We currently are running several mid 2011 iMac 3.4 ghz Intel i7 16GB DDR3 AMD Radeon 697 OM @ 1024 mbs. We are starting to experience slow save times, and drops shadows killing us. We are not using these computer for ripping etc, just heavy design work. Using mainly illustrator / indesign / photoshop. Would love to hear any suggestions of what you may be running that works for you, we would prefer to stay mac based but open to hearing all suggestions.
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Computer Upgrade suggestions
- Thread starter Emd2kick
- Start date
Drop shadows in anything other than photoshop take forever to render on any computer in my experience. One of our designers has a brand new imac, top of the line, and still has issues with it, as well as saving large complex files in certain formats. Does it have an SSD and are you working directly on that or on a NAS?
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
How configurable (by yourself or through 3rd party) are iMacs really, my 08 one was OK, but I can't imagine anything more recent being so? With Apple (at least speculation swimming around about bringing in CPUs (and ARM ones at that, going to be some teething pains there if they go through with it) for their desktop range), it's harder and harder to upgrade Apple products and I would speculate it will only get moreso. Even if they don't go with their own arch.
More then likely, it's going to have to be on new machines and I would suggest get as much as y'all can afford to get with regard to a Mac. If the rumor mill is true (they could be using this speculation for a better bargaining position with Intel, dunno) and they do start bringing in their own arch and an ARM based one at that, I would upgrade sooner then later, unless run the risk of software upgrades as well for the new arch.
This is not likely to be possible, but the best thing to do would be to get your hands on a newer computer and see just how much difference it actually makes when it comes to the adobe programs. I design on a Mac Mini with much worse specs than your iMac and I get by quite well. My only real complaint is large photoshop files which I switch over to a faster PC for.
For drop shadows I just toggle them to invisible so it's not redrawing every time I move something, then toggle it back on if I need to see how it looks or to save the file. SSD would help with the saving times.
For drop shadows I just toggle them to invisible so it's not redrawing every time I move something, then toggle it back on if I need to see how it looks or to save the file. SSD would help with the saving times.
SightLine
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Dan has it right on drop shadows in Illustrator (or anything besides Photoshop). I tend to just turn off any blur on them (and write a note in text to notate this in case someone else opens the file or I forget) until I'm saving out as a new file for production or a client proof.
On the computer you have. Its somewhat older but still reasonably fast from a CPU and memory standpoint. The old spinning hard drive is likely your biggest bottleneck. SSD's are pretty much standard fare now (generally keeping a traditional hard drive for bulk slower storage).
On the computer you have. Its somewhat older but still reasonably fast from a CPU and memory standpoint. The old spinning hard drive is likely your biggest bottleneck. SSD's are pretty much standard fare now (generally keeping a traditional hard drive for bulk slower storage).
We're going through this process now. We all work on 27" imacs, all maxed out with ram and SSD. All of our file storage is on a Synology NAS also with SSD's for caching. We do a lot of vehicle wraps so we typically work on files 2-10 gigs. I recently upgraded my computer to an imac pro, 10 core processor, 1tb ssd, 128gb ram, 64gb video card, etc. I noticed a big difference. The computer was almost 10 grand which is just crazy expensive. I am addicted to mac so I have no choice. If I were to be willing to switch to PC, I would probably go with a signburst. I spoke to them and they really know their stuff. Explain the issues you have and they will recommend what is best.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
Your already on a PC. Macs are PCs, contrary to popular marketing.
I can understand the addiction part though, although my addiction is with another Unix-like OS, but I can certainly understand it.
