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So, i5 upgrade on 21,5" worths or not?

Best iMac value

I think the base iMac is a terrific deal for most users. It stands up fairly well compared to the more expensive options. See the Macworld benchmarks here:

21.5- and 27-inch iMacs (Mid 2010)

Saying that, the iMac i3 3.2 is also a very capable machine plus you get the better graphics card and bigger storage. It still doesn't account for the price hike over the base model - but if it makes you feel better that's the machine I'd go for. I'd save the $200 extra that I'd spend on the i5 for more memory or Applecare. Or put the money towards an iPad...
 
I found this site called cpubenchmark.net. Here are some scores:

i3 540 - 2774
i3 550 - 2794

i5 680 - 3179

i5 750 - 4209 (like the one in 2009 iMac)
i5 760 - 4508

i7 860 - 5823 (like the one in 2009 iMac)
i7 870 - 6156

It seems that the difference between the old and the new quadcore cpus is roughtly 300 points. I've read that the performance difference between the old and the new is not enough to justify an upgrade. So this would mean that 300 points doesn't really show in real-life usage.

The difference between i3 550 and i5 680 is a little under 400 points. That's significantly more than the difference between the i3's but it's nowhere near the difference you get when you move from quadcore i5 to i7: roughly 1600 points. You can see why so many people opt for the i7 as it is clearly faster than the quadcore i5. You can also see why it is so difficult to choose between the i3 and the dual core i5.

The differences between the i3s definately show why people think the base model is the sweet spot: unless you need the extra space and the better GPU you don't get much from going from i3 540 to i3 550.
 
Tigerman82 said:
I found this site called cpubenchmark.net. Here are some scores:
Click to expand...

Okay, but those scores are for the processors, not the actual computers, and they explain some initial assessments of the models. They don't necessarily take in effect clocking or how well the OS is integrated. The geekbench scores, which is a respected source for such information, are coming in much more in favor of the i5 model. It a good deal if you have a little extra money at your disposal.

Compare:

i5 3.6 http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/search?q=imac+i5+680&commit=Search

i3 3.2 http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/search?q=imac+i3+550&commit=Search

i3 3.06 http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/search?q=imac+i3+540&commit=Search
 
My own belief was you want the fastest 21.5" iMac, get the i5. Which is what I did. I see lots of posts of people trying to justify cost/performance and other intangibles. To me it's worth it no question. I'll sit happy knowing this is as good as it gets (21.5" versions) in 2010.

Whether that translates into 60 seconds faster encoding a video, 120 seconds faster compiling my programs or 10 fps faster in a game, the only way to get it is an extra $200 and I'll pay that.
 
So i got today a notice from apple that my CTO i5 21.5" is delayed and won't ship until some point end of next week...maybe. So i cancelled the order and got the 27" i7 refurb. an hour after doing so my status said it was prepared for shipment.
 
This is like the Godfather, everytime I make my decision to go with the i3 3.2 in the high end 21.5" iMac, you guys keep pulling me back in to get the i5 3.6 dual core. Its an extra $180 for me w/ my discount, plus the wait time, plus the fear if something goes wrong, it goes back to the factory, not to the Genius Bar.

hmmm...decisions, decisions. :confused:
 
SiMBa37 said:
This is like the Godfather, everytime I make my decision to go with the i3 3.2 in the high end 21.5" iMac, you guys keep pulling me back in to get the i5 3.6 dual core. Its an extra $180 for me w/ my discount, plus the wait time, plus the fear if something goes wrong, it goes back to the factory, not to the Genius Bar.
Click to expand...

I guess we who are stressing about this the most should just go ahead and buy the i5 upgrade -- especially as I too will get the discount. That way we don't have to second guess whether our iMacs could have been better. I did think about if the i5 (being among the highest clockspeed cpu's Intel has ever made) would cause heat problems but I'm sure with the 32nm technology and Apple's quality this isn't worth stressing about.

I will probably order the iMac, my first Mac, within 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I just ordered 2x2 gigs of RAM from Crucial to the new iMac (making the total RAM amount 8 gigs). Got a good deal too (Crucial is of course one of the best memory brands you can choose for a Mac and their online prices are great). I paid $130 (including shipping) for the 2x2 gigs which where I'm from is an amazing deal.
 
