Buying mid-2017 iMac, is my planned configuration overkill?

[imacericg]

I am about ready to pull the trigger on a new mid-2017 iMac. It will be replacing my maxed out late-2012 27" and I like to upgrading every 5-6 years. I again maxed out the high-end 27" as I want to keep it for 5-6 years.

I am planning on buying:
27" Retina 5K
4.2 i7
8GB Memory - Planning on adding 16GB from Crucial immediately after purchase
1TB SSD
8GB 2400MHz DDR4

My usage consists of (in order):
Web browsing
Photos - I am a hobbyist photographer
Final Cut X / GoPro Quick - making simple edits to my 4K home videos for YouTube
iWork - Spreadsheets for my monthly budget
Adobe Fireworks - Making simple cropping of photos for the web
Listing to music

Is my usage overkill for the 4.2 i7? Or since I want to keep it for 5-6 years, the 4.2 i7 is future proofing my computer. Money isn't necessarily an issue, but I don't want to overpay on a maxed out iMac, if I am not going to need it.

What does everyone think?
Eric

 

[Mike Boreham]

I am about ready to pull the trigger on a new mid-2017 iMac. It will be replacing my maxed out late-2012 27" and I like to upgrading every 5-6 years. I again maxed out the high-end 27" as I want to keep it for 5-6 years.

I am planning on buying:
27" Retina 5K
4.2 i7
8GB Memory - Planning on adding 16GB from Crucial immediately after purchase
1TB SSD
8GB 2400MHz DDR4

My usage consists of (in order):
Web browsing
Photos - I am a hobbyist photographer
Final Cut X / GoPro Quick - making simple edits to my 4K home videos for YouTube
iWork - Spreadsheets for my monthly budget
Adobe Fireworks - Making simple cropping of photos for the web
Listing to music

Is my usage overkill for the 4.2 i7? Or since I want to keep it for 5-6 years, the 4.2 i7 is future proofing my computer. Money isn't necessarily an issue, but I don't want to overpay on a maxed out iMac, if I am not going to need it.

What does everyone think?
Eric

You will find a lot of info about your proposed model in this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/please-review-your-2017-imac.2051475/

Common issue (seen in other forums too, eg here) is that the i7 seems more inclined to be noisy than the i5.

I have a 21.5" i7 which is not noisy, but it seems to a 27" iMac issue.

Of the three main variables CPU speed, RAM, and internal storage I would rate the CPU speed as the least important and the least noticeable in ordinary use.

 

[pier]

Yes the i7 is overkill, and it runs too hot for the iMac.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Unless you have plans to run some professional hyper threaded apps in the next 5-6 years i’d Go for the i5.