Re: New member, new questions
2018/07/10 23:24:59
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Long post is long post but there is a TL;DR at the end. :)
Having used both myself it's definitely farfetched for anyone out there to claim Apple is superior for graphic design. Even in its hayday back in the 80s and very early 90s SGI workstations were technically better for graphic design as that's what they were built for. They were also extremely expensive, much...much more than an Apple. However, Apple was good as an all around rig and more user friendly plus they were widely used in schools at the time. So it really just made sense all around.
As for music... that's not really my field but it does seem that as being part of the arts musicians have also followed suit with the graphics artists in that they prefer to use Apple. iMacs do not allow much room for upgrades are generally require you taking the thing to a service center for that upgrade.
Today Apple IS a PC with a hefty brand tax. It's operating system is based on top of Berkley Unix (a PC operating system) and is simply locked from installing through a TPM module on the motherboard that identifies it as an Apple machine and to go ahead and install. In the arts people who learned on Macs tend to prefer a tool familiar to them and thus continue to teach on Macs which is why this myth continues on. In my work there is simply no significant difference in performance between the two; which aside from the brand tax and limited configuration options Apple offers it really does boil down to personal preference. In my opinion Apple would have more value with more software offerings. The hardware is sound because it is Intel-based but it's hacked up OS is its limiting factor for things like gaming.
Supposedly Apple is planning to drop the Intel hardware in circa 2020 and go with it's own chip similar to that in an iPhone. This would likely mean the operating system would be iOS based. If you're already invested in the Apple ecosystem I would probably just blow the cash and get the Apple... but one that does not have the guts of the computer built into the monitor. That makes it harder to repair and thus more expensive to repair as opposed to a PC.
As far as the PC comparable model... well it depends.
The iMac Pro uses Intel Xeon processors which are workstation class chips that even in the PC market are fairly expensive. The standard iMac uses Intel Core processors. I would look into a Core i7 model (7th or 8th generation) since that is the version that comes with hyper-threading support unlike the i3 and i5 chips. Games run just fine on the i5 and generally do not take much advantage, if any, of the hyperthreading technology. However, your music, video editing and encoding programs will.
But for a PC counterpart I would build with the following; do forgive me for stating anything that's obvious... just prefer to be thorough and for someone who may come across this post and be a total newbie to this stuff:
Intel Core i7 8700K (6 cores @ 3.7 Ghz and 4.7 Ghz turbo)
A 300 series Intel-based motherboard since that is required for the 8th gen Core processors. I would shop between EVGA, Asrock, Asus and Gigabyte. I generally go with aesthetics since functionality is largely the same and these manufacturers have great build quality behind them.
16-32 gigs of DDR4 ram. You can fuss with the high speed stuff if you want but you won't see any noticeable performance gains past PC 2400 speed. Ram is at a premium right now as well so I would probably stick with 16 until prices return to normal.
A quality power supply. I would not skimp at all on the power supply. It's the heartbeat of your rig that must deliver clean, stable power to every component powered by it. This is especially important if you plan to overclock. You can use a site like pcpartpicker.com to build up your rig and see how much power you're going to need for it. From there you can pick a power supply that will fit your needs.
For the video card the standard iMac comes with a Radeon Pro 580 that seems to be exclusive to the iMac. It's comparable to an nVidia GeForce GTX 1080 (non-Ti). Whether you go nVidia or ATi/AMD is up to you. Depending on the software you intend to use you may have more added benefit going with nVidia for it's CUDA support. But if you're just gonna do stuff in Photoshop, Illustrator, some page layout work you won't really benefit from CUDA since those programs tend to be accelerated by OpenCL, an API supported by the Radeon cards as well.
For hard drives you'll definitely want an SSD for you operating system. You can get either the 2.5" version or the M.2 version. I'd go with the M.2 PCI Express 3.0 Samsung 960/970 series and couple it with a standard 3.5" SATA hard drive.
There's some decent gaming monitors out there but for graphics art work I recommend a display that has an IPS panel since they offer the widest color gamut and still hold their own decently for gaming. Apple used to sell retina displays standalone but ended that in 2016. However there are rumors they will be in the not too distant future. I use an older ASUS monitor coupled with a 60" 3DTV. Does well enough for me.
From there it's choosing a case that supports size of the motherboard you go with and that one is primarily going to be based on aesthetics for ya. You may also need to buy fans for the case.. just depends on what you go with. EVGA has some decent ones at a good price but definitely check around. Lots to pick from. Keyboard, mouse, headset... again personal preference but definitely check into gaming class options. The mechanical keyboards tend to hold up better though.
Then of course you gotta buy a copy of Windows if you don't already have one you can transfer over to the new rig. However, the latest hardware may not work at all with Windows 7 due to a lack of driver support and of course it being a depreciated operating system now. For some folks Windows 8 and 10 are deal breakers. In which case currently you'd have more luck looking into the 7th generation series processors/motherboards. You can buy the OEM version at a lower cost but tech support from Microsoft will cost ya, who you're really only going to need for any activation issues.
A system of this build would exceed the specs and build quality overall of the iMac but unlike buying the iMac it is more involved.
It's also worth noting that even Walmart nowadays is selling high end gaming computers by MSI and iBuyPower. Those could be worth checking into as well.
TL;DR:
Macs used to be mainstream and were superior to the PC in the 80s/early 90s. Now they ARE PCs just using a hardware lock to allow their Unix-based OSX to install. Apple is rumored to return to making their own chips in 2020 similar to those in the iPhone today. This means the future iMac will likely be iOS based instead of OSX which may pose an issue for current software.
Similar PC build to the current iMacs:
8th Generation Intel Core processor (i7 8700K recommended)
16-32 gigs DDR4 ram
SSD from 256 gigs to 1 Tb. (SSD for OS and high capacity traditional 3.5" recommended)
Nvidia 1080 (non-TI) video card or Radeon RX 580 (the 580 pro that comes with the iMac seems to be exclusive to Apple)
A quality, high end power supply. Wattage calculation can be done at pcpartpicker.com
Case is up to personal preference, just ensure it fits the motherboard you go with (most likely ATX size); you may need to purchase additional case fans.
A copy of Windows. Windows 7 may not work on the latest hardware due to lack of driver support. 7th generation hardware should work if Win7 is absolutely desired.
Keyboard/Mouse/Headset... personal preferences. Recommend gaming class.
Monitor with an IPS panel which are best suited for graphics work where color accuracy is paramount.
Hope this info helps out.