Graphics card option on new iMac

I'm about to order a 27" iMac and the last decision to make is the graphic card.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX 1GB GDDR5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5 [Add $135.00]

I don't game at all but I do use Photoshop and Lightroom. I've been told that Photoshop takes advantage of the GPU but wondering how much speed (if any) the better card would provide.

Side issue is that the local Apple store carries the high end iMac exactly like I want but it has the better card. Attractive if I want to buy in the store, but I can wait 3-4 weeks if that's what it takes to save the money if the card is of no significant value.

Thoughts

My advice is to purchase as much iMac as you can afford. Keep in mind that the graphics card on all current Macs with the exception of the Mac Pro can not be upgraded later on. Certainly the better graphics card with more memory is desirable for Photoshop and Lightroom.

Well worth additional $135.00. Too late after purchase as cannot be upgraded. To save some money do not have the memory upgraded. Cheaper to buy from OWC or Crucial and install that yourself.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/iMac/2012_27/DDR3L

Buy the one with the better card. You'll never say "I wish I had the less capable graphics card". Ever.

Understand faster is better...but if it isn't better, why bother? As for memory, already planned to upgrade via crucial or OWC.

lrd said:

Understand faster is better...but if it isn't better, why bother?

Click to expand...

Huh...you just contradicted yourself.

Faster is better...thus why would you say "but if it isn't better". Faster is better...thus it will be better...period. With graphics hardware it's both about speed & capability.

- Nick

Not all software interacts with hardware the same way. If doubling the graphics memory with a minor incremental speed jump is not noticeable when using Photoshop, then it may be "better" but not useful better. I'd rather spend the money on something else. But I understand your point...upgrades are not possible so...

lrd said:

Not all software interacts with hardware the same way. If doubling the graphics memory with a minor incremental speed jump is not noticeable when using Photoshop, then it may be "better" but not useful better. I'd rather spend the money on something else. But I understand your point...upgrades are not possible so...

Click to expand...

You asked for information/advice...and you got it. Now you as the buyer need to make the decision. If you don't want to spend the extra $135 then don't...nobody is forcing you!

- Nick

But my original question hasn't been answered

Would Photoshop or Lightroom take advantage of the GPU speed (most likely) or extra memory (no clue).

But thank you for taking the time to answer!

lrd said:

Would Photoshop or Lightroom take advantage of the GPU speed (most likely) or extra memory (no clue).

Click to expand...

Sometimes it's not just what will "something" do for you today...it's what will the graphics upgrade do for you 3 years from now??

Go back 3 years in time...and see what sort of graphics requirements were the norm compared against the graphics requirements/recommendations are today (they are greater today). Jump ahead 3 years from now...they will most likely be greater still.

What folks are trying to help you understand is...we don't want you 3 years from now saying to yourself..."Darn...I should have upgraded the graphics on my iMac like the Mac-Forums folks were suggesting."

Of course we cannot pedict the future. But also remember your computing needs may change as well.

- Nick

lrd said:

But my original question hasn't been answered

Would Photoshop or Lightroom take advantage of the GPU speed (most likely) or extra memory (no clue).

But thank you for taking the time to answer!

Click to expand...

The answer is both.

Now since you CAN upgrade the RAM yourself on the 27 inch iMac and you CAN NOT upgrade the graphics card, I think your answer is obvious. But if you still can not figure this out, let me spell it out for you:

GET THE GRAPHICS CARD UPGRADE.

You can put an additional 8 Gb of RAM in that machine for less that $65, I just did it to mine. And yes, I got the better graphics card too.

First of all, only certain tools in Photoshop take advantage of the GPU.

The Mercury Graphics Engine powers a number of key features in Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CS6 Extended. It delivers immediate feedback when you edit images using the all-new Crop tool, Puppet Warp, Liquify, Adaptive Wide Angle, and the Lighting Effects Gallery. It allows you to paint more freely, smoothly resizing brushes and adjusting brush tips — and it shows you the effects of the new Oil Painting filter in real time. It also helps you quickly render final 3D work in Adobe RayTrace mode in Photoshop CS6 Extended.

Click to expand...

Mercury Graphics Engine | Adobe Photoshop CS6 - Adobe.com

...meaning everything else still functions the old way by tapping the CPU.

Also remember that graphics memory and graphics speed are two completely different things. All things being equal, a 2GB card will be able to handle larger images while keeping things fast over a 1 GB card due to being able to load more data right in the GPU. However, if editing a small photo requiring less data, both cards would be identically fast.

The two cards you have pointed out are not equal though. The 1GB 675MX clocks in at 600MHz (core speed) and 900MHz (memory speed) while the 2GB 680MX runs at a faster 720MHz (core speed) and 2,500MHz (memory speed) so the 2GB card would not only be able to handle larger amounts of data, it would also be able to process it faster.

Now those are the tidbits you should keep in mind. In reality, both cards will be very fast and more than capable of handling CS6 at the moment. My personal opinion though, is that you will want a card that will be future-proofed a little. Just because something might not need 2 GB now, doesn't mean that in two years, your new software wont require that (and it probably will eventually) to run nominally. I think it's a small price to pay to have a computer that will last a year or two longer before going obsolete. That's just my personal opinion.

Now that's an answer I can use! Thanks.