If you go with Windows, you can likely build a hotrod machine with the latest parts that will have functional drivers. If you go with Linux / BSD, you will need to find older parts with functioning drivers for a graphical workstation. For a server, Linux/BSD is king. For workstations, it takes a technically savvy user to get by with a Linux/BSD operating system. Mac is limited to what hardware Apple offers but the systems are typically mid-range in performance compared to the bleeding edge of what is available. I use Windows, Mac and BSD. Most equipment requires older (win7 / WinXP) versions of Windows so dedicated Winboxes run those. RIP runs on Windows so a dedicated Winbox runs our rip. Adobe runs on Mac or Windows so we use it on both but I see no practical advantage of Adobe on either platform (unless you are a geek then Windows on a bleeding edge box has an advantage). BSD for server functions / backup / nas etc.
All that said, if I was forced to use one machine for everything based on our software requirements, it would be Windows 7. Not a personal preference thing, just a reality thing. VM's don't play well with physically attached equipment.
All that said, if I was forced to use one machine for everything based on our software requirements, it would be Windows 7. Not a personal preference thing, just a reality thing. VM's don't play well with physically attached equipment.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
Wow, that's a load of mis information if I ever heard (well technically read) it. This is coming from someone that has run Linux on not only bleeding edge equipment, but using bleeding edge distros (distros that go EOL every 13 months, you have some distros that go 10 yrs, some go as little as 9 months, but not quite as bleeding edge as Fedora in terms of what is included software wise). You don't need outdated equipment, drivers. Quite a few OEMs are actually providing drivers for Linux for new equipment. I know I wouldn't be able to run a 3 monitor setup using the nouveau driver only. The Dell and Lenovo are big OEMs that offer Linux on their newer workstation hardware. The notion that you have to have older hardware to get Linux to work is not accurate in the least. It still does great on older hardware (some of my distros idle at 500mb (64 bit versions), I don't think Windows 64 bit would), but it is not a requirement.
And I am not a CLI savant. But I do run a graphical worksation using Linux every single day. In the 90s, this may have been good info, but this is 2018 and that isn't the issue at least not in my experience.
No issues here either and I actually have physical equipment passed through to not just one VM, but a VM within that 1st one.
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I am sorry but you qualify as a geek and thus have success with Linux. For the OP who is likely not a nerd-class computer expert like some of us, Linux is a bad idea for a graphical workstation. You yourself have commented in then past how you tailor your software selections to what works on Linux, with a VM for the one windows app you have to run. Choosing Linux narrows the field of software choices drastically. Wine and VM may be a solution for diehard Linux fans but is a disaster for the typical user.
I love computers and love all vintages of personal computers. Knowing what to recommend to somebody comes with experience. 30 years of consulting in the industry. Like you, I embrace Linux/BSD and run in on new and old hardware. My users are in Windows or Mac OS. Less headaches for all.
I love computers and love all vintages of personal computers. Knowing what to recommend to somebody comes with experience. 30 years of consulting in the industry. Like you, I embrace Linux/BSD and run in on new and old hardware. My users are in Windows or Mac OS. Less headaches for all.
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WildWestDesigns
Active Member
I'm really far far far from a geek. I know enough to cause damage as my parents used to say (well, they still do with me).
This wouldn't be any different if I went Mac as my OS of choice. The same program only runs on Windows and WINE (which does work on Linux and on Mac (Mac is actually based off BSD if I recall correctly)) doesn't do well with dongle software, so it would be a VM for anything other then Windows if I chose to run only this one particular software.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
I have to agree with AF somewhat. IIwouldnt recommend Linux to someone used to Mac. Linux (from what limited use I gave it) has too many issues to deal with...mainly drivers on hardware. I mostly had access to Dell workstations and the driver support was horrible. Wine didn't work so well with me. When working with Linux I kind of was reminded how the beta versions of Windows Longhorn operated... kind of like working with a drunk operating system that kinda would do some things and once I thought I was getting somewhere it would fall down flat again. It's been a few years since maybe they worked the bugs out or maybe I used bad distros (mint) but it really made me appreciate Windows.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
Dells have an option to ship with Linux if you buy from Dell direct. They have actually been a really good OEM vendor for having Linux already as a pre-install option. I would say that they have worked out the bugs.
