Suggestion for mid-2011 27" i7 replacement?

[GlynH]

Hi there,

Been hanging on far too long to my old Macs (mid-2010 Mac Pro, mid-2011 iMac 27", mid-2012 MacBook Pro 13" and 15", late-2012 Mac Mini. mid-2013 MacBook Air none of which even has a retina display) and have held MacOS at 10.13.6 High Sierra to keep software continuity across them all despite some being capable of running Mojave or Catalina and the MBA tapping out at Big Sur.

I did consider picking up a 6,1 Trashcan Mac Pro but I think the time has come to move onwards & upwards to a machine that can run the latest MacOS and maybe even a future iteration or two and I *think* I would like to get a newer iMac.

Budget is a huge consideration as I'm not awash with cash any more so can some kind soul recommend a suitable 27" iMac candidate that might keep me happy for the next couple of years please?

I don't know what the 'sweet spot' model year of iMac might be but I would like to maintain the opportunity to fit a larger SSD internally at some point as I have to all of my old models which all sport 1TB SSD's apart from the iMac which has an additional 2TB SSD and the MP which has 3TB of SSD, a 16TB spinner and still has 3 HDD bays free!

What model year iMac should I be looking at please?

I realise it will be different strokes for different folks but once I have some suggestions from you guys to narrow the field I can research further and see what ticks the boxes for me.

I'm also tempted to consolidate to a single desktop and single laptop and so plan to upgrade to a later model MBP at some point but I guess that will be a question for another forum at another time!

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

 

[Fishrrman]

"I would like to maintain the opportunity to fit a larger SSD internally at some point"

Unless you want to buy "older stuff", the day of "the replaceable drive" is OVER for Macintosh.

2020 iMacs have soldered-in SSDs, not upgradeable.

2019 and earlier iMacs may have replaceable drives, depending on the model.

Are you in the USA?
See this, from the MacRumors front page a couple of days back:

2020 Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display (27-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage)

iMac performance is at an all-time high with tenth-generation Intel Core processors, powerful AMD Radeon Pro 5000 series graphics, ultrafast SSD storage, Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) connectivity. And it all comes to life on a stunning 27-inch Retina 5K display with one billion colors and 500 nits of br...

www.amazon.com

Great price, you won't do better than that (even if the drive isn't removable).

 

[padams35]

If you don't need top performance then 2017 seems to be a sweat point. That gets you all the modern TB3/USB-C connectivity and official Ventura support for a price not much higher than a Late 2015.

On the other hand, if you expect to match/exceed the performance of your 2010 Mac Pro you may need a 2019 or 2020, but finding one with an 8GB GPU or cashing out for an eGPU solution will push the price upward.


Also check craigslist for local offers. The sweat deal in your locality may differ.

 

[pshufd]

I have a 2014 and am quite happy with it though I would upgrade to a 2019 or 2020 at the right price. I have the 2014 up for sale and it's maxed out except for the SSD (500 GB instead of the top-end 1 TB). My asking is $400 and I've only received one offer for $350 so you may be able to get these for $350.

I would also consider the 6-core i5 models in the 2019 and 2020 models as I have used them in the Apple Store and performance is decent. I'd skip the 2015 models as it's very expensive to max out the RAM.

OWC has late refurb models that are attractively priced.

I prefer to buy stuff on Craigslist and used iMac prices have plunged because of Apple Silicon. I just really love the concept of the iMac and the lack of cable clutter with them. I do not know if they are going to do a new 27 inch or larger in 2023. I'd guess that their priorities are the MacBooks, mini and Pro.

 

[wpdv]

Hi there,

Been hanging on far too long to my old Macs (mid-2010 Mac Pro, mid-2011 iMac 27", mid-2012 MacBook Pro 13" and 15", late-2012 Mac Mini. mid-2013 MacBook Air none of which even has a retina display) and have held MacOS at 10.13.6 High Sierra to keep software continuity across them all despite some being capable of running Mojave or Catalina and the MBA tapping out at Big Sur.

