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Need to change my iMac now...


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Dear all, 

I am a 25 year-long Mac user, and I just experienced my first hardware problem : my late 2015 iMac doesn’t start anymore and the motherboard has to be changed.. since it costs almost 900 Eur, I will change the computer. I didn’t have a dedicated Eizo photo monitor but was thinking about getting one with my next upgrade.

In my photo workflow I use lightroom and was about to buy the new subscription based formula to use classic version on the desktop and some on the go edition with my iPad Pro.

I wanted to wait for Apple to release its new Apple-silicon chips based Macs and change next year. Since I need to change now, I have to go with an Intel machine.

I am used to buying rather top of the line machines usually so that they last longer, but given the new chips coming, I think there is no real interest in buying a workhorse, and rather buy a more standard product and change it in 3 years.
I read the topics desktop vs MacBook in the forum and the eGPU debate.

Probably 3 options right now :

. iMac 27 with 8 Gb RAM I will upgrade myself to 40 or 72 (easy and not expensive) - powerful and probably the cheapest solution, but no screen calibration 

. MacBook Pro 16 with 32 Go RAM and an external monitor I can calibrate - quite powerful but more expensive, nice + to have portability (but not a priority)

. Mac mini 32 Gb RAM + eGPU +  external monitor I can calibrate - from what I read in the forum it could be powerful, more expensive than the iMac solution, some hassle for the eGPU ?, and in the end more expensive than the iMac

 

Thanks for your valuable inputs !

 

Didier

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What is the problem with eGPUs?  I use a Sonnet eGFX 650 (Thunderbolt 3 box) and an AMD WX8200 graphics card without any issues.  My only recommendation is stay away from companies that focus on gaming users.  Most on-line reviews of eGPUs and graphics cards are from gamers.

My set up is exactly your Option 3 with an Eizo monitor.  iMac's have a huge range in prices.  I am sure your option 3 is more expensive than the lowest price iMac.  Whether or not it is more expensive than the higher end of iMac's depends on what monitor you buy.  A powerful Macmini easily outperforms a MacPro 2013 trashcan with Firepro graphics, which is what I had before my upgrade to a Macmini last summer.

My biggest complaints with Apple are that they don't offer upgradeable products and that they don't offer a mid-range desktop without a monitor.  The Macmini is mini until you set it on a Sonnet 650 and next to a RAID.  Essentially when you buy a Macmini with extras, you are buying a computer with the guts spread all over your desktop and no single case enclosure.

Stay away from the Blackmagic eGPU because it is not upgradeable because Apple doesn't want you to have upgradeable products.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/13/2020 at 9:32 PM, marchyman said:

No screen calibration?  I calibrate my 5K iMac using i1Display Pro.  That said, a mini with external monitor isn't a bad choice, either.  I'm partial to large screens with separate keyboard and track pads.  No laptop for me.

+1

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On 8/13/2020 at 7:58 AM, didier said:

Dear all, 

I am a 25 year-long Mac user, and I just experienced my first hardware problem : my late 2015 iMac doesn’t start anymore and the motherboard has to be changed.. since it costs almost 900 Eur, I will change the computer. I didn’t have a dedicated Eizo photo monitor but was thinking about getting one with my next upgrade.

In my photo workflow I use lightroom and was about to buy the new subscription based formula to use classic version on the desktop and some on the go edition with my iPad Pro.

I wanted to wait for Apple to release its new Apple-silicon chips based Macs and change next year. Since I need to change now, I have to go with an Intel machine.

I am used to buying rather top of the line machines usually so that they last longer, but given the new chips coming, I think there is no real interest in buying a workhorse, and rather buy a more standard product and change it in 3 years.
I read the topics desktop vs MacBook in the forum and the eGPU debate.

Probably 3 options right now :

. iMac 27 with 8 Gb RAM I will upgrade myself to 40 or 72 (easy and not expensive) - powerful and probably the cheapest solution, but no screen calibration 

. MacBook Pro 16 with 32 Go RAM and an external monitor I can calibrate - quite powerful but more expensive, nice + to have portability (but not a priority)

. Mac mini 32 Gb RAM + eGPU +  external monitor I can calibrate - from what I read in the forum it could be powerful, more expensive than the iMac solution, some hassle for the eGPU ?, and in the end more expensive than the iMac

 

Thanks for your valuable inputs !

