Advice needed before i take the plunge.

[kingluis]

I am about to convert from pc to mac, or imac to be more specific, and i will be buying after leopard is released.

Just one question, what would be more to my benefit:

Option 1: - Buy the 17" iMac with 2.0 ghz processor,and spend £50 upgrading to the 2.16 processor.

Option 2: Buy the 17" IMac with 2.0 ghz processor, and spend £50 buying an extra 1gig of ram, bringing the system up to 2gig of ram.

I mainly use my PC for messenger, college work, itunes, internet and football /soccer manager sim (which will run fine on macs), and the ocassional move maker style project.

I will often have 2-3 applications open at once, for example word, messenger and itunes.

What would be a better use of money?, the extra kick of processing speed, or the extra clout of RAM?, baring in mind my current system is a 1.8 singe core processor, 768mb of Ram.



sorry i just realised this is a very similar question as to being asked a little bit below, but mine is a comparison of things i may buy, rather than just a single upgrade.

 

[emptyCup]

You will get more benefit from the extra RAM. Have fun with your new machine.

 

[miniConvert]

Well, you can upgrade the RAM later, whereas the processor, well, you're pretty much stuck with it.

However, are you likely to buy more RAM later? If you're intending to buy and then not add any RAM then I think you'd be much better getting the RAM and sticking with the 2.0GHz processor.

RAM is key

 

[mrgreen4242]

I am about to convert from pc to mac, or imac to be more specific, and i will be buying after leopard is released.

Just one question, what would be more to my benefit:

Option 1: - Buy the 17" iMac with 2.0 ghz processor,and spend £50 upgrading to the 2.16 processor.

Option 2: Buy the 17" IMac with 2.0 ghz processor, and spend £50 buying an extra 1gig of ram, bringing the system up to 2gig of ram.

I mainly use my PC for messenger, college work, itunes, internet and football /soccer manager sim (which will run fine on macs), and the ocassional move maker style project.

I will often have 2-3 applications open at once, for example word, messenger and itunes.

What would be a better use of money?, the extra kick of processing speed, or the extra clout of RAM?, baring in mind my current system is a 1.8 singe core processor, 768mb of Ram.

Personally, I'd get the RAM. Depends on whether you think you'll have the money to add RAM later. A gig is "enough" for most people (I run lots of apps with a gig of RAM all day long). The processor is something you can't upgrade (easily or cheaply) later, though.

So, if you think you will have ~$200 to upgrade the RAM later (buying 2x1gb modules @$100 each) then get the CPU. If you want to get the best performance now and not worry about upgrading anything until you get a new machine, get the RAM.

Like I said, I'd get the RAM, but there are merits to both options. I don't personally feel the 8% speed bump is worth the money, but that's because I get by on a 1.4ghz G4.

 

[j26]

If you get the speed bump, you get an 8% processor jump, which in the long term won't make a huge difference to you, and doesn't really do much to future proof the computer when you think that in about 2 years computers are likely to be 2-3 times faster.
If you get the ram you have a decent bump in the ability of the computer to do all of your tasks now.

I'd go for ram.

 

[kingluis]

ok, thanks for the feed back so far, i am likely to be able to purchase ram at a later date, in fact i may well do so when my next years student loan comes through, so i may go with processor and update later, is it easy to install ram with imacs?, and is this ram alright
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=CEF9179AA5CA7304
????

although thinking about it 85 isnt much i suppose, i am considering having the computer for 2-3 years, i might go with both.

 

[MacNut]

The RAM is key to everything.

 

[Piepz]

and is this ram alright
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=CEF9179AA5CA7304
????

No. That's for iMacs with G5. You need RAM for iMacs with Intel Core 2 Duo.

Something like this.

 

[Legolamb]

You can never be too rich, too thin, or have to much RAM.
(Joke on the too thin part, slighty less on the too rich part, definately sober on the too much RAM).