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2TB Fusion Drive or 512GB SSD?
- Thread starter tomdwan
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Hi, I chose 2TB Fusion Drive over 256 SSD. However, if you willing to pay extra money to upgrade to 512, you can purchase other USB 3 or even thunderbolt 2 drive as external drives.
I can never understand why people buy an AIO computer such as the iMac (which BTW the internals are mostly Laptop components, though not all) then start connecting peripherals such as storage.
That for me appears to defeat the point of the AIO. I have a 512gig SSD and a HDD (internal fitment) in my iMac, which is a very neat solution. I would argue if you are going to start using external storage then one might as well go down the route of a Mini, the Pro, or even move to a Windows PC and use the rather excellent Windows 10.
I think the argument that "I need OS X as I want to be more productive, or that it is better" no longer applies if people are being honest.
That for me appears to defeat the point of the AIO. I have a 512gig SSD and a HDD (internal fitment) in my iMac, which is a very neat solution. I would argue if you are going to start using external storage then one might as well go down the route of a Mini, the Pro, or even move to a Windows PC and use the rather excellent Windows 10.
I think the argument that "I need OS X as I want to be more productive, or that it is better" no longer applies if people are being honest.
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I for one, was tired of dealing with external drives (the only external drive I have connected is for the TM backups), and I'm happy ti configure my iMac to my needs, i.e., I didn't purposely get smaller storage in the name of speed.
Get both! If you can afford the 512GB SSD then just get that. A 2TB USB HDD doesn't cost much these days so just add that for your bulk storage. And don't bog yourself down too much on the details of 'which one will be fastest' - they are all HDD's that work at pretty much the same speed give or take a little (so little that only benchmarks will notice). Then spend the rest of your time using the kit rather than debating it.
I agree with you to a point, but there really is a big difference in performance options between a mini and an iMac and the Pro is priced out of the budget of many. For those for whom it matters, there is also a pretty big difference aesthetic-wise between a PC tower and an iMac with an external hard drive. And, of course, some people just prefer OSX and/or want the integration with the Apple ecosystem -- even though Windows 10 is also a very good OS in my opinion.
At a minimum, iMac users should have a backup drive. Really, what is the big deal of adding one more? It need not be very obtrusive.
I am one of the people that will do exactly that. If you look at the prices and performance, there is no real alternative. A Mac Mini is not nearly as powerful. Plus, in order to get a 5k 27" screen you have to pay $2000 and Apple doesn't even offer one. A Mac Pro is another alternative, but that one just becomes crazy expensive before you have the screen and all. So if you need some power and want a large and high resolution Mac, there really is no alternative. Besides, an AIO is still a very stylish solution even with external storage. You can always stick the drive to the underside of the table and then just run a USB cable to the Mac. No one will ever see it that way.
I currently own an older 27" iMac with a 'homemade' Fusion Drive. And having used MacBook's with SSD's only for the past 5 years there is a clear difference between the Fusion Drive and SSD. So I will rather compromise with disk space compared to having a spinning drive internally. Besides, when SSD's drop even more in price I will just have an internal + external SSD. No spinning drives anymore
Minis are not a good deal. The worst product Apple makes right now. No quad-core processors. $1k for a dual-core and no monitor? Maybe in 2006. I would never entertain the idea.
Obviously too expensive for mot people who are looking for a new computer in the $1k-$2k range.
Too large of a footprint for my uses. Most people probably shop the iMac for this reason, no? The iMac is the highest-quality All-In-One on the market. If you need a small footprint, want to keep the system for five to ten years, and have the disposable income to spend on a luxury item like an Apple product, it's really a no-brainier.
This is true. I am no OS loyalist. There is really nothing that can be on an Apple machine that can't be done using Windows. But again, sometimes Apple just gets it right in configuration and we don't want to spend more months shopping, crossing our fingers that the system will last.
I am one of the people that will do exactly that. If you look at the prices and performance, there is no real alternative. A Mac Mini is not nearly as powerful. Plus, in order to get a 5k 27" screen you have to pay $2000 and Apple doesn't even offer one. A Mac Pro is another alternative, but that one just becomes crazy expensive before you have the screen and all. So if you need some power and want a large and high resolution Mac, there really is no alternative. Besides, an AIO is still a very stylish solution even with external storage. You can always stick the drive to the underside of the table and then just run a USB cable to the Mac. No one will ever see it that way.
The Dell UP2715K 27 inch Ultra HD monitor is now around 1700 USD in the UK and getting cheaper all the time. This is an excellent monitor which anyone would be happy to own. Desktop PC with the new generation of smaller towers do offer an excellent viable alternative.
