New iMac's are here! Which build specs are you going to get?

[astigtigas]

Discuss...

[alent1234]

thinking

[astigtigas]

I'm still deciding on the 27" quad with i5 or i7.

[Ravich]

Waiting to see what people can do with HDD options.

[Pagga]

I want to upgrade to a 27" core i5 with 8 GB ram and 2 TB hd. I currently have a autumn 2008 24" Imac (3.06 dual core 4 GB 1 TB).
But I think the top specs are proving too expencive this time. Money is always an issue for me with Apple products.

P

[MathijsDelva]

21.5" i3 3.20Ghz with Apple Remote. Figure the i5 isn't worth the 200 bucks upgrade!

[Zelnaga]

High end 21.5 if I can get Starcraft 2 to run on high setting!

[Rudy69]

27" i7 to replace the 27" core 2 duo I sold in June :D

[mdoyle]

Well as a March 2010 i5 27* owner i'm glad the update doesn't make my mac obsolete within 4 months of purchase. I'd put this on par with the iphone 4 vs iphone 3gs. Basically the same product with minor tweeks. If you have imac 27* the refresh isn't anything to get excited about as with the iphone 4 vs 3gs. However if you haven't got one go get one, beautiful machine to watch movies and view photo albums on.

[2 Owls]

I ordered my new iMac this afternoon,

27" 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB SDRAM
2TB Serial ATA Drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad

about £20 cheaper than this morning before the speed bump with the same options but with the 2.8 i7, even with the magic pad in, then got £60 off too, superb. :)

[zappster]

Base 27" model:

3.2 GHz Intel Core i3
4GB memory
1 TB HDD
ATI Radeon HD 5670 with 512MB

Still up in the air about the Magic TrackPad. That would be fun to play with.

[astigtigas]

I ordered my new iMac this afternoon,

27" 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB SDRAM
2TB Serial ATA Drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad

about £20 cheaper than this morning before the speed bump with the same options but with the 2.8 i7, even with the magic pad in, then got £60 off too, superb. :)

nice i like this set-up

[henrikrox]

the people who have orderd, if you have starcraft 2 or any other game please post benchmark when you get the computer

[2005CTS]

My set up below:

27" iMac
2.93 GHz i7
1TB
8GB RAM
Magic Mouse/Trackpad
Battery Charger
iWork
Office 2008
MobileMe Family
AppleCare

This will be replacing a six year old Gateway Pentium3 with a 15" LCD monitor. I can't wait!! There is really only one thing I was disapointed about...a wireless keyboard with the 10-key. I will try the standard wireless and then see if I want to get the wired keyboard later. I am a finance guy and need the ten-key.

[rayward]

I ordered my new iMac this afternoon,

27" 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB SDRAM
2TB Serial ATA Drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad

about £20 cheaper than this morning before the speed bump with the same options but with the 2.8 i7, even with the magic pad in, then got £60 off too, superb. :)

I'm thinking about this exact set-up, except either the 1TB HDD, or the 2TB + SSD option. The latter is a $900 upgrade, but might be worth it for my home media hub (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=978175).

[rayward]

My set up below:

27" iMac
2.93 GHz i7
1TB
8GB RAM
Magic Mouse/Trackpad
Battery Charger
iWork
Office 2008
MobileMe Family
AppleCare

This will be replacing a six year old Gateway Pentium3 with a 15" LCD monitor. I can't wait!!

It will blow your mind!

[Razeus]

Wait...the i5's are only dual core and not quad core on the 21.5"????

[rayward]

Wait...the i5's are only dual core and not quad core on the 21.5"????

Correct. The consensus appears to be that it's either a heat issue in the smaller unit, or that Steve Jobs hates poor people.

[Zacken87]

Wait...the i5's are only dual core and not quad core on the 21.5"????

Yes, they're dual core.

I'm ordering my 21.5" model tomorrow morning.
3.6GHz i5
4GB of RAM
2TB hard drive
Applecare
and iWork for school.

This replacing a 1.83GHz Core Duo 17" iMac from 2006. Exciting.

[Razeus]

Yes, they're dual core.

I'm ordering my 21.5" model tomorrow morning.
3.6GHz i5
4GB of RAM
2TB hard drive
Applecare
and iWork for school.

This replacing a 1.83GHz Core Duo 17" iMac from 2006. Exciting.

Well that blows. I might as well get the i3 for $1499.

[dwarnecke11]

I want the top-end 27" with the 2.93 Ghz Core i7-870, but only if these models aren't plagued with the QC problems of the last generation. If they are and I have to play the exchange game, I'll go for the i5. Returning an in-store model is always easier.

So:

-Yellow gradient
-HD grumbling
-Backlight noise


We'll see...

By the way, this will be replacing a first-gen Mac mini G4 from 2005!

