A relative's computer died and he really needs a computer (prefers desktop) for day to day tasks - web, email, quicken, etc. Budget is a very big issue, so I was thinking something used, but it wouldn't make sense to get something that would just need to be replaced in a year or so. What do you think might be a reasonable option that would get the job done and hopefully have several years of life? Does anything prior to the M1 chip even make sense?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Oldest/cheapest iMac worth purchasing
- Thread starter jazzer15
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not unless you can get it dirt cheap used. The M1 is already three years old.
I believe the model before that came out in 2019. That would make it five years old. The newer model Intel iMacs would work fine, but very soon you‘ll run into not being able to update the OS. I’m aware of workarounds, but most people don’t want to do this for a daily computer. Especially if it’s a non-tech person.
I wouldn’t buy an Intel Mac unless it was due to extreme budget issues or I wanted one to tinker with.
I think I’d get a new (or used, depending on the budget) mini and save money by getting a used monitor. Right now, I’m sitting on a 27” HD monitor that I would give away to someone who needed it. I suspect one can be found cheap to free in your area. Spend whatever budget you have on the mini.
Realistically a budget needs to be declared - plus information on any existing equipment that might help such as keyboard, mouse, monitor.
Mention of Quicken piqued my interest - looks like it needs current or within last 2 versions of MacOS. This suggests that you avoid Intel Macs unless you find a very good late model 2018 Mac mini or even a 2020 iMac.
M1 would be the more logical choice, keep an eye open for deals on M2 if M4 comes out.
He currently has an old iMac (I don't know the year), so there is a keyboard and mouse. No monitor unfortunately. As far as budget, he was hoping under $800, but not sure that's really going to be an option if going the iMac route. Maybe a Mini with a cheap monitor, as suggested.
If it was for someone who’s never had an iMac, I’d say a Mac mini is the route to go.. For someone that has used an iMac display quality is going to be noticeably worse. Will this bother that person? IDK.
I looked on the Apple refurbished site and M1 iMacs are going for $1049. That’s a bit over your $800 budget. If the budget is tight, the M1 Mac mini with a budget monitor is the way to go though.
You should try to find out what iMac he had.
If it was a Late 2009 to Mid 2010 27" iMac, you can use it as a display with AS Macs using Target Display Mode. It is usually just plug and play. Then I would get a M1 Mac Mini, as they can be found for pretty cheap.
What died? I've replaced the HDD in an older iMac before, if that is the issue. Depends on the year and your tech skill as to how feasible this might be?
Of course, a machine from the 2010s is outdated in terms of performance, and is no longer supported by recent versions of macOS.
But if the machine was suitable for your friend's personal use, it would be interesting to evaluate the possibility of a repair.
Replacing the disk or power supply is very feasible on this type of old hardware (for only a few dollars) and you should certainly find tutorials on numerous yt videos that explain the procedure.
The first step is diagnosis, as suggested in the previous e-mail.
But if the machine was suitable for your friend's personal use, it would be interesting to evaluate the possibility of a repair.
Replacing the disk or power supply is very feasible on this type of old hardware (for only a few dollars) and you should certainly find tutorials on numerous yt videos that explain the procedure.
The first step is diagnosis, as suggested in the previous e-mail.
Last edited:
2018 Mini. The last of the Intels, but still very usable (typing on one now).
27" display (either a cheaper 4k, OR a 1080p).
27" display (either a cheaper 4k, OR a 1080p).
I agree....it's worth seeing if a repair is possible.
If it's just the internal HD that's failed, then the old iMac could be made functional again using an external SSD. The failed internal doesn't even have to be replaced
The 2017 iMac 4k machines have an incredible price/performance value as of summer 2024. They can be had with quad core i5, Radeon 555, and 256 SSD for ~$200 on eBay. You can run Ventura or Linux on them natively, or use openCore to install Sonoma. They even run Windows 11 great if you bypass the 8th generation CPU requirement.
I need to look into this. As long as the computer isn’t too old, this would likely be the best bet. He has been without a working computer for some time and I only recently found out about it.
A true Thunderbolt drive would theoretically be an ideal external boot device, but you’d need a proper one ideally. A usb-c drive such as Samsung t7 might suffice briefly to get it booting to diagnose any issues if it’s just the internal boot drive that’s gone.
fusion drive makes it slightly more complicated - that’s a tiny ssd on motherboard coupled with traditional hard drive.
I would only get a Mac with M series chip since it will support the later operating systems and will get security updates. A computer isn't worth it if the software stops running on it. Get a mac mini and a cheap smaller monitor. The Apple refurbished store has great deals.
If it's pre-retina, then the display quality would be easier to match with other monitors (21.5" HD / 27" QHD)
For how inexpensive an M1 Mac mini is, I'd say that there's not really much of a point to anything earlier. If an all-in-one is a must, 2019 and 2020 Intel iMacs are still supported. However, who knows for how much longer. iMacs did have M1 and M3 versions; they're both pricier than they ought to be (and relative to other Macs sold with the same computing power), but if you can find a good deal, those aren't bad either.
Depends on the use.
Do they need cloud/subscription software? The newest version of TurboTax every year? If they need the newest version of specific name brand software then it ought to be something with Sequoia support, and going ahead and getting Apple Silicon is probably a good idea (but honorable mention to 2019 iMacs and the 2018 mini).
However if they only need web browser updates and will otherwise keep using the same installed software version year by year then +1 for the 2017 4K/5K iMac as a good old/cheap pick. USB-C, and a Retina display. Bonus points if you find a used model that comes with an SSD or buy through a reseller such as OWC that will preinstall RAM/SSD upgrades. (note: skip the 21.5" non-retina model, and if the model doesn't have an internal SSD budget for an external SSD to use as the MacOS startup drive). Should be less than $400 for a 4K or less than $800 for a 5K.
Do they need cloud/subscription software? The newest version of TurboTax every year? If they need the newest version of specific name brand software then it ought to be something with Sequoia support, and going ahead and getting Apple Silicon is probably a good idea (but honorable mention to 2019 iMacs and the 2018 mini).
However if they only need web browser updates and will otherwise keep using the same installed software version year by year then +1 for the 2017 4K/5K iMac as a good old/cheap pick. USB-C, and a Retina display. Bonus points if you find a used model that comes with an SSD or buy through a reseller such as OWC that will preinstall RAM/SSD upgrades. (note: skip the 21.5" non-retina model, and if the model doesn't have an internal SSD budget for an external SSD to use as the MacOS startup drive). Should be less than $400 for a 4K or less than $800 for a 5K.