@@craigneidelfair as someone who doesn’t do much on their channel I tend to be just fine using my 2015 MacBook Air but it only seems to be still good cuz it has Monterey
Best thing about these pcs now is people are making boards so you can turn the screen into a monitor. You essentially can skip the machine now and plug into a hdmi cable which allows for m1 plus macs and Mac minis to be used with this. I have even seen people put them inside the case and use them as an updated iMac
Couldn't agree more. I have a similar setup: 2017 27" Retina 5k iMac with 3TB Fusion drive; 64Gig memory. 2TB Flash drive. Extremely capable, gorgeous display, with all the benefits of MacOS, and none of the nonsense that comes with Windows. I paid $200 for the base system, upgraded the memory from 16 to 64, and added the flash drive. I rounded it out by adding a Dell 2k monitor for $75 installed vertically. For me it's an ideal low-cost workstation setup.
You are spot on. I ordered a 2020 imac, I have the m1 imac but it looks like a child's toy. I will be using this and the new mac mini m4 on my samsung 55 odyssey ark. I am a med student and all I do is read. No video editing or anything. This is a champ. Let's be honest most users are just watching TH-cam and scrolling websites. Lol
Just wanted to say I had an M1 iMac, never liked the look of it (it's v fast and the screen is great), someone made me an offer on it I couldn't refuse so I've bought an i9 2019 iMac with the Vega48. Multi-core performance is about 50% better than M1 on Geekbench. Screen is gorgeous, plus I can take the RAM to 128Gb from the 32Gb it's got now. Plus I can repair 27" iMacs but SoC is just disposable tech.
I just ordered an i7 model with 16gb ram, 512gb ssd, 575 gpu for $300 from the university I work for. Can’t wait to pick it up next week, it’s my first Mac computer.
I couldn't agree with you more. Picked up a 2017 from OWC for about $599, inserted a 1gb OWC Aura Pro NVME and a 1 GB Samsung SSD for internal storage...upgraded the RAM...I wanted to install bootcamp, but the OWC Drive wouldn't allow it, so I got a copy of Windows Parallel and now Windows runs faster than installing it via Bootcamp...Good Machine and Great Video :).
I love these computers. I bought a 2015 iMac i7-6700K, 2GB GPU, 500GB SSD, 32GB RAM for $1100 in 2020. Just recently upgraded my work set up for an M2 MBA, paired with a 34" widescreen 1440p display. The 5K iMacs were priced so well for their display value, it truly is hard to "go back" to a regular display.
Same page with him! I have 2009 27’ . And it’s just can do much for me, need to upgrade and I bought 2020 i5 27’ iMac. Top reason, is the model year and screen size. This more than enough to what I do.. video and photo editing the main purpose, with my experience with Mac will last 10+ year with out reformatting the machine..thank you for making this video..
Thanks for the feedback and for watching. Yes, the 2020 machines are great machines and are fine with 4K editing and just about anything. Good luck with everything.
I used my 2007 iMac for 10 years with no problem except for 4K editing when that became a thing and 256 GB storage got used up fast. I bought the 2017 iMac specked out. It should run great until 2027 or longer.
Hi Craig, Thanks to you and this video, I’ve just bought this awesome machine with 32GB for 650€ which was preowned and purchased in 2019. Your video really made my day. ❤
I inherited a 27” 5k iMac from my dad when he died. I was a win 10 user on an older laptop. I mainly use it from music production and my win 10 would stutter and crackle and pop when I had so many tracks recorded. I decided to try out music production on the iMac which now has 24 GB RAM (this must be the easiest computer out to put more ram in a two minute job)which I updated and a clean install of Ventura and installed my DAW and other software. This thing is unstoppable and I could probably have 50 tracks of audio recorded and it doesn’t even blink at it. I have one external monitor and plan on installing another as it has the two thunderbolt ports for extended desktop displays. Stable and rock solid performance, just have to learn all the Mac quirks after using win 10. 😀
I am watching this on a 2017 27" iMac. The internal storage has been stripped out and a 512GB SSD from a Macbook Pro has been installed as the boot drive, a 2TB drive on SATA and an external Samsung SSD is hooked up to the thunderbolt port. It still absolutely flies for photo and even video editing.
Did the same, upgrade the ram to 32, and hard drive to SSD 1t for a total of $250. Converted it to only run and boot into Window10 and runs like a dream, though I do miss some of the various multi media programs on the Apple side. All about the screen, one of the best monitors on the market. RAM CRUCIAL 32GB (2X 16GB) and a Samsung Evo 870….you will need also a Mac adhesive screen kit to install screen again once SSD upgrade is done, RAM is simple slot behind stand. Once new hard drive is in boot from a Windows 10 USB installer, you will not require boot camp or any MacOS if you want a full conversion to PC. Note the hardware does not support Windows 11 unfortunately.
Subbed. Just picked up 2 x 2017 27” 5k iMacs with i5 3.4ghz, 32g Ram, 512gb SSD, each one was $699. Happy to get so many features at that price. Only concern is when updates stop but I didn’t have the budget at the moment to go newer and I needed 2 desktops. Thanks for the content and help in making the decision my man. 🤙🤙
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, that is really the only concern is the updates but for that price you got a great deal. You might look into something like Open Core to patch to the newest updates but that is an entirely different topic.
Couldnt agree more perfect, just got 27" 2017 model, cloned the OS to external 1TB ssd, booted up formated old 2TB HD, popped another 4TB External ssd USB 3 .2 for my storage, added 24gb ddr4 ram . Thing is flying.
I bought a iMac 5k in 2015. It is a late 2014 model. The SSD portion of the Fusion Drive died and is no longer visible in Disk Utility. What are my choices for building an affordable external thunderbolt drive?
I would just boot off an external SSD on one of the USB ports. You will get about 500 MB/s and it will actually appear much faster than then Fusion drive. There are videos out there on how to boot off external drives and I even have a few very old ones on my channel.
I have one max with 40gigs running Ventura from an ssd and works flawlessly.The screen is 100 times better than anything you’ll see in bestbuy today except for the new iMac; however, I just can’t see the big difference on the quality of the displays. This is totally relevant in 2023 and for years to come 🤙🏼
Well, bought one a few years ago…. Opened up the case and replaced the internal disk by an nvme Samsung ssd and also added a sata 2 TByte ssd. Boots blazing fast now. While doing so upgraded the i5 cpu to an i7. Has been working perfectly since then. You forgot to mention : the sound coming out of this case is amazing :-)
It’s April 2024 and I have a 2019 27” iMac with a decent spec. Wanted to sell it and get Studio Display to use with my Mac Book Pro. After doing a bit of research, I gave up this idea - my iMac is pretty amazing.
Yes, I just my 2017 to do most of my editing now. Is it perfect - no ... but it's doing the job for now and I wouldn't really care if it was 40% faster etc. since that would only save me like 20 minutes a week.
Recently picked up a refurbed 27" 2017 with a PCIE 500gb internal SSD (about $520 (amazing condition)). Increased the ram to 40gb for another $35 for 32gb and couldn't be happier. Installed Sonoma using OCLP, and it screams.
I have an internal 28 GB SSD Drive on my IMAC 2017, so I installed Sonoma on that. WIFI cannot be found, Sonoma on my HDD is able to find all WIFI's. Do you know whats the matter?
I'm not sure and it's hard for me to troubleshoot things like that. But 28 GB is tiny so not sure if that has something to do with it as I thought Sonoma was more than then that.
thanks for your honest opinion! I not so long ago bought my first iMac and its the best computer I ever have! I bought an 27" iMac mid 2011! I did the upgrades( Rams and SSD) and now running Ventura works sooo good!
I've always been on used Macs as my daily drivers. Especially if you have a basic knowledge of how to upgrade them and install MacOS, they make a great choice to save a lot of money and still get a great experience.