[The General]

Go i7/2TB/256GB or go home. ;)

[miniroll32]

I got the 21.5" i5 3.60ghz model too. I think the main benefit of the upgrade is the Turbo Boost of course, but I'm not sure how the technologies differ otherwise between the i3 and i5.

If anyone can find some benchmarks for this 3.60ghz model, it'd be much appreciated!

Oh, and this is replacing a 2008 2.1ghz MacBook :p

[OatmealRocks]

I ordered this @ noon.

27" i7
4GB
1TB
Wireless/Magic

Applecare

iTouch 8GB

---

Just ordered 4GB of ram from 3rd party vendor.

I'm now looking to purchase Star Craft 2 for MAC. All I can find is PC version.

[Razeus]

Well if I'm going to shell out $1700, I might was well go with the refurb i5 QUAD core model.

[alent1234]

I ordered this @ noon.

27" i7
4GB
1TB
Wireless/Magic

Applecare

iTouch 8GB

---

Just ordered 4GB of ram from 3rd party vendor.

I'm now looking to purchase Star Craft 2 for MAC. All I can find is PC version.

just buy it on battle.net

[alent1234]

i'll see if i can get the 21.5 with i3 and the better graphics. the i5 isn't that much faster

[Kempalino]

I ordered this @ noon.

27" i7
4GB
1TB
Wireless/Magic

Applecare

iTouch 8GB

---

Just ordered 4GB of ram from 3rd party vendor.

I'm now looking to purchase Star Craft 2 for MAC. All I can find is PC version.

nice, but i'm pretty sure they're updating the ipod touchs soon. I'm gonna wait:p

[Maltkvist]

I'll probably get that 27" i7 with 8gb memory.
Was thinking about getting SSD with 1tb. But that got to expensive for me. But maybe it's worth it to get "futureproof"? A while atleast.

It's gonna be such a relief coming from a ****** PC that's 3 years old..

[excess]

Just ordered

27" i7
8 GB Ram 2gb x 4
256 SSD + 1 TB
Magic Mouse / TrackPad
Battery Charger

[2005CTS]

I'll probably get that 27" i7 with 8gb memory.
Was thinking about getting SSD with 1tb. But that got to expensive for me. But maybe it's worth it to get "futureproof"? A while atleast.

It's gonna be such a relief coming from a ****** PC that's 3 years old..


If you get the 27" i7 you don't have to get the SSD at purcahse. You can always add it later when the cost comes down. Just getting the 27" i7 will future proof things enough for you. I will be getting the 27" i7 and then wait until the SSD drops in price in another 12 months or so and add it then.

[2005CTS]

Just ordered

27" i7
8 GB Ram 2gb x 4
256 SSD + 1 TB
Magic Mouse / TrackPad
Battery Charger

Very nice.

[Dreadnought]

I'm thinking of the 27", 4GB, 1TB, Ati 5750, but have a doubt about the i7 or i5 @ 3.6Ghz. Does anyone know which one is the fastest? The i7 has 4 cores, but lower clockspeed, the i5 has two cores but such a high clock speed.

[mattnotis]

Will be getting the baseline 21.5'' one. It's SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the one I currently have and seems like a nice little machine. Not sure if I'll get the trackpad but the battery charger seems pretty legit.

[Dr Snuggles]

27", i3 @ 3.2 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, HD 5750, Magic Trackpad, Apple Battery Charger & Apple Remote.

[Kronie]

i7 with 8 GB RAM....... that is after I send back my i7 with the grey bar along the bottom of my screen.....hopefully apple is doing better with screens with this update.

[SuperPathy]

Man, this refresh came sooner than I had expected. I was thinking Sept/Oct. Anyway, it's time to replace my ancient 2005 iMac G5, but what to get??
I need to balance cost with the fact that I need a machine that won't be obsolete in a few years.
I went top-of-the-line in 2005 with my current machine, but the top end seems a bit out of reach this time, especially the SSD option.
My needs are pretty basic; word precessing, internet surfing/downloading, amateur photo editing. I do like to game a little and would need my new machine to be able to run FPS games such as Battlefield Bad Company 2 etc...
Any thoughts? I want one of the 27" models for sure, and I'd like to get 5 years out of it like I did with my current iMac.
Hmmm, decisions decisions.....

[diegobgr]

21'5" i5 3,60 Ghz
ATI 5670 512 MB
1 TB
4 GB DDR3

iPod Nano (¿or used iPhone 3G for almost the same price?)

Time Capsule 1 TB

Later I'm going to get in my local Apple Premium Reseller :

Apple Universal Dock
Apple Battery Charger
Apple Remote


Well, it's my first Mac. I will do photo editing, gaming and a bit of everything.

I hope that I'not doing wrong leaving Windows.

[Dr Snuggles]

I hope that I'not doing wrong leaving Windows.

It's never wrong to leave crap... I mean windows. :rolleyes:

[mangrove]

Go i7/2TB/256GB or go home. ;)

I second that!

