What iMac (new or refurbished) would be a good choice for me?

[Mastropiero]

Hi everyone!

After a long time using my trusted MP 1,1, doing all the tricks to run it on El Capitan, I am seriously thinking about ditching the thing and going for an iMac.

My needs are not big at all, I do use my computer for picture editing (either Lightroom or Affinity Photo), and once in a blue moon I will dip my toes into some very light video editing. Haven't been a gamer for ages and I don't expect this to change, so that is not a factor.

What would you consider would be a good choice? I would definitely go for the 27", besides the obvious screen benefits, I do like to have the option to upgrade its components.

I reckon the most I'd like to spend would be the 2400 euros a new i5 six core 3,3 Ghz would go for (8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) but then again, I can see this as very nice to have, but perhaps overkill for my needs which, again, are unlikely to change anytime soon. This is my max budget, it doesn't mean I'm eager to spend it in its entirety.


Considering all this, are there previous models that you would consider better for my needs? I should mention that while I don't mind going for an older model, I would definitely like for this computer to have a good shelf life, this is a long time investment for me, just as the MP has been.


Many thanks,
Stefan

 

[wilberforce]

For photo editing, the model you suggest (i5 with 512GB SSD) would be a fine choice. I suggest put in 32GB of third party RAM.
I do a lot of photo-editing (Lightroom and Photoshop), and a higher model is not needed.
The only issue with the lowest base model is that it only has 256GB SSD.

A refurb 2019 iMac would be good too. Do not get a fusion drive!

The 5k screen is the best feature for photo-editing.

Regarding "good shelf life," if by this you mean more than 5 years, this may be in doubt, with the advent of Apple Silicon. It is very hard to predict the situation 5 years in the future, though

 

[Mastropiero]

Thank you for that.

What I meant by "long shelf life", well, I have been using the same machine for the last thirteen years, I considered it a long term investment and it paid off nicely, even though I had put put in some work to keep it up to date.

I have a question though: the lower entry 2020 27" comes with a six core 3,1 Ghz CPU, and the 256 GB SSD. The one I mentioned has got just the 3,3 Ghz CPU and double the storage.

My boot drive on my current MP is a 512 GB SSD. If I scavenged it could I use it on the iMac? If I did, is the minor bump in CPU specs worth the extra money? Granted it is not much, 200 euros, bit if it isn't life changing I'd rather use that money differently.

 

[r6mile]

You can't use the 512GB SSD on that iMac as an internal drive (the new ones are PCIe based and soldered on anyway), but if you get a cheap 2.5 inch USB3 SATA caddy you can use it for some pretty fast external storage.

 

[Mastropiero]

You can't use the 512GB SSD on that iMac as an internal drive (the new ones are PCIe based and soldered on anyway), but if you get a cheap 2.5 inch USB3 SATA caddy you can use it for some pretty fast external storage.

Understood, many thanks!

 

[Mastropiero]

I am trying to educate myself on the matter, what's the problem with fusion drives?

 

[r6mile]

I am trying to educate myself on the matter, what's the problem with fusion drives?

They were a good solution when SSDs were very expensive, so you got a good balance between the speed of SSDs and the size of HDDs. But they are not as fast as proper SSDs obviously, and also they are more prone to failure because they rely on mechanical HDDs - if the HDD fails then you lose all your data. They can still make sense if you need a LOT of storage, but even in that case I would suggest it's best to rely on a smaller internal fast SSD (tbh even 256gb is plenty for that), and get a bigger external USB3 drive for media/etc storage.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"My boot drive on my current MP is a 512 GB SSD. If I scavenged it could I use it on the iMac? If I did, is the minor bump in CPU specs worth the extra money?"

If the boot drive is a 2.5" SATA SSD, it's easy to take it out of the Mac Pro, and put it into an external USB3 enclosure, and use it that way.

In fact, I would consider that THE BEST way to migrate your data from the old Mac to the new iMac.

You WILL NOT be able to boot from the old OS/drive, however.

Re the new iMac:
I'd get a 2020 iMac, either new or Apple refurbished (if you can get them).
What you propose to get sounds fine.
Once you get set up, you can use the old SSD for "extra storage space" if you need it (you'll still need to back everything up).

Get 8gb of RAM from the factory.
Add more later if you need it.

One other thing: DO NOT get an iMac with a fusion drive.
GET ONE WITH AN SSD INSIDE.
You won't regret this.
(if you get a 2020, they only comes with SSDs, in any case)

BE AWARE that things seem to be changing in the Apple world.
By that I mean you might not get 13 years of service from the new iMac.
It might still work, but could be getting obsolete by then...

 

[pmiles]

Maybe a Hackintosh is something you might want to consider? Or a used MacPro 5,1? Your 1,1 may be severely limited but the 5,1's still have a little bit of kick left in them... just a thought.

 

[ChrisA]

My boot drive on my current MP is a 512 GB SSD. If I scavenged it could I use it on the iMac? If I did, is the minor bump in CPU specs worth the extra money? Granted it is not much, 200 euros, bit if it isn't life changing I'd rather use that money differently.

Yes, you can use the current SSD with the new iMac, if you buy an external Thunderbolt connected enclosure.

