Upgrading 2.4Ghz MBP to (which) 27" iMac??

[zoomzoom5]

I no longer need the portability of my MBP, so I'm selling it to a friend and picking up a new 27" iMac... just need some opinions on which model to get.

My MBP is the 2.4Ghz i5, GT 330M, 4GB, with an upgraded Momentus XT drive. I'm jumping between the two stock 27" models, but after seeing the video card benchmark results (http://www.barefeats.com/imac11b.html), I wonder if the 6770M is underpowered for what I'd need.

The iMac would be mostly used for iTunes (playback and encoding), HD video playback, Photoshop CS4 high res picture editing; so really nothing that would tax the processor end of things. I will be using a 24" Dell as a second display, so is the 6770M going to be powerful enough to drive both displays without getting choppy?

I like the idea of the entry level 27" - perfect screen size for my needs, cooler running components, and leaves extra $$ that could be spent on a Thunderbolt enclosure once they hit the market.

If you guys can offer any insight or experience that would be awesome. Thanks

 

[CoryBoyUSA]

I'm in the same boat as you. I currently have the 2.4 i5 MBP and am debating between all the 27" iMacs, trying to make sure I get a big improvement over what I have now. But I have to think about it this way: Does my MBP do everything I want to do on the new iMac? And then I realize yes, my MBP actually works just fine. So pretty much any iMac I choose will be a big improvement, probably twice as fast as what I have now. I actually use mine with a 23" Dell monitor daily and have never had any trouble, so I would assume any of the new iMacs should be able to drive both its own monitor and your Dell just fine. I can't imagine that you'd have any trouble.

 

[zoomzoom5]

Just as a quick follow up, I picked up the base 27" i5 the other day and Im totally in love with it. There is a much more significant difference in responsiveness then I expected to see between it and the MBP it replaced. No problems so far, just SMC'd the fans as the hard drive was running a bit warm for my liking- 50ish degrees vs 43 now with 300 rpm boost to the HDD fan.

But overall, another fantastic mac product!!

 

[NutsNGum]

No way! I was just about to post this same thread. Same MBP too.

Did you sell your MBP, OP? If so how are you dealing with the loss of mobility?

I've been using my laptop for uni and found it to be fairly handy shifting workspaces as an option. If I get the iMac I think I'll be looking into replacing the MBP with an MBA once the new term starts, just so I'll still have the option of moving around, if I want to.

 

[NutsNGum]

Also, have you tried any games on the 6770? Not that I play em that often, but I wouldn't mind having a shot every now and then.

 

[zoomzoom5]

I ended up selling it to a friend, so the hit to my wallet wasnt so bad

The loss of mobility isn't huge... originally i got the MBP as an upgrade from a 24" iMac as i needed the mobility option for work. So tied the MBP into a Dell UltraSharp U2410 when at home, and had the convenience of taking the laptop where ever I needed to. Since the fall my need for portability has dropped considerable, and I can count on one hand the number of times since christmas that the MBP has left my desktop stand.

I might look at getting a small MBA or iPad2 in the fall if I find the lack of mobility more impacting then i think it will be. For now, the iPhone4 will have to carry the burden.

Only thing missing now is a Thunderbolt RAID5 array on my desk... come on 'summer 2011'

Can't comment on the games though, the last one I played was the original FEAR when it was first released.

 

[mrfoof82]

I will be using a 24" Dell as a second display, so is the 6770M going to be powerful enough to drive both displays without getting choppy?

The 6770M is an insane amount of overkill for that requirement. It'll power as many displays as you can physically connect to the machine.

Back in the day (6 years ago), the only limit to fill-rate was technically the connector technology, when DVI couldn't push 2560x1600 without a dual-link connector and cable. 1080p @ 60fps = 124MPixels/sec. The 6770M has a fill-rate of 5.7GPixels/sec, which is about 45 times that. You would start to run into fill rate issues if your video needed more than about 95 million pixels per frame (1080p is 2.07MPixels/frame, 2560x1440 is 3.69MPixels/frame). You'd probably be CPU-bound before you became GPU bound.

The main reason for the 6970M is simple -- running games with the settings cranked up. That's about it.

 

[zoomzoom5]

Ya, the 6770M is perfect for my needs. With the extra resolution of the 27" I almost don't need to have the 2nd screen at all, but will keep it for now as a source to send music videos or movies to when I'm working on the main screen.

One thing that's strange, the Dell won't sleep properly when connected to the Thunderbolt port. It's connected using my old display-port to HDMI adapter, then HDMI to the Dell screen. When the computer goes into standby the Dell will power down shortly after like it's supposed to, but then will go back into regular mode as if the computer is starting up again, and it will just cycle like this... standby -> on, back to standby -> etc. Any thoughts on what this might be about?? Tried the 2nd T-Bolt port on the Mac and the behavior is the same.