2012 iMac - Should I hold out for ARM?

[SystemSettings]

I'm currently using a 2012 iMac 27" with 32 GB of Ram, GTX 680MX 2GB of VRAM and the 3.4GHZ i7. It runs and does everything I need to just fine, however it won't be supported with Big Sur. How long can I expect this device to be usable for office work, school work and light gaming? Should I hold out for Apple ARM and just go unsupported for awhile or buy a newer iMac used?

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Catalina will still get security updates for 2 years after BS is released. That should get you by until the AS-powered Macs are released. Alternatively, you can see if DOSDude1 has released a firmware hack to let your iMac update to BS anyway. There’s a thread in the BS forum here about this.

 

[SystemSettings]

Catalina will still get security updates for 2 years after BS is released. That should get you by until the AS-powered Macs are released. Alternatively, you can see if DOSDude1 has released a firmware hack to let your iMac update to BS anyway. There’s a thread in the BS forum here about this.

Ok thats good I still have another two years! Maybe I'll look into getting a patched Big Sur install on here.

 

[pldelisle]

If yours work and accomplish what you ask for, keep it until AS iMac.

 

[CWallace]

I agree that if your current model works, waiting to see what Apple Silicon brings is probably worth it. There will still be the 2020 Intel model available if the Apple Silicon one ends up not being appropriate.

 

[SystemSettings]

I agree that if your current model works, waiting to see what Apple Silicon brings is probably worth it. There will still be the 2020 Intel model available if the Apple Silicon one ends up not being appropriate.

I think thats gonna be the plan. I'm really impressed that this iMac has outlived my PC I built in 2011.

 

[gtg465x]

Heck no. I think Apple Silicon will be a huge benefit for MacBooks because it should use a lot less power and should be great for battery life. But I'm not expecting Apple Silicon to beat Intel in performance right out of the gate, especially Intel's desktop CPUs in the iMac. At best, I think Apple Silicon will come close to Intel performance while offering much better battery life for the first couple years, and maybe 3-5 years from now Apple Silicon will take the performance crown as well. But for an iMac, which is plugged into a wall anyways, power efficiency isn't of much benefit, and you will likely be losing the ability to run Bootcamp Windows, plus most macOS apps will probably take a decent performance hit until they're updated to be fully optimized for Apple Silicon. For an iMac, I would buy now and wait 5 years for things to shake out with Apple Silicon. For a MacBook, maybe I would wait for Apple Silicon.

 

[||\||]

Apple is undoubtedly going to screw things up in the beginning with this new architecture. It'll be smart to buy now if you must or hold out for a new machine a few iierations in.

 

[mlykke]

I'm on a 2013 model and I decided to get a nice specced 2020 to tie me over for the next 2-4 years. I'm waiting to see what AS will bring to the table and what kind of compromises it might bring as well, and then hoping Apple solves most of these. Until then, I will have a powerhouse of a new Mac.

 

[rambo47]

I expect growing pains with all the first-gen ARM Macs. There will probably be a lot of software that's incompatible for a bit. Also, performance is a huge question mark. I keep thinking of Windows Lite they put on the early Surface tablets.