About leaving Windows. I converted to Mac 3 years ago and have never been happier! This is coming from an old fart who started working on the first IBM PC's in 1982. I remember when the first HD became available. Man , we thought we were in heaven.

Check back after a few months and let us know how the experience is going.

[diegobgr]

It's never wrong to leave crap... I mean windows. :rolleyes:


My problem is that I like gaming a lot.

:p

[eddvedd]

If you get the 27" i7 you don't have to get the SSD at purcahse. You can always add it later when the cost comes down. Just getting the 27" i7 will future proof things enough for you. I will be getting the 27" i7 and then wait until the SSD drops in price in another 12 months or so and add it then.

Thats good to know! I really wanted to shell out some cash for the SSD, but just cant afford it right now and just went with the i7 1Tb. Is it easy to add, or is this something that I would want to take in to apple? (keep in mind I am not tech savvy in the least bit)

[hcho3]

I am going to wait for next version. This update is not really appeal to me.

[TennisandMusic]

My problem is that I like gaming a lot.

:p

Then you're not going to be too happy.

[shmeffrey]

I'm going to get the base 27" but I am wondering if I should wait until iLife 11 is released to get it pre-installed. Any thoughts on this?

[eddvedd]

I'm going to get the base 27" but I am wondering if I should wait until iLife 11 is released to get it pre-installed. Any thoughts on this?

I was curious about that too, but ordered anyway. Ive seen some speculate that ilife might be available as a free upgrade in a few weeks to those of us who just purchased. But, like I said, thats pure speculation, and I don't know if I believe it anyway.

[Tigerman82]

I think I'm going to get the 21.5" iMac with the optional i5 dual core processor. Admittedly I am a bit torn over that and the similar 27" model. People at Apple are genious to come up with so big an iMac as the coolness factor alone makes people want it -- even though they don't actually need it. Unfortunately my desk isn't just for computing and so I need to take into account the physical dimensions of the iMac. The width of 27" is a bit too much.

Still... I bet I can do a better job at multitasking with the 21.5" iMac than I do with my current 17" laptop. Fortunately I only do basic stuff with a computer (not profession related, not heavy editing) so I doubt the 27-incher would offer me so much that I could forget its taking up all the much-needed space on my desk.

[fatlittlenick]

I'll get the base model 21.5", because it suits my needs,
BUT I really want the most out of my machine, and have it last at least 5 years, so maybe get the High-end 21.5 and put an i5 inside, but would the $220 AUD be worth it, or spend it on 8GB ram down the track?

[livingski]

Funny thing. I just bought the base 27 inch, i3, 4 GB ram, 1 TB of HD, with charger, remote, and service plan to replace the 10 year old computer that died (Athlon XP 1600 and Geoforce 3 using Photoshop CS2), using a borrowed PC laptop and it froze on the confirmation page so I can't print out my confirmation number even with refreshing it.

[reticulate]

I'm thinking of the 27", 4GB, 1TB, Ati 5750, but have a doubt about the i7 or i5 @ 3.6Ghz. Does anyone know which one is the fastest? The i7 has 4 cores, but lower clockspeed, the i5 has two cores but such a high clock speed.

Both the i5 and i7 27" are four core machines, it's only the 21.5" that has a two core i5.

Edit - scratch that, the i3 27" only has a two core i5 upgrade. Weird.

[pt0016]

High end 21.5" without the i5 upgrade.

With education discount, so sweet, sweet, deal. :rolleyes:

[FredLo]

Hello everyone!

I am interested in the high end 21.5", but I have a question regarding the CPU upgrade. I will do basic stuff most of the time but I will likely have one or two games.

I know that the bottleneck is the GPU but will the i5 help a bit or it's not going to change anything?

I don't mind spending the extra cash but it has to be useful somehow...

Thanks a lot for your help!

Fred.

[Baunkjaer]

My previous plan regarding buying a refurbished Mac Pro is now out the question.
Will go for the i5 27", 4GB additional RAM from OWC. Hopefully it isn´t too complicated to drop in a SSD, as I´ve the 160GB Intel X25M in my current iMac.
I´ll reinstall the original 640GB drive before sale;)

[Devie]

Ordered:

27" i7
4GB
Wired KB
1TB
1GB GPU
etc etc etc

To be replacing my forever aging iMac G5 20" from 2005. 5 years turn around for a computer is pretty good (though I bought a laptop between that, and I'll get another in 2 years to replace this laptop, both desktop and laptop on a separate cycle works!).

Reason I went for the wired keyboard is purely because it has no number pad, why, oh why, is there no option for a wireless KB with a number pad?! Its not like I use it very often, but when I do, I want it there!





I'm now looking to purchase Star Craft 2 for MAC. All I can find is PC version.

Get any copy chief, there are no PC/Mac versions, the disc caries both the .exe and our .dmg.
Though just check the bottom for the System Req's. It might just be in Australia for some reason its this way, and I'm looking at it right now deciding if I should install now or wait till my iMac comes.