Tigerman82 said:
I found this site called cpubenchmark.net. Here are some scores:

i3 540 - 2774
i3 550 - 2794

i5 680 - 3179

i5 750 - 4209 (like the one in 2009 iMac)
i5 760 - 4508

i7 930 - 5823 (like the one in 2009 iMac)
i7 940 - 6156

It seems that the difference between the old and the new quadcore cpus is roughtly 300 points. I've read that the performance difference between the old and the new is not enough to justify an upgrade. So this would mean that 300 points doesn't really show in real-life usage.

The difference between i3 550 and i5 680 is a little under 400 points. That's significantly more than the difference between the i3's but it's nowhere near the difference you get when you move from quadcore i5 to i7: roughly 1600 points. You can see why so many people opt for the i7 as it is clearly faster than the quadcore i5. You can also see why it is so difficult to choose between the i3 and the dual core i5.

The differences between the i3s definately show why people think the base model is the sweet spot: unless you need the extra space and the better GPU you don't get much from going from i3 540 to i3 550.
Click to expand...

Actually, Apple is not using the 900 series i7 chips in their iMacs.

The 2009 used the i7-860 and the 2010 uses the 870.
 
Tigerman82 said:
I will probably order the iMac, my first Mac, within 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I just ordered 2x2 gigs of RAM from Crucial to the new iMac (making the total RAM amount 8 gigs). Got a good deal too (Crucial is of course one of the best memory brands you can choose for a Mac and their online prices are great). I paid $130 (including shipping) for the 2x2 gigs which where I'm from is an amazing deal.
Click to expand...

I think I'll wait until December or January to upgrade the RAM to 12gb. If there's one thing we know for sure, RAM prices drop dramatically.

In the meantime, enjoy your Mac! :)
 
Finally someone has made the 64-bit Geekbench test with iMac 21.5" i5. Can I get some drum roll... 7801 points!!!

In comparison:

i3 3.2GhZ - 6600
i5 2.66GhZ (quad core) - 7450
i5 2.8GhZ (quad core) - 8000

So overall, in Geekbench (be it as crappy real-life performance indicator as possible) the iMac 21.5" i5 is significantly faster, in both 32-bit and 64-bit, than the iMac 27" quad core i5 of the previous generation. Furthermore, it is very close to the current generation iMac 27" quad core i5.

That put the final nail in the coffin of my decision: iMac 21.5" i5 all the way, baby!!!

What's more, some guy had a theory that you have a better chance of getting a trouble-free iMac if you get the i5 upgrade as that means it will be a BTO iMac. Apparently it could be possible that non-BTO iMacs, being of the shelf, are getting damaged by the excess shipping -- BTO models spend less time in transit.
 
I went and ordered the 21.5" iMac with the i5 upgrade as it is clearly worth it. I will talk about it (when it arrives) in one of those "new iMac" threads.
 
Tigerman82 said:
I went and ordered the 21.5" iMac with the i5 upgrade as it is clearly worth it. I will talk about it (when it arrives) in one of those "new iMac" threads.
Click to expand...

I guess if you're doing serious video editing or running games like Crysis or GTA4 you will see a noticeable difference, otherwise I doubt you can see any difference.
 
gtking said:
I guess if you're doing serious video editing or running games like Crysis or GTA4 you will see a noticeable difference, otherwise I doubt you can see any difference.
Click to expand...

Well I probably won't see a difference since I'm very much a basic user. I do know about 'advanced stuff' but mostly I just surf the net (1-4 browser windows), listen to Spotify, lightly edit pics with Photoshop Elements and write something with Word etc. I did use to play CS: Source but nowadays I play mostly with my Wii.

Anyway, I know the i5 upgrade and the extra 2x2 gigs of RAM are probably somewhat of an overkill, but as this iMac will be my one and only computer for at least four years and preferably more, I wanted to make sure it would be up to some of the 'advanced stuff' that might come to mind.
 
3.60GHZ INTEL CORE I5
4GB 1333MHZ DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB
1TB SERIAL ATA DRIVE
ATI RADEON HD 5670 512MB GDDR3
8X DOUBLE-LAYER SUPERDRIVE
APPLE MAGIC MOUSE-Z
WL KB & USER'S GUIDE-ESP
COUNTRY KIT,IMAC 21.5-INCH-IEA
Click to expand...

Just ordered. Hope to have it here next week.

Tigerman82, have yours arrived?
 