I am upgrading my old AIO PC (which ran great until recently at 2.5 GHZ and 8GB RAM) for a 27" 2019 iMac with 64gb RAM. I expect it will run like a charm. I believe I'll get many years use and at 72 it may be the last computer that I'll buy! Older well maintained computers are a great buy.
I just bought one for video editing to replace my 2014 27" iMac that I'm currently using. First time buying a refurbished Apple computer. When I first bought my 2014, I thought they would come out with a 32 inch but unfortunately, they went the opposite route and downsized the screen. I hope they come out with another 27 inch.
You can, but you will have to gut the entire, iMac, and install a controller borad, power supply, etc. It can be done, but your iMac is gone. The controller board takes soldering and some wiring experience. That being said dude. I upgraded the spinning hard drive to a SSD Sata for primary hard drive, that was an upgrade for sure, but still slow for me... I really really considered stripping the 2017 iMac completely down and doing the controller board route, but I think I am first going to install a NVME Ssd to replace the stock 120gig NVME, and see how much faster it will be.... From what I read, it should be 3- 6 times faster over the SATA SSD. It just means I am going to have to pull the main board in the iMac to get at the NVME and replace it. I think I can do it, its a bit more difficult than just replacing the main hard drive, but I think I can do it.
Great video - Funny how this just comes up on my feed now after buying one and not before when I was trying to figure out if I should or not haha. It comes in the next couple of days and I am happy with my decision, especially after watching this. A glass of wine killed my 2012 MacBook Air and using an iPad since then just hasn’t been the same!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, they are nice if they have SSDs or you boot off an SSD like I do. The Fusion drives are ok but an SSD will really make these fly. Thanks again for watching and good luck.
@@craigneidel Thank you for the heads up. I will be checking out your vid on how to do that once I have played with it for a while. No doubt, I will go down the same route haha
Craig, I have had problems on my 2017 27 inch iMac with iCalendar not synching between my iMac iPad and iPhone. The person at Apple tech help mentioned that old iPhone (12) and old iMac and old iPad (5 th generation) was the reason. They did some type of refresh and things work now, but I am very worried about messing my calendar function up. Everything else works great. I love it! I want to wait a year to get the 30 or 32 inch iMac which is going to be at least a year till it comes out, but I'm feeling pressure to give in and buy the 24 inch iMac available now so that I have the newest operating system. Really appreciate your video. thanks PS I need the better system for large photography file, and the 3 TB storage works great. Don't really need or want the SSD.
Thanks for the post and good luck with things. I'm not sure there will be a 27 or larger iMac but the new Mac mini M4 paid with the studio display (was on sale for $1,249). So combined it would be around 2K and a very nice setup if that fits the budget. Otherwise the M4 iMac 24 inch should be out in a few weeks so check that out too.
LOL. Watching this video on the I7 27" iMac that I bought myself for retirement in 2017. I upgraded memory and got the 3TB fusion drive to hold music sample libraries. Just ordered a M2 MacMini for music creation and will be using my iMac as an entertainment and communication system. Yes, a 32 in screen would be nice, but this looks so good. I'll just move it closer and keep using it. It will be used for all the things that I don't want to put on my decimated DAW.
I have a 2017 i7 iMac. I upgraded the Ram to 24 gb and even though it is my oldest computer, it has the most RAM. It runs Logic Pro 10.7 great, even using some plugins that choke everything else but my M1Pro Macbook Pro, such as Arturia Augmented Strings. I will really miss it when it is no longer viable, but now it does everything I need just fine.
This model was the first oen that I used in 2017 and it was a perfect and unforgettable experience lol and it wasn't mine but the company's and now I want to have my own though I have a MacBook pro 2023 but i still need this. thanks for this video. looking for this model somewhere..
@@craigneidel i am looking for this piece. Do you think this can still be efficient after 5 years i mean i like the monitor because it's wide and its quality i see the right colors well 😂 i do graphics most of my work.
I still have my 27 inch 2017 iMac and it still performs very good, but have to be honest. Really itching for a new one to come hopefully soon with Apple Silicon....
@@craigneidel I was tempted to get the 24 inch but after looking at it at the store, those 3 inches make a big difference for it to be my main display. so I’m holding out.
Can you share what additions you purchased to get it to run fast. The names and brands. I am not tech saavy and I bought this computer in 2017 and haven't been able to use it since I didn't know how to upgrade the drive and storage.
You can use something like a samsung T9 or T7 if you don't want to build an external SSD to boot off of. If not I would just go with a Samsung 2.5 inch drive (Samsung Evo) and then I used the OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini - eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-mercury-elite-pro-mini/usb-c for the enclosure. I did this a while ago so there could be better options but that is kind of what I did.
I bought a Late 2015 iMac 27, i5, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, Apple keyboard and mouse with charging cable a few days ago. For $200. I installed Monterey on an external SSD, plugged it into the iMac and I was ready to go. I sold my 2014 iMac 27, i7, 32 GB, 4 GB video, 500 GB SSD for $400 last year. There was a 2019 iMac 27 for $400 in my area last week but it was located an hour away. I actually wanted a Dell Ultrasharp U2720Q instead but they run $580 so I was watching for a 5k iMac for a lot less. I got the screen, speakers, microphone, videocamera for $200. I use this next to an M1 Max Studio with 3 4k monitors. I run my production on the Studio and all of my office stuff on the iMac. This iMac runs really cool too. I've found that some run hot and some run cool. I would have been fine with the 2017, 2019 or 2020 models for the right price. I could set up OCLP if I wanted to run Ventura but I don't need to. There's a 2017 i5 16 GB 2TB for sale in Boston for $475 and it's been sitting on the market for 9 days. My guess is that it sells for $400 Max. No warranty and you have to pick it up and test it but that's the way I like to buy and sell. I also have 2009 and 2010 iMacs. The 2010 iMac with i7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD cost me $100 a few years ago. I use it to watch videos in front of my spin bike. It's nice to have the old model as it has an infared remote control so I can change the volume or skip to the next video if I want to. The 2009 is a spare monitor as it has Target Display Mode.
Thanks for sharing and I have a ton of older Macs too and they all run great. I have a 2011 iMac, 2012 iMac, 2012 Mac mini, 2013 iMac and 2017 iMac. I got all the machines for very cheap and love to still use the older tech. Thanks for sharing and watching again.
I bought imac 27” late 2015 i5 3,3ghz radeon 395 2tb fusion drive and 24gb ram. Im blown away as it’s my first imac and change from pc. Just amazing. I payed 400 for display and mouse 2 and keyboard. Only problem is os which is monterey.
It's hard for me to trouble shoot each system and it depends on what OS and a bunch of other items (what OS to what OS) etc. I would search for a video on updating the 2017 to see if it has any clues that appear like the issue you are getting. Thanks for watching.
is there any update on this being possible? without ripping out the internals? duet works well resolution wise but has some lag, havent tried luna but sounds like that has lag too which matters a lot for me cause i need it for design/video editing
Not really unless you are using Open Core Legacy Patcher to upgrade to a newer OS. They you can use it as a second screen with a connection between both. I did a video on this but for the 24" iMac if you wanted to watch that.
Just got 2 of these free. One is the 2017 and the other is like 2012 or so. Guy wiped the units could not reinstall, put them on fb said he was done fooling with them. Both working now. Took me about 1hr.
found that I can run an ext SSD and buy a cheap iMac, and still get a super fast machine. I'll be using it for my music production. I'm on PC and have been since 1995.
Things change for sure. If you can find an incredible deal and it has an SSD and then you add more ram (you can upgrade ram on these) they can still be a great machine for everyday work. For a few hundred dollars I still think they are good values.
If you open a couple of windows in chrome this thing starts to put on the ventilators and sounds like it wants to take off… have one here… but it’s loud when working. It has 32gb ram
Yes, you can boot off an external SSD on these macs. I have a few examples on my channel and you can find them on TH-cam. You don't even need to open up the Mac.