Here is a Dell workstation (reminds me an the iMac type of all in one) with Xeon processor and an option for ECC ram. Can either get it with RHEL (10 yr support OS, although have to pay for service contract, probably would want to run CentOS on it) or you can get Ubuntu LTS 16.04 (just released 18.04 last Thursday, what I'm running on my Lenovo workstation).
brycesteiner
New Member
The machines you have are already excellent. Computers are not really much faster than they were and if they are the programs still, especially Adobe for the most part, can't take advantage of multiple cores (Moore's Law died several years ago).
Save yourself a boatload of cash and replace your hard drives with SSD's and add another 16GB RAM. on the 27" 2011s it's super easy. The glass is held on by only magnets then you have 6 screws.
You can have 2 3.5" hard drives plus the CD/DVD that's already in there. At the same time blow out your fans. Transfer everything over using either time machine or migration assistant.
I would probably do a new install first and then transfer to clean up some of the existing crap.
Depending on which version of Adobe you use (CS6 older or CC+) I would then decide the OS. The newer OS's don't run CS6 that well and it's slowed them down quite a bit, making you think your computer is slow.
Save yourself a boatload of cash and replace your hard drives with SSD's and add another 16GB RAM. on the 27" 2011s it's super easy. The glass is held on by only magnets then you have 6 screws.
You can have 2 3.5" hard drives plus the CD/DVD that's already in there. At the same time blow out your fans. Transfer everything over using either time machine or migration assistant.
I would probably do a new install first and then transfer to clean up some of the existing crap.
Depending on which version of Adobe you use (CS6 older or CC+) I would then decide the OS. The newer OS's don't run CS6 that well and it's slowed them down quite a bit, making you think your computer is slow.
SignMeUpGraphics
Super Active Member
How are you finding 18.04 so far? We run several 16.04 VM servers for various purposes, just curious at this stage.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
Bare in mind, my usage is as a desktop, not as a server, so I have a DE and focus on services/processes that aren't actually going to be beneficial to the server environment.
From a desktop use using the KDE setup, even though it just came out, it seems very stable. Been using it all weekend with Krita, coming up with sketches for stock designs and of course configuring the look/feel of it all (KDE's strongest point, is also it's biggest con as well, too many configuration options).
If you are running a desktop OS as a server OS, you'll like the baked in "minimum install" option. That'll take a lot of software out that you may not want that takes up resources using it as a server. The server versions of Linux that I run tend to be headless (when directly plugging into the server itself) and I have a web-based GUI to do most tasks. Although I say web-based, it does not have access to WAN.
For me, it's been very much worth the upgrade, but again, my use has been focused towards desktop use. Contrary to general popular opinion, it is very easy to get going and use.
As an aside, while there are other considerations that I wouldn't advocate Linux for (ease of use or lack thereof isn't one of them), I find it strange that people would say to keep away from Linux if used to a Mac, considering Mac's BSD roots (kernel and user space layers derived from BSD code), they are actually quite close to one another. One of my favorite PDF print drivers that I use is actually an Apple product called Cups-PDF. They aren't as far apart as people think. I mean come on, even the terminal in Mac is bash, which is what Linux uses. It's not like it's the Mac version of Cmd Prompt (or when I was growing up MS-DOS prompt). Pretty much same commands. Now while I mention the terminal, a lot of Linux distros (elementaryOS being the one (and one that looks like very close to Mac out of the box)) don't require the user to use the terminal for day to day work and some (that one included) actually try really hard to make it to where people don't even think about touching the terminal at all. Like Mac, you will need it for advanced configurations though (if I want to get nitty gritty with the baked in Wacom driver support (something that Windows and Mac do not have from the get go), I have to use CLI (which I created bash scripts for to automate the process). But they do have a GUI Wacom front end that you can install as well. Speaking of Wacom (which is something that a lot of us use I'm sure), they have 4 full time devs that work on Linux support.