What to purchase? New I-macs with M3-chip or something else. Need help.

Apple introduced a page on their site called "Help me choose" that will ask questions about your needs and provide recommendations.

Mac - Which Mac is best for me? - Apple

Why?

screen failure on 24-inch-iMac, M1, 2021 - Apple Community

Black horizontal lines on iMac M1 Ventura - Apple Community

Search for more & you'll likely agree.

I would also recommend the site Mac Jim ID mentions. However the two machines I would consider are the:

A) Mac mini if your work is part-time. Get a one with the max RAM (32 GB) and the 10 core CPU and the amount of internal storage you need. You will likely need a Dock, the one I'd suggest is the OWC 14 port Thunderbolt Dock (currently on-sale) https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/docks/owc-thunderbolt-3-dock

In addition you will need an external display, there are hundreds to choose from so decide what is important to you.

B) Mac Studio, you can get the base model with the amount of storage you decide on. Again, you will need an external display however you will not likely need the Dock mentioned above.

KImGatto wrote:

Hello,

I have a Mac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) Processor: 4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Memory: 24 GB 1867 MHz DDR3 Graphics: AMD Radeon R9 M390 2 GB

I have been told don't get an Imac, but that is what I have and have not had any issues

Your iMac is a 27" 5K Retina iMac. Traditionally, 27" iMacs have been more powerful and more expandable than 21.5" iMacs. So you might be forgiven for asking, "Why not just get another 27" 5K Retina iMac – this one with a newer Apple Silicon processor?"

The answer is that Apple discontinued the 27" iMacs. The 24" M1 and M3 iMacs are Apple Silicon versions of the old 21.5" Intel iMacs. The closest thing that Apple offers to a 27" 5K Retina Apple Silicon iMac is a modular package consisting of

• A M2 Pro Mac mini or M2 Max Mac Studio
• A 27" 5K Apple Studio Display
• An Apple Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse

But the price of that 5K display causes many to turn to 4K alternatives …

KImGatto wrote:

I am confused on how much memory to get. I have had this computer for a long time and want a new one that will last. Most models unless buying off apple only give you 256 gb hard drive and 8 gb memory which seems ridiculous even with an external hard drive

Adobe recommends at least 16 GB of RAM for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Lightroom Classic. Ignore that at your own peril.

You can get

• M3 iMacs with 8, 16, or 24 GB of RAM
• M2 Mac minis with 8, 16, or 24 GB of RAM
• M2 Pro Mac minis with 16 or 32 GB of RAM
• M2 Max Mac Studios with 32, 64, or 96 GB of RAM

There are some retailers who sell Macs other than the "stock" models. For instance, if you look on the B&H Photo Video site, you can find 24" M3 iMacs with 16 GB or 24 GB of RAM. However, many retailers don't bother to carry anything but the "stock" models.'

In my opinion, this gives Apple an advantage. If I'm buying a new Mac, I would rather go to the Apple site and do a custom order to get the configuration I want, than to limit myself to "stock" models, just because they are all that a local "big box" store has chosen to carry.

.

Please tell me what you feel about the Imacs for this kind of work and what the best specs to get would be. I think I need atleast 24 gb memory and atleast 512 but probably 1tb hard drive.

If you buy a 24" M3 iMac, you will get a very nice display – one that's similar to a 27" 5K Retina iMac display, or a 27" 5K Apple Studio Display, but a bit smaller. You'll also get a chip with hardware ray-tracing support for games, which probably won't matter at all for your photo work. But you will be getting a low-end machine as far as Apple Silicon Macs go.

If you buy a M2 Pro Mac mini or a M2 Max Mac Studio, you will get a computer that is (mostly) higher-end. The M2 is an older generation, but Pro and Max cops are higher-end within their line. You would get more CPU cores, more GPU cores, more expansion ports, and support for more external displays.

The advantage/disadvantage of the M2 Pro Mac mini and M2 Max Mac Studio is that you will have to bring your own display(s). The 27" Apple 5K Studio Display is nice, but expensive by 27" 5K Retina iMac standards. But there are a lot of good 27"–32" third-party 4K displays that will work, if you can give up a little sharpness.

Note that all of these Macs may be due for a refresh. There is a M4 chip out (in the iPad Pro), though no M4 Pro or M4 Max chips have been released to date. It seems reasonable to assume that within the next year, there might be 24" M4 iMacs, M4 Pro Mac minis, and M4 Max Mac studios. But I don't think we can speculate as to when.

KImGatto wrote:

Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions. I wonder, I am looking at the MacBook Pro for the option to bring it places and buy a monitor. I would love to stay under $2000 and noticed they have some good deals on MacBook Air. What really is the difference in an Air and Pro. I am not video editing, but would watch a movie streamed if away. Also use regularly for Indesign, Photoshop art and image editing, and illustrator.

There are three rough levels in the current Mac notebook line.

13" and 15" MacBook Air

• Base processor chip (M2 or M3). M2 chip is now just in 13" "price point" models.
• 8, 16, or 24 GB of RAM
• Two USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports, a MagSafe 3 port, and a headphone jack
• No HDMI port or SDXC card slot
• Support for only one external display with the lid open
• M3 models can support a second display when the lid is closed, with a lower resolution that means that fewer Retina scaling modes would be available for a second 4K monitor

14" and 16" MacBook Pros with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips

• Higher-end processor with more CPU cores and GPU cores
• 18 or 36 GB of RAM (M3 Pro); 36, 48, 64, 96, or 128 GB of RAM (M3 Max)
• Three USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports, a MagSafe port, and a headphone jack
• HDMI port and SDXC card slot
• Mini-LED backlit display and support for playing prerecorded HDR video content
• Support for using up to two external displays (M3 Pro) or four external displays (M3 Max) with the lid open
• You can configure a 14" MBP with just about any of the goodies that a 16" MBP can have (unlike in the Intel days). But the 16" models are on the heavy side compared to the 14" ones, and to any of the Airs.

14" MacBook Pro with base M3 chip

Take a M3 MacBook Air. Give it the mini-LED backlit screen, HDMI port, and SDXC card slot of higher-end 14" MBPs that have M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. But keep all of the other limitations of a M3 MacBook Air, such as having only two USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports, and support for only one external display when the lid is open.