I did consider picking up a 6,1 Trashcan Mac Pro but I think the time has come to move onwards & upwards to a machine that can run the latest MacOS and maybe even a future iteration or two and I *think* I would like to get a newer iMac.

Budget is a huge consideration as I'm not awash with cash any more so can some kind soul recommend a suitable 27" iMac candidate that might keep me happy for the next couple of years please?

I don't know what the 'sweet spot' model year of iMac might be but I would like to maintain the opportunity to fit a larger SSD internally at some point as I have to all of my old models which all sport 1TB SSD's apart from the iMac which has an additional 2TB SSD and the MP which has 3TB of SSD, a 16TB spinner and still has 3 HDD bays free!

What model year iMac should I be looking at please?

I realise it will be different strokes for different folks but once I have some suggestions from you guys to narrow the field I can research further and see what ticks the boxes for me.

I'm also tempted to consolidate to a single desktop and single laptop and so plan to upgrade to a later model MBP at some point but I guess that will be a question for another forum at another time!

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

Just ordered a 'refurbished' 2020 27" iMac here from Apple (3.8 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB, 1TB SSD). Apple provides a 1 year warranty, I added AppleCare+ for iMac. Delivery was very fast. I bookmarked the page and checked back throughout the day over a few days and found exactly what I was looking for. Looks brand new and saved a bunch. Planning on connecting my (mid-2010 27") old iMac to it soon. They look identical sitting side by side on my desk . I should add that the 1TB SSD is soldered in. It won't be upgradable by us mere mortals, like earlier models.

 

[GDF]

Just ordered a 'refurbished' 2020 27" iMac here from Apple (3.8 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB, 1TB SSD). Apple provides a 1 year warranty, I added AppleCare+ for iMac. Delivery was very fast. I bookmarked the page and checked back throughout the day over a few days and found exactly what I was looking for. Looks brand new and saved a bunch. Planning on connecting my (mid-2010 27") old iMac to it soon. They look identical sitting side by side on my desk . I should add that the 1TB SSD is soldered in. It won't be upgradable by us mere mortals, like earlier models.

That is a good deal. The 16gb ram version also does not seem like a bad deal. How will performance compare to the M1 line in the Mac Mini? I have a late 2012 27 iMac and have considered doing what you did or going with the Studio Display and a M1 Mac Mini with 16gb/1TB. Or waiting it out for a new Mac Mini or possible iMac 27, but could be a long wait on both.

With the deal you posted or some of the Black Friday deals, the iMac 2020 is a solid deal right now.

 

[pshufd]

That is a good deal. The 16gb ram version also does not seem like a bad deal. How will performance compare to the M1 line in the Mac Mini? I have a late 2012 27 iMac and have considered doing what you did or going with the Studio Display and a M1 Mac Mini with 16gb/1TB. Or waiting it out for a new Mac Mini or possible iMac 27, but could be a long wait on both.

With the deal you posted or some of the Black Friday deals, the iMac 2020 is a solid deal right now.

The 2020 i7 should be comparable in multi-threaded performance. The mini is a lot faster in single-threaded.

 

[wpdv]

Today my cable arrived, to connect my mid-2010 27" iMac (as an extended display) to my 2020 27" iMac. Work's like a charm!! I posted the details here for those interested.

 

[GlynH]

Thanks for taking the time to reply guys...still procrastinating about the best way forwards for me.

Thinking budget was going to be a problem I've managed to sell some gear and so have more than I thought I would so have expanded my horizons more than a bit all the way up to a used 2019 28-Core Mac Pro with 2TB/384GB/D700 for £8.5k from the same dealer I purchased my 2010 Mac Pro from but its been sold now which is probably just as well really as I was toying with the idea of using PayPal over the 3 monthly payment option.

They've also sold the 2013 Trashcan I had half-an-eye on which is also probably a blessing in disguise.

Difficult trying to be sensible here...broke at the moment but expecting a lump of cash before Christmas and its already burning a hole in my pocket.

I am based in the UK so most of those $ deals are out for me I'm afraid but appreciate the replies.

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-