You would never notice the tiny increment in CPU speed. Put the money into a RAM upgrade and an enclosure for the old SSD.

Look for a disk enclosure that holds more than one drive. Place the old SSD inside then look for a spinning mechanical disk to go in there too and use that for Time machine backups.

External drives are not convenient on notebooks but work well on desktops.

 

[Mastropiero]

Right, thank you very much for your replies.

BE AWARE that things seem to be changing in the Apple world.
By that I mean you might not get 13 years of service from the new iMac.
It might still work, but could be getting obsolete by then...

Thank you, Fishrrman, for all the good advice. Regarding the latest part of your post, it's not like my MP is NOT obsolete after 13 years... 😆 I probably won't keep the iMac that long, but I certainly won't mind using it past it's supposed expiration date, unless it self-destructs.

Maybe a Hackintosh is something you might want to consider? Or a used MacPro 5,1? Your 1,1 may be severely limited but the 5,1's still have a little bit of kick left in them... just a thought.

Never learned a thing about the Hackintosh world, not sure I'm ready to go that route. I had thought about the 5,1 and it's true it'd be a far cheaper option for a machine that is still very capable, but I quite fancy the idea of getting rid of the big box that I'm constantly hitting my knees on.

Yes, you can use the current SSD with the new iMac, if you buy an external Thunderbolt connected enclosure.

You would never notice the tiny increment in CPU speed. Put the money into a RAM upgrade and an enclosure for the old SSD.

Look for a disk enclosure that holds more than one drive. Place the old SSD inside then look for a spinning mechanical disk to go in there too and use that for Time machine backups.

External drives are not convenient on notebooks but work well on desktops.

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

[Mastropiero]

So, I have narrowed it down to three choices (I am just looking at 27").


2019 8th gen i5 3Ghz, 512 GB SSD, 16 GB RAM.

2019 9th gen i5 3,7 Ghz, 1 TB SSD, 8 GB RAM

3rd choice would be to go for a brand new one. The option I listed in the opening post would be the most expensive but, on the other hand, I can always wait for one of those silly-discounts days.

Cheapest one is the 2019 8th gen, second one is the 2019 9th gen (200 euros more expensive) and the brand new would be another 200 euros... But that can change.


My gut tells me to go for option B. Is the 3,7 Ghz processor a better option? More RAM can always be added, but you're stuck with the CPU...

 

[Scarboose]

I would say get the latest 2020 iMac. T2 chip, improved mic, speakers and 1080 camera, and choose the mount option (can only be done on new devices). Like you said, might be overkill, but if you want something that’s gonna last a while, don’t skimp. I did that in 2015 when I bought my first iMac with a HD.... a year later I regretted it so much 😞

 

[Scarboose]

I would say option B is the best. Like you said, you can add more RAM. What would be your 2020 option if you went that route?

 

[Mastropiero]

To quote myself...

I reckon the most I'd like to spend would be the 2400 euros a new i5 six core 3,3 Ghz would go for (8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD)

 

[Mastropiero]

I would say get the latest 2020 iMac. T2 chip, improved mic, speakers and 1080 camera, and choose the mount option (can only be done on new devices). Like you said, might be overkill, but if you want something that’s gonna last a while, don’t skimp. I did that in 2015 when I bought my first iMac with a HD.... a year later I regretted it so much

I should add that out of those benefits you mentioned, the only one I really care for is thr T2 chip and the mount option. Having the option to mount it on a VESA arm is indeed appealing, but the camera, mic or speakers... Meh.

 

[Mastropiero]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic, I have decided to go for the 3,3 Ghz one, basic config (8 Gb Ram/512 Gb SSD), and I will go for a 32 Gb RAM upgrade (seems to be the cheapest option rather than buying this config directly from Apple).

I have two questions: what RAM sticks that I could purchase in Europe would you recommend? Spain, preferably, but Europe will do just fine (US is not an option due to customs).

Second: I will go for the VESA mount option, and I'll pair it with a 24" Dell screen. What would be a good mount for this setup?

I have a problem, though. My desk is a whopping 125 mm wide, I haven't managed to find a mount with a c-clamp wider than 85 mm, are there any that would meet the requirements? Otherwise I'll have to wall mount the screens in which case, again, do you have any recommendations?

Many thanks, all the best to everyone and Happy New Year!!

 

[filmak]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic, I have decided to go for the 3,3 Ghz one, basic config (8 Gb Ram/512 Gb SSD), and I will go for a 32 Gb RAM upgrade (seems to be the cheapest option rather than buying this config directly from Apple).

I have two questions: what RAM sticks that I could purchase in Europe would you recommend? Spain, preferably, but Europe will do just fine (US is not an option due to customs).

Second: I will go for the VESA mount option, and I'll pair it with a 24" Dell screen. What would be a good mount for this setup?

I have a problem, though. My desk is a whopping 125 mm wide, I haven't managed to find a mount with a c-clamp wider than 85 mm, are there any that would meet the requirements? Otherwise I'll have to wall mount the screens in which case, again, do you have any recommendations?

Many thanks, all the best to everyone and Happy New Year!!

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