Help in understanding processors?

Just to Punch in this fact that i Series CPUs have Virtual cores i leave you some pictures from my quad core CPU and its Virtual cores running

1st pic is to show you that my PC indeed has a quad core CPU - 1 CPU 4 Cores

2nd pic is of app Blender using 8 cores to render an image , each square is a separate core being used by Blender from my CPU

3rd Pic is my "Activity Monitor" app showing 761% CPU usage , it shows 100% for each core as in in this moment it is using 7.6 cores , again i only have 4 physical ones

Hope this helped

Here's my tips and knowledge on how to "clean out" data detritus on any Mac

Feel free to copy/paste this info onto your iMac for future reference.

If you iMac is running low on storage, makes sure it isn't low because of it has a lot of data detritus on it.

Here are some general tips to keep your Mac's hard drive trim and slim as possible

You should never, EVER let a computer hard drive get completely full, EVER!

With Macs and OS X, you shouldn't let the hard drive get below 15 GBs or less of free data space.

If it does, it's time for some serious hard drive housecleaning.

Follow some of my tips for cleaning out, deleting and archiving data from your Mac's internal hard drive.

Have you emptied your Mac's Trash icon in the Dock?

If you still use iPhoto or Aperture, both have its own trash that needs to be emptied, also.

I don't use the new Photos App, so check to see if there is a trash icon or trash inside of the Photos App that you may need to empty.

If you store images in other locations other than iPhoto, then you will have to weed through these to determine what to archive and what to delete.

If you are an iMovie/ Final Cut user, both apps have their own individual Trash location that needs to be emptied, too!

If you use Apple Mail app, Apple Mail also has its own trash area that needs to be emptied, too!

Delete any old or no longer needed emails and/or archive to disc, flash drives or external hard drive, older emails you want to save.

Look through your other Mailboxes and other Mail categories to see If there is other mail you can archive and/or delete.

STAY AWAY FROM DELETING ANY FILES FROM OS X SYSTEM FOLDER!

Look through your Documents folder and delete any type of old useless type files like "Read Me" type files.

Again, archive to disc, flash drives, ext. hard drives or delete any old documents you no longer use or immediately need.

Look in your Applications folder, if you have applications you haven't used in a long time, if the app doesn't have a dedicated uninstaller, then you can simply drag it into the OS X Trash icon. IF the application has an uninstaller app, then use it to completely delete the app from your Mac.

To find other large files, download an app called Omni Disk Sweeper.

http://www.omnigroup.com/more

Also, Find Any File

http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/

If you are using OS X Time Machine for backups, make sure these backups are being stored to an externally connected hard drive for backing up data and NOT being stored on the iMac's internal hard drive.

Typically, iTunes and iPhoto/Photos app/Aperture libraries are the biggest users of HD space.

move these files/data off of your internal drive to the external hard drive and deleted off of the internal hard drive.

If you have any other large folders of personal data or projects, these should be archived or moved, also, to the optical discs, flash drives or external hard drive and then either archived to disc and/or deleted off your internal hard drive.

Moving iTunes library

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449

Moving iPhoto/Photos library

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2506

Moving iMovie projects folder

http://support.apple.com/kb/ph2289

A disclaimer,

Things to consider before moving your iPhoto/Photos Library Folder to a new or external location like an external hard drive.

If you make movies on any iDevices using iMovie for iOS,, then transfer the video footage, the IOS version of iMovie saves the footage as a movie file in IPhoto/Photos for IOS and will automatically get transferred to iPhoto/Photos for the Mac when you upload the video from your iDevice.

Newer versions of iMovie will work and link those video files found in your iPhoto/Photos Library on your Mac, but those links can be lost if you move your iPhoto/Photos library and you will not be able to relink that video afterwards as the current versions of iMovie seem to not have a relink option for the video portion of the files (ironically, current versions of iMovie HAVE the ability to re-link the audio files from the video footage, though (The inability to re-link the video files could be a possible bug or oversight in current versions iMovie).

The lost video links show up as "blacked-out" video blocks with no content.

Before moving the iPhoto/Photos Library

If you make movies with iMovie using iPad or iPhone video then 'Consolidate' the files before you finish. This will gather (albeit by duplicating) all the relevant files in the project in one place. After consolidating/duplicating all of the audio and video footage to a seperate, independent location,it should be safe to move your iPhoto/Photos library.

The potential way to circumvent this issues maybe to try and import iPad and iPhoto/Photos video directly into iMovie which would be another solution.