I'm actually running it on a OWC enclosure with a Samsung QVO SSD which is only 2.5". Only get about 500 MB/s but still edited 600 4K videos on this so fast enough for sure. Anything faster will be even better.
It's a touch call and depends on price. The M4 will have much longer OS support etc. so at this point I'm leaning that way. Also, they are crazy fast as I have one with only 16 GB ram and it's like my 48 GB on my 2017.
Latest officially supported macOS for iMac 2017 is Ventura. But, using hacks like opencore legacy patcher, more recent versions might also work (inofficially, no support from Apple). But even if everything goes wrong, there is still Linux (and even Windows).
I have 2 options and I'm really in doubt which one I should go for. The first is a Mac Mini M1 8gb 256gb SSD with all the stuff I'll need to buy like a mouse, keyboard, SSD, and 4k screen, which would result in the value of my second option. This other tempting option is an iMac 27, i5, 5K 32gb ram 4gb dedicated video with hybrid HD with sdd 1tb quad 3.5Ghz. Taking into account that I work with editing using Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, and logic pro, what would be the best option for my case? Hugs from Brazil to you my friend!
Do you own the software? Do you subscribe to Adobe? If you're going to be using the latest software and aren't already invested in older software, it's time to move on to Apple silicone like the M1. I wouldn't buy an Intel based Apple as a first computer in 2023, not for professional use. If you already own the software that's native to Intel, there's no reason no to take advantage of some of the steep discounts right now and go with older tech. If you can't use old software and are subscribed for what's newer, you're going to need to buy a new computer in a few years to keep running that and you won't be saving any money if that happens.
I bought my 2017 5K new for $2,500AUD. I upgraded the RAM to 16 GB a few years ago. Yesterday I changed the internal Fusion Drive for an SSD using an IFIXIT kit. It took me 2 hours, including a coffee break. Went without a hitch. If a 70 year old like me can do it, anyone can. The performance now is cheese and chalk.
Thanks for the update and I'm glad the upgrade went well. Funny, I never heard the "cheese and chalk" before so not sure what it means but it's nice to learn something new.
Not really but you can use something like Luna Display which is a dongle to make it a monitor. It's not perfect with slight lag in some cases but still the best at this time.
Imac 2017, is the M2.ssd faster when built inside, or is the speed the same when external? the fastest external I know has 7 GB/S (Imac 2017 thunderbolt supports up to 40 GB/S)
My biggest question right now is if I should upgrade my 2017 27" 5K imac to the 2020 27" 5K one - as its the last model with Intel Chip for gaming. Anyone here with that upgrade done? To compare I bought my 2017 one with the AMD 580 with 8gb graphics card, and wonder if the 5500TX 8GB card in the 2020 model I saw for sale in my town would be much of an upgrade. How does the 5500TX compare? How does the 5700?
Based on the CPU etc. it should be a nice upgrade but based on the Graphics card it's a bit closer. The AMD580 has a score of 8869 on the videocardbenchmark.net and the 5500TX has a score of 9157. So you can see the benchmarks are not that much different when compared strictly based on benchmarks (they don't always tell the tale though).
@@craigneidel Yeah it would maybe depend on what I could sell the 2017 imac for (its top spec). And I would surely wish for the 5700XT if possible. I have had 0 issues gaming on the 2017 intel based imac the last 7 years in 5K with games like WOW, Path of Exile, Diablo 3/4 and Destiny 2. Im sure other games can have issues. But the above ones has played nicely for me on the AMD580 in the 2017 iMac.
Currently looking at a 2017 that has a 1tb fusion drive...what's your opinion on the fusion drives and how hard is it to upgrade the hard drives? Thanks!
They are OK and I would see how you like it. They can be snappy for some things but you may want to boot off an external SSD or open it up and add an SSD to make it much quicker. If you get a good price they are great systems overall.
I have a similar setup: 2017 27" Retina 5k iMac with 1tb fusion drive 3.4 ghz quadcore 8gb ram with jbl bt speaker + with bootcam gta v still manages to run 2048x 1536 n gta 4 in 2560x 1440 gonna uprgade to 16gb ram or do i need more to run games in 3k n also maya n after effects ?
well, 8 GB RAM, Imac 2017 with Sonoma I need 1 min. 55 Seconds until you can login, 13 seconds after login desktop appears. after adding 16 GB RAM I needed 1 min 30 seconds. and 5 seconds untill desktop appears after login not that much big difference during startup, faster only 25 seconds
What is your opinion on the current methods to force windows 11 on intel macs? I have a 2017 27inch 5k i5 imac. I really only use it to play games, so is 10 cool in your opinion please.
@craigneidel there are several youtubers with videos showing how to get windows 11 on a imac disabling the tpm and secure boot requirements. I wanted to know what your thought were on that? And if doing that is worth it for someone that just uses thier computer to play games. Or can I just keep windows 10 until.............
Hey brother, what is that exact ssd external drive you are using in this vid? I have the exact imac. Also, will this imac perform well with a music software called logic pro? Thank you in advance.
I am really tempted to buy one. The thing for me is I bought a new MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro about a year ago, and its screen has ruined all other screens for me. I used to be able to use 1080p screens with no issue but after the Liquid Retina XDR of the Mac all these lesser screens are unusable. The studio display is too expensive for me and I can't afford it. So I am thinking buying one of these, using it as a media machine in my room, as the screen is pretty big and is the only screen of such a good quality for less than 1000$, and also it comes with a computer. So I can watch my Netflix and TH-cam 4K HDR videos directly off it, and when I want to do more hardcore work in a bigger screen I am thinking of using something like luna fusion with my MacBook Pro to just use the iMac as an external screen.
Yes not a bad idea if you can get a good deal. I still use mine for editing but also for media consumption they are great. Just make sure it has an SSD or boot off external SSD. Mine also was updated to 24 gb ram.
@@craigneidel Thank you! I found one with a fusion 1TB for a bit less than 500 refurbished and with a 3 month warranty. Do you think that for basic tasks I will need to upgrade to an SSD? Basic tasks I mean TH-cam Netflix etc and the occasional email response. For actual work I will just connect my MacBook to it with luna display.
First of all, thank you for this beautiful video and content. There is a subject I am curious about. I hope you can help me. I already have a m1 macook. I need a secondary monitor. I am thinking of buying a 2017 model 27'' imac. Both in terms of thunderbolt 3 and 5k retina. I don't need the camera or sound quality to be better. I just need a better and bigger display. What do you think? Do you think I should look at other models or series?
Hello Musa, I don't think you can use the 2017 as a secondary monitor easily without something like Luna display which has some lag. So I'm not sure if buying the imac will solve your secondary monitor issue.
@@craigneidel Thank you. But some information states that the imac can be used as a secondary display. Which generation onwards do you think this might apply to? Isn't this possible with just usb-c without Luna display?
Enjoy your videos, this may be a off topic but still like to know your professional opinion if buying a 2013 is something that you would recommend. Because I saw this guy is selling a *New* never opened still in the box iMac 27 on eBay for $300, it has an i5-4570,8 Ram and hard drive. I know it's way outdated,. but it's New, do you see any potential here? Thanks ! Keep up the good work and educate us
Yeah, most likely not unless you have a reason for it. Also, never get one with a HDD since it will be so slow you won't be able to do much. SSDs only and then it's still getting up there. If it's all you can afford and want to fool around then maybe but not the best option if it's your first Mac. I would just get a M1 Mac mini for like $300.
