Help Selecting an iMac for After Effects

[dlmb]

I need to upgrade my iMac (currently a 27-inch, 2011 model). My primary goal is to create and edit large files in After Effects (RAM preview is especially important). I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this and would appreciate your experience/knowledge. My husband would like to build me a Hackintosh (sounds like a total maintenance nightmare to me), but I'm really attached to the iMac and if possible, would really like to get the new 2017 iMac.

I need help creating the optimal set-up. Here's what I'm thinking (2017 iMac):

• 4.2GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
• 64GB 2400MHz DDR4 (upgraded after-market to save money)
• 1TB SSD (this is enough, right?)
• Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB video memory (this will allow me to change the GPU settings in AE, right - right now it's grayed out)?

I understand that having an external SSD drive will help - that way the iMac can read to one SSD and write to another.

There are also various youtube videos about changing the settings to optimize performance.

Is this set-up going to be sufficient? Am I better off with a Hackintosh? I love apple products but I don't want to end up with the same crippling problems my current 2011 iMac has (but then I don't have any external drives and my current graphics card does not support GPU).

Thanks for your help!

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Yes it will work beautifully and do not follow anything on You Tube. Optimised performance on the 27" model, and I suggest you get that size iMac, increase the memory by purchasing 2 x 8GB modules from Crucial or OWC after you get it. Apple charge just too much.

24GB will do the job admirably.

Your 2011 iMac has been surpassed by technology improvements. Faster memory, graphics and CPUs, USB3, Thunderbolt 3, faster SSDs, many times faster than the old platter drives.

Your 2011 iMac has a GeekBench test score of 8661 for the mid 3.1GHz model compared to `18,934 for the model you specified. Going on for a 250% boost!!!!!

Not forgetting an 8 GT/s system bus speed compared to the 2011's 2.5 GT/s.