Which New iMac?

[Cutlerbri]

Hello friends,

I'm days if not hours away from pulling the trigger on a new 27" iMac with an i7 and 512g flash drive (I'm getting minimum 8g memory and beefing it up to 24g with Crucial).

But my question to you is: what is the difference between the two upper end iMacs? One has a slightly faster processor but is it worth the extra $300? Would I feel a significant difference? I'm doing Pro Tools on this machine and not gaming.

Your thoughts?

[VRW]

Originally Posted by Cutlerbri

Hello friends,

I'm days if not hours away from pulling the trigger on a new 27" iMac with an i7 and 512g flash drive (I'm getting minimum 8g memory and beefing it up to 24g with Crucial).

But my question to you is: what is the difference between the two upper end iMacs? One has a slightly faster processor but is it worth the extra $300? Would I feel a significant difference? I'm doing Pro Tools on this machine and not gaming.

Your thoughts?

Hey Brian! I have checked it back and you might be careful to not mess up things regarding the processors. As far as I could see with both upper end iMacs it´s that there´s only one i7 Quad Core processor option available which is the +$300.- version. The standard version comes with an i5 Quad Core processor not an i7 Quad Core processor. You might recheck this.

And because it´s 64bit Pro Tools 12 you want to run on this iMac and you want it to work flawlessly as for the computer you definitely want the +$300.- i7 Quad Core processor!
You know, some people use PT12 with i5 processors successfully as well but from my own personal experience (I have used PT12 on i5 and i7 Quad machines) you really should go for an i7 Quad Core processor on buying a new Pro Tools 12 computer. It simply does work better and more reliably at the end of the day. If buying such a high end iMac you better not save at the processor.

What you could do to save another $150.- would be to go for the 3.2GHz Processor model (not the 3.3GHz model) which starts at $1999.- instead of $2299.- for the 3.3GHz model, then add the 4.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz processor (which you will have to do in either case), go for 8GB Ram only and the 512GB Flash drive.
Both models are almost identical in this configuration except the graphic engine. The 3.3GHz model does come with an even more powerful graphic engine than the 3.2GHz model which will add those $150.- finally. And that´s where you could save a few bucks without affecting the performance of Pro Tools 12. The graphic engine of the 3.2GHz model will be powerful enough to run Pro Tools as it is supposed to.

http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac
So my suggestion would be to go there and scroll down where it reads
-3.2GHz Processor 1TB Storage- for $1999.- instead of where it reads
-3.3GHz Processor 2TB Storage- for $2299.-.
Then add the 4.0GHz i7 Quad Core processor, leave it at 8GB Ram and go for the 512GB Flash drive.
You will end up with $2,599.00 instead of $2,749.00 finally. Not that much but $150.- difference at least.

If you are on a seriously tight budget you even might go for the 256GB Flash drive only and use an external USB 3 7200rpm HDD for your Pro Tools sessions/audio files which you can replace
(when there will be more money available for it) with an SSD using the same external USB 3 enclosure later.

You could start out with such a one
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/West...al/WD5000LPLX/
in such an external USB 3 enclosure
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Othe...ting/MOTGS3U3/
and put such a SSD into the same enclosure later for example
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSD7P6G480/
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSD7P6G960/

The start configuration with the 500GB 7200rpm HDD and the external USB 3 enclosure will be $93,74 all together instead of +$200.- for the 512GB Flash drive. Another $100.- saving. Just as an idea
if your budget is that tight. Just don´t save at the processor with such an high end iMac particularly if you want a current, well working Pro Tools 12 recording/mixing system for the next few years.

Anyway it´s up to you of course finally.
Wishing you the very best of success.

Cheers.

[Cutlerbri]

"What you could do to save another $150.- would be to go for the 3.2GHz Processor model (not the 3.3GHz model) which starts at $1999.- instead of $2299.- for the 3.3GHz model, then add the 4.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz processor"

Yes, VRW, this was my intention all along. I will buy the next-to-coolest iMac and beef it up to an i7 and a 512 flash drive. Your answer confirms my thought that the next highest Ghz rate is probably only useful for video and gaming -- neither of which I will be doing much on this iMac.

