Thought I'd post about this here, as the pieces are still on their way to me but I thought folks might like seeing it.
Basically, I'm currently using an M1 MacBook Pro as more or less my main computer, but it has some serious shortcomings, not the least of which is too little RAM.
In addition, I have a few pieces of software that still need a 32 bit OS, so my old 2012 MacBook Pro never got retired. I just more or less use it as a glorified desktop now, driving a pair of Apple Thunderbolt Displays. It still does fine, and for some things it having 16gb RAM makes it faster than my otherwise much faster M1 with 8gb RAM.
Still, though, that has its shortcomings. For one thing, even though that case is decent at getting heat out, the dGPU still throws out a lot especially driving that many pixels(there's no way to disable it with an external monitor). Basically all the Intel laptops with discrete GPUs can handle hitting the CPU OR the GPU hard, but tend to get backed into a thermal corner if you're hitting both and will end up throttling quite a bit.
I've finally settled on a workable configuration, and have finally put the pieces together.
Central to it will be a 2019 27" 5K iMac with an 8-core i9. The one I've ordered has 8gb RAM, but I have a 64gb(2x32gb) kit on order. As these have 4 slots, I'll be able to keep the existing 2x4gb for a total of 72gb.
For the time being, one of the Thunderbolt displays will continue to be parked next to it. In the near future I'd like a second 4K display, but that will do for now, and the Thunderbolt display does give me a Firewire port(something I occasionally use).
The one on its way to me has a 1tb "Fusion" drive, which consists of a 32gb NVMe blade(Apple proprietary interface) and a standard 1tb 3.5" 7200rpm desktop drive. I will be installing a 1tb Samsung EVO 970(simple passive adapter needed) and a 3tb 3.5" drive.
The 2019 iMacs have decent GPUs-this one is a Radeon RX570. Still, though, the i9s are hot CPUs and, again, I have some thermal concerns. Fortunately, though, there's actually an easy fix for this. Thunderbolt 3 Macs natively support eGPUs(external GPUs), and already on hand I have a nice Sonnet enclosure with a Radeon RX580 in it. That's a respectable bump over the 570, will let me keep the GPU heat out of the case, and the GPU can easily be upgraded down the road.
As I said, pieces will be arriving over the next week, and I'll post the full set up once completed!
Basically, I'm currently using an M1 MacBook Pro as more or less my main computer, but it has some serious shortcomings, not the least of which is too little RAM.
In addition, I have a few pieces of software that still need a 32 bit OS, so my old 2012 MacBook Pro never got retired. I just more or less use it as a glorified desktop now, driving a pair of Apple Thunderbolt Displays. It still does fine, and for some things it having 16gb RAM makes it faster than my otherwise much faster M1 with 8gb RAM.
Still, though, that has its shortcomings. For one thing, even though that case is decent at getting heat out, the dGPU still throws out a lot especially driving that many pixels(there's no way to disable it with an external monitor). Basically all the Intel laptops with discrete GPUs can handle hitting the CPU OR the GPU hard, but tend to get backed into a thermal corner if you're hitting both and will end up throttling quite a bit.
I've finally settled on a workable configuration, and have finally put the pieces together.
Central to it will be a 2019 27" 5K iMac with an 8-core i9. The one I've ordered has 8gb RAM, but I have a 64gb(2x32gb) kit on order. As these have 4 slots, I'll be able to keep the existing 2x4gb for a total of 72gb.
For the time being, one of the Thunderbolt displays will continue to be parked next to it. In the near future I'd like a second 4K display, but that will do for now, and the Thunderbolt display does give me a Firewire port(something I occasionally use).
The one on its way to me has a 1tb "Fusion" drive, which consists of a 32gb NVMe blade(Apple proprietary interface) and a standard 1tb 3.5" 7200rpm desktop drive. I will be installing a 1tb Samsung EVO 970(simple passive adapter needed) and a 3tb 3.5" drive.
The 2019 iMacs have decent GPUs-this one is a Radeon RX570. Still, though, the i9s are hot CPUs and, again, I have some thermal concerns. Fortunately, though, there's actually an easy fix for this. Thunderbolt 3 Macs natively support eGPUs(external GPUs), and already on hand I have a nice Sonnet enclosure with a Radeon RX580 in it. That's a respectable bump over the 570, will let me keep the GPU heat out of the case, and the GPU can easily be upgraded down the road.
As I said, pieces will be arriving over the next week, and I'll post the full set up once completed!