Hi I have a main iMac 2020 and a secondary iMac 2017 (both 27 inch)m I bought thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 3 cable, try with command and F2 key and is not working, Can you give me some advice how to set up second iMac to use it as a second monitor? Thanks
I never had these so called "new" versions of iMacs, cause I always founded their price ridiculously high :D I use windows desktops for gaming, but I do have a macbook pro late 2012 which still runs really good, I installed windows 10 on it works like a charm for basic tasks of course, But the other day I came across this iMac from 2017 5k 27 inch on eBay for a great price ( £350 ) the seller stated that its been kept in a home office so its in a brand new condition, 3.8GHz i5, 24GB ram, Radeon Pro 580 8gb, and 2TB HDD, no SSD, No mouse, but comes with the apple keyboard which is not too shabby I guess, I do have to get an SSD though. :) can't wait to receive it lol.
If it works then still use it. I love using the older Macs but being a Mac channel have some newer ones also. The issue with that 2017 is the SSD. You really want an SSD or you can boot off an external SSD otherwise it will appear slower. It might have the hybrid drive which helps a bit.
I still have my late model 2015 27” IMac. Loaded with 32 gigs ram and runs Photoshop like a hot knife through butter. But Apple is not updating the OS anymore it seems. And Adobe is needing the latest OS for its Apps to run everything. So now I am looking at my first new computer since 2015. Maybe the base Mini for $599.
You can install Open Core Legacy Patcher on the Mac to run the newest versions of the OS but you would need to wipe the system - there are videos on that installing this on TH-cam.
at the moment i work with an macbook pro M1 and iam really happy with the performance while editing 4K without buffering in finalcutpro. you think i can do same editing with these I7 model from 2017??? cause i would love to have an 27inch screen for editing. your vlog is 10 month old , i hope you can give me an answer. thanks.
With enough ram (easy to upgrade) I would say yes. I still edit on my 2017 iMac now. But if you can find a deal on the 2020 5K iMac that is a better choice to be sure.
Yes I have been comparing a 2.5k and a 5k 27 Imac to my HP Z820. I am running a 2014 one with 32gb of ram and opencore so I have latest OS and it works flawlessly and better than any 4k monitors or 4k tvs
It's how I see it, why buy a modern piece of tech when most old tech still runs fine and can just be upgraded
Yes with my channel I need to buy more modern tech but if I didn't have my channel I would for sure still be running older macs
@@craigneidelfair as someone who doesn’t do much on their channel I tend to be just fine using my 2015 MacBook Air but it only seems to be still good cuz it has Monterey
@@Hammersmith4602 yes the newer mac's a much better but some can get by with older models for sure.
Best thing about these pcs now is people are making boards so you can turn the screen into a monitor. You essentially can skip the machine now and plug into a hdmi cable which allows for m1 plus macs and Mac minis to be used with this. I have even seen people put them inside the case and use them as an updated iMac
Couldn't agree more. I have a similar setup: 2017 27" Retina 5k iMac with 3TB Fusion drive; 64Gig memory. 2TB Flash drive. Extremely capable, gorgeous display, with all the benefits of MacOS, and none of the nonsense that comes with Windows. I paid $200 for the base system, upgraded the memory from 16 to 64, and added the flash drive. I rounded it out by adding a Dell 2k monitor for $75 installed vertically. For me it's an ideal low-cost workstation setup.
Thanks for sharing and that is a great deal at only $200. With 64 GB and a SSD storage that must be pretty fast. Congrats on paying less for sure.
And you can have real windows on it and add a egpu to actually beat the apple machines in many areas.
Cheaper than.a 5k studio display.
This guy nailed the price prediction. I just paid $375 in 2024. He is good!
Nice deal and thanks for watching.
Please where did buy it ?
@@craigneidel I bought it on Facebook Marketplace in the city of San Diego, CA.
I really enjoy your videos on older Mac computers. They're still viable machines after just a little upgrading and they don't break the bank.
Thanks Bryan. Yes, they still work great and if not for the OS updates they would last at least another 6 years.
Wrong!.. the older ones suck!
You are spot on. I ordered a 2020 imac, I have the m1 imac but it looks like a child's toy. I will be using this and the new mac mini m4 on my samsung 55 odyssey ark. I am a med student and all I do is read. No video editing or anything. This is a champ. Let's be honest most users are just watching TH-cam and scrolling websites. Lol
Thanks for the post and info. Appreciate that for sure.
Just wanted to say I had an M1 iMac, never liked the look of it (it's v fast and the screen is great), someone made me an offer on it I couldn't refuse so I've bought an i9 2019 iMac with the Vega48. Multi-core performance is about 50% better than M1 on Geekbench. Screen is gorgeous, plus I can take the RAM to 128Gb from the 32Gb it's got now. Plus I can repair 27" iMacs but SoC is just disposable tech.
I just ordered an i7 model with 16gb ram, 512gb ssd, 575 gpu for $300 from the university I work for. Can’t wait to pick it up next week, it’s my first Mac computer.
Good luck with everything and with the SSD that should be a nice system for sure.
I couldn't agree with you more. Picked up a 2017 from OWC for about $599, inserted a 1gb OWC Aura Pro NVME and a 1 GB Samsung SSD for internal storage...upgraded the RAM...I wanted to install bootcamp, but the OWC Drive wouldn't allow it, so I got a copy of Windows Parallel and now Windows runs faster than installing it via Bootcamp...Good Machine and Great Video :).
Thanks for sharing. Yes owc is a great place to pick up hardware and I have never had any issues.
I love these computers. I bought a 2015 iMac i7-6700K, 2GB GPU, 500GB SSD, 32GB RAM for $1100 in 2020. Just recently upgraded my work set up for an M2 MBA, paired with a 34" widescreen 1440p display. The 5K iMacs were priced so well for their display value, it truly is hard to "go back" to a regular display.
Yes, nothing really compares to the 5K screens once you get used to them. So it's basically a Studio Display or a downgrade.
Same page with him! I have 2009 27’ . And it’s just can do much for me, need to upgrade and I bought 2020 i5 27’ iMac. Top reason, is the model year and screen size. This more than enough to what I do.. video and photo editing the main purpose, with my experience with Mac will last 10+ year with out reformatting the machine..thank you for making this video..
Thanks for the feedback and for watching. Yes, the 2020 machines are great machines and are fine with 4K editing and just about anything. Good luck with everything.
I got 2013 still working like a charm with no issues I just updated it to the latest OS. I like this shape more than the new design
They are great little machines for sure. Good luck with everything.
I use a 2013 iMac that was loaded at the time as my computer at work.. still runs like brand new.
Yes, they are nice machines for sure as long as they have SSDs.
I used my 2007 iMac for 10 years with no problem except for 4K editing when that became a thing and 256 GB storage got used up fast. I bought the 2017 iMac specked out. It should run great until 2027 or longer.
Just got one from a local auction. £160. The screen is phenomenal. Not quite got the grunt for gaming but as a general workhorse, it's fantastic.
Yes, if it has a SSD and 16 GB they are quite fast. No mac is that great for gaming though.
Bought one of these and installed Zorin Linux. It works great! Performance in unreal.
They are great for Linux. Good luck with everything and thanks for watching.
I absolutely love my 2015 iMac - 27 inch 5k, 32 GB RAM, 3 TB Fusion Drive.
They are nice systems for sure.
Hi Craig, Thanks to you and this video, I’ve just bought this awesome machine with 32GB for 650€ which was preowned and purchased in 2019. Your video really made my day. ❤
Thanks for watching and nice comment.
@@craigneidelthank you, you are right, think I will pay a little bit more for something newer that has SSD and 5k. Thanks again.
I bought this Mac on offer up for 100 dollars absolutely love this Mac
Yes for 100 that's a steal.
I inherited a 27” 5k iMac from my dad when he died. I was a win 10 user on an older laptop. I mainly use it from music production and my win 10 would stutter and crackle and pop when I had so many tracks recorded.
