Really? 2-3 years longer?
I’ve always got the top spec iMac, but was going for the base 5k with SSD this time as I don’t need the power for anything. The nagging doubt was the top tier model would last longer and I’d just about convinced myself there wouldn't be much in it.
This comment has me undecided again. Can I ask why it’ll last that much longer, when there’s not that much difference in the processor and gpu (10%ish). Thanks.
The cost difference (here in the US, at least), between the base 27” 3.0GHz Core i5 w/570X and the top 27” Core i5 3.7Ghz w/580X, each upgraded to the 512GB SSD ends up being $300 USD ($2099 versus $2399). Essentially, you pay $150 for the 3.7GHz Core i5 and $150 for the Radeon Pro 580X. Given the 700MHz uptick in CPU speeds and the fact that it is 9th Gen, that is worth the extra $150 to me. The uptick in VRAM 8GB versus 4GB and the uptick in the speed of the 580X over the 570X is worth $150 to me. If the OP gets and extra 2-3 years (I’m being really conservative here) over the base model, then he is spending an extra $100-$150 for each of those extra years, which beats having to buy another computer 2-3 years early. He will have the latest and greatest CPU and a decent GPU plus SSD speeds, which are probably a darn sight faster than the circa 2009 Windows PC he is currently using, probably a Core 2 Duo, not an i-Series.
For the OP’s use case, he should get a solid 8-10 years of productive use out of the iMac versus 5-7. I am currently using a Late 2013 iMac Core i7 3.5GHz/32GB DRAM/3TB Fusion/GTX 780M 4GB GPU and it still performs just fine for a lot of what I need it to do. This week will see if it holds up or fails the test as I have some Logic Pro X work to throw at it. If it chokes on the rather light workload I have planned, then I will have a discussion with myself about whether to upgrade or not. So, that’s a 6 year old machine that still can’t match the 3.0GHz 6-core you’re looking at buying or the 3.7GHz I recommended to the OP. The $300 uptick in the cost is still worth it in my mind, although Apple still sells much slower computers (13” MacBook Pro, 13” MacBook Air, 12” MacBook) that seem to get the job done for people.
Without belaboring the point, I fired up an old 2011 Core i5 2.3GHz Mac mini with 16GB DRAM and the original 500GB HDD in it and once macOS Sierra loads up, it is surprisingly usable for a lot of basic tasks and even a few bigger tasks. Loading apps takes too long, which is why an SSD is so important, but the general compute power was not nearly as bad as one would think. I have a Samsung 860 EVO 250GB SSD laying around that is going in the mini in the next 2-3 weeks and I will see then how it helps...or not.
The OP is making a major move and has a very nice budget, which I don’t want to just rifle through to spend it all, but I suspect this might be his last computer purchase (not to sound morbid), and I am taking a guess his use case is not demanding enough to really strain either system, I just think $300 is such a close differential that it’s worth the extra money for a machine that will last him at least 10 years.
I also like that it is 9th Gen, so most exploits should be patched, its an i5, so side channel attacks are lessened, microcode updates are a given, it has a decently high clock speed, the x600K versions of Intel’s CPUs are usually the workhorses of their lineup for most people and so I feel confident that he is on solid ground. FYI, my son chose the i5-8500 for his gaming PC and it works just fine for him, it’s a fine piece of kit as well.
I don’t know your use case, so I cannot tell you that the i5-8500 (3.0GHz) is better or worse than the i5-9600K (3.7GHz) for you. I just know that the extra $300 is worth it to me and I hope I have made a compelling case to the OP. Personally, if I decide to purchase a new iMac, I am going Core i5/8GB DRAM/512GB/Vega 48 GPU and adding 32GB of third party DIMMs and I’m done. I can always replace the CPU with the 9900K down the road (after AppleCare+ expires), I can go up to 128GB DRAM, I can always purchase an Apple POLARISSSD in a larger capacity and install it if I really need to have that extra internal storage or simply add a 2.5” SSD to the drive bay as 512GB should be plenty for me for a while. I live on 256GB SSDs with most everything and I only need space for movies and Dropbox, which work on an external just fine.
I have read that the i5/Vega 48 may be the combo that generates the least amount of heat, which means higher and/or longer sustained Turbo speeds. The Vega 48 is hella expensive for BTO (I can get a really nice Vega 64 or even a bargain Radeon VII for $500), but I cannot add the Vega 48 later and an eGPU eats up 1 of the 2 available Thunderbolt 3 ports, which are already going through the PCH along with the SSD and not the CPU as all x16 lanes on the CPU are used (justifiably) by the GPU.
For me, at least, this represents an actual decent value for Apple, which is a bit of an Anatoly. Yes, I can build a more powerful PC cheaper, but I just cannot stand Windows 10. My Windows chops are old and out of practice and if I commit to anything to make it bend to my will, it will be iPadOS. My goal for the past few years has been to go to an iMac (heavy lifting) and an iPad Pro (day to day productivity, mobility) and to keep a mini (old is fine) as a backup for macOS betas, Homebrew/MacPorts, legacy 32-bit apps, et al. This year seems like the one to go that route.
That being said, it doesn’t invalidate what you want to buy or why you want to buy it. If the $300 extra could instead cover the AppleCare+ and an extra 16GB of DRAM for your use-case, then go for it. Computers are all pretty fast at this point in time, you just have to decide if the extra $300 difference in cost is of value to you. This is the OP’s first Mac, so I believe it will be of value to him in the long term.
Sorry this is so long...hope it helps.
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I would like to be able to get everything ordered later today. I'm gonna order the iMac with 512gb SSD. Which brand/model of external HD do you recommend ordering and also Ram. Makes sense to keep the factory Ram. I will just leave it installed and add the extra alongside it.
I'm strongly considering the Trackpad. Seems like it has a following that likes it here.
Is the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad something that most order or stick with the regular one?
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I programmed volume/mute on the side wheel, one of my favorite things on the mouse + the free spin wheel on top. I guess I would need the drivers??
If you use a spreadsheet often or do electronic banking, the numeric keypad is always worth the extra $30, IMHO.
