Using an old iMac (C2D)

[tonyy]

So I've been using my drone a lot more and would like to do some video editing along with photo editing using FCPX and Lightroom.

I'm using my 2012 MbPro which isn't too bad but I would love to use the larger iMac display.

I have an old 2009 21.5 iMac that I upgraded to an SSD, 12gb ram, and it's the C2D 3.06 GHz model. Is it worth using this computer for editing? Or should I stick with the smaller screen MBPro that's i3. I just ordered an SSD for the Pro so we'll see how that goes.

 

[mox358]

I have this exact iMac with 8gb ram and a regular hdd and it still performs well. I mainly use my MacBook Pro, but I still record a podcast and do some audio/video editing on the iMac. It works well with Sierra, but it remains to be seen how much of a performance hit High Sierra will take on it

 

[tonyy]

I have this exact iMac with 8gb ram and a regular hdd and it still performs well. I mainly use my MacBook Pro, but I still record a podcast and do some audio/video editing on the iMac. It works well with Sierra, but it remains to be seen how much of a performance hit High Sierra will take on it

Awesome, thats good to know that this machine can still hold its own. I'll try it out and report back.

 

[EugW]

I have this exact iMac with 8gb ram and a regular hdd and it still performs well. I mainly use my MacBook Pro, but I still record a podcast and do some audio/video editing on the iMac. It works well with Sierra, but it remains to be seen how much of a performance hit High Sierra will take on it

With 12 GB and SSD, pretty much no performance hit. I'm typing this on a 2008 unibody aluminum MacBook C2D 2.0 GHz and it's fine on High Sierra.

Importantly, for photo editing, High Sierra brings compatibility for HEIF and HEVC. All my iPhone photos are HEIF now in iOS 11, and all of my iPhone videos are HEVC. The Photos application is more decent too in High Sierra.

 

[mox358]

Nothing wrong with

With 12 GB and SSD, pretty much no performance hit. I'm typing this on a 2008 unibody aluminum MacBook C2D 2.0 GHz and it's fine on High Sierra.

Importantly, for photo editing, High Sierra brings compatibility for HEIF and HEVC. All my iPhone photos are HEIF now in iOS 11, and all of my iPhone videos are HEVC. The Photos application is more decent too in High Sierra.

True, High Sierra will be a big deal for photo editing.

Overall the iMac has been a great machine... I’ve thought about adding more memory and replacing the drive with an SSD. I always lean towards saving that money for a new machine with retina though.

I’ve been super impressed with how well it still performs. For being almost ten years old it could still be my main machine if I needed it to be. Certainly got my money’s worth in that purchase!

 

[tonyy]

Checking in here. My iMac runs fine with photo editing however video editing in Final Cut is laggy. Playing raw footage isn't smooth and makes editing almost impossible. Is there anything I can upgrade to address this issue?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"My iMac runs fine with photo editing however video editing in Final Cut is laggy. Playing raw footage isn't smooth and makes editing almost impossible. Is there anything I can upgrade to address this issue?"

Yes.
You can upgrade the iMac to either a new one or a refurbished 2015 model.

I'm not trying to be facetious.
I, too, have an old white Intel iMac, and it actually still runs ok... considering its age.

But it definitely shows its age and I wouldn't expect to run a "heavy app" like video editing without being sluggish.

 

[tonyy]

OP wrote:
"My iMac runs fine with photo editing however video editing in Final Cut is laggy. Playing raw footage isn't smooth and makes editing almost impossible. Is there anything I can upgrade to address this issue?"

Yes.
You can upgrade the iMac to either a new one or a refurbished 2015 model.

I'm not trying to be facetious.
I, too, have an old white Intel iMac, and it actually still runs ok... considering its age.

But it definitely shows its age and I wouldn't expect to run a "heavy app" like video editing without being sluggish.

Yeah, thats what I figured. I got my moneys worth with this iMac. I'll keep it for photo editing and light usage. Looks like a newer iMac it is!