Which model of 27-inch iMac with Retina 5k display?

[kindaichi81]

Deciding to get a 27-inch iMac with 5k Retina display but could not decide which model to get.

Just would like to get the model that is most worth for the value given the price difference vs the extra spec get.

 

[trsblader]

Without knowing what you do with said machine, base model and not a penny more. If you want better and more accurate suggestions, we'd need to know what you plan to use this machine for. Buying a million dollar sports car to putt around downtown isn't the best use of money, and neither is buying a max'd out iMac just to browse YouTube.

 

[kindaichi81]

Without knowing what you do with said machine, base model and not a penny more. If you want better and more accurate suggestions, we'd need to know what you plan to use this machine for. Buying a million dollar sports car to putt around downtown isn't the best use of money, and neither is buying a max'd out iMac just to browse YouTube.

I am not doing any photo or video editing or gaming, instead I will using for general productivity work such as ms office, web browsing, video viewing etc. I will run VMs sometimes for my work.

I am wiling to spend on something overkilled if the price difference vs the extra spec I get is worth the money.

 

[trsblader]

Are you dead set on a new 2017 model? I'd go find a refurb'd 15" and save some money. Nothing you're doing demands the brand new machine or top of the line specs. My 2011 does everything you're doing, and more, without breaking a sweat. Having killer specs doesn't do much if you don't take advantage of them. If you have the extra money, find a refurb with an ssd or take the absolute base model 27" and upgrade the ssd. Keep an eye on your ram usage and if necessary go find a cheap 16gb kit and install yourself.

 

[kindaichi81]

Are you dead set on a new 2017 model? I'd go find a refurb'd 15" and save some money. Nothing you're doing demands the brand new machine or top of the line specs. My 2011 does everything you're doing, and more, without breaking a sweat. Having killer specs doesn't do much if you don't take advantage of them. If you have the extra money, find a refurb with an ssd or take the absolute base model 27" and upgrade the ssd. Keep an eye on your ram usage and if necessary go find a cheap 16gb kit and install yourself.

I will only get the 2017 version if i am going for iMac. 2017 has very significant upgrade on everything, including the display, ssd speed, cpu, graphic etc. it is more worthwhile to go for 2017 even there is discount for refurbished old models.

i won't upgrade the ram yet if i am purchasing iMac from Apple. i will only test to see if 8gb can meet my need before i consider upgrade the ram by purchasing outside.

 

[trsblader]

I will only get the 2017 version if i am going for iMac. 2017 has very significant upgrade on everything, including the display, ssd speed, cpu, graphic etc. it is more worthwhile to go for 2017 even there is discount for refurbished old models.

This is subjective to your definition of very significant, but the SSD is almost identical in performance, the CPU performance is negligible in most cases (Google some reviews. Most are pretty negative about the lack of performance increase in the latest Intel chips over the last generation), and although the graphics probably are better, you're not doing anything that utilizes the GPU so you won't see any gain from it. Perhaps the biggest advantage of the 2017's over the 2015's is the thunderbolt3 and USB-C addition, but it doesn't sound like you will be utilizing these. If you're still dead set on buying a 2017 over a refurb'd 2015 then stick with the base model 27" with upgraded ssd. For the light amount of work you throw at it, the warranty will run out and Apple will discontinue support and parts for it long before that machine needs upgraded.

 

[paulryp]

Just get the bottom of the range but make sure you get the SSD option and not the fusion drive also 16gig ram. i5 is fine. Or refurb with SSD. SSD SSD SSD i cant say it enough.

 

[kindaichi81]

This is subjective to your definition of very significant, but the SSD is almost identical in performance, the CPU performance is negligible in most cases (Google some reviews. Most are pretty negative about the lack of performance increase in the latest Intel chips over the last generation), and although the graphics probably are better, you're not doing anything that utilizes the GPU so you won't see any gain from it. Perhaps the biggest advantage of the 2017's over the 2015's is the thunderbolt3 and USB-C addition, but it doesn't sound like you will be utilizing these. If you're still dead set on buying a 2017 over a refurb'd 2015 then stick with the base model 27" with upgraded ssd. For the light amount of work you throw at it, the warranty will run out and Apple will discontinue support and parts for it long before that machine needs upgraded.

the upgrade is very significant actually. below are the 2015 and 2017 based model iMac 5k comparison. Even the price for the across all segment model of iMac 5k, apple drops the price as well comparing to 2015. Unless the refurbished model or discounted model is super super super cheap even after minus off the discount from apple for this year iMac, else i seriously do not see the reason to buy 2015.

Yes, i only prefer 2017, either model is fine,just need to know which one has the best value based on the price paid vs the extra obtained.

