Help buying a new iMac
Hello,
As the subject points out I'm looking to buy a new iMac but even after over a month of debating what iMac to buy I'm still puzzled. This machine will be a gaming machine, spec:
iMac 27-inch
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
VS
iMac 27-inch
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
VS
iMac 27-inch
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
256GB Solid State Drive
VS
iMac 27-inch
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB
256GB Solid State Drive
The SSD adds a lot more to the final price and I don't know if it is worth it... Me and my wife play World of Warcraft (aka WoW) so the i7 is a must and the I know for a fact that WoW is RAM hungry as well, hence why I'm thinking 8GB of RAM(I know I can upgrade later ... ). But still the SSD...? I have upgraded my MacBook Pro 5.5 (mid 2009) to a crucial SSD and I am very pleased with it, but will it make the same difference on the iMac? The i7, 8GB RAM, SSD is affordable but ... the price makes me think twice.
I am really stuck, I want to order it but don't quite know what to do...
As you know a SSD is great for startup and opening Apps and files beyond that that there isn't major advantage. Where you benefit from a SSD is by installing the OS, Apps and critical files onto the SSD and use the internal HD only for storage. If you are in the habit of turning off your computer nightly (Apple recommends you leave it on 24/7 in the manual) then the SSD would be nice. Also if you are in the habit of opening files and apps very frequently then again the SSD would be a nice asset. IMHO though SSD's are nice but a luxury and not necessary due to their costs. My opinion mirrors my financial status, however once they are considered more mainstream and less expensive I will probably jump in myself.
So my recommendations would be to get option #2:
iMac 27-inch
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
however DO NOT purchase the RAM from Apple. RAM is user upgradeable and won't affect your warranty. It takes 5 minutes to do. SImply purchase RAM from a reputable source like Crucial or OWC.
Roger
Similar Messages
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I am looking to buy a new iMac....help please.
I am looking to buy a new iMac, and I started a search on Craigslist for fun, and it seems as if some people have some really good deals on the model mb325ll/a. It is the 2.8 ghz version with 2 gigs of ram and a 320gb hard drive.
This is not a model sold in the Apple Retail store, so I am a little hesitant, but the guy said it is the business model. Is this true?
What kind of warranty would it come with if I am an individual user and not a business? Do I miss out on anything? Please give any advice you may have. Thanks.There is no such thing as a "business" Mac, versus one for an individual consumers. You should look at this list, and find your model and complete specifications.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html
Based on the information you provided, it sounds like this one
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac-core-2-duo-2.8-24-inch-alu minum-early-2008-penryn-specs.html
which is last year's (early 2008) model, not the current model (early 2009).
If it is being sold as used, the standard warranty is in effect for one year after its original sale. If it is being sold as new, the standard warranty is for one year. You can check the warranty status using the iMac's serial number.
You can also compare the price to the same iMac model on Apple's +Special Deals+ (refurb) page. It happens to be available currently as a refurb, if this is the same model.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB325LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw
Apple certified refurbished Macs have the same warranty as new. From my experience, they look and operate like new. -
Buying a new iMac - can you use an external SSD drive as boot drive?
Here is the question: Can you attach an external SSD and use that as your boot drive accompanying an iMac? This way all the Apple warranties stay valid but I am not saddled with the expense of the Apple installed SSD price?
Now for some background ...
I am looking to buy a new iMac replacing my loved but woefully underpowered Mac Mini. In a perfect world I would like the following set-up based on how today's iMacs can be configured:
Processor: 3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
Memory: 16GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x4GB
Hard Drive: 1TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5
Optical Drive: 8x double-layer SuperDrive
The problem is I'd rather not spend $3200+. I would imagine most people plug something similar in and then begin to ID must vs. nice to haves. So, here are my must haves:
Memory: Minimum 16GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x4GB (I was thinking of starting with minimum and then purchase the right RAM and installing myself)
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 1GB
Hard Drive: 256GB Solid State Drive
I like to work the graphics side and have a media library of almost 1TB (uploading, downloading, converting, editing, etc.). With my existing setup I have 3+TB of external storage but again, am suffering massively in the horsepower department as it takes hours for me to do what I believe a new iMac can help me accomplish in a fraction of that time. This is not my profession so while I looked at the towers I still need this computer to serve as a family computer as well. Appreciate your thoughts and feedback.
Cheers,
-JimOk this is great as we are progressing through.
So yes it can be done but there's the caveat of the "pipes" once you go external. The only option for an external SSD Drive with thunderbolt that I know of is LaCie's 240 GB version ... Priced at $800.
I think what I will need to do is suck it up. The new MacBooks have the core technology I'd like but we really want the larger screen.
