I already have a Thinkpad for mobile use, so the MBP never leaves the house anyway.

Should I do it?

 

[velocityg4]

Depending on your uses.
- It may feel a lot slower with that Fusion drive rather than your pure SSD setup.
- If you aren't taxing your system. You may not notice any difference speed wise. Unless you have a specific need for a discrete GPU. You won't notice any difference.

 

[Falhófnir]

get a 4k monitor instead? Best of both worlds that way.

 

[TomOSeven]

get a 4k monitor instead? Best of both worlds that way.

I already have a USB-C 1440p monitor for my

Depending on your uses.
- It may feel a lot slower with that Fusion drive rather than your pure SSD setup.
- If you aren't taxing your system. You may not notice any difference speed wise. Unless you have a specific need for a discrete GPU. You won't notice any difference.

This is a bit stupid, but I really want to check out that new WoW expansion, haven't played in a decade or so.

Doesn't the fusion drive come with a 256 GB SSD part? So it's only slow when I exceed that bit, right?

 

[jerwin]

Doesn't the fusion drive come with a 256 GB SSD part? So it's only slow when I exceed that bit, right?

It's 128 GB. If you had opted for the 1 TB fusion drive, it would have been only 24 GB.

I take it that miners have made eGPUs/dedicated gaming PCs less affordable.

 

[tomscott1988]

Depends what your usage is. The issue is the 5K display its a lot of pixels to push, photographic programs like lightroom still dont offer buttery smooth experience specifically because of the resolution.

Either way the iMac will outperform the macbook pro but its glued to the desk. The fusion drives really arent as bad as people say but if your used to the SSD then I would take that option.

I still think a low/mid range macbook pro for on the go and an iMac is a better combo than a laptop only solution. By the time you buy a 4k display and a TBdock/keyboard and mouse for a desktop experience you near enough at a similar cost. The benefit is you get the better GPU and although the iMac throttles its not as bad as the macbook pro.

Might be worth waiting if you can as the newer iMacs will have the newer 6 core processors which will scream along. We might even get a better cooling system similar to the iMac Pro.

 

[pier]

Hi all,

I'm currently on a 2015 Macbook Pro 15" (512 GB, otherwise base model).

There's nothing wrong with the model and I generally like it. But I keep thinking about side-grading to an iMac 5k. The display is just too enticing, and having a dedicated GPU would be oh so sweet.

The i5-7600k / 2 TB Fusion Drive / RX 580 model is currently 2100 Euro where I'm at, which is 500 more than I can get for my 2015 MBP. That also has the added bonus of getting a new warranty...

I already have a Thinkpad for mobile use, so the MBP never leaves the house anyway.

Should I do it?

I actually did that. I replaced my 15'' 2015 MBP with the 7600K 27'' model. It was a glorious update. The MBP was constantly turning the fans on when watching youtube or sharing screen on Skype.

Do it.

If you get the iMac forget about the fusion drive. Get an SSD for the system and apps. If you need more storage just buy an external USB3 drive.

 

[jerwin]

Installing bootcamp on an external USB3 SSD is a painful procedure. If you have a Fusion Drive, apple likes to use the innermost tracks of the hard drive.
[doublepost=1520964629][/doublepost]

The MBP was constantly turning the fans on when watching youtube or sharing screen on Skype.

strictly speaking, the imac is always running its fans-- 1200 rpm. Most of the time, it's almost inaudible. However, games can drive up the fan speed quite readily. On my machine, youtube doesn't, and I suspect, neither does skype.

 

[TomOSeven]

Installing bootcamp on an external USB3 SSD is a painful procedure.

Oh is it really? I figured it'd be exactly the same. That gives me pause.

 

[jerwin]

Oh is it really? I figured it'd be exactly the same. That gives me pause.

The default windows installer won't let you install to a USB3 drive. It will allow you to install to a Thunderbolt drive.
(You can get around this restriction, but then there's the matter of installing the EFI partition...)

 

[SecuritySteve]

I agree with other folks here: Do it, but get an SSD option. Spinning platters are yesterday's technology, and you will notice the speed bumps in WoW, as well as in your system overall.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

This is what you want to hear!

Spend your money and give a man a job.

 

[varian55zx]

The fusion drives are unusable pieces of garbage. After a couple days when it gets filled up, you experience spinner level performance. So especially for you, who already has an SSD MacBook, I would never ever recommend the 2tb fusion model. Horrible horrible experience and a con

 

[TomOSeven]

The fusion drives are unusable pieces of garbage. After a couple days when it gets filled up, you experience spinner level performance. So especially for you, who already has an SSD MacBook, I would never ever recommend the 2tb fusion model. Horrible horrible experience and a con

Sweet, that's exactly what I needed to hear.

 

[varian55zx]

Sweet, that's exactly what I needed to hear.

I hope that response isn't sarcastic, because what I said is correct.

The garbage fusion drives come with a mere 128gb of flash storage, in other words an absurdly small amount.

The software is flawed so files are not moved efficiently, and the whole thing slows down and becomes unusable.

I have owned an iMac for only a brief period with a fusion drive before selling it because it couldn't compare with my MacBooks, which all had SSD.

If you don't buy pure SSD, I would say I would certainly extend my sympathies to you.

 

[BananaX]

Easy. You said it has 2 TB Fusion Drive, and you are considering? Run to dat choppa! Run!

 

[JustMartin]

Sweet, that's exactly what I needed to hear.