1) Skylake vs Kabe Lake - Faster and more powerful than ever, iMac is now equipped with seventh‑generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and the latest high‑performance graphics.
2) 3.2 vs 3.4 Ghz
3) Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz vs Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
4) 1TB (7200-rpm) hard drive vs 1TB Fusion Drive - Storage kicks into high gear as well, with the speedy and spacious Fusion Drive now available in standard configurations of both the 27-inch and 21.5-inch Retina models. So you can do everything you love to do on iMac. All at maximum velocity.
5) AMD Radeon R9 M380 graphics processor with 2GB of GDDR5 memory vs Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory - 1.4X faster video editing/1.5X faster gaming/1.4X faster 3D graphics
6) Two Thunderbolt 2 ports vs Two Thunderbolt 3 ports - Double the speed and bandwidth of the previous generation. Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports come standard on all iMac models, each delivering up to 40 Gbps data transfer for external drives and cameras and twice the bandwidth for video and display connectivity.
7) Retina 5K display with IPS technology vs Retina 5K 5120x2880 P3 display - 43% brighter than previous model/1billion colours/The Retina display shines even more vividly on the new iMac. With one billion colours and 500 nits of brightness, graphics leap off the screen in a whole new light.
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Just get the bottom of the range but make sure you get the SSD option and not the fusion drive also 16gig ram. i5 is fine. Or refurb with SSD. SSD SSD SSD i cant say it enough.

yes, no matter which model i choose, i will go with 512GB SSD. I won't choose the fusion drive at all. SSD is the way to go.

16GB Ram I believe i can add in the 8GB later rite?

 

[Fishrrman]

My thoughts:

Upgrade the fusion drive to either a:
256gb SSD -- $100 more
or
512gb SSD -- $300 more

Also, get the 3.5ghz "mid-level" model. For the extra $200 you get a "7600" CPU (vis-a-vis the "7500" in the baseline model), and a modestly faster GPU.

Add RAM yourself.

This should give you an iMac that costs only a little more, yet will have "the legs" to stay competitive a little while longer.

 

[trsblader]

1) Skylake vs Kabe Lake - Faster and more powerful than ever, iMac is now equipped with seventh‑generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and the latest high‑performance graphics.
2) 3.2 vs 3.4 Ghz
3) Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz vs Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
5) AMD Radeon R9 M380 graphics processor with 2GB of GDDR5 memory vs Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory - 1.4X faster video editing/1.5X faster gaming/1.4X faster 3D graphics

We may have to agree to disagree on this. Benchmarks show, even with that 200mhz increase, 10% if that performance increases in most cases. 10% is not "very significant" to me. If benchmarks cannot show a significant difference, your day to day work of documents and watching videos won't either. I'd bet that if you went side by side with a 2015 and a 2017 not knowing in advance which was which, both with SSD's, you'd not be able to tell the difference between a 3.2 and a 3.4 machine. For #5, having a better GPU only matters if you actually use the GPU. Your indicated workflow does not, so I wouldn't be trying to buy the best GPU you can afford. Save that money and buy upgraded ram if you need it, or put it towards AppleCare cost if you choose to buy AppleCare.

I respect you've done some research, but I based on your quotes from the manufacturer's, I fear you've read the brochure but not seen the real life results. 200mhz is just not impressive or noticeable. It just isn't. That's all I'm trying to get at here. I was dead set on a new 2017 machine until I started reading reviews, looking at benchmarks, and comparing real life results for my workflow. You can (though they're quickly being scooped up) find authorized 3rd party re-sellers selling the 2015's with ssd for $1700 or so, vs that $2,000 plus you'll spend on the 2017. You could potentially find a refurb, buy Apple care, buy extra ram, and end up with a machine equivalent or better than the 2017 for slightly less money. Based on your workflow I don't even think you need an SSD but I know around here SSD's are deemed important even for grandma's reading email once a week. If you stayed with a 2tb fusion, which includes a 128gb ssd portion, you could easily find 3rd party resellers who have these in stock. If you don't buy AppleCare or extra ram, then you've got a nice chunk of savings. If you look at actual benchmarks and reviews and still feel the 2017 is the best option, then by all means go for it.

I'm also basing my recommendation off your posted workflow which included zero gaming, photo, and video editing but just a VM, some office docs, watching videos, and web browsing. You (and I in another post) mentioned the inclusion of thunderbolt 3 ports, which are fantastic....if you have thunderbolt 3 peripherals. Hooking up extra monitors or using external thunderbolt or usb 3 storage would be another reason for the 2017's, but you don't mention having or using any of this so I left it out. Plus, if you are just using these external enclosures for transferring tiny documents, there's no way you'll notice a difference between the 2017 and 2015 I/O speeds. Now when you start trying to transfer multiple gig files on a regular basis, then we can talk about I/O speeds.

EDIT: Here's a top hit if you google skylake vs kaby lake. Feel free to read through it all but also look at their final notes. http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/graphics-cards-pc-upgrades/kaby-lake-vs-skylake-3658183/

Edit2: It's crazy to me how many people actually voted for the top of the line iMac for office docs and web browsing. My goodness is that a waste of money and total overkill.