Thanks again, as always!

[VRW]

Originally Posted by Cutlerbri

Your answer confirms my thought that the next highest Ghz rate is probably only useful for video and gaming

Just for your info this 4.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz processor will be actually the same for both models.
There is no difference in the GHz rate with the i7 Quad option for both of them. They only differ in GHz rate with their basic i5 processors.
The i7 will be exactly the same for both finally.
Means by choosing the i7 Quad option for your iMac (no matter which basic model) you get the most powerful processor for an iMac available
at the moment. There ain´t another more powerful processor for an iMac available at the moment than this 4.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7.
Cool indeed.
And very useful for the use with Pro Tools nowadays. I guess you eventually will have lots of fun with this machine. Cheers.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Cutlerbri

Hello friends,

I'm days if not hours away from pulling the trigger on a new 27" iMac with an i7 and 512g flash drive (I'm getting minimum 8g memory and beefing it up to 24g with Crucial).

But my question to you is: what is the difference between the two upper end iMacs? One has a slightly faster processor but is it worth the extra $300? Would I feel a significant difference? I'm doing Pro Tools on this machine and not gaming.

Your thoughts?

Question: why stop at 24 gig? Your machine can take 32 gig which would fill up all 4 ram slots with four 8 gig modules. Whichever machine you get make sure it has an i7; i5's can work but can be problematic depending on your work load (and don't under estimate what you're going to do in PT).

[Cutlerbri]

Thanks Jack,

Yeah I thought I'd see how well it does with 24g of memory. The iMac ships with two 4g chips. I'll add two 8g chips from Crucial and see how it does. It would be easy enough to get two more 8g chips to make it 32g of memory.

The i7 is a must. And I'm getting the 512 of flash storage. No Fusion confusion here!

Oh, and VRW...I picked up my new Focusrite Clarret 2Pre and my new Neumann TML-102 yesterday. Can't wait for the new 'pooter so I can set them all up!

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Cutlerbri

Thanks Jack,

Yeah I thought I'd see how well it does with 24g of memory. The iMac ships with two 4g chips. I'll add two 8g chips from Crucial and see how it does. It would be easy enough to get two more 8g chips to make it 32g of memory.

The i7 is a must. And I'm getting the 512 of flash storage. No Fusion confusion here!

Oh, and VRW...I picked up my new Focusrite Clarret 2Pre and my new Neumann TML-102 yesterday. Can't wait for the new 'pooter so I can set them all up!

Don't forget the usual recommendation that all ram modules be of the same size and manufacturer and specs. Changing the ram out is one of those things that does not void AppleCare if you have or get it.

One thing I would do is to try out the machine in stock form when you get it to make sure everything works.

[Cutlerbri]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Don't forget the usual recommendation that all ram modules be of the same size and manufacturer and specs.

Is that right? I live chatted with a salesperson from Crucial. I asked her that specific question and she said mixing the size of modules was perfectly okay. But do you think I should have all the modules matching?

And that's a good idea to fire up the new iMac with the stock 8g of memory. Should I put it through small PT session too? How much of a test should I give it before I add the new memory?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Cutlerbri

Is that right? I live chatted with a salesperson from Crucial. I asked her that specific question and she said mixing the size of modules was perfectly okay. But do you think I should have all the modules matching?

And that's a good idea to fire up the new iMac with the stock 8g of memory. Should I put it through small PT session too? How much of a test should I give it before I add the new memory?

The person you talked to probably has no idea of the requirements for a recording computer and having all ram modules of the same size/spec/manufacturer will give you better stability. Definitely have all ram modules the same.

Doing a small PT session won't hurt in your initial checkout. The reason I mentioned about doing a checkout with the machine as you get it that while it passed final QC at the factory you never know what can happen in shipping where something can work loose or worse. Just be sure to save all the packing material. I purchased a PolyEvolver rack mount synth module some years back and it was dead on startup at my place. It's called infant mortality and can happen to even the best companies.

[Cutlerbri]

All great advice, Jack. Will do...and thanks!