[nataliamck]

21.5" i3 3.20Ghz with Apple Remote. Figure the i5 isn't worth the 200 bucks upgrade!

I'm trying to decide between the 21.5" i3 or i5.

Is it really not worth the upgrade? All I'll be using it for is web surfing, itunes and basic video editing. I will never play a game on my iMac.

[fatlittlenick]

Hello everyone!

I am interested in the high end 21.5", but I have a question regarding the CPU upgrade. I will do basic stuff most of the time but I will likely have one or two games.

I know that the bottleneck is the GPU but will the i5 help a bit or it's not going to change anything?

I don't mind spending the extra cash but it has to be useful somehow...

Thanks a lot for your help!

Fred.

I'm no expert, but I'd spend the extra cash on 8GB RAM over the i5.

[reticulate]

Hello everyone!

I am interested in the high end 21.5", but I have a question regarding the CPU upgrade. I will do basic stuff most of the time but I will likely have one or two games.

I know that the bottleneck is the GPU but will the i5 help a bit or it's not going to change anything?

I don't mind spending the extra cash but it has to be useful somehow...

Thanks a lot for your help!

Fred.

From what I've read the performance delta through the dual-core i3/i5 range isn't particularly high for gaming. I'd say you'll hit the GPU wall before you find any real difference between the i3 and i5 in games. Based on reviews the i3 is an excellent performer for the money, so I'd say you're safe with that for normal everyday tasks + a bit of gaming.

Obviously, if you're going to be doing any sort of photoshop, movie encoding or similar you'll see a performance benefit in the i5 upgrade.

Intel's range is very odd at the moment. The quad core i5 is far and away the best value, yet they've got like half a dozen incremental parts below it that don't really have a reason for existing - you could honestly have one dual core i3 and i5 each for the value sector, then jump up to the quad i5 for the more performance-minded. I assume it's more for OEM's than our benefit.

Edit: I agree with fatlittlenick, RAM is a better option over the dual core i5 upgrade from what I can see.

[newhere]

2.93ghz Quad-core Intelcore I7
4gb 1333mhz Ddr3 Sdram - 2x2gb
1tb Serial Ata Drive
Ati Radeon Hd 5750 1gb Gddr5
8x Double-layer Superdrive
Magic Mouse+magic Trackpad
Apple Battery Charger-
Wl Kb & User's Guide-
Country Kit,imac 27-inch-

[Appelsap]

I see many people order the i7 over the i5 (27'') i am thinkin of the i5 setup myself

Is it worth the extra money? And with wich tasks will you notice it?

[MISTIKAL777]

Guys i got one question, last gen 3.33ghz due had 6 mb L3 cache and new i5 3.6ghz has 4 mb. Is i5 realy worth it or should i just get refurbished 3.33? Also what does L3 cache do?:o :D

[CXsjr]

I took the plunge this morning ....

27" quad-core i7
8GB RAM
1TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB SSD
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Apple Battery Charger
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
ATI Radeon HD 5750
+ Applecare

Roll on early August!! :)

[SamTheeGeek]

Just ordered yesterday my first imac i really cant wait,

27" Quad Core i7
2TB+256 SSD
8GB RAM
Magic Mouse
Wireless Keyboard
Battery Charger < Very Useful


I Cant wait :D


God Bless Ya All :D

[Queso]

21.5" and upgrade the CPU to the 3.6GHz i5. Keep everything else the standard for the moment. I'll update the RAM next year when it's nice and cheap, and 1TB of disk space is easily enough for my 260GB worth of data :)

I'll buy the TrackPad separately as soon as the UK Apple Stores have them in stock. TBH I'm more excited about that than the new machine :D

[Goldfinger]

27" / i7 / 8GB / 1TB+SSD / 1GB video

That's what I'm getting next month.

[Appelsap]

Just ordered:

2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
1TB
Magic Mouse
Apple Battery Charger Z
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
Apple Wireless Keyboard (US)
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
+ iPod Touch (back to school)
+ Printer

[D'Illusion]

I'm thinking of the 27", 4GB, 1TB, Ati 5750, but have a doubt about the i7 or i5 @ 3.6Ghz. Does anyone know which one is the fastest? The i7 has 4 cores, but lower clockspeed, the i5 has two cores but such a high clock speed.

Depends if the app you're using can make use of all the cores. If the app has multi-core support then the quad will be fastest.

[Dreadnought]

Depends if the app you're using can make use of all the cores. If the app has multi-core support then the quad will be fastest.

Yep, just looked at some last years test at Anandtech (see another thread over iMacs i5 or i7) and the quad i5 blows the higher clocked dual i5 away, the quad i5 even comes very close to the i7. The dual i5 only is slightly faster then the standard i3, I don't get why Apple has this option. It only confuses people with its high clock speed. The quad i5 is the best buy I think, because games and other apps all start to use multiple cores now and it will get better in the near future. But I'll go for the i7 because money isn't a problem :D

[Razeus]

So in other words, dont' get the dual core i5 because you might as well get the i3?

