Advice for a new iMac (21')

Hello,

I am new in this forum and I need help for the configuration of the iMac 21' I plan to buy, it will be my first Mac.

I have a limited budget, so I can not upgrade everything, just one thing among these:

- Graphics Card (GeForce GT 750M NVIDIA)

- 16 GB RAM

- Fusion Drive

I need the iMac primarily for programming (iOS, Android, Java, Web, Python). In fact, I want a Mac for iOS development (I don't want to deal with Hackintosh) and for better support to Android development (not installing drivers, etc).

Nevertheless, I would like to use the iMac occassionally for gaming. I don't care to play with mediumm graphical settings; in addition, I usually play strategy games (Sim City, Civilization),and rarely some demanding game, like flight simulators.

Taking into account my needs, I am more inclined to the graphical card. I don't trust very much in Iris Pro, most reviews I have read rate it bad.

Fusion Drive disks are impressive, you save a lot of time loading programs and trasfering files, but you can do the same with an HDD disk indeed, but slower. Am I wrong?

The RAM is my main worry, because you can not upgrade it later. Will be 8GB enough for five years, at least? I am not going to edit large image or video files so, are 16 GB really neccesary for me?

There is a fourth option, indeed: wait for late 2014 iMac upgrade (October ?), what is not very clear. I want de iMac ASAP, but I could wait if the upgrade is really important.

What is your opinion? I know that is hard to opine, given my particular needs.

Thanks in advance

Welcome to Mac-Forums..

I would say the memory is your first upgrade option and the video card (based on your graphical needs) would be something you also want. The fusion drive while being nice to have, you can live without very easily..

8GB is almost the minimum now, but a few years down the line, that might become a bottleneck depending on your changes in usage.

If you can only have one, you are better off doing the memory upgrade and look into a console or PC for your gaming needs..

What ever options you choose, budget for the extended Apple Care (which you can purchase any time during the first year) which extends the warranty and telephone support to 3 years. There is very little you can do to fix the iMac if anything fails.

Bob_Stan said:

What ever options you choose, budget for the extended Apple Care (which you can purchase any time during the first year) which extends the warranty and telephone support to 3 years. There is very little you can do to fix the iMac if anything fails.

Click to expand...

Good advice. One additional piece of info is that you get 1 year of Apple Care for free and before that first year ends, you can add on 2 additional years. So you don't have to immediately purchase the 2 additional years upon the date of purchase..

Thank you very much for your replies, guys.

I can't decide still between RAM or graphics card, I am going to search more information
about it in order to know if graphics card really worth it.

About Apple Care, I wasn't going to purchase it, at first. Can't you repair a Mac computer without Apple Care, paying whatever they ask? (In an official Apple store, or other place, I don't care). Anyways, what happens if your Mac fails at the fourth year? Do you simply lose it?

Yes you can pay as needed, but the cost of even a simple repair would be more than the Apple Care. After the Apple Care expires you can still take it to an Apple Store and they will give you an estimate on the cost (or feasibility of repair). I am in that situation now. My iMac failed two months after the Apple Care expired. It is not just a disk problem so I will get an estimate and then decide if it is worth repairing. Also, the telephone support is great. The technicians you talk to do more than tell you to reboot.

Anyways, what happens if your Mac fails at the fourth year? Do you simply lose it?

Click to expand...

The same thing that happens to your car after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. Do you lose your car? ;D

And Google problems with Fusion drives before you leap.

I have changed my mind and I think that I will go for the 16 GB RAM.

Having 16GB RAM, my iMac will be ready for the requirements of future versions of OSX, Windows and programs like XCode, iPhone/iPad emulators, Photoshop, Office and so on.

About gaming, having Iris Pro I will be able to play, I hope, actual games with medium-low graphical settings and old games. GeForce GT 750M will be outdated very soon, so it really doesn't worth it. For hard gaming, I will consider to buy a videoconsole in the future.

My question about repairing an iMac, well, maybe it was dumb, I just wanted to have in mind how expensive could be.

Anyways, I am going to wait some weeks and let's see if an iMac update comes in October.

Thanks

Hello guys

Finally, I bought an iMac.

I´m sorry dissapointing you, but in the end, I didn´t follow your advice. I have bought the standard model, with 8GB RAM and NVIDIA Geforce.

Why?

Well, I went to an Apple Store and I ask for advice to an assistant. He told me that macs are designed to satisfy particular needs. 16GB are recommended for video editing and 3D modelling (what I don't need). Upgrading to 16GB hoping to make your iMac last longer it's useless.

That opinion was confirmed by some mates. Other people, however recommended me the 16 GB. In fact, it's a hot topic if you search it in Internet.

Has it been a good decision? Who knows. By now, I'm very happy with my iMac. Thank you for your advice guys, anyways.

Now, I'm struggling with the typical issues switching from PC to Mac, but I haven't found nothing disappointing.

You're not disappointing us. Let's hope that you are the one who won't be disappointed next year or in the long term. By the way, you received bad advice from whoever gave it to you at the store. More memory is always better. Anyway, too late for that. Just make sure you purchase Apple Care.