iMac 2013 vs Mac Pro 2013 - Rob

Good morning,

I'm new here and would really just like to get an idea of what is better for me. Basically I am returning from work outside my country and would like to treat myself to a new Apple desktop computer. I am ready to spend roughly 4000€. If I'm going to get the iMac then it would be the fully specced version. Largest available CPU, GFX card, Ram, and 1TB SSD (I'll make a youtube video of it). But I was wondering if the 2999€ version of the 2013 Mac Pro is better than the fully specced 2013 iMac? I say the 2999€ version and not the 3999€ version because I still need to buy a monitor and keyboard and mouse/trackpad which will probably bring it up to 3999€.

Obviously the question is what will I be using it for and the answer to this is mainly Handbreak converting videos.
I will also be using parallels to use multiple operating systems at the same time to do different tasks.
I will be using it for a lot of image editing too using Photo Shop.No gaming.
I will have a PS4 for that


4K Monitors are also pretty expensive at the moment and I believe they cost roughly 1500€.
I was a bit disappointed that they didn't bring the 4K iMac out this year but I believe they will next year 2014.
So should I decide to get an iMac, I will sell it shortly before the Retina iMac comes out and pay
what ever else I need towards it. Thats the plan should I decide to go for an iMac.

I personally think I will get a better deal with the fully specced iMac even if the Mac Pro has duel GFX cards.
To get 64GB of Ram on a mac pro and a 1TB SSD I think personally it would be better but where is the limit? You can always go that one step further to have it that little bit better but then realise at the end how much you have actually given out.

So if anyone is reading this, 4000€ is my limit, Choice is a Fully specced 2013 iMac or the entry level Mac Pro for 2999€
(1000€ left for Accessories).

Which one should I choose and if possible, could you give a reason for it?

Thanks and it is much appreciated to anyone who is reading this and replying to it.

I don't know if anyone has posted this before as I have tried to find information on GTX 780m vs Dual AMD D300 and all sorts but I have yet to see a clear answer to which is better, iMac fully specced or entry level Mac Pro without any upgrades.
I know the Mac Pro is not out yet but this is just a question about Specs vs Specs.

Again, thank you very much for your help.

Rob

I have been going though the exact same query. I would love a Mac Pro, but in fact, I have to admit that I really have no use for that power, and certainly no use for dual GPU's

Pricing a new well loaded 27" iMac comes to about $2800US. It can be higher, but I didn't bother with gigantic fusion drives or 64gb of memory. And with that comes a keyboard, mouse and a Thunderbolt display. A fully working machine out of the box.

The base Pro is $3000US and what you get in the box is a MacPro and a powercord. Starting to add options raises the price really fast. $1000 for the TB display by itself. I can't configure one on the Apple site yet, but I expect that both memory and disk upgrades are premium priced.

So, unless you are doing really heavy video or graphics, in which case why are you buying the low end model, the iMac is a much better buy for a normal power user. In my case, I had an earlier iMac 27' and it was far more machine than I could justify. I loved it, but still have to say that a far less powerful machine would have amply handled my compiling and surfing.

Still, the idea of a small supercomputer on my desktop is appealing. I just can't balance bragging rights with the cost.

Hi Rob. I'd recommend going out there and looking at the iMac and the Pro when it's available, seeing and feeling goes a long way. The Pro is obviously an absolute monster and you can likely upgrade various aspects to your heart's content. With the iMac, RAM will be easy, anything else not so much. But then again, if you're looking at short-term, upgradability isn't an issue. If you're looking at a long term (>= 5 years), then I'd say Pro.

Now I have a slightly different take on your choice. Your enjoyment will not necessarily be proportional to the money you spend. Unless you're really putting it through it's paces, you won't really notice a slightly faster processor or more (excessive) RAM, for example. Think hard about what you need, go look at the machines, settle on something decent that makes you happy. Then take the balance of your €4000 and do something worthwhile with it, for example: upgrade your 2009 MBP, pay off a little of your mortgage, invest it or help some poor guy. That's my take...