Placed under the desk they can neither be heard and barely seen. The plus side is they are very easy to upgrade. If done properly this can be a very stylish alternative and should easily last as long as a Mac. Certainly my experience is I've never owned a Desktop that has lasted less than 9 years.
You could get a 4K monitor even cheaper and from what I have read the experts reckon only someone with exceptional vision could tell the two apart.
It all comes down to whether or not you are a brand slave - I am not. I buy what suits me at the time and what works financially. I used to own Apple phone and Tablet but now have Android - reason? they do the same job equally well but I was able to get both at a much better price.
Here in Japan the entry level 27" starts at $1630 with student discount (¥196.800). The top tier costs $1950 (¥234.800). If we compare apples to apples (sorry) then you can't get anything other than the screen for that price. Yes there are alternatives (4k etc.) and other stylish alternatives. But nothing I have seen suits my wants and needs in the same way as the iMac.
I do not agree that it comes down to being a brand slave or not. The day someone else makes a better alternative (for me) I will personally be more than happy to jump ship. But so far Apple simply offers the best solution (again - for me) so that is what I will stick to for now. If Microsoft made an AIO I might go with that, if their Surface line is any indication. But they don't. And I am sure a lot of other people thinks the same way.
I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your Android phone. But different strokes for different folks.
Are there any other 27" 5k screens out there? And if there were, would they cost under $2k? And would they include the full fledged computer too?
I didn't think so. That said, I'd go with the SSD over a fusion drive as 1tb of data is pretty cheap these days.
And trust me, I'm not a huge fan here, but once I bought a mac 10 years ago I can't go back. PCs are for the office, Macs are for home.
I didn't think so. That said, I'd go with the SSD over a fusion drive as 1tb of data is pretty cheap these days.
And trust me, I'm not a huge fan here, but once I bought a mac 10 years ago I can't go back. PCs are for the office, Macs are for home.
The Dell monitor is around $1700 (£1200 here in the UK). You might be able to get a 'fully fledged' computer for your $2k, but in reality you'd upgrade this computer as the base model isn't so good - 5400rmp HDD anyone? Thought not. A lot of people would go for the i7, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD ($2449) , or 2TB Fusion Drive ($2249). $549 difference, which I'd rather put towards a Mac Pro or a PC rather than an iMac. So simply put you don't get a full computer for the price of a monitor.
The only other 5K monitors on the market are the Dell one you mentioned and HP have just released one. Can't remember the model number but there is a review on Anandtech.
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My bad, I was looking at the 21.5" model. The 27" has a better spec for $2299, but I'd still upgrade this (16GB RAM, i7, SSD, 4GB GPU, magic trackpad) and it would be $3249. So it would still be £299+ over the price of the monitor for the base spec, probably $1000+ if you upgrade it to something you'd actually want.
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The point I was trying to make and which people have already lost site of (due to pre-conceived ideas) is that there are some good alternatives to an iMac with much easier upgrade paths that do not entail have peripherals as an option.
I wasn't saying everyone should ditch their iMac, far from it. I'm lucky in that upgrading my mid-2011 iMac was somewhat easier than the present generation. Speaking personally if upgrading doesn't get any easier then when I come to change my present iMac I may well go for one of the alternatives.
The attraction of a PC for me and millions of others is that it's always been easy to put do what you want with them. The downside to Apple is that they don't want the customer to do anything other than what Apple want. Most things in life are a compromise and the customer has to make their own choices based on personal preferences.
For me, I priced out a 5k setup from Dell vs. Apple and Apple was a lot cheaper. The 27" 5k dell monitor was over 2k, plus another 1k for the XPS 8900. The 8900 is a far superior computer, I grant you that, because of the components but I'm also spending a lot of money on a 27" 5k monitor. Could I opt for a 4k 27" monitor and get under the price of the 5k iMac, absolutely but we're talking about apples and oranges at that point.
I also opted for the iMac because it provides the most choices for me. I can easily run OS X and windows, where as the Dell is only windows 10.
I'm not being a slave to a brand, but I took a lot of time analyzing my needs, budget and solutions and the iMac came out on top.
£2099 GBP top of the range XPS 8900 model plus the Dell 5K monitor - if we are comparing Apples with Apples then the Apple is looking decidedly not that attractive. You can also run two OS on that computer too, add to which you can constantly upgrade the Dell and give it new life year after year - not so the iMac.