I decided to try out music production on the iMac which now has 24 GB RAM (this must be the easiest computer out to put more ram in a two minute job)which I updated and a clean install of Ventura and installed my DAW and other software. This thing is unstoppable and I could probably have 50 tracks of audio recorded and it doesn’t even blink at it. I have one external monitor and plan on installing another as it has the two thunderbolt ports for extended desktop displays. Stable and rock solid performance, just have to learn all the Mac quirks after using win 10. 😀
Yes, they are nice systems and I love mine. Good luck with everything.
I am watching this on a 2017 27" iMac. The internal storage has been stripped out and a 512GB SSD from a Macbook Pro has been installed as the boot drive, a 2TB drive on SATA and an external Samsung SSD is hooked up to the thunderbolt port. It still absolutely flies for photo and even video editing.
Yes, I use mine for most of my video editing and love it. They are incredible for the age and still work for anything you can throw at it.
Did the same, upgrade the ram to 32, and hard drive to SSD 1t for a total of $250. Converted it to only run and boot into Window10 and runs like a dream, though I do miss some of the various multi media programs on the Apple side. All about the screen, one of the best monitors on the market. RAM CRUCIAL 32GB (2X 16GB) and a Samsung Evo 870….you will need also a Mac adhesive screen kit to install screen again once SSD upgrade is done, RAM is simple slot behind stand. Once new hard drive is in boot from a Windows 10 USB installer, you will not require boot camp or any MacOS if you want a full conversion to PC. Note the hardware does not support Windows 11 unfortunately.
Thanks for sharing all the details for others to see and good luck with everything.
Subbed. Just picked up 2 x 2017 27” 5k iMacs with i5 3.4ghz, 32g Ram, 512gb SSD, each one was $699. Happy to get so many features at that price. Only concern is when updates stop but I didn’t have the budget at the moment to go newer and I needed 2 desktops. Thanks for the content and help in making the decision my man. 🤙🤙
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, that is really the only concern is the updates but for that price you got a great deal. You might look into something like Open Core to patch to the newest updates but that is an entirely different topic.
@@craigneidel thx bro 😎
Thanks.
@@craigneidel so there’s a way to path any security after the 2 or 3 years after they stop
@@Demonslayer63559 it will patch the older os for a while. Then after that you would need to use something like open core patches
found one on market place for $500. i’ve been wanting a mac since i was little, i’m picking it up when i get off work! thank you for your video!!
Thanks for comment. What kind of drive does it have.
Couldnt agree more perfect, just got 27" 2017 model, cloned the OS to external 1TB ssd, booted up formated old 2TB HD, popped another 4TB External ssd USB 3 .2 for my storage, added 24gb ddr4 ram . Thing is flying.
Nice, yes they are nice for the money right now and the screen can't be beat.
I bought a iMac 5k in 2015. It is a late 2014 model.
The SSD portion of the Fusion Drive died and is no longer visible in Disk Utility.
What are my choices for building an affordable external thunderbolt drive?
I would just boot off an external SSD on one of the USB ports. You will get about 500 MB/s and it will actually appear much faster than then Fusion drive. There are videos out there on how to boot off external drives and I even have a few very old ones on my channel.
@@craigneidel Thanks. I have a Samsung 870 EVO that I can use. Would there be any advantage to connecting to the thunderbolt port instead of USB?
I would just go with the fastest port you have but the USB works fine also. But if you have one already you can use that.@@gregorycollins3096
I have one max with 40gigs running Ventura from an ssd and works flawlessly.The screen is 100 times better than anything you’ll see in bestbuy today except for the new iMac; however, I just can’t see the big difference on the quality of the displays. This is totally relevant in 2023 and for years to come 🤙🏼
Yes, these are still nice computers and work perfect for most users. The screens are great at 5K too. Thanks.
I have it with Sonoma installed. It just works fine
Thanks for info. They are great machines.
I still have my 2020 5k iMac. :) Love it.
Yes, those are great machines. I still edit off my 2017 5K a bit.
I bought it in August 2022! Gonna add memory
Memory and make sure it boots from SSD or boot off external SSD. They run great after that.
Preach!
I *love* those 5K screens.
Two days ago I bought a 2019 27" i5 with 16 gb and a 512 gb ssd. For $400.
That is a very good deal and well worth the price for sure. Enjoy.
Where did you find this? Ebay?
I love this. Thank you so much. I already have one but upgrading it. It’s a beautiful powerful machine. Totally agree with you.
Yes, they are great when upgraded and you can still use them today.
Well, bought one a few years ago…. Opened up the case and replaced the internal disk by an nvme Samsung ssd and also added a sata 2 TByte ssd. Boots blazing fast now. While doing so upgraded the i5 cpu to an i7. Has been working perfectly since then. You forgot to mention : the sound coming out of this case is amazing :-)
Yes sound is great too. Thanks for watching
It’s April 2024 and I have a 2019 27” iMac with a decent spec. Wanted to sell it and get Studio Display to use with my Mac Book Pro. After doing a bit of research, I gave up this idea - my iMac is pretty amazing.
Yes, I just my 2017 to do most of my editing now. Is it perfect - no ... but it's doing the job for now and I wouldn't really care if it was 40% faster etc. since that would only save me like 20 minutes a week.
Recently picked up a refurbed 27" 2017 with a PCIE 500gb internal SSD (about $520 (amazing condition)). Increased the ram to 40gb for another $35 for 32gb and couldn't be happier. Installed Sonoma using OCLP, and it screams.
Nice deal. Yes, if they have and SSD they are still quick for the age. I love my 2017.
Where did you find 32gb ram for $35?
Ebay...used but working perfectly.@@ObjectiveTruthAdvocate
Nice.
I have an internal 28 GB SSD Drive on my IMAC 2017, so I installed Sonoma on that.
WIFI cannot be found, Sonoma on my HDD is able to find all WIFI's.
Do you know whats the matter?
I'm not sure and it's hard for me to troubleshoot things like that. But 28 GB is tiny so not sure if that has something to do with it as I thought Sonoma was more than then that.
afterwards I installed OCL- Post install root patch, and have WIFI
Ok, thanks. Not sure why that happened then.
thanks for your honest opinion! I not so long ago bought my first iMac and its the best computer I ever have! I bought an 27" iMac mid 2011! I did the upgrades( Rams and SSD) and now running Ventura works sooo good!
Yes, those are great systems for sure. Thanks for watching and the comment.
I didn’t know a 2011 iMac still runs Ventura. Are you kidding
You can run it with something like Open Core Patcher - works with older Macs.@@_blackbillgates5087
I've always been on used Macs as my daily drivers. Especially if you have a basic knowledge of how to upgrade them and install MacOS, they make a great choice to save a lot of money and still get a great experience.
For sure and thanks for sharing and watching. I like older iMacs and wish they come out with new 27 inch iMac that's not the pro
I am upgrading my old AIO PC (which ran great until recently at 2.5 GHZ and 8GB RAM) for a 27" 2019 iMac with 64gb RAM. I expect it will run like a charm. I believe I'll get many years use and at 72 it may be the last computer that I'll buy! Older well maintained computers are a great buy.
Yes, that is a nice system for sure and it should last for a while. Good luck with everything.
Webcam on my 2017 27" iMac is not good enough for video calls. What is best way to improve the picture quality?
I use it for video calls all the time. Best way to improve it is by maybe setting up lighting so you have lights on you when talking. That does help.
I just bought one for video editing to replace my 2014 27" iMac that I'm currently using. First time buying a refurbished Apple computer. When I first bought my 2014, I thought they would come out with a 32 inch but unfortunately, they went the opposite route and downsized the screen. I hope they come out with another 27 inch.
Yes, I'm not sure any 27" iMacs will ever come out but I'm hoping too. Thanks for watching.
How about hooking a Mac mini up to it and just using it as a display?
You can't do that with the 2017 as it doesn't have target display mode.
