Is thunderbolt GPU's viable yet?

[shirokado]

Been considering buying a 5k iMac and then adding a external GPU for a while now. Is it viable as of today? Last time i checked, there were lots of issues.

[Florb]

With Thunderbolt 3 Coming out...Yes. With the iMac with Thunderbolt 2...No.

[ShadowCaptain]

Been considering buying a 5k iMac and then adding a external GPU for a while now. Is it viable as of today? Last time i checked, there were lots of issues.

 

Viable, but the problem is you will be paying $300-$500 just for the enclosure and that's a ghetto solution, a  full box for a GPU could be up to $1000! then add the GPU price on top + the already pricey 5k imac

 

Not a very economical situation at all 

 

 

For normal use, video and photo editing 5k imac, light/casual gaming = 5k imac is a good buy

 

For AAA gaming, its hard to justify the costs

[alexhelvetica]

Do they even exist yet?

[Florb]

Do they even exist yet?

Someone has been living under a rock C:

[shirokado]

Viable, but the problem is you will be paying $300-$500 just for the enclosure and that's a ghetto solution, a  full box for a GPU could be up to $1000! then add the GPU price on top + the already pricey 5k imac

 

Not a very economical situation at all 

 

 

For normal use, video and photo editing 5k imac, light/casual gaming = 5k imac is a good buy

 

For AAA gaming, its hard to justify the costs

Well for me, costs are a non issue. I make quite a bit of money, so I've got about 20k saved up for a setup. I just think the iMac looked pretty, so I was considering buying a iMac for my desk, and have a thunderbolt cable go into a different room where the external GPU would be. Of course, if the gpu solution isn't elegant enough, I won't do it. My other option is what linus is planning to do for his and his wife's system, system somewhere else with a single thunderbolt cable to the desk, though I haven't figured out how to get peripherals working yet.

[ShadowCaptain]

Well for me, costs are a non issue. I make quite a bit of money, so I've got about 20k saved up for a setup. I just think the iMac looked pretty, so I was considering buying a iMac for my desk, and have a thunderbolt cable go into a different room where the external GPU would be. Of course, if the gpu solution isn't elegant enough, I won't do it. My other option is what linus is planning to do for his and his wife's system, system somewhere else with a single thunderbolt cable to the desk, though I haven't figured out how to get peripherals working yet.

 

Meh if you have the money just build something better, you will be held back by imac as far as performance goes

 

Its not very elegant,and I am not sure if you can get thunderbolt cables in any serious length without impacting performance or using active boosters (ie moving it to another room far away) but maybe if its just a short distance it would be okay

 

if you have 20k then I would just get a custom PC and get a 5k monitor, you could hide the PC in another room and just have a nice mechanical keyboard + mouse + nice display (maybe 4/5k display, or anything something like ultrawide or triple monitors)

 

HOWEVER

 

You have not said what the PC is for? if gaming is your priority avoid the iMac IMO

 

If you are after an editing PC, well unless you NEED OSX, you will get better performance in Adobe CC on a faster PC, lots of editors are switching to PC

 

Aside from aesthetics the iMac 5k is pretty meh, its not even that powerful!!! it just looks nice and has a nice display (though the display is not the best on the market IMO)

 

 

For peripherals, many monitors have build in USB hubs, or you could use wireless ones, there are very good wireless mice and keyboards (even mechanical ones) 

[shirokado]

Meh if you have the money just build something better, you will be held back by imac as far as performance goes

 

Its not very elegant,and I am not sure if you can get thunderbolt cables in any serious length without impacting performance or using active boosters (ie moving it to another room far away) but maybe if its just a short distance it would be okay

 

if you have 20k then I would just get a custom PC and get a 5k monitor, you could hide the PC in another room and just have a nice mechanical keyboard + mouse + nice display (maybe 4/5k display, or anything something like ultrawide or triple monitors)

 

HOWEVER

 

You have not said what the PC is for? if gaming is your priority avoid the iMac IMO

 

If you are after an editing PC, well unless you NEED OSX, you will get better performance in Adobe CC on a faster PC, lots of editors are switching to PC

 

Aside from aesthetics the iMac 5k is pretty meh, its not even that powerful!!! it just looks nice and has a nice display (though the display is not the best on the market IMO)

I game time to time, but I don't game much. I do graphic designing as my job, so that's what I use my system for. iMac will probably be fine for most situations, I just wanted a cleaner desk, as my current setup has 20 million cables sticking out the back for all these peripherals I use.

[Badger906]

I game time to time, but I don't game much. I do graphic designing as my job, so that's what I use my system for. iMac will probably be fine for most situations, I just wanted a cleaner desk, as my current setup has 20 million cables sticking out the back for all these peripherals I use.

the gpu in the 5k imac would be fine for gaming if you're willing to play at either lowered settings or at non native resolution.

personally though with 20k to play with I'd buy a decent 4 or 5k monitor, a mac pro for work and then build a mini itx gaming pc for fun!

both would plug into the same monitor, but that way you wouldn't be limited any which way.

[ShadowCaptain]

I game time to time, but I don't game much. I do graphic designing as my job, so that's what I use my system for. iMac will probably be fine for most situations, I just wanted a cleaner desk, as my current setup has 20 million cables sticking out the back for all these peripherals I use.

 

Then I would go for a Mac Pro and a couple of thunderbolt displays