Budget oriented upgrade.

[zalle]

Hello,

I currently run a late 2012 27" i5 with 16gb ram.

If I was to upgrade and really notice a difference (editing video mainly FCPX), without bursting the bank, what year should I buy a used 27" iMac? 2015? 2016? Noticeable difference or just some 10-15% faster?

Oh, it already has an SSD (external, via USB3, 400MBS read and write speed).

 

[opeter]

For noticeable difference, you would need an i7 CPU (before the 2019 models) in iMac... that means an Core i7 with 4 cores/8 threads for FCPX.

But than there is the 6-core i5 CPU (8500 series) in the 2019 iMacs.

The 2019 iMacs have much better CPUs in every possible way.

Details on Intel CPUs used in Apple’s 2019 iMacs [Chart]

Exactly which Intel part numbers and generation CPUs were used in the new iMacs. After some investigation, s detailed chart emerged.

www.macobserver.com

But, since you wrote, there isn't really a budget for this, I would say you should look for used 2015 models with Skylake CPUs.

The i7-6700(K) series was solid and could be used for a couple of more years.

 

[zalle]

Thanks for your answer. And is there still that AMD/NVIDIA gpu big difference? Which one should I look for?
Thanks

 

[Fishrrman]

If you're shopping on a budget and seek advice, it helps to tell what the budget IS...

 

[zalle]

Well, I'm in Portugal, and the market may be a lot different than what you are used to.

I can sell mine for 900€-1000€, and I would buy another one for 1600€... If that means anything to you.

 

[opeter]

You would get 900-1000 € for a 2012 27" iMac? Thats nice.
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Thanks for your answer. And is there still that AMD/NVIDIA gpu big difference? Which one should I look for?
Thanks

You don't have many options, because the iMac 2015 and newer have only either integrated Intel GPUs and/or AMD GPUss.

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

support.apple.com