M3 iMac 24" or Mac Mini M2 Pro

[skays]

Currently have a 2017 iMac 27" and looking to upgrade. Very disappointed that only...in the foreseeable future... a 24" screen is available for iMac. I have been looking at the M3 Mac Studio Pro (upgrade to 12-Core CPU/19-Core GPU/16-Core Neural Engine with a BenQ PD 2705U 27" 4K monitor. Did my analysis and the Mac Studio with bells and whistles is ~ $600 more than a M3 iMac with 8-core CPU/10-core GPU/24GB ram. And the main reason...best performance and overall experience using flight simulator XPlane-12...I am retired pilot.

Also, where is the 10GB ethernet port on the M3 iMac? Is there a totally separate ethernet device that receives power from a wall outlet, has an ethernet port, and then plugs into one of the Thunderbolt ports on the iMac?

Your comments appreciated.

 

[IWT]

where is the 10GB ethernet port on the M3 iMac?

Click on the Link below. This takes you to an Apple site which "takes a tour round the iMac" including where the Ethernet connection is located.

Take a tour: iMac

Learn about the features of the 24-inch iMac.

support.apple.com

Ian

 

[pm-r]

This takes you to an Apple site which "takes a tour round the iMac" including where the Ethernet connection is located.

Or if Apple actually had some decent writers for their articles, they could have mentioned some of the many other methods using USB or Thunderbolt ports with some of the various adapters that are available without having to search the internet for such information.

At least they managed to mention that fact in another article:
Connect your Mac to the internet using Ethernet

Connect your Mac to the internet using Ethernet

Use Ethernet to connect your Mac to the internet or a network.

support.apple.com

It makes one think that they had almost forgotten about users using any built-in high-speed Ethernet connections.



- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

Or if Apple actually had some decent writers for their articles, they could have mentioned some of the many other methods using USB or Thunderbolt ports with some of the various adapters that are available without having to search the internet for such information.

At least they managed to mention that fact in another article:
Connect your Mac to the internet using Ethernet

Connect your Mac to the internet using Ethernet

Use Ethernet to connect your Mac to the internet or a network.

support.apple.com

It makes one think that they had almost forgotten about users using any built-in high-speed Ethernet connections.



- Patrick
=======

A bit harsh, Patrick. They have the two articles already given, plus it's not a new feature to have the Ethernet on the power brick. I think it started a few years ago, so it's not a "new" feature at this point. As for having forgotten Ethernet users, I suspect that a vast majority use WiFi anyway. Apple has been moving to wireless where possible for a long time now.

I find most of the Apple articles to be very well written and easy to understand and follow. And it is amazing how much documentation is actually there at the Apple website, if you just look for it.

 

[skays]

I appreciate everyone's responses. Now wondering about some other options instead of replacing my 2017 27", 5K iMac. Here is what I have:
2017 27", 5K iMac
3.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Radeon Pro 580 8GB
16GB 2400 MHz DDR4
macOS: Ventura 13.6.1

I have been XPlane-12, but at a low frame rate.
Would it make any sense or difference to upgrade my memory to 64GB (4 x 16GB PC4-19200 DDR4)? Everyone says Apple only says upgradable to 32GB, but have seen a lot of people populate those 4 memory card slots with 4 x 16GB

Thank you,

 

[ferrarr]

Everyone says Apple only says upgradable to 32GB, but have seen a lot of people populate those 4 memory card slots with 4 x 16GB

Your iMac can handle the 64GB, but it's really up to the game specs to know if it will make a difference. If the game will runs better with the extra memory.

See this,

iMac "Core i5" 3.8 27" (5K, Mid-2017) Specs (Retina 5K, Mid-2017, MNED2LL/A, iMac18,3, A1419, 3070): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the iMac "Core i5" 3.8 27" (5K, Mid-2017). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

 

[pm-r]

Would it make any sense or difference to upgrade my memory to 64GB (4 x 16GB PC4-19200 DDR4)? Everyone says Apple only says upgradable to 32GB, but have seen a lot of people populate those 4 memory card slots with 4 x 16GB

I'm not knocking the knowledge of Mac-Forum members, but I would seriously suggest you use a few Google searches and check out some of the gaming sites for recommendations but a quick Google search shows you may want to think about saving your money and put it towards one of the later Apple Mx machines unless there is something special the way your Intel Mac uses memory.

One user mentioned:

On iMac M1 X-Plane 12 is seriously GPU limited. On the 24 Core GPU Mac Studio, you'll find that X-Plane 12 will be also somewhat GPU limited, but soooo much better that iMac M1!

As the RAM is shared between CPU and GPU and X-Plane uses A LOT OF IT, that will also make a huge difference.

For reference, I have an iMac M1 16 GB RAM 8 Core GPU, and a Mac Studio Max 64 GB RAM 32 Core GPU. The difference in performance is really very large.

XPlane 12 Apple silicon RAM needs

I thinking of upgrading my 24" iMac (16gb of ram) to a Mac Studio For most of my needs 32GB of Ram will be enough. Will there be a big (worth the extra money) benefit to Xplane12. Performance on the iMac leaves a lot to be desired but it does work with the visuals turned down. I know more is...

forums.macrumors.com

For more Google hits you might want to look through some of these hits you can find here:

mac will XPlane-12, run faster will extra memory on mIntel mac - Google Search

Good luck. Big higher-end Mac gamers seem to be a separate breed apart from normal application users. I don't know if that game is similar to high-end graphic and video application use or how it uses memory are the same.

Most game developers tend to break the rules as to how computers work and don't always follow the manufacturer's directions or guidelines when programming.



- Patrick
=======