Quad core i5 and Quad i7's is all I should be looking at.

[iKimm]

I ordered my new iMac this afternoon,

27" 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB SDRAM
2TB Serial ATA Drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad

about £20 cheaper than this morning before the speed bump with the same options but with the 2.8 i7, even with the magic pad in, then got £60 off too, superb. :)

That is the exact set up that I want :D. Just don't know that I need the quad core. Decisions... Decisions! So excited :rolleyes:

[glxyjones]

I'm going with the following I believe

27"
i7/5750 1GB
SSD+2TB
4GB RAM

The big thing holding me up is this yellow tint issue. Since mine will be BTO, I really don't want to have to keep on sending back 27" iMacs through the mail. Anyone know what percentage of the 27"ers have the yellow tint? 50/50? Worse?

[henrikrox]

I'm going with the following I believe

27"
i7/5750 1GB
SSD+2TB
4GB RAM

The big thing holding me up is this yellow tint issue. Since mine will be BTO, I really don't want to have to keep on sending back 27" iMacs through the mail. Anyone know what percentage of the 27"ers have the yellow tint? 50/50? Worse?

50/50 yellow tint? are you insane? :p no way its that high

[iKimm]

I ordered this @ noon.

27" i7
4GB
1TB
Wireless/Magic

Applecare

iTouch 8GB

---

Just ordered 4GB of ram from 3rd party vendor.

I'm now looking to purchase Star Craft 2 for MAC. All I can find is PC version.

NICE! Where did you order your ram from & how much? Just wondering how much I would save doing it on my own. Thanx! :D

[NeuroEmp]

Will order next week probably.

2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
1TB
Magic Mouse
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB
Apple Wireless Keyboard
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Applecare

[dwarnecke11]

I took the plunge this morning ....

27" quad-core i7
8GB RAM
1TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB SSD
Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Apple Battery Charger
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
ATI Radeon HD 5750
+ Applecare

Roll on early August!! :)

*drools*

I'm ordering mine in about a week. Stock high end + i7 :D

[glxyjones]

50/50 yellow tint? are you insane? :p no way its that high

Just to clarify, not 50/50 as in half the screen has a yellow tint, I meant what are the chances I will get an iMac with any yellow tint. There seem to be people on this forum who have returned their iMacs multiple times because each new one they receive has the issue.

[hobbbz]

:rolleyes:

[iamthedudeman]

The i5 680 over the i3 550 is looking like a waste of money.

In these tests the i5 660 is not much faster than the i3 550. Less than %10 percent in just about every test. Judging by the bench marks the i5 660 is around %7 faster judging by the benchmarks alone. Maybe even lower.

The i5 680 is around %3 percent or less faster than the i5 660 so we can estimate that the Core i5 680 is about %10 percent faster than the Core i3 550.

Here are some more tests. The Core i5 661 vs the Core i3 540. The results should be similar between the Core i5 680 and the Core i3 550 as the difference between clock speeds are about the same between all four pair of processors.


The consensus is that the Core i3 is the best value overall.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2901

"Unlike the entry-level Lynnfield, you don't give up Hyper Threading with the Core i3 540 and 530. All you lose is Turbo. And since these are dual-core CPUs, Intel's Turbo Boost doesn't buy you all that much extra performance (+133MHz or +266MHz at most)."

And this pretty much sums it up:

"There isn't a single Core i5 I'd recommend, but the i3s are spot-on. "

Final comments.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2901/16

The performance difference between the two looks like even less than the E7600 3.06 and the E8600 3.33 C2D's from last year. The E8600 was a good %15 percent faster than the E7600.

[vrockob]

Custom configuration
2.93GHZ QUAD-CORE INTELCORE I7
8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 SDRAM - 2X4GB
2TB SERIAL ATA DRIVE+256GB SSD
ATI RADEON HD 5750 1GB GDDR5
8X DOUBLE-LAYER SUPERDRIVE
MAGIC MOUSE+MAGIC TRACKPAD
APPLE REMOTE
WL KB & USER'S GUIDE
COUNTRY KIT,IMAC 27-INCH

[rgp19699]

Post deleted

[xraydoc]

27" Core i7 2.93GHz
2TB HHD + 256GB SSD

Goin' for the big boy :D

[rgp19699]

Dudeman, Hellhammer... I am totally confused. I read the articles referenced in your post above, Dudeman, but I wasn't sure if they were talking about ALL i5's. The 27" i3 is a lot more affordable for me, but I hate to get a dual core for "future" purposes; so I was thinking of going for the 27" Quad core i5. That is my top-end, moneywise, so I can't go for the i7 and frankly, I know I don't need it at this point.

