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Socobloke
Participating Frequently
November 22, 2017
Answered

iMac spec question

  • November 22, 2017
  • 3 replies
  • 2198 views

Apple iMac 27" (Late 2009)

i5 Quad Core 2.66Ghz

20Gb Ram

1TB HDD

Looking to see if a Mac with the above specs would run Lightroom Classic as I’ve heard there can be issues with older models. I have a MacBook Pro 2012 which runs fine but looking at a secondhand iMac also.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer dj_paige

    What is the issue with it being a 4K monitor?


    There are more pixels on the screen, so the CPU takes longer to generate all those pixels so you can see your image. If you have a 2009 iMac, then the CPUs are going to be quite slow by today's standards. And so, image rendering will be quite slow, and I'm guessing close to unusable. (Also, Mr Socobloke, although I've mentioned the number of pixels in the images taken by your camera, you haven't provided that information ... another important piece of the puzzle, if you have a recent camera that takes relatively large images, and a 4K monitor, and old slow CPU, I'm guessing the performance of Lightroom will be terrible)

    3 replies

    J
    Community Expert
    Jao vdLCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 22, 2017

    This computer can be upgraded to 32 GB as it will take 8GB memory cards. When Apple released it 8GB DIMMS didn't exist yet but according to Other World Computing (macsales.com) it will take them. That said, I can't imagine a 2009 machine working well in Lightroom. It barely supports the latest MacOS X version.

    John Waller
    Community Expert
    John WallerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 22, 2017

    20Gb Ram

    I assume that's a typo and should read 2GB. Seems low for that model which seems to have normally shipped with 4GB.

    The system requirements for Lightroom Classic CC state minimum 4GB (8GB recommended)

    Lightroom Classic CC system requirements​

    I suspect Lightroom will still install on that iMac but I would expect it to be extremely sluggish given the low RAM available and the fact that it's an 8 year old machine.

      S
      SocoblokeAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      November 22, 2017

      According to a screen shot in the ad it has 20gb, 4 slots with 2x 8gb and 2x 2gb

      John Waller
      Community Expert
      John WallerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 22, 2017

      If true then that's good but I'd confirm that for certain.

      Maximum available RAM seems to be 4 slots x 4GB each = 16GB.

      Install memory in an iMac - Apple Support

      Has the seller given you a screenshot from Apple logo > About This Mac > System Report > Hardware > Memory?

        dj_paige
        dj_paige
        Legend
        November 22, 2017

        The problem is likely going to be what operating system is installed, Lightroom Classic CC needs OSX 10.11 or later.

        Also, you don't say what size in pixels (not inches) your monitor is. 4K monitors will be a problem on older computers.

        S
        SocoblokeAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        November 22, 2017

        Thanks for getting back to me. According to the seller it has El Capitan so would be ok, I’d upgrade to the latest OS anyway. I’ve no idea what the monitor resolution would be but what would be the issues if it was 4K?

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