08-01-2011, 01:16 AM

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forums hoping to find a solution to my problem.

I am a currently a windows user (tired and ready to switch.) I have saved US$2,000 to spend on a new iMac. The problem is that i am having trouble deciding which one would be the best buy, so much that I've had the money for about two months now and i have yet to buy the iMac.

I need something that wont require me to update for the next 6 (my crappy acer desktop has lasted me for 4 so far so a powerful iMac shouldnt struggle) I enjoy recording HD videos and editing them in iMovie and playing casual games (portal 2 for example, and games might require more power as the years pass.) I plan on experimenting with final cut once i get used to the iMac and want to go pro with the video editing. I might be watching a lot of movies since im leaning more towards a 27 inch.

The high end model (27 inch i7) goes a couple hundreds past the 2,000 i have saved and so i start to wonder if i will EVER need that much power. When i look up the benchmarks i see that the i7 21 inch is more affordable and is the closest in performance to the high end model. so i need to decide between the high end 21 inch imac or the low end 27 inch to stay within budget, or spending the extra cash to get the high end i7? PLEASE HELP!

I APPRECIATE THE ADVICE GUYS

08-01-2011, 01:27 AM

What country do you live in? According to the Apple US Store, the starting price for the 27" iMac (Quad-Core i5) is $1699.

Here's some results about Portal 2 in 2011 iMac

At 2560x1440...
38 FPS = 2010 iMac Core i7 2.93GHz with Radeon 5750 (1G GDDR5)
61 FPS = 2011 iMac Core i7 3.4GHz with Radeon 6970M (2G GDDR5)
59 FPS = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core 3.33GHz with Radeon 5870 (1G GDDR5)

At 1920x1080...
82 FPS = 2010 iMac Core i7 2.93GHz with Radeon 5750
94 FPS = 2011 iMac Core i7 3.4GHz with Radeon 6970M
180 FPS = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core 3.33GHz with Radeon 5870

At 1280x720...
141 FPS = 2010 iMac Core i7 2.93GHz with Radeon 5750
172 FPS = 2011 iMac Core i7 3.4GHz with Radeon 6970M
243 FPS = 2010 Mac Pro 6-core 3.33GHz with Radeon 5870

08-01-2011, 01:36 AM

@Dean I live in the US and i know what the price is. I even get the $100 dollar student discount. But with tax and apple care it goes past 2,000. My choices are between:

21.5-inch iMac (2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7)
27-inch iMac (2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5)
27-inch iMac (3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5) + 1gb graphics
27-inch iMac (3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7) high end

08-01-2011, 01:50 AM

Ah - didn't realize you were going to buy the Apple Care for your iMac.

I would go with the 21.5" inch and the rest could be spent on apps/software from the Mac App Store or accessories - movies will play fine on the 21.5".

08-01-2011, 01:58 AM

the high end 25.5 inch performs better than the 1,999 imac right? i might go with what u say

08-01-2011, 02:28 AM

the high end 25.5 inch performs better than the 1,999 imac right?

Not really.

Not a much difference here, the high-end 21.5" has a 2.7GHz Quad-Core i5 - while the 1,999 has a 3.1GHz Quad-Core i5. The $1999 has a better resolution, bigger size and a better graphics card than the high-end 21.5"

From your first post, it sounds like the high-end 21.5" is your perfect option (my opinion).

08-01-2011, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by DeanP

Not really.

Not a much difference here, the high-end 21.5" has a 2.7GHz Quad-Core i5 - while the 1,999 has a 3.1GHz Quad-Core i5. The $1999 has a better resolution, bigger size and a better graphics card than the high-end 21.5"

From your first post, it sounds like the high-end 21.5" is your perfect option (my opinion).

+1
Looking at the 21.5 inch myself.
Although I'm not a gamer, I do hardcore design and photography. Seems to suit my needs.

08-01-2011, 02:41 AM

but u can customize the high end 21.5 inches to make it an i7 which is what im planing on doing. what then?

08-01-2011, 02:47 AM

Originally Posted by kidcaro

but u can customize the high end 21.5 inches to make it an i7 which is what im planing on doing. what then?

Yes, you can customize it to put Core i7 - caution is it will cost $200 more and you can only do this in the Apple Online Store.

08-01-2011, 02:51 AM

yes i know but i dont mind paying for that upgrade as long as it is worth it

08-01-2011, 06:50 AM

You don't need applecare. Just go buy it.

08-01-2011, 11:43 AM

Actually, for the iMac, AppleCare is actually something you would want to buy on it. It is only about 120 with a student discount, and if something goes wrong the price you would have had to pay to repair it will be 2-3x the price of apple care. Try to move up to the 1999 model, the 6970 is definitely better than the 6750, you'll want it for future proofing. Also, just stick with a stock config of it, the only thing you'd get out of an i7 is hyperthreading (basically makes the quad-core an 8 core), which the application you are using would have to be programmed to utilize anyway.
Although I do feel your pain with sales tax- I got lucky and bought mine in NH (no sales tax!)

I recommend the 1999 model. Then down the line you'll want to get 8gb of aftermarket RAM- It's less than half of what you would pay from apple.

08-01-2011, 11:55 AM

is applecaro something i could buy later on when i get the money?

08-01-2011, 11:56 AM

applecare* sorry. haha

08-01-2011, 12:02 PM

Yes you can
However, the one thing I do know is that after the first ninety days have passed you no longer have phone support, and you won't have phone support if you buy apple care down the line either. Just something they told me at the Apple Store when I bought mine. One other suggestion: you may want to opt for the magic trackpad over the magic mouse as well.