PLEASE HELP - 21" vs 27" what memory/storage for my uses??

[Toronto_dad]

Thanks for looking!

I will try to keep this short. In the eyes of most here I would be considered a newbie. That being said I am upgrading my 2008 iMac (2.6ghz 4GB 750GBHD).

I have 4 external hard drives plugged into my mac:

1) 2.2TB iMovie files
2) 800GB iPhoto Library
3) 750GB Time Machine
4) 500GB iTunes Library
________________________________________

Purchase Options:

1) 27" 3.5GHz i7 1TB Flash
2) 27" 3.5GHz i7 3TB Fusion
3) 21.5" 3.1GHz i7 1TB Fusion

I just bought a new home and I will setting up whole home automation and every tv will have apple tv so I would like to stream my movies from my hard drive in high definition. I use my computer for home movie and photo editing. Nothing crazy.

My original thought was to go with option 1 and purchase an 8TB RAID Thunderbolt external hard drive to store all my files in one spot and get rid of the 4 separate hard drives I currently have. I would use another HD for Time Machine (I know you can configure a RAID drive to do so but I want to keep this simple)

My last computer lasted 6 years so I'm not afraid to invest in a system that is perfect for my situation.

I really don't know anything about RAID storage other then it's fast with thunderbolt connection.

One last thing... I will NEVER watch any movies on the actual Mac so don't let that influence your recommendations.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated and thank you all very much for the any advice you can give.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

The i7 is likely overkill for your needs. It's useful chiefly for high-end 3-D applications, high-end gaming, and professional video editing. Here's an article that elaborates more on it:
Apple Mac i5 vs i7 processor buying advice: which is the best CPU for an iMac or MacBook - Features - Macworld UK

I would recommend simplifying your life by getting an external RAID box. You should also keep an off-line and off-site backup of that, in case of fire or power surge. That is a LOT of data to risk losing.

Internally, go with a Fusion drive. You probably need something bigger than 1TB.