I intend to use the imac for general purposes, obviously, but I have done and plan to do a fair amount of editing. When I last had the time to edit video at all, I was using FCP 3; didn't like it, so I've decided to downgrade myself and bought FCP Express. So that's what I'll be using. My last Apple desktop was a dual 1.25 ghz G4 Mirrored Door, with the old cinema display. I sold it in order to buy this imac. My editing will probably be HD, although I don't have the camera yet. (Still using a 10+ year old Sony DV 900 (?) great camera, 3ccd chip. Expensive back then!) However, I will not be getting into blue screen work or 3D, most likely.

Would you be so kind as to give me some advice? I'd like to make a decision tomorrow, and my local Best Buy actually has some i3's in stock... thanks for any advice you have or anyone, please, I'd love some input.

[Compile 'em all]

Just a couple of quick questions for all the iMac heads out there:

- Will the SSD be used as the main drive or the secondary drive for OS X? I would like to have OS X installed there while using the HDD for documents/media

- How much of a difference is there between the single core i5 and the quadcore i5, performance-wise?

[grantmo]

Just a couple of quick questions for all the iMac heads out there:

- Will the SSD be used as the main drive or the secondary drive for OS X? I would like to have OS X installed there while using the HDD for documents/media

- How much of a difference is there between the single core i5 and the quadcore i5, performance-wise?
The os and apps are preinstalled on the ssd according to apple

About Solid-State Drives

iMac also offers an optional 256GB solid-state drive (SSD), which has no moving parts and offers up to twice the drive performance for many operations. The 256GB SSD may be purchased in place of the standard hard drive or in addition to it.

If you configure your iMac with both the solid-state drive and a Serial ATA hard drive, it will come pre-formatted with Mac OS X and all your applications on the solid-state drive. Then you can use the hard drive for videos, photos and other files.

Note:1GB = 1 billion bytes; 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual formatted capacity less.

[henrikrox]

Just bought the

i7 2.93 ghz
8gb ram
ati raden 5750
1GB HDD
magic mouse and keyboard
magic trackpad
battery charger

Hopefully there will be a solution for aftermarket SSD's in the future. I really want a intel SSD.

Just me counting days until it arrives, its going to be a loooooong summer

[zappster]

I am seriously looking at a refurbished 2009 i7. The prices just came down on the refurb site.

So in comparing an i7 refurb to a 2010 i5 Quad core, I would be saving $300. Now I would not get the new GPU with 1GB memory, nor would I have the benefit of the 1333 bus. But just from a value point of view, this seems to be the best bang for the buck right now. I think the old i7 is more powerful than the new i5, and there is not a big difference in GPU. Even the difference between a 2.8 and 2.93 i7 processor should not be that great.

Thoughts?

[Razeus]

I am seriously looking at a refurbished 2009 i7. The prices just came down on the refurb site.

So in comparing an i7 refurb to a 2010 i5 Quad core, I would be saving $300. Now I would not get the new GPU with 1GB memory, nor would I have the benefit of the 1333 bus. But just from a value point of view, this seems to be the best bang for the buck right now. I think the old i7 is more powerful than the new i5, and there is not a big difference in GPU. Even the difference between a 2.8 and 2.93 i7 processor should not be that great.

Thoughts?

HOLY CRAP! The i5 Quad on the refurb store is now $470 off!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[JHorstmann]

On the morning of the release I ordered the:

21.5 in.
i5 3.6ghz
8 gigs of ram
Radeon 5670
1 TB HD

I basically tried to soup this one up as much as I could justify in hopes that it will last me a long while.

To top it off it should be coming in the mail, TODAY.

[Queso]

^^ I hope you realise you are legally obligated to post benchmarks :D

[acousticsz]

I just orderd 27"

i7 2.93 ghz
4gb ram
2TB HDD

and it's my first mac ever :D

[bolen]

Just ordered the 27" with the i7 and 8GB of RAM... can't wait! :D

I will probably try to put my falcon SSD in there as well. :)

[SamTheeGeek]

Congrats all who ordered :D ,

How long is your shipping est. ? is showing for delivery ?


mine is 2nd.

[vrockob]

Congrats all who ordered :D ,

How long is your shipping est. ? is showing for delivery ?


mine is 2nd.

2-4 business days estimated delivery 8/2 - 8/6

[SamTheeGeek]

2-4 business days estimated delivery 8/2 - 8/6

Awesome , did you upgrade the shipping speed ?

did it ship from CA ?

:)

[2 Owls]

Mine is showing expected arrival on Wednesday :)

[blinkin182]

Just ordered:

2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
1TB
Magic Mouse
Apple Battery Charger Z
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
Apple Wireless Keyboard (US)
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
+ iPod Touch (back to school)
+ Printer

So you chose the i5 in the end?
I'm also hesitating between three options:
1. New 27 inch i5
2. New 27 inch i7
3. Refurbished 27 inch i7 (late 2009)

I use my current computer for:
Surfing, work/administration, media centre, photo editing, some occasional video editing, quite a lot of video converting and DVD ripping for my media centre (this is where I'm excited about Handbrake performance with multiple cores) and gaming.

