Right now I have the 2.16GHz 20" iMac which is about 2.5 years old. I already started to experience some hiccups using some programs and considering an upgrade to get rid of the hiccups. The days I have been using the iMac I always wished I bought an higher end mac. I don't mind paying $2500 for the new higher end iMac w/o SSD and ram upgrade but was wondering if the 27" i5 would suffice? as I come from a core 2 duo 2.16GHz machine?
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Which iMac would you suggest for me
- Thread starter vigu360
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Well...it would be faster certainly. But reading your post, you seem to lament not having purchased the fastest/most powerful iMac 2.5 years ago.
So, based on your previous behavior, you might want to think about getting the beefiest i7 setup you can get so you will have no buyer's remorse.
Yet, any of the new systems will be a marked increase in what you have now of course.
So, based on your previous behavior, you might want to think about getting the beefiest i7 setup you can get so you will have no buyer's remorse.
Yet, any of the new systems will be a marked increase in what you have now of course.
Thanks guys finally got this spec
27-inch iMac
Z0M7
Custom configuration
3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5
Hope this configuration runs for another 3 to 4 years. Which I guess will based on my previous experience.
Another question I have is how much RAM do I need to add? Should I add 8GB more or 4GB is sufficient. My needs are for software development, photoshop, iMovie HD video encoding. May be Final Cut.
27-inch iMac
Z0M7
Custom configuration
3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5
Hope this configuration runs for another 3 to 4 years. Which I guess will based on my previous experience.
Another question I have is how much RAM do I need to add? Should I add 8GB more or 4GB is sufficient. My needs are for software development, photoshop, iMovie HD video encoding. May be Final Cut.
Easiest way to determine if you have enough memory: spend a day running your applications then open Activity Monitor. Look at "System Memory". If the amount of Page Ins is at least 8 times the amount of Page Outs you are fine.
OTOH, memory is inexpensive, so if in doubt buy more, but you will probably find 4GB is enough.
OTOH, memory is inexpensive, so if in doubt buy more, but you will probably find 4GB is enough.
Thanks!! with the new update that iMac has Z68 chipset, does that apply to all iMacs or just the ones with SSD+HDD option? I went ahead and cancelled the order to avoid disappointment
I bought a first generation aluminum iMac in Aug. 2007. 24" 2.8 Ghz Extreme with 2GB RAM and 750GB HDD.
I am getting ready to upgrade. My uses are similar, and my machine at 4 years old is showing its age a bit but not terribly. I plan to get either the base 27" or the 3.1 i5 27" for $300 more. The only real deciding factor is whether the machine I use for the next 3-6 years will suffer with the 512 6770 vs the 1GB 6970. Other than that the i7 is overkill for my needs and the processing power will go mostly to waste.
I am getting ready to upgrade. My uses are similar, and my machine at 4 years old is showing its age a bit but not terribly. I plan to get either the base 27" or the 3.1 i5 27" for $300 more. The only real deciding factor is whether the machine I use for the next 3-6 years will suffer with the 512 6770 vs the 1GB 6970. Other than that the i7 is overkill for my needs and the processing power will go mostly to waste.
Awesome decision. Add another 4GB so you have 8 and you are good. So-Dimm Ram is cheap atm. so go for it.
Thanks!! with the new update that iMac has Z68 chipset, does that apply to all iMacs or just the ones with SSD+HDD option? I went ahead and cancelled the order to avoid disappointment
Disappointment with what? It will be far faster than your current system, even without the SSD drive. In the future you can add an external SSD drive via Thunderbolt to use that for system and program files. It should be every bit as good if not better than hybrid schemes using the chipset.
Without a crystal ball it's hard to tell, but in general the extra graphic RAM is only useful for gaming and 3D graphics. A faster GPU could help in the future if processing tasks are offloaded to the GPU (examples today -- Aperture and some video processing), but if you don't think an i7 is necessary then the faster GPU won't be either.
My only concern with the GPU is the evolution of the OS. We can already see that Lion will do more animation and iOS type stuff and that with Grand Central, open GL?, and things like that evolving I wouldn't want a machine that in 3 years couldn't do and OS upgrade as well. I typically do every OS release.
However, I don't do that much photo or video editing, have only really messed with Aperture a little, and little to no gaming, so if the 6770 can handle all that and be decent still down the road, I am almost set on the base 27. In the past I would have opted for the 3.1 i5 or i7 BTO, but my needs are such that the extra $300-500 isn't really well spent.
I can't imagine any Mac being sold today not being able to run the next OS after Lion. The only people that have been "burned" this way were those that bought Power-PC Macs in their last year of sale, but there was an advance warning. The Intel Macs that won't run Lion all came originally with Tiger, and they had two OS upgrades.
your gonna need the following
-3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
-16GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x4GB [Add $630.00]
-2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive [Add $750.00]
-AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5 [Add $100.00]
-Apple Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad [Add $69.00]
might i also suggest all the added software and applecare and apple one to one
yours truly: apple shareholder ;-)
-3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
-16GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x4GB [Add $630.00]
-2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive [Add $750.00]
-AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5 [Add $100.00]
-Apple Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad [Add $69.00]
might i also suggest all the added software and applecare and apple one to one
yours truly: apple shareholder ;-)