“New” Mac for Logic Pro: 2012 Mac Pro or 2015 iMac?

[micpoc]

Looking to get a replacement for my completely unstable 2010 MacBook Pro (due to the well-known graphic issues that became really bad AFTER the recall ended), and it is down to two options for me. The 2012 Mac Pro would be a 3.33GHz Intel Xeon 6 core 16GB RAM refurbished by a third-party vendor, while the iMac would be a refurbished 27-inch with 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with 8GB RAM refurbished by Apple. I would definitely want to install Sierra on it for the most recent version of Logic. The dealer for the MP does offer a three-year warranty, while I can get AppleCare with the refurbished iMac.

 

One advantage (?) for me with getting the MP is that I already have a Firewire audio interface. I do not know how reliable Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapters are, so I might have to get a new interface for the iMac. I already have an external monitor that should work with the MP, though I could perhaps replace it later on.  I will MOSTLY be running soft synths and doing MIDI on it, but there will be some audio as well. One project I am presently working on, which is approximately 35 minutes long and currently features over one hundred tracks of soft synths (though no samples), simply WILL NOT PLAY on my MBP; there is too much going on and playback screeches to a halt less than one minute in (most of the time, anyway). I do not expect this to be typical of future projects  , but it establishes a hurdle I want to be able to cross. 

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[triplets]

What is the price for each one?

 

The MP makes sense if you use a lot of legacy hardware and want to use internal HDs.

 

You can compare the geek bench scores at www.everymac.com

 

There you can see that in the multicore tests the MP kills the iMac.

Logic likes multicores.

 

And if you need USB 3 functionality you can add a PCIe card to the MP.

You just won't get Thunderbolt. But in your case it's not urgent.

[micpoc]

Thanks for replying, triplets. The MP will be less than the iMac (including a USB3 card), unless I opt to go for 12 cores over 6, in which case they will be roughly the same. The warranty on the MP will be a little bit more than AppleCare for the iMac, but that is OK with me for the peace of mind it will provide with purchasing an older piece of gear.