I want a computer that will last me at least 4 years. So I'm wondering if Hyperthreading is really worth it in order to have 4 extra virtual cores.

my config would in any case be:

1TB HD
4GB RAM (will upgrade later getting RAM cheaper at 3rd party retailer)
Wired keyboard (need to keypad)
Magic Mouse

My question is: what are the core differences between Radeon 4850 and 5750?

I hear 5750 is slightly faster and may take advantage of future OpenGL drivers and DX11. Anyone know what exactly?

[blinkin182]

I am seriously looking at a refurbished 2009 i7. The prices just came down on the refurb site.

So in comparing an i7 refurb to a 2010 i5 Quad core, I would be saving $300. Now I would not get the new GPU with 1GB memory, nor would I have the benefit of the 1333 bus. But just from a value point of view, this seems to be the best bang for the buck right now. I think the old i7 is more powerful than the new i5, and there is not a big difference in GPU. Even the difference between a 2.8 and 2.93 i7 processor should not be that great.

Thoughts?

As I just posted, am also hesitating here... my real only concern is build quality, after reading some horror stories on having to return late 2009s multiple times (even refurbs)..
I also wonder whether the radeon 4850 graphics card really is starting to be obsolete and if the 5750 really is better or not in the long run.

[zwaffel]

Just ordered:
iMac 27" 2.8GHz I5
with all default options

Going to add additional 2x4GB to make it 12GB. Hopefully I get it somewhere next week! My first real Mac! :cool:

[bolen]

So you chose the i5 in the end?
I'm also hesitating between three options:
1. New 27 inch i5
2. New 27 inch i7
3. Refurbished 27 inch i7 (late 2009)

I use my current computer for:
Surfing, work/administration, media centre, photo editing, some occasional video editing, quite a lot of video converting and DVD ripping for my media centre (this is where I'm excited about Handbrake performance with multiple cores) and gaming.

I want a computer that will last me at least 4 years. So I'm wondering if Hyperthreading is really worth it in order to have 4 extra virtual cores.

my config would in any case be:

1TB HD
4GB RAM (will upgrade later getting RAM cheaper at 3rd party retailer)
Wired keyboard (need to keypad)
Magic Mouse

My question is: what are the core differences between Radeon 4850 and 5750?

I hear 5750 is slightly faster and may take advantage of future OpenGL drivers and DX11. Anyone know what exactly?

If you plan to keep your iMac for 4 years you should probably go for the new i7. The i7 with HT is a real treat when it comes to video encoding and in the future more and more applications will utilize the extra cores/HT.

Edit:
Also we'll probably see more and more OpenCL accelerated applications (the grapichs card offloads the CPU). The newer GPU (HD5750) have much better OpenCL support than HD4850. AMD/ATi has even admitted that the 4000 series is quite bad when it comes to OpenCL.
http://en.expreview.com/2009/12/24/amd-admits-opencl-performance-on-radeon-hd-4000-series/6205.html

[blinkin182]

If you plan to keep your iMac for 4 years you should probably go for the new i7. The i7 with HT is a real treat when it comes to video encoding and in the future more and more applications will utilize the extra cores/HT.

Edit:
Also we'll probably see more and more OpenCL accelerated applications (the grapichs card offloads the CPU). The newer GPU (HD5750) have much better OpenCL support than HD4850. AMD/ATi has even admitted that the 4000 series is quite bad when it comes to OpenCL.
http://en.expreview.com/2009/12/24/amd-admits-opencl-performance-on-radeon-hd-4000-series/6205.html

Thanks for that, although I'm just as stuck as before :P

I was leaning towards refurb i7, as I think the value for money is really good. I don't game that much on my computer anymore so I'm not sure if the updated graphics card is really worth it. Of course, taking advantage of OpenCL might be good, but am wondering if a lot of future software will be taking advantage of this feature. Interesting article in any case.

Guess I'll wait for benchmark comparison before I take the plunge!

[Shivetya]

I have the 09 i5 and honestly the new models don't offer anything worth upgrading too. While the SSD option is nice its priced a bit silly at this time.

I guess I will skip a generation or two.

[Queso]

I have the 09 i5 and honestly the new models don't offer anything worth upgrading too. While the SSD option is nice its priced a bit silly at this time.

I guess I will skip a generation or two.
Most of Apple's updates are incremental. It's really only when there's a big jump that it's worth upgrading to the immediate replacements, such as when the Intel transition happened or when the G4 was replaced by the G5. The next big performance jump will happen early next year with the Sandy Bridge processors. Even then it'll be worth seeing benchmarks before deciding to upgrade from your current machine.

For us lowly mortals on C2Ds of course it's a different story :)

[pbaker]

im thinking of replacing my imac its current specs are:

Intel iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16Ghz
3 GB Ram
500gb Hard Disk

I brought this back in late 2006, is it worth upgrading?

