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New iMac's are here! Which build specs are you going to get?
- Thread starter astigtigas
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Hello everyone!
I am interested in the high end 21.5", but I have a question regarding the CPU upgrade. I will do basic stuff most of the time but I will likely have one or two games.
I know that the bottleneck is the GPU but will the i5 help a bit or it's not going to change anything?
I don't mind spending the extra cash but it has to be useful somehow...
Thanks a lot for your help!
Fred.
I am interested in the high end 21.5", but I have a question regarding the CPU upgrade. I will do basic stuff most of the time but I will likely have one or two games.
I know that the bottleneck is the GPU but will the i5 help a bit or it's not going to change anything?
I don't mind spending the extra cash but it has to be useful somehow...
Thanks a lot for your help!
Fred.
My previous plan regarding buying a refurbished Mac Pro is now out the question.
Will go for the i5 27", 4GB additional RAM from OWC. Hopefully it isn´t too complicated to drop in a SSD, as I´ve the 160GB Intel X25M in my current iMac.
I´ll reinstall the original 640GB drive before sale
Will go for the i5 27", 4GB additional RAM from OWC. Hopefully it isn´t too complicated to drop in a SSD, as I´ve the 160GB Intel X25M in my current iMac.
I´ll reinstall the original 640GB drive before sale
Ordered:
27" i7
4GB
Wired KB
1TB
1GB GPU
etc etc etc
To be replacing my forever aging iMac G5 20" from 2005. 5 years turn around for a computer is pretty good (though I bought a laptop between that, and I'll get another in 2 years to replace this laptop, both desktop and laptop on a separate cycle works!).
Reason I went for the wired keyboard is purely because it has no number pad, why, oh why, is there no option for a wireless KB with a number pad?! Its not like I use it very often, but when I do, I want it there!
Get any copy chief, there are no PC/Mac versions, the disc caries both the .exe and our .dmg.
Though just check the bottom for the System Req's. It might just be in Australia for some reason its this way, and I'm looking at it right now deciding if I should install now or wait till my iMac comes.
27" i7
4GB
Wired KB
1TB
1GB GPU
etc etc etc
To be replacing my forever aging iMac G5 20" from 2005. 5 years turn around for a computer is pretty good (though I bought a laptop between that, and I'll get another in 2 years to replace this laptop, both desktop and laptop on a separate cycle works!).
Reason I went for the wired keyboard is purely because it has no number pad, why, oh why, is there no option for a wireless KB with a number pad?! Its not like I use it very often, but when I do, I want it there!
Get any copy chief, there are no PC/Mac versions, the disc caries both the .exe and our .dmg.
Though just check the bottom for the System Req's. It might just be in Australia for some reason its this way, and I'm looking at it right now deciding if I should install now or wait till my iMac comes.
I'm trying to decide between the 21.5" i3 or i5.
Is it really not worth the upgrade? All I'll be using it for is web surfing, itunes and basic video editing. I will never play a game on my iMac.
From what I've read the performance delta through the dual-core i3/i5 range isn't particularly high for gaming. I'd say you'll hit the GPU wall before you find any real difference between the i3 and i5 in games. Based on reviews the i3 is an excellent performer for the money, so I'd say you're safe with that for normal everyday tasks + a bit of gaming.
Obviously, if you're going to be doing any sort of photoshop, movie encoding or similar you'll see a performance benefit in the i5 upgrade.
Intel's range is very odd at the moment. The quad core i5 is far and away the best value, yet they've got like half a dozen incremental parts below it that don't really have a reason for existing - you could honestly have one dual core i3 and i5 each for the value sector, then jump up to the quad i5 for the more performance-minded. I assume it's more for OEM's than our benefit.
Edit: I agree with fatlittlenick, RAM is a better option over the dual core i5 upgrade from what I can see.
Guys i got one question, last gen 3.33ghz due had 6 mb L3 cache and new i5 3.6ghz has 4 mb. Is i5 realy worth it or should i just get refurbished 3.33? Also what does L3 cache do?
I took the plunge this morning ....
27" quad-core i7
8GB RAM
1TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB SSD
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Apple Battery Charger
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
ATI Radeon HD 5750
+ Applecare
Roll on early August!!
27" quad-core i7
8GB RAM
1TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB SSD
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Apple Battery Charger
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
ATI Radeon HD 5750
+ Applecare
Roll on early August!!
Just ordered yesterday my first imac i really cant wait,
27" Quad Core i7
2TB+256 SSD
8GB RAM
Magic Mouse
Wireless Keyboard
Battery Charger < Very Useful
I Cant wait
God Bless Ya All
27" Quad Core i7
2TB+256 SSD
8GB RAM
Magic Mouse
Wireless Keyboard
Battery Charger < Very Useful
I Cant wait
God Bless Ya All
21.5" and upgrade the CPU to the 3.6GHz i5. Keep everything else the standard for the moment. I'll update the RAM next year when it's nice and cheap, and 1TB of disk space is easily enough for my 260GB worth of data
I'll buy the TrackPad separately as soon as the UK Apple Stores have them in stock. TBH I'm more excited about that than the new machine
I'll buy the TrackPad separately as soon as the UK Apple Stores have them in stock. TBH I'm more excited about that than the new machine
Depends if the app you're using can make use of all the cores. If the app has multi-core support then the quad will be fastest.
Yep, just looked at some last years test at Anandtech (see another thread over iMacs i5 or i7) and the quad i5 blows the higher clocked dual i5 away, the quad i5 even comes very close to the i7. The dual i5 only is slightly faster then the standard i3, I don't get why Apple has this option. It only confuses people with its high clock speed. The quad i5 is the best buy I think, because games and other apps all start to use multiple cores now and it will get better in the near future. But I'll go for the i7 because money isn't a problem
I ordered my new iMac this afternoon,
27" 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB SDRAM
2TB Serial ATA Drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
about £20 cheaper than this morning before the speed bump with the same options but with the 2.8 i7, even with the magic pad in, then got £60 off too, superb.
That is the exact set up that I want
. Just don't know that I need the quad core. Decisions... Decisions! So excited 
I'm going with the following I believe
27"
i7/5750 1GB
SSD+2TB
4GB RAM
The big thing holding me up is this yellow tint issue. Since mine will be BTO, I really don't want to have to keep on sending back 27" iMacs through the mail. Anyone know what percentage of the 27"ers have the yellow tint? 50/50? Worse?
27"
i7/5750 1GB
SSD+2TB
4GB RAM
The big thing holding me up is this yellow tint issue. Since mine will be BTO, I really don't want to have to keep on sending back 27" iMacs through the mail. Anyone know what percentage of the 27"ers have the yellow tint? 50/50? Worse?
NICE! Where did you order your ram from & how much? Just wondering how much I would save doing it on my own. Thanx!
I took the plunge this morning ....
27" quad-core i7
8GB RAM
1TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB SSD
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Apple Battery Charger
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
ATI Radeon HD 5750
+ Applecare
Roll on early August!!
*drools*
I'm ordering mine in about a week. Stock high end + i7
50/50 yellow tint? are you insane?
Just to clarify, not 50/50 as in half the screen has a yellow tint, I meant what are the chances I will get an iMac with any yellow tint. There seem to be people on this forum who have returned their iMacs multiple times because each new one they receive has the issue.