iMac Model Differences Question

[orr971]

Hey!
Quick question: I'm considering buying an iMac this week. My question is: What is the difference really between the 1799$ (1) one and the 1999$ (2) one?
I see that the processor in (1) is 3.4GHz and the one in (2) is 3.5GHz, and that the Graphics Card is a bit different. Question is: How different they really are, how much do the extra 200$ really worth?

 

[EugW]

Hey!
Quick question: I'm considering buying an iMac this week. My question is: What is the difference really between the 1799$ (1) one and the 1999$ (2) one?
I see that the processor in (1) is 3.4GHz and the one in (2) is 3.5GHz, and that the Graphics Card is a bit different. Question is: How different they really are, how much do the extra 200$ really worth?

1. You didn't tell us what your planned use for it is.

2. New models may be announced in 9 days that are way faster than both of those.

3. Even if you are still good with the old models if new models come out, the pricing on the old models will drop significantly. Apple sells the old models on its refurb store, and retailers sell the old models on clearout.

 

[orr971]

1. You didn't tell us what your planned use for it is.

2. New models may be announced in 9 days that are way faster than both of those.

3. Even if you are still good with the old models if new models come out, the pricing on the old models will drop significantly. Apple sells the old models on its refurb store, and retailers sell the old models on clearout.

Okay so I'm gonna use it for video editing mainly but wanted to know the difference in general.

About the new models - there's this deal where I live until the end of May, and the prices are really low now. If I wait to WWDC and iMacs won't be announced, I'll miss on a one of a kind deal... Question is how sure are we in new iMacs on WWDC..?

 

[EugW]

Okay so I'm gonna use it for video editing mainly but wanted to know the difference in general.

About the new models - there's this deal where I live until the end of May, and the prices are really low now. If I wait to WWDC and iMacs won't be announced, I'll miss on a one of a kind deal... Question is how sure are we in new iMacs on WWDC..?

I am 87.43% sure.

The reason I think it makes sense to wait is that CPU speeds will jump by literally 25%-50%, particularly for video encoding. It is likely all or at least most of the 27" models will go 6-core.

Compare the i5-8600K vs the i5-7600K:

https://www.io-tech.fi/artikkelit/testissa-intel-core-i7-8700k-core-i5-8600k-coffee-lake/

You're looking at the entry level 3.4 GHz i5-7500 vs the mid-range 3.5 GHz i5-7600. The i5-7600K is the next step up, and the absolute top of the line is the i7-7700K.

The corresponding chips in the 2018 line (in my prediction) are:

i5-8500, i5-8600, i5-8600K, and i7-8700K.

The key here is that the i5-8600 (which I believe will be the mid-range in 2018) is as fast as last year's top-of-the-line i7-7700K. See graphs above to see the performance of the i7-7700K.

 

[DeltaMac]

OTOH - it's hard to pass up a good deal - "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" and all that...

Even if new iMacs are announced at WWDC, there's no way to predict how soon those updated Macs will be available.
Might be the same day, or might be sometime in the same calendar quarter.

 

[madeirabhoy]

Hey!
Quick question: I'm considering buying an iMac this week. My question is: What is the difference really between the 1799$ (1) one and the 1999$ (2) one?
I see that the processor in (1) is 3.4GHz and the one in (2) is 3.5GHz, and that the Graphics Card is a bit different. Question is: How different they really are, how much do the extra 200$ really worth?

had the same question although its a rhetorical one as I had to buy a new machine, mine had died, and where I live new models won't appear for ages. went to the shops to buy the 3.4ghz one, all were on sale but the shops were out of stock of the 3.4ghz one so I got the 3.5ghz one. cost me €200 more and I'm not really getting why its noticeably better tbh.

3% faster woohoo and a graphics card thats the same brand and vram but higher model number, everything else the same. I'm happy I got it but I figure id rather have the €200 in my pocket.

 

[orr971]

I am 87.43% sure.

The reason I think it makes sense to wait is that CPU speeds will jump by literally 25%-50%, particularly for video encoding. It is likely all or at least most of the 27" models will go 6-core.

Compare the i5-8600K vs the i5-7600K:

https://www.io-tech.fi/artikkelit/testissa-intel-core-i7-8700k-core-i5-8600k-coffee-lake/

You're looking at the entry level 3.4 GHz i5-7500 vs the mid-range 3.5 GHz i5-7600. The i5-7600K is the next step up, and the absolute top of the line is the i7-7700K.

The corresponding chips in the 2018 line (in my prediction) are:

i5-8500, i5-8600, i5-8600K, and i7-8700K.

The key here is that the i5-8600 (which I believe will be the mid-range in 2018) is as fast as last year's top-of-the-line i7-7700K. See graphs above to see the performance of the i7-7700K.

Thanks for that, really detailed. I really don't know what to do, if I miss the huge deal for nothing it'll be a shame. If I get one and they announce MUCH BETTER iMacs I'll feel bad for months.

OTOH - it's hard to pass up a good deal - "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" and all that...

Even if new iMacs are announced at WWDC, there's no way to predict how soon those updated Macs will be available.
Might be the same day, or might be sometime in the same calendar quarter.

Yea right? What do I doooo?? I don't know it's a huge dilemma!

Just to explain the deal: the iMac I want costs about 7,900 NIS here. After the deal - 6700 NIS. It's big.

had the same question although its a rhetorical one as I had to buy a new machine, mine had died, and where I live new models won't appear for ages. went to the shops to buy the 3.4ghz one, all were on sale but the shops were out of stock of the 3.4ghz one so I got the 3.5ghz one. cost me €200 more and I'm not really getting why its noticeably better tbh.

3% faster woohoo and a graphics card thats the same brand and vram but higher model number, everything else the same. I'm happy I got it but I figure id rather have the €200 in my pocket.

Yea that's what I thought... Doesn't look really that different so why pay, if we're looking at this symbolically, almost the price of an AppleWatch for it?

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Hey!
Quick question: I'm considering buying an iMac this week. My question is: What is the difference really between the 1799$ (1) one and the 1999$ (2) one?
I see that the processor in (1) is 3.4GHz and the one in (2) is 3.5GHz, and that the Graphics Card is a bit different. Question is: How different they really are, how much do the extra 200$ really worth?

I’m guessing it will get you about 10% more performance under specific high-demand circumstances. You’re looking at an i5 7500 vs a 7600, and the Radeon Pro 570 vs 575. You don’t get more CPU threads or more VRAM. I’d be more prone to spend that $200 on getting as much internal SSD storage as possible.

FYI, I own the base model you are considering, with 256GB SSD. I am quite happy with it using it to edit 20MP RAW photos.

 

[Fishrrman]

Aside from any announcements regarding "new iMacs" (which I don't believe are "coming", at least not yet)...

... I do think the 7600 CPU (and better graphics) is worth the extra $200 on the current models.