Thanks for your reply guys. I wasn't sure if anyone would read this at first.
I've been doing so much research lately and believe I have made my decision.
It's like you say cptkrf, When you take it out of the box, it's a fully working computer.
Hello Checco, with much thought and trying to balance it out with 4000€, I don't see how the 2999€ version of the Mac Pro would help me as what I'm after is lots of fast SSD storage and enough ram to run multiple OS and high performance programs. The low spec Mac Pro is already 2999 without any upgrades and like I said before, I would still have to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse which would raise the price significantly.
With the 2013 iMac, I would have maxed out CPU, GPU, RAM and SSD storage for 3349€. With the Entry level Mac Pro I would have Quad CPU at 3.5GHZ just like the maxed out iMac, 12GB Ram and 256GB SSD. A lot of people are complaining about the D300's saying it's not enough GPU power. I know we only have statistics in writing at the moment but I do wonder if the D300's are good enough. To power 3 4K Displays is really something but I just need one screen. I also don't think that the GFX cards will use combined power for one task and know that the G-Force 780m is more powerful than a single D300 card.

So in short, this is what I am seeing in front of me at the moment:
iMac Quad 3.5GHZ
Mac Pro Quad 3.5GHZ

iMac 32GB Ram
Mac Pro 12GB Ram

iMac 1TB SSD
Mac Pro 256 SSD

iMac 780m GFX
Mac Pro Duel AMD D300

iMac 3349€
Mac Pro 2999€ (Without Display, Keyboard & mouse).

For almost the same price, I get a lot more out of the iMac 27" than I would out of the Mac Pro.
I will sell this iMac for the maxed out iMac next year only if it has a retina display. But time will tell on that one as they are very expensive at the moment. And then again some people say that the iMac at the moment is almost retina. 1440p is something my TV doesn't even do so I am very sure I will be happy with this product.

But thanks a lot for replying to my post. It is much appreciated!

regards,

Robin

SODworks said:

...I would still have to buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse which would raise the price significantly.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily...it all depends what you buy. Keyboard and mouse are very very inexpensive...and monitors (depending what you purchase) can be purchased inexpensively as well. Many monitors can be purchased used...and work great.

Not everyone needs a $1000 Apple Thunderbolt display...and yes if someone as going to purchase this...then a monitor would be expensive. Many brand new 22"-24" monitors (at least here in the US)...can be purchased for under $150-$200.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Not everyone needs a $1000 Apple Thunderbolt display...and yes if someone as going to purchase this...then a monitor would be expensive. Many brand new 22"-24" monitors (at least here in the US)...can be purchased for under $150-$200.
- Nick

Click to expand...

Agreed...but I personally cannot wait for an updated Thunderbolt Display! I have a 22" Dell monitor that is serving my MBP until a new TD is released...or I run out of patience! ;P The Dell is okay, but nothing compared to my 21.5" iMac display. Maybe it having an Apple logo makes the difference ;D

Hey Nick,

thanks for your reply. I have been looking for monitors with at least 1440p like the apple display because I agree that 1000$ is a lot. Mouse and keyboard are in expensive I agree. But I would like the apple keyboard and apple trackpad to go with it. Thats still not the world. Even with the cheapest 1440p monitor and keyboard and mouse together, it would bring me to around 3700€ with the Mac Pro.

So the way I work it out at the moment is together they are near enough the same. The only thing I get more out of the iMac is the extra 1TB SSD and 32GB Ram. Seeing that I will only be using one monitor (at the moment) I don't believe I would really need the Mac Pro. I can put another display onto the iMac if I so wish, but again, I don't see why at the moment. The 780m is stronger than one D300. And because most programs only use the one GFX card, I'm sure this is the right decision.

I agree however that we only have the specs on paper and until someone buys one and does the benchmarks, we will not know for sure.

I do hope they bring the retina iMac out next year thou...

I would sell the iMac and pay for that version. I also can't afford a retina monitor for the Mac Pro if I decided to go with that one in the end.

Either way I will make a youtube video for the fully specced iMac when I receive it in December

Thank you very much for your feedback as well, it is much appreciated