You can, but you will have to gut the entire, iMac, and install a controller borad, power supply, etc. It can be done, but your iMac is gone. The controller board takes soldering and some wiring experience. That being said dude. I upgraded the spinning hard drive to a SSD Sata for primary hard drive, that was an upgrade for sure, but still slow for me... I really really considered stripping the 2017 iMac completely down and doing the controller board route, but I think I am first going to install a NVME Ssd to replace the stock 120gig NVME, and see how much faster it will be.... From what I read, it should be 3- 6 times faster over the SATA SSD. It just means I am going to have to pull the main board in the iMac to get at the NVME and replace it. I think I can do it, its a bit more difficult than just replacing the main hard drive, but I think I can do it.
Great video - Funny how this just comes up on my feed now after buying one and not before when I was trying to figure out if I should or not haha. It comes in the next couple of days and I am happy with my decision, especially after watching this. A glass of wine killed my 2012 MacBook Air and using an iPad since then just hasn’t been the same!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, they are nice if they have SSDs or you boot off an SSD like I do. The Fusion drives are ok but an SSD will really make these fly. Thanks again for watching and good luck.
@@craigneidel Thank you for the heads up. I will be checking out your vid on how to do that once I have played with it for a while. No doubt, I will go down the same route haha
Came with a 2TB fusion which means it has 128GB SSD... impressed with standard speed at the mo! @@craigneidel
Good luck with everything.
I'm viewing this on this exact machine. It's still great. I can't see myself wanting to get rid of that display.
Yes, they are the best screen to this day.
How do i turn it on ?there is no button
What are you talking about?
Craig, I have had problems on my 2017 27 inch iMac with iCalendar not synching between my iMac iPad and iPhone. The person at Apple tech help mentioned that old iPhone (12) and old iMac and old iPad (5 th generation) was the reason. They did some type of refresh and things work now, but I am very worried about messing my calendar function up. Everything else works great. I love it! I want to wait a year to get the 30 or 32 inch iMac which is going to be at least a year till it comes out, but I'm feeling pressure to give in and buy the 24 inch iMac available now so that I have the newest operating system. Really appreciate your video. thanks PS I need the better system for large photography file, and the 3 TB storage works great. Don't really need or want the SSD.
Thanks for the post and good luck with things. I'm not sure there will be a 27 or larger iMac but the new Mac mini M4 paid with the studio display (was on sale for $1,249). So combined it would be around 2K and a very nice setup if that fits the budget. Otherwise the M4 iMac 24 inch should be out in a few weeks so check that out too.
I ripped out the guts and converted my 2014 iMac to a 5K main display for my M1. Couldn’t be happier. Runs on 12VDC.
Nice, I think Luke Miani did something like that on his chanel.
LOL. Watching this video on the I7 27" iMac that I bought myself for retirement in 2017. I upgraded memory and got the 3TB fusion drive to hold music sample libraries. Just ordered a M2 MacMini for music creation and will be using my iMac as an entertainment and communication system. Yes, a 32 in screen would be nice, but this looks so good. I'll just move it closer and keep using it. It will be used for all the things that I don't want to put on my decimated DAW.
They are nice for sure. Thanks for watching.
Actually, I have been thinking about getting an 2017-2019 iMac now even before watching this video.
iMacs are great machines.
I have a 2017 i7 iMac. I upgraded the Ram to 24 gb and even though it is my oldest computer, it has the most RAM. It runs Logic Pro 10.7 great, even using some plugins that choke everything else but my M1Pro Macbook Pro, such as Arturia Augmented Strings. I will really miss it when it is no longer viable, but now it does everything I need just fine.
Yes, the 2017 is great and I run all of my edits on this and I have also upgraded ram to 48 GB now.
This model was the first oen that I used in 2017 and it was a perfect and unforgettable experience lol and it wasn't mine but the company's and now I want to have my own though I have a MacBook pro 2023 but i still need this. thanks for this video. looking for this model somewhere..
They are still nice as long as you get an SSD and upgrade the ram. I still video edit on mine.
@@craigneidel i am looking for this piece. Do you think this can still be efficient after 5 years i mean i like the monitor because it's wide and its quality i see the right colors well 😂 i do graphics most of my work.
Also have u got a video re upgrading ram?
The monitor is the best.
There are a ton out there and it takes 3 minutes to do. I would just search on TH-cam and they will be there.
Perfect timing! You convinced me to get one instead of a monitor for my M1 Air. Many thanks!
Make sure it has sad and they still work great
I still have my 27 inch 2017 iMac and it still performs very good, but have to be honest. Really itching for a new one to come hopefully soon with Apple Silicon....
Yeah but I have 24 inch iMac and still use the Intel one more. I love both but maybe wait for M2 or m3 upgrade and hopefully price stays same
@@craigneidel I was tempted to get the 24 inch but after looking at it at the store, those 3 inches make a big difference for it to be my main display. so I’m holding out.
@@MichaelBordenaro you get used to it but I like 27 too so hope a cheaper version comes later.
Agree with you. iMac 2017 - 2020 is the best overall iMac's for now.
Yes they are great systems for sure
Can you share what additions you purchased to get it to run fast. The names and brands. I am not tech saavy and I bought this computer in 2017 and haven't been able to use it since I didn't know how to upgrade the drive and storage.
You can use something like a samsung T9 or T7 if you don't want to build an external SSD to boot off of. If not I would just go with a Samsung 2.5 inch drive (Samsung Evo) and then I used the OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini - eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-mercury-elite-pro-mini/usb-c for the enclosure. I did this a while ago so there could be better options but that is kind of what I did.
Picked one up for $350 the other day. What a deal.
As long as they come with an SSD they are a good value at that cost.
I bought a Late 2015 iMac 27, i5, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, Apple keyboard and mouse with charging cable a few days ago. For $200. I installed Monterey on an external SSD, plugged it into the iMac and I was ready to go. I sold my 2014 iMac 27, i7, 32 GB, 4 GB video, 500 GB SSD for $400 last year. There was a 2019 iMac 27 for $400 in my area last week but it was located an hour away. I actually wanted a Dell Ultrasharp U2720Q instead but they run $580 so I was watching for a 5k iMac for a lot less. I got the screen, speakers, microphone, videocamera for $200. I use this next to an M1 Max Studio with 3 4k monitors. I run my production on the Studio and all of my office stuff on the iMac. This iMac runs really cool too. I've found that some run hot and some run cool. I would have been fine with the 2017, 2019 or 2020 models for the right price. I could set up OCLP if I wanted to run Ventura but I don't need to. There's a 2017 i5 16 GB 2TB for sale in Boston for $475 and it's been sitting on the market for 9 days. My guess is that it sells for $400 Max. No warranty and you have to pick it up and test it but that's the way I like to buy and sell.
I also have 2009 and 2010 iMacs. The 2010 iMac with i7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD cost me $100 a few years ago. I use it to watch videos in front of my spin bike. It's nice to have the old model as it has an infared remote control so I can change the volume or skip to the next video if I want to. The 2009 is a spare monitor as it has Target Display Mode.
Thanks for sharing and I have a ton of older Macs too and they all run great. I have a 2011 iMac, 2012 iMac, 2012 Mac mini, 2013 iMac and 2017 iMac. I got all the machines for very cheap and love to still use the older tech. Thanks for sharing and watching again.
I bought imac 27” late 2015 i5 3,3ghz radeon 395 2tb fusion drive and 24gb ram. Im blown away as it’s my first imac and change from pc. Just amazing. I payed 400 for display and mouse 2 and keyboard. Only problem is os which is monterey.
Yes, for the price they are great and the only issues are the older OS. Thanks for watching.
How do I get the the 2017 updated. Keeps saying can't be installed
It's hard for me to trouble shoot each system and it depends on what OS and a bunch of other items (what OS to what OS) etc.
I would search for a video on updating the 2017 to see if it has any clues that appear like the issue you are getting. Thanks for watching.
