[04/05/2022 > updated with reference to PC comparison]
As Apple has discontinued the 27-inch iMac, the base cost of a capable BIM workstation has increased significantly.
Surprisingly, Apple’s new hardware compares rather favourably to comparable PC hardware.
| OPTION | DESCRIPTION | PRICE [AUD] | ALTERNATIVE PRICE [AUD] | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display • 3.8GHz 8-core 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz • 8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory • 512GB of SSD storage • Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB of GDDR6 memory • Gigabit Ethernet • Standard glass • Magic Mouse 2 • Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad — US English • Accessory Kit | 3458.40 | Discontinued | |
| 3rd party RAM (2 x 16GB) | 170.00 | |||
| Subtotal | 3628.40 | |||
| B | MacBook Pro 14" • Apple M1 Pro with 8-core CPU • 14-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine • 32GB unified memory • 512GB SSD storage • 67W USB-C Power Adapter 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot and MagSafe 3 port Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID — US English Accessory Kit | 3599.00 | Flexibility | |
| Monitor LG UL550-W 27" 4K w. Tilt & height adjust | 470.00 | |||
| Monitor LG 27MD5KL-B 5K w. Tilt & height adjust | 1880.00 | |||
| A-logic Display port cable | 40.00 | |||
| OWC Thunderbolt Dock | 279.00 | |||
| Laptop stand | 75.00 | |||
| Magic keyboard w. Numeric keypad | 179.00 | |||
| Logitech MX Master 3 / Magic Mouse | 130.00 | |||
| Subtotal | 4772.00 | 5863.00 | ||
| C | Mac Studio • Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU • 24-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine • 32GB unified memory • 512GB SSD storage Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5-mm headphone jack | 3099.00 | Desktop | |
| Monitor LG UL550-W 27" 4K w. Tilt & height adjust | 470.00 | |||
| Monitor LG 27MD5KL-B 5K w. Tilt & height adjust Built-in Camera Full HD (1080p) No 12MP No centre stage Built-in mic | 1880.00 | |||
| A-logic Display port cable | 40.00 | |||
| Logitech StreamCam Full HD (1080p) No 12MP No centre stage Built-in mic Monitor/Tripod mount | 170.00 | |||
| Magic keyboard w. Numeric keypad | 179.00 | |||
| Logitech MX Master 3 / Magic Mouse | 130.00 | |||
| Subtotal | 4088.00 | 5288.00 | ||
| D | Mac Studio • Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU • 24-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine • 32GB unified memory • 512GB SSD storage Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5-mm headphone jack | 3099.00 | Desktop | |
| Monitor Apple Studio Display w. Tilt & height adjust | 3099.00 | |||
| Magic keyboard w. Numeric keypad | 179.00 | |||
| Logitech MX Master 3 / Magic Mouse | 130.00 | |||
| Subtotal | 6507.00 | |||