I wouldn't get too distracted by Varian55zx's hyperbole. There are many, many happy Fusion users out there (including me). I would recommend getting the larger model because it comes with 128 gb of SSD. And no, your system does not slow down once the SSD is full. Fusion drives use a caching algorithm and have a dedicated 4Gb write buffer, so pretty much everything you want will be coming from or going to, the faster part of the drive.

 

[TomOSeven]

I hope that response isn't sarcastic, because what I said is correct.

The garbage fusion drives come with a mere 128gb of flash storage, in other words an absurdly small amount.

The software is flawed so files are not moved efficiently, and the whole thing slows down and becomes unusable.

I have owned an iMac for only a brief period with a fusion drive before selling it because it couldn't compare with my MacBooks, which all had SSD.

If you don't buy pure SSD, I would say I would certainly extend my sympathies to you.

No that wasn't sarcasm, I wanted a good reason not to get the iMac.

 

[Brian Y]

I wouldn't get too distracted by Varian55zx's hyperbole. There are many, many happy Fusion users out there (including me). I would recommend getting the larger model because it comes with 128 gb of SSD. And no, your system does not slow down once the SSD is full. Fusion drives use a caching algorithm and have a dedicated 4Gb write buffer, so pretty much everything you want will be coming from or going to, the faster part of the drive.

If you're spending that much, the fusion drive is a crappy choice. Sorry, but it just is. It's 2018, SSDs should be the default drive - especially in the higher end models.

Get the SSD-only model, for a little bit more, and an external hard drive for your data. That way you have the best of both worlds, and your data drive can easily move around. And you don't have to deal with failing hard drives inside the machine (spinning drives never last in iMacs for some reason).

 

[Fishrrman]

Get the iMac, but KEEP the 2015 MacBook Pro.
It's going to be remembered as one of the best MBP's ever released.

 

[varian55zx]

I wouldn't get too distracted by Varian55zx's hyperbole. There are many, many happy Fusion users out there (including me). I would recommend getting the larger model because it comes with 128 gb of SSD. And no, your system does not slow down once the SSD is full. Fusion drives use a caching algorithm and have a dedicated 4Gb write buffer, so pretty much everything you want will be coming from or going to, the faster part of the drive.

Recommending someone to buy a gimmicky spinner/SSD combo in 2018 on an OS that doesn't even work properly on anything but a pure SSD. Do you realize how awful spinners are given the progress that has been made in respect to SSD technology? Do you even have any clue that the tiny, barely there SSD in your fusion is far slower than the beefier 512 gb SSD in my 2015 5K iMac? Your drive's read and write speeds are far inferior, far inferior. And do you have any idea that being that the fusion setup utilizes two drives, it has an increased chance of failure and putting your data at risk? I'm sure you are learning those things for the first time.

Just because you bought the Fusion Drive, and are now aiming to avoid buyer remorse, does not mean that OP has to suffer the same fate. The fusion drive is little more than a marketing ploy, still made sense back when SSDs were newer and more expensive to get in Macs, and now make no sense to buy.

 

[JustMartin]

Recommending someone to buy a gimmicky spinner/SSD combo in 2018 on an OS that doesn't even work properly on anything but a pure SSD. Do you realize how awful spinners are given the progress that has been made in respect to SSD technology? Do you even have any clue that the tiny, barely there SSD in your fusion is far slower than the beefier 512 gb SSD in my 2015 5K iMac? Your drive's read and write speeds are far inferior, far inferior. And do you have any idea that being that the fusion setup utilizes two drives, it has an increased chance of failure and putting your data at risk? I'm sure you are learning those things for the first time.

Just because you bought the Fusion Drive, and are now aiming to avoid buyer remorse, does not mean that OP has to suffer the same fate. The fusion drive is little more than a marketing ploy, still made sense back when SSDs were newer and more expensive to get in Macs, and now make no sense to buy.

ok - will you cut out the patronising insults to my intelligence?

 

[varian55zx]

ok - will you cut out the patronising insults to my intelligence?

None found. My only aim is to help OP, if someone is happy with their fusion drive then that is good for them, I sure wasn't so will not act as if I was.

 

[vkd]

The fusion drives are unusable pieces of garbage. After a couple days when it gets filled up, you experience spinner level performance. So especially for you, who already has an SSD MacBook, I would never ever recommend the 2tb fusion model. Horrible horrible experience and a con

I absolutely disagree. I have a mid-2011 iMac that came with 1TB HDD standard and I installed a Samsung SSD and created a Fusion Drive with the two. The difference in system performance is phenomenal. Been running for over two years now and no problem whatsoever.

 

[varian55zx]

I absolutely disagree. I have a mid-2011 iMac that came with 1TB HDD standard and I installed a Samsung SSD and created a Fusion Drive with the two. The difference in system performance is phenomenal. Been running for over two years now and no problem whatsoever.

Very well.

There's no denying that you will notice a massive increase when upgrading to a fusion from a pure spinner, the difference is phenomenal. That does not, however, mean that the fusion drive is the most optimal setup. Anything utilizing a spinner in part will be slower than pure SSD, and the dual drive setup makes for increased chances of hardware failure and compromised data.

Just because you upgraded to a fusion drive from a pure spinner and noticed a significant performance increase, does not mean my argument is suddenly rendered invalid. It is factually incorrect to argue that the speed of the fusion drive is anywhere near comparable to that of a pure SSD, especially if you're using the one shipped by Apple like I am. Is it possible you've never used a pure SSD before?