Good Luck!

Hi

Simply your CPU (Central processing unit)

will usually do almost all computing (computing means to calculate or do maths, in fact counting 1s and zeros) work at all times. Its "speed" is measured in a frequency called Herts the (G is for Giga as in 10 to the power of 9 hertz) more hurtz the more speed (to be Really geeky , a frequency can be visualized as a sign wave - check google - and every peak or valley - where the line reaches the top or bottom - the CPU makes a calculation ) more frequency more peaks and valleys = more calculations in a set time.

you current CPU runs a 2.4GHz which in todays standard is a bit slow - PRO PCs run at about 3.5GHz and overClocked (overclocking is the term used when you push up the frequency yourself further than the manufacturer's standard settings) run at about 4 to 4.5GHz

your PC has a Duo cpu meaning 2 Cores - or 2 brains that work at the same time to make calculation simultaneously where as a "i" Processor (CPU) has 4 (and i believe 4 virtual cores totaling to 8 cores or this feature might only be available on the i7 series) , the one you mention your friend has will run all 4 cores at 1.4 GHz when idle (as in not doing much work , surfing the net watching a movie or pictures ) but when you give it load will boost to 2.7Ghz (using Blender , photo shop etc)

Now RAM - Random Access Memory

this is memory that you CPU will need at some point to use again , as in it will do some calculations store them on the ram to then use those calculations for a new task , thus making your machine run smoother , RAM will make it easier to bring in videos into software like Final Cut Pro or Premier or using Blender a good amount of RAM to have these days is around 16Gb minimum (if you're into Graphic design or video or animation) as these programs do drink ram like water when under heavy stress

Other thing to mention

your dedicated "Hard Drive"

Hard drives are being surpassed by SSDs (Solid State Drives) which are faster since they have no moving parts , they say if you change your main hard drive to a SSD you normally double the speed of you PC or if not more

GPU Graphics Processing unit

This here can be manipulated by a lot of Softwares as in when it comes down to render lets say a video , your CPU wont have to do the work or al least all of the work , the GPU will do all the Graphic intense stuff for it, GPU work really well in softwares like Blender Premier CC and FCPX (although Final Cut has Rendering in background feature which does a lot of rendering in real time thus when you render your project at the end it takes at least 50% to 80 % less time than other softwares )

Hope this helped a bit

Uh, no.

That's THE REAL ANSWER, No.

Intel is using a variation of the i5 CPU with ONLY 2 cores.

There exists an i7 CPU variation with only two cores, also.

I only became aware of this very recently.

There are NO "virtual" cores in ANY of the i series CPUs

So, this other iMac you are looking at maybe comparable in speed to what you have, now.

The other issues.

8 GBs is not a lot of RAM, now.

All of the newer Mac OSes 10.10, 10.11, macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra all need a minimum of 8 GBs of RAM, now.

So, running Adobe apps on that iMac will not be a good experience, either.

Also, if the iMac model is one of the baseline 21 inch screen iMacs, there are other EVEN more issues.

Apple's been sticking much slower 5400 RPM hard drives and fusion drives into newer 21 inch screen slimline iMacs.

That means 33% slower read/write speed to these drives.

Your 2008 iMac uses a 7200 RPM hard drive.

Also, these newer 21 inch screen models use an integrated GPU.

Meaning that the VRAM for the GPU is being stolen from the actual physical RAM installed into these model iMacs.

So, with GPU intensive tasks, your GPU is stealing RAM away from both the system and running applications making the potential for both the OS and resource heavy applications, like Adobe apps run even slower.

All of this equates to a slower iMac!

If this is one of the baseline 2014, 21 inch screen iMacs, I would avoid these like the plague!

For professional work, only a topped spec 21 inch screen iMac will suffice and even that will still have a few limitations.

FYI,

You can install 6 GBs of RAM into your 2008 iMac.

You replace one of the 2 GBs RAM modules with a 4 GBs one.

Found here.

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/6400DDR2S4GB/

Yes there are virtual Cores also know as "Threads" and the Technology is known as "hyper threading" AND YES this i5 (Intel® Core™ i5-4260U Processor) has the function and would have a total of 4 cores - 2 physical and 2 virtual

if you like you can read up on it here

Intel® Core™ i5-4260U Processor (3M Cache, up to 2.70 GHz) Product Specifications

linux - How many cores does my Mac have? - Super User

I could only suggest since it's your friends , you could actually use their machine or borrow the machine for a an extended amount of time and actually see for yourself if there is any difference,

or as i suggest get a totally new machine with a SSD, GPU with at least 4GB ram , and the latest CPU with 4 physical cores or more and at least 16gb of RAM is an ideal machine at this time

The 27 inch screen models have different specs than the 21 inch screen iMac models

Especially, the 2013 thru 2015 21 inch screen iMac models.

