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levmc

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 18, 2019
687
25
If you like to have a lot of tabs open, would there be a difference in browsing speed if you had:
3.1 i5,
3.3 i5,
3.8 i7?
 
I have a lot of tabs open and that is why I am trying to get 2020 iMac to replace my 2017. Would having 128 GB RAM solve the issue or could a stronger CPU also help?

Does i7 have a tendency to run hotter and louder than i5? (in which case, I think I should stick with i5)
 
I'd worry less about the chip than the RAM in that case.

How much RAM is in your current machine? If I'm not mistaken 2017 iMac can go to 64GB. I think I'd try that (cost ~$165) before buying a new computer. As you probably know, adding RAM to that machine is like a five minute process that basically anyone can do.
 
I have a lot of tabs open and that is why I am trying to get 2020 iMac to replace my 2017. Would having 128 GB RAM solve the issue or could a stronger CPU also help?

Does i7 have a tendency to run hotter and louder than i5? (in which case, I think I should stick with i5)

If core-counts matters, get the core i9. It does has 10-cores to serve your purpose.
 
On the 2020 iMac, the i7 is significantly faster (~30%) than the i5, but the i9 is only slightly faster (~10%) than the i7. It has been shown that the i9 throttles under extended load.
The i7 is the sweet spot for performance/price, IMO.
Not sure if it matters much for browsing.
 
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