Is this iMac worth the price?

[Tennyo]

Hi, I am looking at a used iMac online and was wondering if any of you could please help me decide if it's a good deal or not.

This is what the seller has to say:

$1,050

Wow! Do I have a deal for you today. This Rentia 4K iMac, 21.5 inch, late 2015 model will go fast!

DONT OVERSPEND IN THE STORE, BUY HERE!

If you need a great home computer for you or a student, this is the one. I’ve decided to take the dip in building computers again and I will no longer need this beautiful Apple product. It’s almost brand new I’ve used it so little. It must have under 40 hours of use right out of the box! Specs are listed in the photos above. Contact for more information. I will need this iMac gone by May as that is when most of my parts will be arriving.​

Here's a pic of the specs they have in their post:

I currently use a 2009 MacBook Pro running El Capitan that, while it still works nice, is old. I can't update it any further and it has been lagging lately when I edit large photos in Photoshop. Here are the specs on my laptop:

Version 10.11.6 (15G1010)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB

I have a 1 TB SATA Disk hardrive installed on here. Not sure what the seller has on the iMac.

Since my laptop is a refurb with some better parts thrown in do you think this iMac would be an upgrade and worth the $1,050?

Thanks in advance.

 

[iMacDonald]

I'd say no. For $1299 you can get a new 4k 21.5 inch iMac with what looks like similar spec but a dedicated graphics card.

Even then I'd be inclined to go for the fusion drive upgrade customisation.
Yes that is $1399. But at least you will have 1 year warranty and know the machine is brand new.

• 3.0GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
• 8GB 2400MHz DDR4
• 1TB Fusion Drive
• Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB video memory
• Magic Mouse 2
• Magic Keyboard - US English

If you can afford a bit more, The following spec would definitely be worth it I reckon:

• 3.0GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
• 16GB 2400MHz DDR4
• 256GB SSD
• Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB video memory
• Magic Mouse 2
• Magic Keyboard - US English

$1699


I think for what is almost a 3 year old machine with that spec and without warranty $700-800 would be a fairer price.

If you are looking around the $1100-1200 range only then get an official Apple refurb with at least fusion drive or SSD if/when there is one available. You can get some 2015 models at a steal if you don't mind having the slightly older tech. You'd still get your 1 year warranty from Apple.

 

[iMacDonald]

Furthermore btw there were some posts here recently about good deals on 2015 27 inch models going for $1299 or something at Electronic Valley eBay in the US.
There are definitely better deals out there than spending $1000 on a second hand machine with what looks like quite basic specs.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-27-i...5-MK482LL-A-/173160281487?hash=item285128358f

It only has a 2GB graphics card which may be a bit limiting in pushing the 5K display but still it is a far better deal. AND you can upgrade the RAM in the 27 inch model.



But either way have a look at Apple's new prices / Apple's official refurbs and good deals on "new" 2015 models on eBay or elsewhere. You could probably get a 27 inch iMac for not much more than you were already planning to spend and thus make a much bigger upgrade to your setup. Fusion /SSD is definitely where it is at in terms of speed boosts. The 27 inch gives you greater flexibility with RAM upgrades later.

 

[Juicy Box]

Here is a link to Apple current refurbished iMacs, These change all the time so if you see something on there that you like, don't wait too long to grab it.

The deal you are asking about probably isn't the best deal out there, but we have no way of knowing unless you find out what the storage is. Size and type. If it is a SSD, that makes the deal a lot more attractive. If it is just a HDD, I wouldn't get it.
[doublepost=1521116714][/doublepost]Another thought.

If you pass on this deal and look for others, I would stay away from HDDs on the iMacs. Look for a fusion drive at a minimum. A 2TB Fusion would be okay, but a SSD would be ideal.

The current 1TB fusion drive sucks with the 32GB SSD, and the 2015 1TB fusion drive is worse at 24GB for the SSD.

So, unless you get a pre-2015 iMac with 1TB Fusion Drive (they have a 128GB SSD), I would try to find one with either an SSD, or atleast a 2TB Fusion, it comes with 128GB SSD.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Go for a machine with an SSD fitted. The 5400rpm notebook style hard drive will be as slow as molasses, and really the day of the Fusion drive is behind us. It was a 'make do' answer to Seagate's hybrid drive. Memory is not upgradeable in a 21.5" model so suggest you seriously consider a 27" iMac.

 

[iliasp]

This is one of the worst iMacs I have ever used spec wise
you won't be pleased with the performance nor the mechanical drive stay away and if you want one go with the 2017 model, its a night and day difference

 

[Starfia]

It doesn't look like a fantastic deal for a used model with those specs (which aren't fully provided). For one reference point, I'm currently seeing what looks like the entry-level 2017 iMac for $929 refurbished from Apple, among other options.

(Other people are advising against the hard drive type and stuff – it's a fine consideration, but I'll avoid going there since that doesn't appear to be what you're asking.)

 

[EugW]

I currently use a 2009 MacBook Pro running El Capitan that, while it still works nice, is old. I can't update it any further and it has been lagging lately when I edit large photos in Photoshop. Here are the specs on my laptop:

Version 10.11.6 (15G1010)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB

I have a 1 TB SATA Disk hardrive installed on here. Not sure what the seller has on the iMac.

Yes you can update that MacBook Pro further, with an SSD and with Sierra, or High Sierra if your software is compatible. If you don't believe me, check my signature - all those Macs are running High Sierra. The SSD will make a HUGE difference. Photoshop will still lag with big files, but otherwise the machine overall will feel much, much faster.

That iMac offer seems like a poor deal.

 

[Glockworkorange]

As others have said, not a great deal. There are better refurbished 21 inchers for less money at apple.com right now. Add another $200 and you can get a fusion drive.

If your budget is absolutely capped at $1,050.00 you might want to watch the refurb store until a 2015 with at least a fusion drive comes around.

Finally, if I recall, there is a site or app where you can specify what you're looking for and receive an alert when it hits the refurb store.

Good luck!

 

[varian55zx]

It's not worth anything

The 2015 4K iMacs were puny hunks of scrap, they had "integrated" GPUs which is codeword for weak and useless.

Buying any computer with an integrated GPU whose use case is anything more than "open TextEdit, input text" is just an awful idea.

Look to the 2017 4K Macs as those provide some level of value, actually are pretty decent machines.

 

[Glockworkorange]

It's not worth anything

The 2015 4K iMacs were puny hunks of scrap, they had "integrated" GPUs which is codeword for weak and useless.

Buying any computer with an integrated GPU whose use case is anything more than "open TextEdit, input text" is just an awful idea.

Look to the 2017 4K Macs as those provide some level of value, actually are pretty decent machines.

I'd second the concern re: a 2015 now that I think about it. That was the first year of the retina 21.5 inch and I recall some problems involving not being able to push all those pixels. Apple seems to have that problem with every product line when it first goes Retina, with perhaps the iPhone 4 being the sole exception.

 

[varian55zx]

I'd second the concern re: a 2015 now that I think about it. That was the first year of the retina 21.5 inch and I recall some problems involving not being able to push all those pixels. Apple seems to have that problem with every product line when it first goes Retina, with perhaps the iPhone 4 being the sole exception.

yep they have a lot of work to do in that department, constantly rolling out machines featuring subpar hardware, that also may be unable to fully power the display it is attached to.

For use cases such as mine, where an extreme day consists of two separate web browsers open both with numerous tabs and windows open, this may not directly incur an issue in many instances. For anything more demanding than that, Apple fails to deliver in many instances.