Your 27 inch screen iMac HAS the better i5 and i7 4 core CPUs. The 21inch screen models DO NOT!

And the i7 series CPUs, if I am remember, are the only ones that use hyperthreading!

No hyperthreading in the i5 series CPUs, at all!

The base model 21 inch screen iMacs use the lesser laptop optimised dual core I5s and maybe, for the high end totalled optioned out 21 inch screen iMacs, the 4 core i7 CPU (I think all the 21 inch screen models I am referencing use both the lesser laptop optimised dual core i5 and i7 CPUs).

Your iMac uses 7200 RPM hard drives or fusion drives!

Smaller screen iMacs use 5400 RPM hard drives/fusion drives

21 inch screen iMac models DO NOT have user upgradeable RAM!

21 inch screen iMacs use integrated GPUs.

Your 27 iMac uses a discreet, dedicated GPU with 2, 4 or 8 GBs of independent, dedicated VRAM!

Properly uninstall CleanMyMac per the developers instructions.

Clean my Mac is total "garbageware" for the Mac!

Get rid of it and never, EVER use it, again!

Apps like MacKeeper or any other maintenance apps like CleanMyMac 1 or 2, Dr. Clean, TuneUpMyMac, Mac Optimise, MacCleanse, Memory Clean, App Cleaner/Zapper, etc. or anything like these apps, installed on your Mac, while they appear to be helpful, can do too good a job of data "cleanup" causing the potential to do serious data corruption or data deletion and render a perfectly running OS completely dead and useless leaving you with a frozen, non-functional Mac.

Plus, these type of apps aren't really necessary.

They really aren't.

The are manual methods to clear off unnecessary data off of your Mac that are safer and you have complete control over your Mac and not just leave a piece of auto cleaning software in charge of clearing off data off of your Mac.

Their potential of causing OS X issues outweighs the implied good and benefits these types of hard drive or memory "cleaning" apps are written to do.

These types of "cleaning" Applications are useless and really scams to rob newbie and novice Mac users of their hard earned cash for a poorly coded/developed application that will cause a LOT more harm than the good the developer of these apps claim/portends the apps will do.

Plus, the software companies that write these apps make it hard to easily uninstall these apps if something DOES go wrong and these apps work in a way where you have no recovery or revert function to return your Mac back to its former, working state in the event something does go wrong.

It is best to never, EVER download and install these types of apps.

The risk to your system and data is too great a risk!

4 GBs of RAM, now isn't going to cut it for system and application tasks!

Especially for resource hungry Adobe applications and the aforementioned integrated GPUs found in the lesser base model 21 inch screen iMacs, if this is what this iMac model is (which I think it is with that low a CPU spec).

No way.

Most new Macs now ship with a minimum of 8 GBs of RAM, now, because the Mac OS demands more RAM reources!

Yes

I know about the machine you're talking about (i watched the keynote) , it uses a xeon CPU (these are typically server board CPUs or hi end pc CPUs do to there high core count and no energy"efficiency"mode as in the are 100% most of or if not all the time ) and has the option of all that i mentioned (SSDs GPUs etc..) BUT it's overkill even for a video editor since sadly Apple haven got the message Since the Mac Pro (Trash Can design) if you're going to pump a min of $4,999 you going to want upgradeability in the future which the iMac Pro doesn't have. But not to worry as there are rumors and Apple also addressed this shortcoming and Rumor has it that a Modular Mac(as in you can change the GPU and RAM and if were lucky - most likely not though - the CPU as well) is in the making and it will hit us hopefully this december or 1st quarter next year

I would suggest for you is the new iMac (normal one) launched this year - i would go for the 27 inch and get the better CPU (4.2GHz i7) , leave the ram as it is and upgrade it later on via OWC or Corsair for RAM (i would total the ram out to 64GB) and if you want to save some money stick with the fusion drive (Hard Disk drive with a SSD) but if you can upgrade to 1TB SSD this will al set you back a pretty penny but it will be worth it in the long run if you use your PC to work