2.8 Ghz or 3.06 Ghz?

[grafixman]

I am looking into buying myself a 24in iMac sometime soon and was just wondering if the 3.06 is a worthy price increase or am i just as well off saving a little money and getting the 2.8.

 

[zedsdead]

There are several rumors suggesting the iMac is getting updated this month, so I would wait as you might get the 3.06 anyway.

As for the choice, if you can afford it, go for it as the processor is not easily upgradable like Ram.

 

[ditzy]

I would say that incresing the ram, as long as you don't use apple ram, is better value for money. However if you have the money to do both, do both. The Graphics card in the 3.06 version is better if you play games.
Since there is not going to be n updated until after new year, it is up to you whether you update now or not.

 

[mattyb240]

There are several rumors suggesting the iMac is getting updated this month, so I would wait as you might get the 3.06 anyway.

As for the choice, if you can afford it, go for it as the processor is not easily upgradable like Ram.

The front page says other wise, people I know who work at the apple store don't know when it is coming. Buy if you need it! What do you use our computer for? Will you benefit from the extra power? Such as rendering etc?

 

[thezerox]

Buy 2.8 + 4Gb RAM.

 

[cmvsm]

I was debating the same thing. Getting ready for an upgrade. I think that the 3.06 will hold its resale value over the 2.8. Regardless of the minor speed increase, just the fact of having a machine that is registered over the 3 GHz mark will add a few bucks in the mind of a prospective buyer down the road.

 

[Daleswede]

I received my 3.06 iMac on Wednesday this week, and have been very pleased with it. A few points of feedback you may find useful:

• Overall, I haven't noticed a significant amount of speed increase in most of my work over my MacBook Pro 2.4 (mainly Handbrake and VisualHub).
• The Graphics update in the 3.06 has impressed me a lot compared with a friends 2.8. I don't plan to play games on this a lot, but if you're remotely interested, I would recommend the upgrade.
• I was advised by many on this board to upgrade to 4GB of memory which I have ordered, and was less than half the price of Apple.
• I purchased a 'refurb' from the online store, and am nothing less than impressed with the experience. Immaculate condition, and packaged as only Apple can do.

I got my 3.06 for the same price as a new 2.8, and with the upgraded CPU, HD and GFX, think it was the right option for me, although I'm yet to realise any real benefit from the CPU upgrade (at least not that I've seen yet).

 

[thezerox]

Daleswede: very good purchase. Which brand of memory did you buy?

 

[2Sticky]

Daleswede: How long did it take to arrive from order? As I'm thinking of getting a refurb.

 

[Daleswede]

I order the Crucial memory direct from their site as recommended by so many on this site.

The iMac was ordered early on Sunday morning, and it arrived on Wednesday around lunchtime. The online order tracking is pretty good, and tells you as it passes through the stages. Also, in the UK they ship with UPS, which allows you to see exactly where it is once you get the tracking number, which is pretty cool.

I was sat at work Wednesday morning and could see it was on the van for delivery, so told the wife NOT to leave the house under any condition

I am very impressed with the Refurb purchase, and speaking with Apple support today (network issue - didn't know my Wireless Router should use channel 11 for Apple) the support guy instantly new my name, address, and equipment I have from the phone number i dialed in on. I was very impressed, and have continued to be impressed by Apple since switching from Windows.

Oh, as for the Graphics improvement.... I installed COD4 today, and will NOT be playing it anymore. The Mac is not the best platform for gaming Xbox360 still has a place in my heart
I'm sure the better graphics will be handy for Video processing stuff of course.