I want to totally switch - questions

So, I got a 13" MBP a few months ago now, and I enjoy using it so much more than my PC now (which I only play games with and a few other things).


Now the new iMacs have come out I'm seriously considering just selling off my PC gear and buying a 27" iMac and using that as my primary machine.
The whole package is just so attractive, so clean, great OS and...well I don't need to explain why we like Macs here!

My only real reservation is, being someone who deals with computers and networks for a living and as someone who's built many computers myself is the lack of user upgradeability of the iMacs.
I'm slightly concerned that the graphics card sub par, particularly for a massive display like that one on the 27" model.
The 6970m graphics chip is the equivalent of a 6850 'full' discrete graphics card (which isn't great), I can't imagine it being able to handle games for the next year in that monitors resolution.
If they'd used the 6970 (not the 'm', mobile version) i'd literally have bought an iMac on release day.

Also, would I run into any problems using my hard drives in a caddy and booting from them on a mac computer?
If i could sell off my old gear and run the HDD's from a caddy on the mac it could work. Maybe.


Why oh why don't apple do something between the iMac all in 1 and the ridiculously over priced Mac pro?

If you are into hardcore gaming it's better to keep it separate from your Mac.

I too build gaming rigs as a hobby on the side. My Macs are used for everyday computing and work. No games.

Welcome to the world of Macs: everything is great, until you want to game, or upgrade.

keep the rig. those new iMac GPU's will go out of date quickly. I have a 6850 in my Win rig, and it can just about hit 1080p with games from 2009. Im sure a discrete version will be slightly worse than this. Thats not to say Its a bad card however, It is still much better than what alot of Mac users already have, and would improve their experience drastically.

for the caddy idea: you would see a huge performance decrease due to the USB bandwidth limitations.

What you don't get with a PC, is such a brilliant display.

Do *I* have to be the one to point out that the graphics card (and processor!) in the new iMacs are removable? It goes without saying that doing so voids your warranty, but once your warranty is past, looks like you can upgrade.

iMac 2011 teardown shows removable CPU and graphics | Electronista

chas_m said:

Do *I* have to be the one to point out that the graphics card (and processor!) in the new iMacs are removable? It goes without saying that doing so voids your warranty, but once your warranty is past, looks like you can upgrade.

iMac 2011 teardown shows removable CPU and graphics | Electronista

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very interesting chas!

thing is, even if they are removable, where exactly do you get the new one?

Nowhere yet -- but a year or three from now? Oh, I think it's a safe bet there will be a market for it ...

If you are concerned about the graphics card then I would suggest looking at a lower end MacPro. Since it's a tower swapping and upgrading components will be significantly easier than with an iMac. You would likely also be able to add on things such as PCI-E/X cards for USB-3, Thunderbolt, e-Sata or perhaps a second graphics card and so on.

chas_m said:

Do *I* have to be the one to point out that the graphics card (and processor!) in the new iMacs are removable? It goes without saying that doing so voids your warranty, but once your warranty is past, looks like you can upgrade.

Click to expand...

Actually, this is not new. The older iMac 27" (previous version) likewise has a removable GPU and was reported by ifixit some time ago.

Thanks for the replies folks, looks like my only options are to stick with a PC or get a mac pro, the idea of which I don't like(because of the price).

It's a real shame apple didn't stick a proper 6970 in there instead of the mobile version, that would of made the new iMac a serious contender for gaming as well as everything else, with that massive screen.
Oh and just because the GPU CAN be removed, doesn't mean the next refresh of GPU's will even fit, in fact it's likely they won't.

Oh well, guess it'll be another year before I can completely get rid of any PC related stuff and move over to mac completely, here's hoping the 2012 iMacs offer a little more competitive performance.

andymac2210 said:

It's a real shame apple didn't stick a proper 6970 in there instead of the mobile version, that would of made the new iMac a serious contender for gaming as well as everything else, with that massive screen.

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An iMac is pretty much a laptop disguised as a desktop. it uses notebook RAM aswell. Its is because its all compressed behind that huge screen. I am not surprised they used a mobile GPU.

Also, high-end gaming isn't really on Apple's radar in the desktop space (and I doubt it ever will be). Macs aren't toys, they are very powerful machines for creative and personal productivity. Games? That's what XBoxes are for (or so goes the rationale).

chas_m said:

Also, high-end gaming isn't really on Apple's radar in the desktop space (and I doubt it ever will be). Macs aren't toys, they are very powerful machines for creative and personal productivity. Games? That's what XBoxes are for (or so goes the rationale).

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Sooner or later Apple are going to realise people want a computer that can do everything they want it to.
Why even limit their market with such a rationale(assuming that is even their thinking)?


I will never buy an Xbox or playstation, I play PC games because of the better graphics/gameplay on more powerful machines.

But I totally agree with you, when I want to get down to something serious now I go straight for the MBP, even typing on this thing is a joy.
Usability is paramount, and Macs got that end cornered, at least for me...and I assume for most other people who take the time to register on this forum.

It's just such a shame I can't get rid of the black plastic box destroying the aesthetic of my room in favour of one single, sleek, all purpose 27" iMac that I can dual boot for whatever takes my fancy.

Apple has the right idea, a single, all-in-one computer without the clutter and with all the functionality of traditional 'tower' system.
All they had to do was offer truly the 'best' graphics instead of a mobile chip and I was sold.

In fact, I can't really see why they didn't, the thermals shouldn't have been a problem, and I'm sure the engineers at apple would have done it with minimal, if not NO increase in size.

andymac2210 said:

In fact, I can't really see why they didn't, the thermals shouldn't have been a problem, and I'm sure the engineers at apple would have done it with minimal, if not NO increase in size.

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Well, having done a little work in this area myself:

a. Yes, the thermals WOULD have been an issue. There's a reason why there's such a huge demand for add-on fans for PC boxen. Apple has an obsession with QUIET, which means keeping the machines very cool at room temp. And high-end gaming (and the necessary cooling) kind of clash with that.

I never used to think this was that big a deal until I happened across a giant university internet cafe with all PCs on one side and all Macs on the other. The DIN coming from the PC side of the room was so bad that everyone there had headphones on in order to hear what they were doing. It was actually *noticeably warmer* on that side of the room!! The Mac side was like a monastery by comparison.

When I got home, I began to notice how LOUD most PCs are all the time. It really started to bother me.

b. Another factor: the gaming market is vocal, and profitable -- but actually pretty small compared to the non-gaming market. Casual games aside, hard-core gaming is not actually a big demographic for iMac users, who tend to be more Photoshop jockeys or typical home users than gamers (even though iMacs can certainly play most PC games).

andymac2210 said:

Sooner or later Apple are going to realise people want a computer that can do everything they want it to.
Why even limit their market with such a rationale(assuming that is even their thinking)?

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People have been thinking that for 20 years now and it still hasn't happened. The reasons why have everything to do with the man who's name is now synonymous with Apple. Steve Jobs.

If you want to understand Apple, you need to understand Jobs. Period.