I have a great student discount at the ... Trying to figure if i want the older processor in the 21.5 inch iMac or the new low end one... Everything is the same exceptr the the processor... One is intel core 2 duo 3.06... The other is i3 3.06..... The price diff is 350 dollars... Is the i3 a lot better? Thanx!
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Need help about processors on the iMac 21.5
- Thread starter Willyee3
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If you don't do any really heavy work, there won't be any real difference, so you could go with Core 2 there, but you might see slightly faster times for stuff in Handbrake, etc with the i3. For the majority of users, the difference is all but unnoticeable. Side note, if you want to do any gaming, get the i3. The GPU in the C2D model is probably the 9400m which isn't well suited to gaming.
Handbrake is just software used to convert video and DVDs. If it's got the ATi, then they are a bit more equivalent. Either way, they are pretty similar, and if you think the extra money could be better spent, I'd go with the older model.
There are more things that changed between the C2D and the i3.
The entry level C2D had an integrated GPU. That means it shares graphics memory with your standard RAM.
The entry level i3 has a dedicated 256mb GPU.
Also, the C2D and i3 have different RAM speeds.
The C2D runs at 1066MHz while the i3 runs at 1333MHz.
Honestly, I'd splurge for the i3. It's got faster RAM, dedicated VRAM, newer processor architecture. It's going to last much longer.
If you just do basic stuff, a la no games or heavy work such as video/audio editing, grab the C2D and you'll be fine.
UPDATE: I always love looking at the GeekBench result browser when I look at buying a computer. Check it out and you'll find your CPU differences.
http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/
The entry level C2D had an integrated GPU. That means it shares graphics memory with your standard RAM.
The entry level i3 has a dedicated 256mb GPU.
Also, the C2D and i3 have different RAM speeds.
The C2D runs at 1066MHz while the i3 runs at 1333MHz.
Honestly, I'd splurge for the i3. It's got faster RAM, dedicated VRAM, newer processor architecture. It's going to last much longer.
If you just do basic stuff, a la no games or heavy work such as video/audio editing, grab the C2D and you'll be fine.
UPDATE: I always love looking at the GeekBench result browser when I look at buying a computer. Check it out and you'll find your CPU differences.
http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/
I wouldn't put too much stock in artificial benchmarks, but it just seems too hard to drive apple fans away from their unknown love for geekbench.
Yes, you will notice that difference in cpu speed geekbench shows, but only when doing the most intensive cpu stuff (such as if you encode high definition video all the time)
I think the major difference between the two models is if the older iMac has 9400m or mobility 4670. The 4670 is a discrete gpu, and will provide significantly better framerates for your games-- if you game.
The question as to whether you game or not also brings up the question of your daily uses for the computer, which should ultimately weigh in on your choice of purchase. If you know your needs won't be high-end for now and later, or rather you game or not, then I suggest getting the core2duo machine and use that 350 on something else. People like to quickly throw a shoulder at the core2duos for their whiz-bang fancy "i" branding, but the core2duos are still very good cpus-- in fact just as good as those i3 clarkdales in most cases, according to real-world benchmarks.
Yes, you will notice that difference in cpu speed geekbench shows, but only when doing the most intensive cpu stuff (such as if you encode high definition video all the time)
I think the major difference between the two models is if the older iMac has 9400m or mobility 4670. The 4670 is a discrete gpu, and will provide significantly better framerates for your games-- if you game.
The question as to whether you game or not also brings up the question of your daily uses for the computer, which should ultimately weigh in on your choice of purchase. If you know your needs won't be high-end for now and later, or rather you game or not, then I suggest getting the core2duo machine and use that 350 on something else. People like to quickly throw a shoulder at the core2duos for their whiz-bang fancy "i" branding, but the core2duos are still very good cpus-- in fact just as good as those i3 clarkdales in most cases, according to real-world benchmarks.
Out of curiosity, would the discrete GPU also be capable of handling the Grand Central Dispatch features in OS X that would enable future applications to use more compute resources?
Speaking from personal experience, no! Unless of course, you want to believe everything you read on this forum.