 

Didier

I’ve been using the latest 16” MacBook Pro with and without my secondary screen and have been very happy with performance. I use M10R and M10M w/LR cloud option as well as the DXO/Google suite and everything works seem less and fast with no slowness or loading times. 
 

I went with 64 and 2 TB and upgrades the graphics card and other extras. 

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Another option, if you’re looking for a cost effective interim solution, is to find a 2010-2012 Mac Pro desktop and upgrade components as desired.  My 2009 machine received a FW upgrade to mimic a 2010 version, along with SSD, 64GB RAM, etc. It was bench tested against a Mac ‘trashcan’ model and performed comparably.  And my 2009 NEC monitor still calibrates well.  Don’t always need the latest and greatest.

Jeff

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Thank you all. After reading your comments and more generally a lot of littérature about Macs, GPUs, LR, ... and after discussions with my Apple authorized dealer and through Adobe’s website chat, I have quite decide, to go the following route : separate EIZO screen (The new CS2740 which has a nice 3840*2160 resolution) with a Mac mini : I found it to be, as Jeff mentioned, another rather cost effective solution : I can have the RAM upgraded afterward at market price to 64 Go and avoid Apple’s crazy RAM costs, the GPU isn’t that important for LR said And the Mac mini i7 is powerful (only the absence of GPU is a weakness).

I won’t be too frustrated if I need to change the Mac in 2 or 3 years and will be able to keep the EIZO screen.

 

Didier

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On 9/2/2020 at 8:20 AM, dkmoore said:

I’ve been using the latest 16” MacBook Pro with and without my secondary screen and have been very happy with performance. I use M10R and M10M w/LR cloud option as well as the DXO/Google suite and everything works seem less and fast with no slowness or loading times. 
 

I went with 64 and 2 TB and upgrades the graphics card and other extras. 

I use this same configuration and it’s a real screamer.  

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Mac Mini is very reliable; I kept mine for five years before changing g to an iMac -- which is now seven years old. I shall also try to wait for the next model which should be a worthwhile upgrade. Not sure where one would get an EIZO display locally.

Work also got me a new MacBook, which I can pair with the iMac when working from home and is plenty fast enough.

I also like Graphic Converter and find it very useful.

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  • 3 months later...

Mac Pro 2013 trashcan user here, I'm too interested  in the Mac Mini option (i7-6core-32 G RAM) as possible "temporary" solution in case the Pro should fail. Main use is LR, a little PS and InDesign.

Can someone explain which is the benefit of the external eGPU? I imagine fastness but is this really "visible" for a normal (not a pro photographer with huge amount of files to work on) user? I mean if to apply a setting it takes0.8 sec or 0.4 it does noit make any difference for me. Or if to import/export 50 DNG files it takes 50 sec. instead of 30 it is not a great problem for me.

Thanks for explanation!

 

 

 

 

 

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The new Mac Mini comes with the M1 processor, I think.  M1 laptops have been receiving rave reviews, 3x faster, lower power consumption, much longer battery life etc.  Vendors are committing to M1 versions of their software.  Microsoft's is due for release this week.  Adobe has committed in the next six months (and of course works with Rosetta in the meantime).  Just make sure you are on this bandwagon rather than buying an Intel Mac.

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1 hour ago, rob_w said:

The new Mac Mini comes with the M1 processor, I think.  M1 laptops have been receiving rave reviews, 3x faster, lower power consumption, much longer battery life etc.  Vendors are committing to M1 versions of their software.  Microsoft's is due for release this week.  Adobe has committed in the next six months (and of course works with Rosetta in the meantime).  Just make sure you are on this bandwagon rather than buying an Intel Mac.

Thanks for advice, for sure the M1 processor will be in a short time the way to go. About the mini I read some reviews (actually I read many revies about!) which point the monitor cannot be calibrated, which of course for a photographis use is a bad point. Surely it is a matter of time new M1 machines will arrive on the market with even better performances, which is why I think in terms of an intermediate medium term substitution in case my Pro should fail.

I think next year will be interesting for the Macs users, with the hope Apple will take more care of serious users than game users !

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