iMac for pt?

[tamasdragon]

One of my clients asked this question.
Is the new quad i5 imac good for pro tools use? Will she experience serious performance boost from a i7 imac vs the i5 imac?

I don't have experience with imac and pro tools, so cannot really answer her. Please if someone has experience (good or bad) tell me the truth. She's really interested in the performance difference between the quadi5 vs quad i7. (Doesn't want to spend more on computers of course :) )

[audiobob]

Can't comment on the i7 but the i5 is great. I'm using it in a B room for simple post editing and clean up and it's rockin'.

[bradch00]

I have been using iMacs for PT for at least 4 years, the main rig now is an i7 iMac and it's run like a dream. Now, that being said, I have also set up a few other rigs and although I'm using a FW interface (Project Mix) myself, I've setup other rigs using USB interfaces and have found the overall installation to be simpler. This is mostly due to the way Apple implemented FW with only one port and even when they had 2, shared the same bus internally. Now the new iMacs come with a Thunderbolt port, which I have not used (yet)....

[John_Toolbox]

I'm using an i7 imac with PT9 and it works great.

[nst7]

If it's between the $1999 I5 Imac and the custom order $2199 I7, it's absolutely worth the extra $200.

First of all, on the Imacs, only the I7 processors have Hyper-threading, which is what allows programs like Protools to see 8 virtual cores instead of 4 (this is not the case on the Macbook Pros, where the I5's have this feature as well).

2nd, here is the benchmark chart for comparison. The top one is the custom order I7, the 4th one down is the I5. You can see a big difference between them:

http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/2011/...arks-mid-2011/

[John_Toolbox]

Yes, the extra $200 for the i7 is a no-brainer. There are some people who say that logic performs better without hyperthreading, but I have not found that to be the case myself. More threads = more power.

[DJKeys]

I just ordered a refurb 21.5 iMac i7 from Apple. With Applecare and tax it came to $1745. The new one was $2100. Same warranty. Got 8GB of RAM at Crucial for $70.

I am redoing my 10-year old system, used DP in the past, can't wait to get into ProTools!

[MidnightFlyer]

$200 is only if you go for the most expensive 27" i5.
There is a vast difference in price in the i5 iMac's.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...co=MjIwNTQyNjE

I got the 21.5" (2.7 GHz) because it fits better on my desk. And the difference between my unit and the i7 is $700.. So you have to ask yourself if you will be using all the power available, or if its more than you need.

[Carl Lie]

Before you order you should find our what os they shop with.

C

[KMcK]

Just curious - is there any kind of fan noise when you run heavy sessions on iMacs? I was thinking of getting one for a B rig, but the thought of a fan kicking in 12 inches from my face / ears is what has been holding me back so far. At least a Tower I can stick under the desk and get some distance from the ambient noise it puts out.