Is it better to buy an older iMac with high specifications or it a brand new iMac with M1 or M2?

If you already have a gaming system why not consider a Mac Mini with M2. You already have a good monitor, keyboard, mouse, desk, chair & lighting that you're comfortable with. Why duplicate things you don't need to? M2 Mini is plenty powerful to run CAD & rendering. As mentioned above, you can run Windows in Parallels on the M2, so you're not limited in your CAD program choices.

pici wrote:

If you already have a gaming system why not consider a Mac Mini with M2. You already have a good monitor, keyboard, mouse, desk, chair & lighting that you're comfortable with. Why duplicate things you don't need to? M2 Mini is plenty powerful to run CAD & rendering. As mentioned above, you can run Windows in Parallels on the M2, so you're not limited in your CAD program choices.

You can only run Windows for ARM in a virtual machine on the M2.

Windows for ARM can run some off-the-shelf Windows applications – ones compiled for Intel/AMD processors. The way it does this is by using its own emulation/translation. I don't know how well Microsoft's emulation and translation code compares to Rosetta, but now you might be talking about

• Running a CAD program designed for Windows/Intel,
• Inside of an Intel emulation environment provided by Windows for ARM,
• Which itself is running as a guest operating system in a virtual machine under macOS, without having direct access to "little" things like the Mac's GPU hardware

If the OP already has a Windows/Intel gaming rig, he'd be far better running any Windows CAD software on that rig, than on burdening a Mac with multiple layers of overhead.

HoofBeast wrote:

So the older iMAC’s could install windows ?

Intel-based Macs could run Windows either

• Dual-boot – with the aid of Boot Camp. "Boot Camp" being Apple's name for their utilities that would let you create a partition on your startup drive (in which to install Windows) … and that provided Windows drivers for some of the Mac's hardware.
• In virtual machines – with the aid of third-party programs like Parallels and VMware Fusion.

and which version have better performance ? Older iMac’s or new with M* processors ?

Generally speaking, the new ones with the Apple Silicon processors. The first Apple Silicon Macs were low-end machines (MacBook Airs, Mac minis), and yet they were turning in performance that in many ways was up there with that of the fastest, most expensive, 16" MacBook Pros based on Intel Core i9 chips.

I think that older iMac will be better because of bigger screen, I do not want spend so much for Apple display.

Standalone 27" 5K (5120x2880) displays from Apple, LG, and Samsung are expensive by the standards of what 27" 5K Retina iMacs (that included an entire computer) cost.

One alternative is to get a good 27" 4K (3840x2160) screen and to run it in Retina "like 2560x1440" mode. You might give up some sharpness compared to using a 27" 5K screen in that way, but 4K displays are cheaper. My 4K monitor cost less than half as much as a 27" 5K Apple Studio Display, and I believe you can get basic 27" 4K screens for as little as $300 – $350 (though you might then need to add the cost of a Webcam and/or speakers).

HoofBeast wrote:

Maybe little info about work to do with this device: I want work in CAD's and in coding softwares - i am begginer - i am drawing and projecting only for my personal use (rooms, house) and i am begginer at coding also so i am not professional and i don't need to do this for my living (yet - I want to be a programmer - but i need this computer for start and i can buy better in future).

If you're going to be doing CAD work, I would suggest researching CAD software first, and then choosing a platform based on that.

Xcode is the main development environment for developing things to run on Macs, iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. It's free for Mac users (access to the Developer program costs money) – as is (Swift) Playgrounds. Here, you need to be on a current version of macOS to get a current version of Xcode, so an Apple Silicon Mac will have a longer useful lifespan than an Intel one.

Xcode 15 - Apple Developer

Xcode - Support - Apple Developer

Xcode – Mac App Store Preview

Welcome!

To buy older but highend iMAC from 2017-2020...

You must have a 2019 or newer iMac to run the latest macOS. Also, Apple is starting to include features in the OS that only work with Apple Silicon processors. Go to this page:

macOS Sonoma - Apple

and look at the footnotes. They show which of the featured functions require Apple Silicon.

Maybe little info about work to do with this device: I want work in CAD's and in coding softwares - i am begginer - i am drawing and projecting only for my personal use (rooms, house) and i am begginer at coding also so i am not professional and i don't need to do this for my living (yet - I want to be a programmer - but i need this computer for start and i can buy better in future).

Maybe a little of our experiences will shed light. Our son made it through most of University computer engineering school (2017 graduate) with a 2012 MacBook Pro, using macOS Terminal for his coding projects. Senior year ended that ride as most classes were working with apps and projects that could only be done on Windows. He/we bought a Win laptop so he could finish.

He now programs automated QA inspection equipment for one of the largest storage manufacturers. Nothing his team touches involves a Mac.

Offered for your consideration, and with wishes for a great future in tech. Tech has been very good for our son and his family,

Agreed. It's more straightforward to run Windows programs on native hardware. However, many CAD programs aren't very demanding in wireframe or simple shaded modes. It's when you get into textures where you need that GPU help. Some CAD programs have online services for rendering.

It wasn't clear why the OP was considering a Mac. But there are Mac-specific 3D-CAD programs. For example, Vectorworks is a very mature and powerful program, cheaper than Revit on an annual subscription basis. Sketchup is a PITA to use, but fun to play with. OP might have best luck learning to use Blender, a free open source modeling program (Mac, Windows & Linux versions).

For me it depends on three things—- your overall budget and what you’d like to do with your Mac.. any Mac…I’m still rocking a 12 core Classic Mac Pro and it meets my needs fine, thing #3?? Can you get a good deal on an open-box/refurbished/pre-owned Mac from a reputable vendor/person? If you can, then go for it ! Yes, you can use Windows on an M1/M2 Mac( -Apple Silicon( virtual machines) BUT you have to buy certain applications/software that that have been optimized and designed to work with M1 and M2 Macs and Windows, eg Parallels, VMWare Fusion, to name two, CrossOver may work as well… plus a legitimate copy of the Windows Operating system…

John B

I own a 2019 27" high end Mac and a Mac studio 9using a 27" 5k display). I see little difference in performance. I would not like the 24" iMac screen after having used a 27" screen.

Note that Apple Silicon Macs do not support Boot Camp.

If you use a virtual machine program like Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion to create VMs, they will be ARM VMs, not Intel ones – so you won't be able to install regular versions of Windows or Linux, if that matters to you. You can install Windows 11 for ARM in an ARM VM on an Apple Silicon Mac. Likewise there are probably some ARM versions of Linux that you could install in ARM VMs on Apple Silicon Macs.

HoofBeast wrote:

About CAD.. I am beginner so I am working in free programmes - SketchUp and OnShape. I still need to get feel in this kind of work - I don’t know now which SW I will use in future - I am still learning and my goal is to be programmer, not architect. And about Apple Silikone - it don’t support Boot Camp - Apple Silikone is in new Mac’s ?

Yes. All new Macs use Apple Silicon processors. Apple introduced the first Macs that use these processors in November 2020, and now has transitioned their whole line.

I have Windows 10 and 7 running using Parallels on my 2019 27” iMac and no issue