Last question - should I wait/when might we expect an updated line of iMacs? In a few months or not for a while? That answer may provide some direction if it is anticipated to be sooner vs later.
Thank you! -
ok, so i bought a imac 27 about 4 months ago, and now they release a new one! ****... So my question is, should I sell this one (which by the way is the i5 2.8 with 1 gb 5750 and 4gb ram) and buy the new imac 27 i5,or keep the one i have and buy more ram. I mostly use my computer for photoshop cs5 and illustrator cs5 for graphics out put as well as surfing the web and music.
Please give me you thoughts on what I should do!! Thanks lot!The new iMac is about 25% or so faster than your current iMac(comparable model would be the 3.1ghz version). There are a couple of things that you will benefit from such as the dual Thunderbolt/Mini Display ports/ which may help with multitasking. The video card in the new iMac again the comparable model being the 3.1ghz is a lotttttttt better than the current one that you have. So thinking of the long run those few things may be beneficial for you to upgrade(but it depends on what is important to you).
I had the 2.93ghz i7 version that I just bought in March this year and I turned around and sold it about a week before the new iMac's were announced. I got about $1600 for it, yeah I took a loss but to me it was worth it because my new iMac performs that much better. Now keep in mind I went from i7 to i7...3.4ghz i7 with the 2gb video card. Now I have dual thuderbolt/mini display ports. I have noticed significant gains in my video editing and also in my gaming. So to me it was definitely worth the upgrade!
One last thing, I would not have sold my 2.93 i7 and then bought the 3.1ghz i5, the big reason is because HT(hyper threading), it's only on the i7 model(3.4ghz)... If you take a look at some of the bench marks on engadget, maclife, macrumors, macworld, ****Barefeats.com(they really get into benchmarking)*** you will see charts that will help you make a better decision.
In closing I would say look into it, if you can get a good price out of your current iMac to put toward a new iMac then do it. Like others have mentioned to you, tech changes and Apple will change the tech in these machines next year or do a speed bump later this year or so. One last thing if you go from the 2.8 i5 up to the 3.4 i7, you would definitely see the difference (HT is a must especially for programs that utilize it. You can go to my youtube channel(mob1278) and take a look at my geekbench results.... my 2.93 i7 scored around 10500-11000(8gb ram)...my 3.4 i7 scores from 12700-13000 with 4gb ram....so yeah as you can see big difference. Basically the 3.4 i7 would perform similar or just under a 2.4ghz 8core 2010 Mac Pro which runs you about $3500 with no monitor.... it's your money spend it how you want....and Lion is only going to push it even more when it is released! -
I am looking at buying a new iMac but not sure if I need the Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 MX 2GB or put the money into Memory I will not be gaming
New to the iMac and appleWelcome to the Apple Support Communities
If you aren't going to use your Mac for anything special (Final Cut, Aperture, Photoshop, games...), you don't need that graphic card and you will save money.
Also, as it looks like you are going to buy the 27-inch iMac, I recommend you to buy the Mac with 8 GB of memory, and then, buy the memory that your iMac needs in OWC or Crucial (the iMac supports 32 GB of RAM) > http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/iMac/2012_27/DDR3L
Doing this, you will save a lot of money. Also, it won't void the warranty of the Mac. If you need help installing the RAM, see > http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5540 -
I have copied all of my CD's, probably over 100, on to my iMac, through iTunes and now am considering buying a new iMac. Would like to be able to transfer what's in my music library w/o having to recopy all of the CD's. Any thoughts? Can I do it throught the iCloud or do I need to buy and external storage device?
Thanks BrendaWhen you buy your new iMac you will be able to have the installation process transfer all your applications, data (including music, pictures, documents, etc) and settings to your new computer. In the past that was done via Firewire. I'm not entirely sure of the process with the new iMacs that don't have firewire. I think it can be done via ethernet and probably via tha thunderbolt cord using a firewire adapter but you'll want to check that out.
With the your new computer properly connected to your old computer, the initial booting of the new computer will include the ability to move everything over.
If for some reason you don't want to do that (smart if you have some horrible software issue that is causing problems) you can connect your old computer to the new one and start it in Target Disk mode where it will be seen as a hard drive. You can then manually copy over all your music and import that into iTunes (and any other data you want).
Somebody here will surely point you to directions for connecting an older iMac with no Thunderbolt to a newer iMac with no Firewire. -
I bought my first iMac 27" i5 in November 2011 last year.
Do you think there would be a update that will Features a Retina Display, Siri etc ??
So my iMac will be the same as the new one that will be released this year,
Or will I have to buy a new iMac to get all these new updates ??
