add RAM or buy new Mac
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- randommail
I've been debating this for about a month now and need your help making this decision.
I have an late-2009 27" iMac. 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 with 8GB RAM and ATI Radeon HD 4850. AND it's still running Lion!
But of course Lion is not supported anymore by any new apps.
SO... should I spend around $300-400 bucks to get new 16GB RAM and a 500GB SSD (or I guess the better way to pose the question is... Do you think jumping to 16GB RAM and SSD will be sufficient to run El Capitan and Adobe CC?)
Do you think it's worth it to stretch the lifespan of this iMac for another 1-2 years versus buying a new iMac or MBPro?
- inteliboy2
damn son that's a 6 year old machine. get a new computer.
- ArchitectofFate0
Can't speak for your exact build, but my middle 2010, 2,93 GHz Intel Core i7, 12 GB , Radeon HD 5750 with a 128gb ssd, capitan is steadier, faster and more reliant than my maxed out mbp from 2015...
but new and improved is always new and improved. If you've got the money, why is it a discussion?
- same build iMac bar the SSD, with a work laptop the same as your MPB, pretty much the same - not really feeling the need to upgrad the iMac anytime soon tbhtrue_cut
- moldero0
if you do video, get a new machine
- It's so old that even if you use Photoshop with more than 30 layers, you need a new computer.CyBrainX
- The current version of CC for Mac craps out even if you have 10 layers. The GPU is now the main bottleneck, not CPU/ram power.face_melter
- Hayoth2
What happens if you invest in thst machine and it craps out? Do you plan on using it another 4 years? Go new and keep that machine for music or net surfing.
- nb6
If there is a traditional hard drive in it now, replace that with an SSD and you'll notice a massive improvement. 16GB of RAM is nice, but not necessary. Do the SSD first.
Sure, the motherboard could die, but probably not. Even if it does, you wouldn't have wasted your money because you can just take the SSD out and use it as an external or pop it in a new computer.
- You will see a decent improvement just with an SSD alonekgvs72
- pango0
New.
You be happier too.
- nb2
Don't buy a new one. It's just more garbage plastic and toxic shit in the ocean.
An SSD will make you happy for at least 2 more years.
- SSDs are the godsend upgrade of older computers. With Yosemite and up more RAM is a great idea too.evilpeacock
- randommail0
lol at pango.
Yes, I COULD just buy new, but I've already spent so much money on new DSLR lens lights gear, etc. in the past 6 months.
SO... i'm hoping to keep expenses down for at least another 12 months until I build up some more cash flow cushion.I don't do any video. But yes, PS, AI, INDD, and Lightroom.
So is the consensus that CC2016 Photoshop will crap out with over 100mb files on El Capitan with?- I still use CS5, but I'm only running a 2.4GHz i5 Retina MBP with an SSD and 8GB of RAM, and it doesn't crap out.nb
- I can't see how CC could be wildly different. I regularly edit PS files well over 1GB and it doesn't crash or slow down.nb
- CC 2015 adds GPU acceleration support, which isn't easy to upgrade in an iMac. A Thunderbolt PCI chassy might do it though.evilpeacock
- Yep, CC relies on the GPU for a lot more - zooming, scaling, rotation, transform etc. Heavy files eat into video memory. CS5 was the performance sweet spot.face_melter
- Interesting. So, are you saying that by adding GPU support, it actually makes the performance WORSE if you upgrade?nb
- I wonder how long I can hold out with CS5....nb
- Pupsipu0
Probably depends on what you do in Photoshop. I don't notice big slowdowns on old computers with new SSD and RAM. But you don't need to go crazy with it, 500GB SSD could be overkill in a computer you'll sell off in 2 years to someone who just wants to watch TV on it.
GPUs on current $3K iMacs are crap, I'd wait. Apple's push to make everything thin fanless and mobile is becoming a mess for pro users when all the pro software moves to GPUs.
- shaft0
Get an SSD, they're cheaper now. It'll feel like a new computer. Then, if needed, some extra RAM.
- formed0
Get a new machine and upgrade the RAM, that wont cost much and make a big difference. Having two machines going all the time is wonderful.
Or you could get a real machine for less, you know how ;-)
Now that Oculus has declared that Apple doesn't make a machine good enough I wonder if they'll do anything (probably not, Apple doesn't see to care about giving customers the best for the money, quite the opposite).
- Counterintuitively, the 27" 5K Retina iMac is a bargain considering 5K prices. You get a whole computer for more or less the price of a 5K Dell display.shaft
- ok_not_ok1
Get the loaded iMac with 8gig RAM then upgrade it yourself to 32gig or 64gig RAM.
- Current iMac RAM is soldered to the motherboard. If you don't buy what you need at purchase it is nearly impossible to add more later.evilpeacock
- ...except for the loaded 27" one. That one can be upgraded from what I can tell.evilpeacock
- All 27" can upgrade ram easily.monospaced
- sted0
that Radeon is why you should get a new machine. ssd will be awesome, +8g ram neeh :)
- randommail1
Does anyone know how I can get Yosemite (instead of going all the way to El Capitan)???
Since it's pretty cheap to add an SSD and maxing out the RAM, I'm thinking I'll see how the latest CC runs on it and how long it'll last.
Then run it into the ground for another year, and then just use it as a monitor to a MBPro.
- http://www.macworld.…ok_not_ok
- Why Yosemite? Are you that into Helvetica?shaft