which computer is best for a graphic designer

If you are considering those two machines, another one you could add to the mix is the M2 Pro Mac mini. (The one with the M2 Pro chip and four USB-C / Thunderbolt ports).

wendythedesigner wrote:

Phil0124 wonder if you can provide any feedback to me with a purchase I must make in the next day or two. Going from a 2017 iMac that no longer can update the IOS and thinking of going to a 16" MacBook pro with either M3 Max or M3 pro chip. My 2017 iMac has:

Processor: 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

Memory: 32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

But with my huge files it is just so slow. I am a graphic designer who builds massive Photoshop and Illustrator files for large format trade show booths...so I work at very high resolution. Surely it is not as high as video editing but I need a robust machine. I assume that either the M3 Max or M3 Pro chip is going to kick the butt of what I have now?

Yes. The M3 Pro or Max will be leagues ahead of the Intel i5, and you can pump it up to 36GB of RAM which is the max for the Pro. If budget allows you can go for the Max too.

Also, not sure what I do if I move to a MacBook Pro and cast to a 2nd monitor...how do I choose the monitor?

You don't cast. Casting is a Google thing. You can just connect the monitor to the MacBook Pro the same way way you do with iMac now with a cable.

I have been using a 27" iMac and a 2nd monitor for a decade now. My 27" iMac is where I am designing and 2nd monitor is for my email, web browser etc. But if I am now working on just a 16" laptop surely I will also need to spend some money on a good 2nd monitor?

You can probably continue to use the monitor you have now with a proper adapter.

Or buy one or two additional ones if you think the 16" display may be a bit cramped.

Also, if you don't need it to be portable, you can go for a Mac Mini or Mac Studio instead of the MacBook Pro and use any monitors you want.

wendythedesigner wrote:

Also, not sure what I do if I move to a MacBook Pro and cast to a 2nd monitor...how do I choose the monitor? I have been using a 27" iMac and a 2nd monitor for a decade now. My 27" iMac is where I am designing and 2nd monitor is for my email, web browser etc. But if I am now working on just a 16" laptop surely I will also need to spend some money on a good 2nd monitor?

HELP if you can!!!

A 27" Apple 5K Studio Display would have the same size and resolution as your 27" 5K Retina 2017 iMac. The main drawback of the Studio Display is the price – it costs nearly as much for that display alone, as what a low-end 27" 5K Retina iMac that included the keyboard, mouse, and computer used to cost!

There are a couple of other 27" 5K (5120x2880) displays out there, from Samsung and LG, but they are also on the expensive side.

There are many choices in 27" – 32" 4K displays. You give up a bit of sharpness with a 4K display of that size, but many people get them, either because they are looking to save money (most of these displays are MUCH cheaper than the Apple 5K one), or because they are looking for very-high-end color accuracy features (e.g., they're in the market for the types of monitors that Eizo makes).

Third-party monitors may or may not include speakers, microphones, and Webcams. I believe that you can use an iPhone as a Webcam for a Mac ("Continuity Camera"), though you can also get USB Webcams and microphones.

At a minimum, you would want to look for

• An IPS panel, for wide (178+ degree) viewing angles with a minimum of color shifts
• 100% or near-100% coverage of sRGB. If you cannot find a specification for this for third-party monitors, you should probably assume the worst. Some photographers like to work in wide gamuts (Adobe RGB or DCI-P3); check the coverage for those, as well, if that is of importance to you.
• Modern inputs – DisplayPort, HDMI, or USB-C. Monitors which connect via USB-C or Thunderbolt can act as mini-docking stations - you can carry video, hook up downstream hub ports, and charge a laptop using just a single cable to the laptop.

wendythedesigner wrote:

Phil0124 wonder if you can provide any feedback to me with a purchase I must make in the next day or two. Going from a 2017 iMac that no longer can update the IOS and thinking of going to a 16" MacBook pro with either M3 Max or M3 pro chip. My 2017 iMac has:

Processor: 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

Memory: 32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

But with my huge files it is just so slow. I am a graphic designer who builds massive Photoshop and Illustrator files for large format trade show booths...so I work at very high resolution. Surely it is not as high as video editing but I need a robust machine. I assume that either the M3 Max or M3 Pro chip is going to kick the butt of what I have now?

If you have 32 GB of RAM now, and you are running into slowness when working with "massive Photoshop and Illustrator files", I would recommend getting at least 32 GB on your new Mac. That would tend to rule out a 24" M3 iMac – even if you custom-ordered it with as much RAM as possible, that would only get you to 24 GB.

For most people, 24 GB of RAM would be enough with room to spare, but from the description of your workload, you're not "most people."

If your Mac currently uses a mechanical hard drive as its macOS startup drive and Photoshop scratch drive, just running off a fast SSD could help to some extent with swapping-related performance issues. But even if you're using a SSD, it's better to have enough real RAM that your swapping usage is "in the green" than to overload the swapping system most of the time and hope that you can live with the results.

Depends on the specific apps you will be using.

The Studiowill be overkill for almost anything except the most demanding applications. Thins like final Cut Pro and full 8K video rendering will benefit. Photoshop probably will not.

Nothing less than 16GB. Preferably 24GB RAM. As much as your budget allows would be the rule of thumb.

Storage is a very personal thing. How much do you plan on saving on it, and do you plan on having an external drive to store things too or not. You'll probably need at least 512GB anyway. But for long term storage external drives are better and cheaper than in creasing the internal storage.

Will you need high resolution displays with the Mac? and more than 1 additional 1? Then go for the Studio. If 2 displays with one being the 4.5K display of the iMac is enough, then the iMac is fine. Otherwise, if you need more than 2 displays and high 8k resolution support go for the Studio.

The Studio is of course $700USD more expensive than the iMac at the base level and can quickly get much much more expensive.

The first thing to consider is the budget you will have for this.

That is a good question. I think it is a personal choice. Either computer should work fine.

I have had two iMacs over the years (05 and 15).

The first one lasted a very long time. I eventually sold it to a friend for $100. I was using it at an event - and it was running rings around the newer PC's others had. So he made the switch.

The second one is is now 9 years old. It is stuck on the Monterey operating system (two behind current). But it still runs well.

For the replacement, I upgraded to a Studio (2024) M2. For this computer you will need to get a monitor or TV.

What software will you be using? How complex are your designs.

Phil0124 wonder if you can provide any feedback to me with a purchase I must make in the next day or two. Going from a 2017 iMac that no longer can update the IOS and thinking of going to a 16" MacBook pro with either M3 Max or M3 pro chip. My 2017 iMac has:

Processor: 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

Memory: 32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

But with my huge files it is just so slow. I am a graphic designer who builds massive Photoshop and Illustrator files for large format trade show booths...so I work at very high resolution. Surely it is not as high as video editing but I need a robust machine. I assume that either the M3 Max or M3 Pro chip is going to kick the butt of what I have now?

Also, not sure what I do if I move to a MacBook Pro and cast to a 2nd monitor...how do I choose the monitor? I have been using a 27" iMac and a 2nd monitor for a decade now. My 27" iMac is where I am designing and 2nd monitor is for my email, web browser etc. But if I am now working on just a 16" laptop surely I will also need to spend some money on a good 2nd monitor?

HELP if you can!!!

An iMac is a desktop machine. The MacBook is a portable computer. Do you need the portability?

If you just need a desktop - look at the Mini and the Studio ! {I went with the Studio}