The i7 870 is much better than the i5 680 however that's because the i7 has twice the amount of cores as the i5, if you're not using an application that makes use of all those cores in the i7, then the i5 might be a bit faster in say web browsing, etc., however the difference would be negligible, if you use applications that make use of all the cores in the CPU then the i7 would definitely be better.I think I would just be a basic user of e iMac. Just surfing e net, some word processing and maybe playing of new games. The last time i bought a computer was 5 years ago and I think after this pruchase, it would be another 5 years before I make another computer purchase. So I hope I would be able to at least play e latest games within those 5 years (Dun mind even in low settings).
From this link, http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/
It seems there is quite a difference btw the quad i7 and i5,
1. iMac (27-inch Mid 2010)
Intel Core i7 870 2.93 GHz (4 cores) - 9084
2. iMac (27-inch Mid 2010)
Intel Core i5 680 3.6 GHz (2 cores) - 6967
Sorry if I am making all the wrong comparisons. I am actually quite a computer idiot..
That's a good question, I'm not sure myself but I tend to stick with OWC brand RAM.
Before you put in 16 GB of NuRAM, you might want to do some reading and searching to make sure you're wanting to do this.
The jury's still out as to what is causing the problem, but the number "16 GB" and the name "NuRAM" keep cropping up.
Here is one thread about it: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2548180
Everybody doesn't have the problem, and although OWC are watching the reports, and freely doing an RMA if you buy 16 GB of NuRAM and have this problem, nobody knows yet what the problem computers all have in common.
It seems so far that the people who've replaced the NuRAM with Samsung are saying they no longer have the issue. I have taken the extra precaution and gone down to 12 GB of Samsung, and the NuRAM is packed up, ready to go back.
Some people are also claiming that it's only the people who are starting the 64 bit kernel consistently are the people having the problem. One of the things I tried, however, before deciding to get away from NuRAM was starting with the 32 bit kernel and I had a shutdown while using Safari and a java rich page.