How old should I go in buying a reused iMac

[thenormalguy2]

So basically I have a macbook pro 15 (2008) that works fine. (Yes, i upgraded to an ssd and upgraded to 8gb of ram) It does my day to day assignments and web browsing at school. I'm in music production though and love working with logic pro x, my laptop does ok(ish) but where tracks get too complicated it gets overloaded. Its also nice just to have a bigger screen and base at a desk where i can have all my pads... anyways, i want to buy a iMac and dont know how old to go. I'm on a student budget but i do have a job and only paying for half. What do you think the best bang for my buck would be?

 

[jerwin]

Which Macs are compatible with macOS Mojave?

• MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013, plus mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with recommended Metal-capable GPU)

If your Mac isn’t on this list, you can continue to run macOS Sierra or High Sierra.

from https://www.macworld.com/article/3282418/os-x/macos-mojave-everything-you-need-to-know.html

probably as good a place as any to start winnowing down your system requirements.

 

[redheeler]

The 2011 iMacs were needlessly obsoleted by Apple with the MacOS Mojave update, but I might still recommend one to someone on a budget looking for good value-for-money if Mojave isn't a necessity. They have powerful quad-core CPUs, are relatively easy to upgrade with an SSD, and even the 21.5" model can take up to 32 GB RAM (though you'd likely never need that much RAM).

If you want current MacOS software support for years to come and are willing to pay slightly more, your best option is one of the 2012 or later models. SSD upgrades are harder, but still doable.

Screen size is also something to take into consideration. I find the 21.5" to be a bit on the small side, and prefer the 27". But regardless, any iMac from 2011 or later with an SSD will be a massive upgrade from your 2008 MacBook Pro.

 

[EugW]

For Logic... Maybe wait for a 6 core iMac and buy the entry level model with edu pricing.

 

[kwikdeth]

Screen size is also something to take into consideration. I find the 21.5" to be a bit on the small side, and prefer the 27". But regardless, any iMac from 2011 or later with an SSD will be a massive upgrade from your 2008 MacBook Pro.

I really miss the 24" Imac.

 

[Fishrrman]

Tell us your budget -- then we can advise further.

 

[DQ11]

For Logic... Maybe wait for a 6 core iMac and buy the entry level model with edu pricing.

That is what I'm waiting for.

The imac I'd like to get in total will cost me $3,500 right now and that isn't even maxed out in all specs.

I'm guessing I could get a lower tier i5 6 core and 65w 27" imac and have it perform similar to the i7-7700k in the 2017 imac.....but for a cheaper price.