MP All Models Used Mac Pro or new iMac for software development

[bulldoze]

I need a new home office machine which would be mainly used for software development running multiple fairly resource heavy docker containers. I have a 16" Macbook that struggles to handle the workload and gets very hot and the loud fans going constantly is off putting. Now I will still need the 16" as I work away a lot but I am thinking that a more powerful machine would be a better fit.

With a budget of about $2500 the go to choice would be whatever new iMac is released this year and stuff 32GB in it but maybe for my use case I could get a used Mac Pro that is a couple of years old? For one thing I can put it under the desk where the fan noise would not be so noticeable.

I have all the ancillaries like external 27" monitor and keyboard etc. would a Mac Pro from a couple of years ago be a better fit for me?

 

[ct2k7]

Which MacPros are you willing to consider? Hopefully one not too old as they don’t have support and you’d want it to support the next macOS at least.

The iMac could do well, but I prefer not having AIOs so went with the newest Mac Pro from 2019.

 

[kohlson]

I think counting on a system designed over 10 years ago is probably not the best platform for software development. But perhaps the software you're working on is that "modern." For example, cMP has no support for AVX.

 

[Ghokun]

What are those docker containers are running? I had a similar requirement and created myself a homeserver with old xeon cpus. I am running theia ide (vs code on browser) on server having OpenCV and some other libraries. Server handles all the load, I am just coding in browser with 2014 13" mbp without even a fan noise. I can even run multiple instances and run them on parallel. Do you really need the apple hardware to run docker containers?

 

[MisterAndrew]

The OP said a Mac Pro "from a couple years ago." There's only one Mac Pro from that time period -> the 6,1. You can get a great one for $2500 or less. I was in this dilemma too. Either going with the 6,1 Mac Pro, a new Mac mini, an iMac Pro, or the new 7,1 Mac Pro. I decided the 6,1 fits my needs and preferences the best. If you decide to go with an iMac I suggest going with the iMac Pro. It's better quality and has better thermals. It's a little beyond that budget though.

 

[bulldoze]

Docker containers are running AI code and databases, on my 16" everything goes to 100% pretty much straight away when they are spun up. Maybe creating a home server as suggested above would be a solution but I have never been a hardware geek. Just wanted a plug and play solution.

I looked at iMac Pro first but then saw the price!

 

[ct2k7]

Docker containers are running AI code and databases, on my 16" everything goes to 100% pretty much straight away when they are spun up. Maybe creating a home server as suggested above would be a solution but I have never been a hardware geek. Just wanted a plug and play solution.

I looked at iMac Pro first but then saw the price!

Yeah the price is pretty steep....

 

[glenthompson]

Outside your budget but a refurbished iMac Pro saves a few bucks. It has excellent thermal management.

 

[kohlson]

The OP said a Mac Pro "from a couple years ago."

You're right, he did not say. I just assumed when he said something about minimizing the fan noise by putting it under his desk, he was talking cMP.

 

[MisterAndrew]

You're right, he did not say. I just assumed when he said something about minimizing the fan noise by putting it under his desk, he was talking cMP.

I didn't catch that. The nMP is definitely a desktop unit and is very quiet, so maybe he was thinking the cMP. It certainly is much older than "a couple years."

 

[rkuo]

The Mac Pro from a couple of years ago is actually from 2013. It's not very powerful compared to current generation processors, but it has a lot of cores if you buy the right model or upgrade the processor.

It's not a terrible idea to get one used, but you can certainly purchase more processor in an iMac if that's what you are interested in.

 

[goMac]

iMac.

A 2013 Mac Pro is the only viable alternative, but there are a lot of things you give up there. And an iMac, properly spec-d with an i7 or i9, would be much faster.

Don't bother with a 2012 Mac Pro or older. They can't run the current OS, which means in a lot of cases they can't run the current development software. You can hack newer macOS on there, but for a work tool you don't want to bother.

 

[theorist9]

Two other things to consider:

(1) If your current 27" external isn't a 5k, that's a point in favor of getting a 27" iMac. Apple ditched subpixel rendering after High Sierra, which (to my eye) means you really need a 5k for sharp text (a 4k isn't quite as nice); that's actually why I've stuck with High Sierra myself.

(2) If you get an iMac you'll have both a main monitor and 27" secondary monitor, which would be valuable if your work could benefit from dual monitors (e.g., for some coding tasks, where it's helpful to view many lines of code at once, portrait mode is nice; so you could have your iMac in landscape, and your secondary in portrait).

OTOH, fan noise would be less with a used Mac Pro. And if you do go with the Mac Pro, OWC offers memory and processor upgrades:

Upgrades Guaranteed to work with your Mac Pro by OWC

Upgrade the RAM and storage of nearly any Apple computer at MacSales.com. We also provide refurbished Macs, external storage, docks, accessories, and more!

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