 

[kindaichi81]

My thoughts:

Upgrade the fusion drive to either a:
256gb SSD -- $100 more
or
512gb SSD -- $300 more

Also, get the 3.5ghz "mid-level" model. For the extra $200 you get a "7600" CPU (vis-a-vis the "7500" in the baseline model), and a modestly faster GPU.

Add RAM yourself.

This should give you an iMac that costs only a little more, yet will have "the legs" to stay competitive a little while longer.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[kindaichi81]

This configuration seems to allow biggest bang for buck.

 

[SaSaSushi]

This configuration seems to allow biggest bang for buck.

Excellent choice.

 

[lowkey]

You don't need "the legs" to run productivity suite. Hell im on a base 2015 at work using word, excel, outlook, indesign and light occasional photoshop and have no problems at all. There's no way anyone needs mid tier with an upgrade to SSD to do any of that.

My thoughts:

Upgrade the fusion drive to either a:
256gb SSD -- $100 more
or
512gb SSD -- $300 more

Also, get the 3.5ghz "mid-level" model. For the extra $200 you get a "7600" CPU (vis-a-vis the "7500" in the baseline model), and a modestly faster GPU.

Add RAM yourself.

This should give you an iMac that costs only a little more, yet will have "the legs" to stay competitive a little while longer.

 

[trsblader]

There's no way anyone needs mid tier with an upgrade to SSD to do any of that.

Nice to see another rational poster from time to time lol.

I just hope not to see the OP in the "fan noise" thread in a couple days :/

EDIT: I see that you maybe haven't purchased it yet. Good. Nothing you're doing takes advantage of that i7. The base/mid model is still the sweet spot for most users, such as users just web browsing and using office apps.

 

[SaSaSushi]

There's no way anyone needs mid tier with an upgrade to SSD to do any of that.

I'd upgrade to the SSD (and did) just to rid the machine of all internal spinning drives. They're fine for external storage where they can be easily replaced when they fail.

I'll never get another iMac with an internal HDD.

 

[tgara]

I'd upgrade to the SSD (and did) just to rid the machine of all internal spinning drives. They're fine for external storage where they can be easily replaced when they fail.

I'll never get another iMac with an internal HDD.

Totally agree. My current 2010 iMac is the LAST computer in our house with an internal spinning drive, and it's on it's last legs. I'm ordering the a new 27 inch 5K iMac later this week with the 2TB SSD option, and I can't wait for it to arrive! So looking forward to a full SSD machine. Our laptops went SSD long ago, and the iPads and iPhones have always had SSD storage.

 

[Glideslope]

Unless your applications use Hyper Threading there is no need for the i7 IMO. It's a Toaster. If you need Hyper Threading then the i7 is a no brainer.
I went with the i5 7600K and the 1TB SSD. + $200 versus the i7 and 512 SSD. The 512 SSD just fills up too fast even with my external storage (6TB WD USB 3.0 Platter/512SSD USB-C T3), and the 7600K just runs at temps that don't make me sweat.

I actually feel the 7600K with the 512 SSD is the sweetest config for the majority. But you really can't go wrong with either. It's about your budget more than anything.

Good Luck.

 

[Chancha]

Get the base model 27", probably BTO to the 256GB SSD if you feel like to, add a pair of aftermarket 4+4GB RAM and you are good. For such light usage I reckon even the 2/3TB Fusion drive may serve you well but it seems you don't even have storage needs. Avoid the 1TB Fusion though, for reasons quite frequently noted in this form.

The 2017 is indeed a pretty significant upgrade from 2015, at least in Apple's recent terms. But then again those edges are only noticeable for more demanding users. However I will still recommend the 2017 since it is valued quite competitively as well, you could in theory find a good deal with a 2nd hand iMac 2015 or before but there are risks and hassles involved.

 

[kindaichi81]

Get the base model 27", probably BTO to the 256GB SSD if you feel like to, add a pair of aftermarket 4+4GB RAM and you are good. For such light usage I reckon even the 2/3TB Fusion drive may serve you well but it seems you don't even have storage needs. Avoid the 1TB Fusion though, for reasons quite frequently noted in this form.

The 2017 is indeed a pretty significant upgrade from 2015, at least in Apple's recent terms. But then again those edges are only noticeable for more demanding users. However I will still recommend the 2017 since it is valued quite competitively as well, you could in theory find a good deal with a 2nd hand iMac 2015 or before but there are risks and hassles involved.

256GB is probably a little bit too little. Prefer to go for 512GB instead as I prefer more "working storage" than using external storage.

yes, i do find that 2017 has quite significant improvements even the design of it never change.

i won't go for 2015 even it is cheap as the upgrades for 2017 entice enough for me to buy.