I can't wait anymore, and I have only waited 20 minutes :p

I finally decided over i5 cause I think it can give one more year than i3.

Now, I have to get a Magic Trackprad, a Battery Charger, an Apple Remote...:eek:
 
diegobgr said:
I can't wait anymore, and I have only waited 20 minutes :p
Click to expand...

I know the feeling. :D However, I guess my reason for impatience is my credit card. As I've been waiting for the iMac I've got urges to buy accessories and software for it -- probably something I won't even need. Luckily I've bought most of what I wanted beforehand: Logitech Dinovo for Mac keyboard, Logitech Performance Mouse MX, Photosphop Elements 8, 2x2 gigs of extra RAM (which I know regret as RAM prices seem to be going down and even though I got a good deal I could have waited and coped with the 4 gigs of RAM). Hopefully the iMac will be on time so that I don't buy anything more on impulse. :p

If you are wondering about the peripherals... The Mac keyboard and the Magic Mouse don't suit me; I do like stylish design peripherals but also the kind which are ergonomic. For my hands, those Logitech stylish peripherals are more suitable (the Apple keyboard feels too small and the Magic Mouse is too flat and not ergonomic enough).
 
Yes, well, I really like both Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse. But if I don't find them confortable, I have a good wireless keyboard and laser mouse from Logitech.

I'm not going to buy anything else right now. Well, maybe the Apple Dock and Apple Remote.

But Battery Charger, Magic Trackpad...I don't really need it, I just like them.

I think that I have enough for a while with an iMac and an iPhone.;)
 
3.60GHZ INTEL CORE I5
4GB 1333MHZ DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB
1TB SERIAL ATA DRIVE
ATI RADEON HD 5670 512MB GDDR3
8X DOUBLE-LAYER SUPERDRIVE
APPLE MAGIC MOUSE-Z
WL KB & USER'S GUIDE-ESP
COUNTRY KIT,IMAC 21.5-INCH-IEA
Click to expand...

Same deal here, I "came around" and decided to go for the i5 after the impressive geekbench scores.

I ordered it on 8/9/10 in the evening, still hasn't even been processed for shipping yet. I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow as the processing day.

I'll post a review once I get it, after all, it'll be my first mac after 25+ years of owning PC's.
 
Well after those very positive Geekbench-scores Macworld brings us closer to earth: http://www.macworld.com/article/153385/2010/08/36ghzcorei5_imac.html?t=

Their benchmarks show that compared to the 3.2GhZ i3 the performance gains of the dual core i5 are quite modest. Many of us what the situation would be in terms of gaming. Well Macworld did benchmark Call of Duty 4 and the results were: the i3 81.4 FPS, the i5 82 FPS.

Anyway, I'm still glad that I chose the i5-option as it brings some performance boost to the game and I did buy the iMac with the education discount -> the i5 upgrade wasn't that costly. Moreover, having the best cpu available for the 21.5" doesn't make you wonder if you only paid a little more for the better component. However, I do feel that for the 27" iMacs the i5 3.6GhZ is NOT worths.
 
Tigerman82 said:
Well after those very positive Geekbench-scores Macworld brings us closer to earth: http://www.macworld.com/article/153385/2010/08/36ghzcorei5_imac.html?t=

Their benchmarks show that compared to the 3.2GhZ i3 the performance gains of the dual core i5 are quite modest. Many of us what the situation would be in terms of gaming. Well Macworld did benchmark Call of Duty 4 and the results were: the i3 81.4 FPS, the i5 82 FPS.

Anyway, I'm still glad that I chose the i5-option as it brings some performance boost to the game and I did buy the iMac with the education discount -> the i5 upgrade wasn't that costly. Moreover, having the best cpu available for the 21.5" doesn't make you wonder if you only paid a little more for the better component. However, I do feel that for the 27" iMacs the i5 3.6GhZ is NOT worths.
Click to expand...

That review was disappointing in that the stock SuperDrive brand they had seemed crippled when it came to Handbrake rips, the drive had riplock. Someone posted in the comments that you can get around that by ripping to ISO then Handbrake the ISO, but still....seems like a crap shoot which SuperDrive you'll get.
 
Please:
Can someone tell me the difference between the iMac 21.5-inch 3.2GHz i3 and the 3.60GHz i5 in practical layman terms and is there really any difference between them :confused:
 
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