Is there a reliable work around for using 2017 iMac as a monitor for a Mac Studio? Great job on this video!
Not really except Luna display. I might do video on it in next few months. Thanks for watching.
is there any update on this being possible? without ripping out the internals? duet works well resolution wise but has some lag, havent tried luna but sounds like that has lag too which matters a lot for me cause i need it for design/video editing
Thank you for the video, it´s really clarifying! but do you think the same logic applies to the 2017 21.5 inch 4K 256gb I5 Imac?
Maybe but depends on cost. The 27 inch screen is also huge advantage since it's basically the studio displays.
HELP NEEDED 🙏 Can I use this model as a second monitor for my Mackbook air as well as my windows laptop?
Thank you!!!
Not really unless you are using Open Core Legacy Patcher to upgrade to a newer OS. They you can use it as a second screen with a connection between both. I did a video on this but for the 24" iMac if you wanted to watch that.
Hello,
can this iMac model can be used as a monitor for a 2020 intel MacBook Air or newer MacBook models ?
Thanks
No, these monitors don't have that capability unless you do some really crazy things, but overall it's really not an option on the 2017 iMacs.
Just got 2 of these free. One is the 2017 and the other is like 2012 or so. Guy wiped the units could not reinstall, put them on fb said he was done fooling with them. Both working now. Took me about 1hr.
Thanks for watching and sharing. If they don't have SSDs then boot off external SSD and they will be much quicker.
Is this a good choice for making Music? Recording and making Beats?
🙏
I think so but make sure SSD and 16 gb ram.
found that I can run an ext SSD and buy a cheap iMac, and still get a super fast machine.
I'll be using it for my music production.
I'm on PC and have been since 1995.
For sure I have a bunch of videos on my channel about booting off an external SSD.
@@craigneidelI'll look for those, thank you.
@@synthoelectro thanks
@@craigneidel welcome
Now it’s 2024 has anything changed or should I still buy one if I come across one
Things change for sure. If you can find an incredible deal and it has an SSD and then you add more ram (you can upgrade ram on these) they can still be a great machine for everyday work. For a few hundred dollars I still think they are good values.
If you open a couple of windows in chrome this thing starts to put on the ventilators and sounds like it wants to take off… have one here… but it’s loud when working. It has 32gb ram
Mine doesn't do that at all and I even use it for 4K edits. At that point the fans turn on but during normal use it's silent normally with 48 GB ram.
I just got one off Craigslist with 24g RAM and 2 1-TB drives for $350
Not bad.
Can I used this as external monitor for my Macbookpro m1?
Not really.
can I build in an - M2 SSD 1 TB - ?
or SSD only ?
Yes, you can boot off an external SSD on these macs. I have a few examples on my channel and you can find them on TH-cam. You don't even need to open up the Mac.
Which external hard drive are you running?
I'm actually running it on a OWC enclosure with a Samsung QVO SSD which is only 2.5". Only get about 500 MB/s but still edited 600 4K videos on this so fast enough for sure. Anything faster will be even better.
Just bought an iMac 27” -2020, i7 3,8GHz, 8GB Radeon. Like new, only used around 10h according to the seller, I gave 1250$.👍
Add some ram to it, it's easy. Good luck with everything.
@@craigneidelThere is 64GB all ready, the graphic memory is 8GB.
@@martincarlberg9671 you should be all set then...
Why ssd and not standard for regular using and what version of office to buy with it?
Mine came with Fusion Drive so I boot off external SSD on mine. Fusion is OK but just don't get one with HDD.
i will be 33yo ... but still prefers older design on iMAC. Love the silver color and chin!
Yeah I like my 2017 iMac the best. 5k screen is still great.
this or the new Mac mini M4? Comparing 2019 iMac 27 5k 3.7 i5 64gb ram rx580
It's a touch call and depends on price. The M4 will have much longer OS support etc. so at this point I'm leaning that way. Also, they are crazy fast as I have one with only 16 GB ram and it's like my 48 GB on my 2017.
Does it work now with the newest system? And do you have the i5 or i7?
Latest officially supported macOS for iMac 2017 is Ventura. But, using hacks like opencore legacy patcher, more recent versions might also work (inofficially, no support from Apple). But even if everything goes wrong, there is still Linux (and even Windows).
The 2017 models cannot be upgraded to somona but still get Ventura security updates. Or you can use open core patcher to put on somoma.
I have 2 options and I'm really in doubt which one I should go for. The first is a Mac Mini M1 8gb 256gb SSD with all the stuff I'll need to buy like a mouse, keyboard, SSD, and 4k screen, which would result in the value of my second option. This other tempting option is an iMac 27, i5, 5K 32gb ram 4gb dedicated video with hybrid HD with sdd 1tb quad 3.5Ghz. Taking into account that I work with editing using Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, and logic pro, what would be the best option for my case? Hugs from Brazil to you my friend!
What is the year of the iMac? Thanks.
Do you own the software? Do you subscribe to Adobe? If you're going to be using the latest software and aren't already invested in older software, it's time to move on to Apple silicone like the M1. I wouldn't buy an Intel based Apple as a first computer in 2023, not for professional use. If you already own the software that's native to Intel, there's no reason no to take advantage of some of the steep discounts right now and go with older tech. If you can't use old software and are subscribed for what's newer, you're going to need to buy a new computer in a few years to keep running that and you won't be saving any money if that happens.
what did you choose?
I bought my 2017 5K new for $2,500AUD. I upgraded the RAM to 16 GB a few years ago. Yesterday I changed the internal Fusion Drive for an SSD using an IFIXIT kit. It took me 2 hours, including a coffee break. Went without a hitch. If a 70 year old like me can do it, anyone can. The performance now is cheese and chalk.
Thanks for the update and I'm glad the upgrade went well. Funny, I never heard the "cheese and chalk" before so not sure what it means but it's nice to learn something new.
Can you upgrade iMac 2017 to 5k screen and what upgrades would I need to enhance my TH-cam editing
I'm not sure what you are asking? 2017 27" is a 5K screen.
I have thought about buying a 2020 iMac too. I have one question, can a 2017iMac be used as a monitor to a M2 Mac mini?
Not really but you can use something like Luna Display which is a dongle to make it a monitor. It's not perfect with slight lag in some cases but still the best at this time.
Imac 2017, is the M2.ssd faster when built inside, or is the speed the same when external?
the fastest external I know has 7 GB/S (Imac 2017 thunderbolt supports up to 40 GB/S)
You will get slightly better speeds internally then with an enclosure due to overhead.
That's a cool light you got there "C", where dya get it from?
I think I got it from Amazon a while back but don't see it on there any longer. I'll let you know if I can track it down.
My biggest question right now is if I should upgrade my 2017 27" 5K imac to the 2020 27" 5K one - as its the last model with Intel Chip for gaming.
Anyone here with that upgrade done? To compare I bought my 2017 one with the AMD 580 with 8gb graphics card, and wonder if the 5500TX 8GB card in the 2020 model I saw for sale in my town would be much of an upgrade. How does the 5500TX compare? How does the 5700?
Based on the CPU etc. it should be a nice upgrade but based on the Graphics card it's a bit closer. The AMD580 has a score of 8869 on the videocardbenchmark.net and the 5500TX has a score of 9157. So you can see the benchmarks are not that much different when compared strictly based on benchmarks (they don't always tell the tale though).
@@craigneidel Yeah it would maybe depend on what I could sell the 2017 imac for (its top spec). And I would surely wish for the 5700XT if possible. I have had 0 issues gaming on the 2017 intel based imac the last 7 years in 5K with games like WOW, Path of Exile, Diablo 3/4 and Destiny 2.
Im sure other games can have issues. But the above ones has played nicely for me on the AMD580 in the 2017 iMac.
Yes, and I always say get the system you need and if those are the games you like and they work then you have the right system.