However, I run OS X and Windows 10 on my iMac and I think this is now very much a red herring as I can't hand on heart claim that one really outshines the other - not any more.
Well, all I can say is for my needs, the iMac was a better choice, clearly its not for you. I'd rather spend 2k and get a nice computer that meets my needs, and I can easily run windows and OS X. The dell with a 27" 5k display was 3,000 and could not easily run OS X.
I'm content with my purchase and I'm very happy and that's all that matter to me.
Clearly the iMac is not something you care for but to paint any purchase of this as being a slave to a brand does a disservice because that's simply not true.
I don't really think you have read my posts properly or analysed what it is I am saying.
1. I have been running my iMac since 2011 and a couple of Mini's before that, so for you to say an iMac was not a good choice for me is ridiculous.
2. I have pointed out that in the UK the Dell rig you mention is nothing like the prices you are quoting. Your post is trying to make the iMac great value the Dell poor value. That is clearly not the case - in fact currently the Dell is probably the better value of the two.
3. What I care about is the right tool for the job at the right price and the ability for the consumer to carry out his or her own repairs/upgrades. When I purchased my iMac that was still possible (albeit with some difficulty). With each new release Apple are trying to make consumer upgrades nigh impossible. Whereas that may be okay for some, I don't want a sealed box.
4. I don't really care what label is on the machine, could be Apple or ACME or Dell, just so long as it's reliable, upgradable and will last the distance.
Not large enough storage options for some (3tb) and/or internal SSD options are overpriced for many (700 dollars + 2tb fusion drive). When you say "connecting peripherals" does that include DVD/Bluray readers/burners?
Besides your opinion of "the point of the AIO" is subjective. Why would you build a desktop and use an external peripherals? Just build it into the PC with internal parts. Or BTO a mini/pro. You are basically saying you don't see the point of external peripherals at all right?
What I am saying is I wouldn't like to buy one of the latest iMac AIO then have to have cables and external devices e.g. external storage in order to make the device into something approaching a decent user experience. I could of course opt for some of the BTO options at the time of purchase. However, the price for making a decent machine can be eye watering and this still doesn't allow for anything new coming to market further down the road.
SSD was only a consumer dream when I purchased my machine in 2011. However, I now have one sat inside my iMac alongside a HDD plus plenty of user installed RAM (my iMac is 21.5 inch model). Whilst it is technically possible to get into the latest iMac the task has been made much more difficult and can easily go wrong when putting the screen back on. Add to this the RAM is now soldered to the logic board and it really is a bummer.
Compare this to something like the Dell previously mentioned where the upgrades are easy and can all be housed internally.
The question should really be - when is an AIO not an AIO.
Neither, both.
If you need more than 512gb of space then clearly the 2TB FD is better unless you plan on storage data externally.
If you will never need more than 512gb than the SSD is a faster option.
A lot of people hate it but I think the FD is a good compromise between speed and capacity and I'm glad Apple has it. Although personally I would go with pure SSD options now that they offer up to 2TB.
8GB? Maybe you mean 8TB?
I don't have benchmarks. And benchmarks between Mac SSDs and FD don't represent real world use very well anyway.
The FD has an SSD portion which is lightning fast, but it also has an HDD portion that is much slower. Most commonly used apps and files will reside on the SSD however some will reside on the HDD.
If you have a 8TB NAS and you want speed go for the SSD option.
I would choose the 512GB SSD, but the performance is not the biggest driver for me. In my opinion the Fusion Drive has very good performance.
I would choose the 512GB SSD because I don't want to have to open the iMac in 2-3 years when the HDD invariably fails. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and your HDD in the Fusion will last a decade, but that is not a bet I'm willing to take any longer.
The only place I'll use HDDs any longer is locations where they are easily accessible. A 512GB internal SSD, paired with an external JBOD or RAID enclosure for HDDs is a better setup in my opinion.
I'd get the 512GB option, and buy an AKiTiO Thunder3 Quad Mini filled with whatever HDD or SATA SSDs you want... Some people even create a fusion drive in their external enclosure.
I would choose the 512GB SSD because I don't want to have to open the iMac in 2-3 years when the HDD invariably fails. Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and your HDD in the Fusion will last a decade, but that is not a bet I'm willing to take any longer.
The only place I'll use HDDs any longer is locations where they are easily accessible. A 512GB internal SSD, paired with an external JBOD or RAID enclosure for HDDs is a better setup in my opinion.
I'd get the 512GB option, and buy an AKiTiO Thunder3 Quad Mini filled with whatever HDD or SATA SSDs you want... Some people even create a fusion drive in their external enclosure.