It would be a shame if I did because my iMac is only 6months old if that ..
Kind regards Simon Trott Apple user and proud of itWe're not allowed to speculate on future or rumoured Apple products, but we all know there'll always be newer tech coming along.
The iMac you have is an excellent machine, be happy with it and get a good few years use out of it. By the time your machine is slowing down, whatever comes next will have been updated numerous times.
I had the 2011 i5 27" delivered about 3 weeks ago. It's a cracking machine -
I have an iMac running OS 10.6.8. I bought the iMac in 2009. Short of buying a new iMac, is there any other way to upgrade to Lion? Thanks.
I don't believe anything prevents you from upgrading to Lion or Mountain Lion. See:
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service - this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
Lion System Requirements
1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
or Xeon processor
2. 2GB of memory
3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
4. 7GB of available space
5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
OS X Mountain Lion - System Requirements
Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
Are my applications compatible?
See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.
For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion. -
i buy the new imac,late 2012 with a hard-drive 3TB and i want to change with another hard-drive 1TB....where i can buy?
It's also much more difficult to install third-party hard drives in current or recent Macs than it was. See:
http://blog.macsales.com/10146-apple-further-restricts-upgrade-options-on-new-im acs
The 2012 iMacs are also in essence glued together and very difficult to disassemble and reassemble. The bottom line is: don't try it.
Why, if I may ask, would you want to remove the 3TB drive and replace it with a 1TB drive? What is it you hope to achieve even if it were possible?
Regards. -
I'm looking to buy a new iMac 27 in is it worth upgrading the ram to 8 gig from 4 gig thank you
im looking to buy a new imac 27 in is it worth upgrading the ram to 8 gig from 4 gig thank you
Yes, but it's much cheaper to buy RAM from a reliable supplier like Crucial or OWC.
Crucial Memory Upgrades for Macs - Apple Memory
Upgrade Apple iMac Memory & more – Easy Guide, Free Installation Videos. -
"Error code 0xc000035a Attempting to load a 64-bit application, however this cpu is not compatible with 64-bit mode"
when I load Windows 7 [64bit] on an older iMac(with Parallels 6)? Any solutions that don't mean buying a new iMac?You should probably post your question on the Parallels forums: http://forums.parallels.com
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Hi to all and thanks for looking,
As the subject suggests I'm on the edge of buying a new iMac 27" i7 with 8GB of RAM but what puts me off at the moment is the Graphics Card. I mean ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics with 512MB is the best Apple can do on such a beast? Any news on a new Graphs Card or maybe a option where you can choose a better Graphs Card? I intend to use this machine for gaming, DX11 would also be nice....
Many thanks in advance!Better to post this on the iMac Intel forum
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=132
My two cents. I'd wait for some revisions. I've heard from a tech that they are still suffering from various problems, the flickering screen among them. -
I am about to buy the new iMac, but do I have to buy all the software I have in my old one, like Aperture, pages, etc.?
No, you don't. If you got it from the Mac App Store, log into it with the same Apple ID and redownload it for free. If you got it from CDs or DVDs, reinstall it from those; having the DVD version of a program does not get you a free download of it from the Mac App Store.
(72200) -
Is it safe to buy a new iMac this fall?
I have an iMac G5 (PowerPC) and it still works great. But some apps are starting to be created that don't work on PowerPC processors. I'm thinking of buying a new iMac this fall, but I'm afraid that Apple will put out a new iMac with a new Processor architecture very soon after, which would render my newly purchased iMac obsolete in a few short years.
Does anyone know when the next new Processor architecture is due? If it's soon, I'd like to wait until it's introduced before I buy a new Mac. Thanks!!!Yes, that's an excellent point. The only reason I'm thinking of it now is because I recently bought an e-reader, whose desktop app doesn't work with PowerPC Macs. I plan on using my e-reader much more in the coming months so I'm not sure what to do. I may just bite the bullet and get a new iMac when Mountain Lion is released.
Thanks for your rational thinking on this.
HalifaxMac -
Hi, I am going to buy a new iMac desktop. I am going for the 3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel i7, 16 GB RAM and 2TB ATA Drive. I want to know whether I should go for the dual drives option i.e including the 256 GB SSD. I do a lot of 'heavy' media work.
by looking at the specs the laptop is better but if your not a gamer or graphics designer then you most likly wont notice a difference in the performance at all so with that said a few downsides
the processor is i5 the i7 processor is the better processor the graphics card has half the dedicated memory that the laptop has and the hdd compared to the solid state is not much of a difference unless you wanna move your computer all the time you wont need a solid state drive
but like i said before if your not a gamer or graphics designer on your computer you will not notice the difference most likely
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