I have an old buggy 2015 27” Mac. This is the ONLY reason I want to replace it. And I don’t get updates either, so why not?
The 2017 is out of updates too but you can load on something like Open Core legacy patcher if you want a newer OS.
Currently looking at a 2017 that has a 1tb fusion drive...what's your opinion on the fusion drives and how hard is it to upgrade the hard drives? Thanks!
They are OK and I would see how you like it. They can be snappy for some things but you may want to boot off an external SSD or open it up and add an SSD to make it much quicker. If you get a good price they are great systems overall.
I have a similar setup: 2017 27" Retina 5k iMac with 1tb fusion drive 3.4 ghz quadcore 8gb ram with jbl bt speaker + with bootcam gta v still manages to run 2048x 1536 n gta 4 in 2560x 1440 gonna uprgade to 16gb ram or do i need more to run games in 3k n also maya n after effects ?
I would add as much ram as you can since it's so cheap for these iMacs now. More ram won't hurt.
Bout to pick one up for 140 I can’t wait
Nice.
well, 8 GB RAM, Imac 2017 with Sonoma I need 1 min. 55 Seconds until you can login, 13 seconds after login desktop appears.
after adding 16 GB RAM I needed 1 min 30 seconds. and 5 seconds untill desktop appears after login
not that much big difference during startup, faster only 25 seconds
Do you have an SSD. My is worlds quicker then that at login.
I have HDD, thinking about upgrading to SSD
Yes, SSD makes world of difference.
What is your opinion on the current methods to force windows 11 on intel macs? I have a 2017 27inch 5k i5 imac. I really only use it to play games, so is 10 cool in your opinion please.
I'm not exactly sure what you are asking but something like Parallels is a good product to get Window on a Mac.
@craigneidel there are several youtubers with videos showing how to get windows 11 on a imac disabling the tpm and secure boot requirements. I wanted to know what your thought were on that? And if doing that is worth it for someone that just uses thier computer to play games. Or can I just keep windows 10 until.............
I have not really heard of that and think something like Parallels is the best way for Windows on the Mac.
Hey brother, what is that exact ssd external drive you are using in this vid? I have the exact imac. Also, will this imac perform well with a music software called logic pro? Thank you in advance.
I used the OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini for the enclosure pair with a 2.5" Samsung SSD drive. Been working for years now.
Thanks great video Ulrich
Thanks for watching and the feedback.
I am really tempted to buy one. The thing for me is I bought a new MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro about a year ago, and its screen has ruined all other screens for me. I used to be able to use 1080p screens with no issue but after the Liquid Retina XDR of the Mac all these lesser screens are unusable. The studio display is too expensive for me and I can't afford it. So I am thinking buying one of these, using it as a media machine in my room, as the screen is pretty big and is the only screen of such a good quality for less than 1000$, and also it comes with a computer. So I can watch my Netflix and TH-cam 4K HDR videos directly off it, and when I want to do more hardcore work in a bigger screen I am thinking of using something like luna fusion with my MacBook Pro to just use the iMac as an external screen.
Yes not a bad idea if you can get a good deal. I still use mine for editing but also for media consumption they are great. Just make sure it has an SSD or boot off external SSD. Mine also was updated to 24 gb ram.
@@craigneidel Thank you! I found one with a fusion 1TB for a bit less than 500 refurbished and with a 3 month warranty. Do you think that for basic tasks I will need to upgrade to an SSD? Basic tasks I mean TH-cam Netflix etc and the occasional email response.
For actual work I will just connect my MacBook to it with luna display.
You can see if the fusion is fast enough or just boot off external SSD and I have videos on how to do that also. It works great.
First of all, thank you for this beautiful video and content. There is a subject I am curious about. I hope you can help me. I already have a m1 macook. I need a secondary monitor. I am thinking of buying a 2017 model 27'' imac. Both in terms of thunderbolt 3 and 5k retina. I don't need the camera or sound quality to be better. I just need a better and bigger display. What do you think? Do you think I should look at other models or series?
Hello Musa, I don't think you can use the 2017 as a secondary monitor easily without something like Luna display which has some lag. So I'm not sure if buying the imac will solve your secondary monitor issue.
@@craigneidel Thank you. But some information states that the imac can be used as a secondary display. Which generation onwards do you think this might apply to? Isn't this possible with just usb-c without Luna display?
@@musaklcaslan4986 I think only 2014 or earlier without Luna display. But I know 2015 and newer can't easily be second screens.
Enjoy your videos, this may be a off topic but still like to know your professional opinion if buying a 2013 is something that you would recommend. Because I saw this guy is selling a *New* never opened still in the box iMac 27 on eBay for $300, it has an i5-4570,8 Ram and hard drive. I know it's way outdated,. but it's New, do you see any potential here? Thanks ! Keep up the good work and educate us
Yeah, most likely not unless you have a reason for it. Also, never get one with a HDD since it will be so slow you won't be able to do much. SSDs only and then it's still getting up there. If it's all you can afford and want to fool around then maybe but not the best option if it's your first Mac. I would just get a M1 Mac mini for like $300.
Hi
I have a main iMac 2020 and a secondary iMac 2017 (both 27 inch)m I bought thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 3 cable, try with command and F2 key and is not working, Can you give me some advice how to set up second iMac to use it as a second monitor? Thanks
I don't think you can use any iMac over the 2013 as a second screen. You might need something like Luna Display for that to work.
I never had these so called "new" versions of iMacs, cause I always founded their price ridiculously high :D I use windows desktops for gaming, but I do have a macbook pro late 2012 which still runs really good, I installed windows 10 on it works like a charm for basic tasks of course, But the other day I came across this iMac from 2017 5k 27 inch on eBay for a great price ( £350 ) the seller stated that its been kept in a home office so its in a brand new condition, 3.8GHz i5, 24GB ram, Radeon Pro 580 8gb, and 2TB HDD, no SSD, No mouse, but comes with the apple keyboard which is not too shabby I guess, I do have to get an SSD though. :) can't wait to receive it lol.
If it works then still use it. I love using the older Macs but being a Mac channel have some newer ones also. The issue with that 2017 is the SSD. You really want an SSD or you can boot off an external SSD otherwise it will appear slower. It might have the hybrid drive which helps a bit.
I listened to you and bought one. 4.2ghjz and 16GB with 500GB SSD. (I have no clue what that all means), except for the16 ram.
Ok, good luck with everything.
Hi. What RAM does it take?
I would just look that up on Google as the specific type.
I still have my late model 2015 27” IMac. Loaded with 32 gigs ram and runs Photoshop like a hot knife through butter. But Apple is not updating the OS anymore it seems. And Adobe is needing the latest OS for its Apps to run everything. So now I am looking at my first new computer since 2015. Maybe the base Mini for $599.
You can install Open Core Legacy Patcher on the Mac to run the newest versions of the OS but you would need to wipe the system - there are videos on that installing this on TH-cam.
at the moment i work with an macbook pro M1 and iam really happy with the performance while editing 4K without buffering in finalcutpro. you think i can do same editing with these I7 model from 2017??? cause i would love to have an 27inch screen for editing. your vlog is 10 month old , i hope you can give me an answer. thanks.
With enough ram (easy to upgrade) I would say yes. I still edit on my 2017 iMac now. But if you can find a deal on the 2020 5K iMac that is a better choice to be sure.
Yes I have been comparing a 2.5k and a 5k 27 Imac to my HP Z820. I am running a 2014 one with 32gb of ram and opencore so I have latest OS and it works flawlessly and better than any 4k monitors or 4k tvs
Yes, they are great machines for sure and it's my favorite. I sure hope Apple brings back the 27" as it's the perfect size.
How it’s working with h265 ?
Ok, but I have 48 GB ram. I still do my video on this and have many more modern macs so it can still do the job.