[Queso]

im thinking of replacing my imac its current specs are:

Intel iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16Ghz
3 GB Ram
500gb Hard Disk

I brought this back in late 2006, is it worth upgrading?
Yes, definitely. The new iMacs are nearly three times as fast in processing terms than your current machine and the video cards are off the scale compared to the X1600 you are currently using.

[Kissaragi]

I ordered this @ noon.


I'm now looking to purchase Star Craft 2 for MAC. All I can find is PC version.

There is only one version, it has pc and mac in the box.

[tyche]

I went back and forth a bit but finally decided on the 2nd 21.5" option with an i5 processor upgrade.

I've been waiting almost 2 years for an iMac and I'm excited to finally order one.

[Serif]

Bit late to this thread as I actually ordered a couple of days back. but here's what I went with:

27-inch iMac
Part Number: Z0JP
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 065-9512
2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive 065-0188
Apple Mouse 065-9942
Apple Remote 065-9503
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (British) & User's Guide (English) B065-9944
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM 065-9457
Country Kit B065-9500
8x double-layer SuperDrive 065-9458

AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac/eMac
Part Number: S2511ZM/A

[blinkin182]

I went back and forth a bit but finally decided on the 2nd 21.5" option with an i5 processor upgrade.

I've been waiting almost 2 years for an iMac and I'm excited to finally order one.

I also have the 2.16 Ghz C2D and am excited to upgrade. I find the value for money for the 21.5 with Core i5 BTO not so good, when for a few extra hundred you can get bigger screen, better GPU and quadcore processor. So now, I'm a bit of a dilemma between new quad i5, new quad i7 or refurbished quad i7! :P

But feel I'll see a huge difference in any case. I think our 2.16 Ghz C2D scored 76 on Speedmark 6, while late 2009 quad i5 scored 209! And the recent i3 scored between 178 and 190 (http://www.macworld.com/article/153042/2010/07/icorei3_imacs_tests.html)

So probably a 2x to 3x speed difference...

[SamTheeGeek]

Bit late to this thread as I actually ordered a couple of days back. but here's what I went with:

27-inch iMac
Part Number: Z0JP
2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 065-9512
2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive 065-0188
Apple Mouse 065-9942
Apple Remote 065-9503
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB 065-9452
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (British) & User's Guide (English) B065-9944
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM 065-9457
Country Kit B065-9500
8x double-layer SuperDrive 065-9458

AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac/eMac
Part Number: S2511ZM/A

Awesome spec's to go for :D

[tyche]

27" is just too big for me. This is a computer I want on my desk my face is 2' from not a TV in the living room :p Seriously, have you seen the size of that thing!

I'm happy with 21.5" it has plenty of room for me.

[Compile 'em all]

Is there no SSD option with the 21" or am I missing something?

[blinkin182]

Is there no SSD option with the 21" or am I missing something?

Not missing anything... There is no SSD option for 21"

[Serif]

27" is just too big for me. This is a computer I want on my desk my face is 2' from not a TV in the living room :p Seriously, have you seen the size of that thing!

For the last few years I've work with a 24" iMac and a 24" secondary display as my desktop setup and I'm beginning to wish I had more space. I've just ordered a 27" as my home machine and am hoping I can get away without a secondary display there. :o

[2 Owls]

Where do these iMacs get built? mine is still showing not yet shipped but its still showing delivery on wednesday, I'm sure my last one came from china.
Come on chaps, get a move on ;)

[Queso]

Where do these iMacs get built? mine is still showing not yet shipped but its still showing delivery on wednesday, I'm sure my last one came from china.
Come on chaps, get a move on ;)
Still China. They go from there to one of the regional distribution centres, for example the centre in The Netherlands services deliveries to Europe, then onwards to each individual country for delivery. So it tends to take four or five days.

My guess is that if your Mac is going to be delivered Wednesday it left the factory yesterday, but that they haven't updated the page yet. It will now either sit in a warehouse all weekend or the page will update on Monday showing it having arrived somewhere a lot closer to you.

[RdRunner]

I am brand new to the MAC and, so far, I am very happy with the switch. But now I am reading about the new IMACS. I just bought mine last week and it has the Core 2 Duo processor with the integrated graphics card. Should I return it and get the i3 with the better graphics card? The price of this upgraded IMAC is the same as what I paid.

[Queso]

I am brand new to the MAC and, so far, I am very happy with the switch. But now I am reading about the new IMACS. I just bought mine last week and it has the Core 2 Duo processor with the integrated graphics card. Should I return it and get the i3 with the better graphics card? The price of this upgraded IMAC is the same as what I paid.
In your position I would since the new model is a significant upgrade over a Core 2 Duo. If you bought it directly from Apple you should be able to just return it. A reseller might prove a little more difficult and involve some form of restocking fee.

[peter-knapp]

I just ordered the 27" with i7. This will be my first mac (and first apple product!) :D

With education discount, a free ipod and the hp photosmart premium (i love duplex) at a good price, i really hope to have made a good buy :apple:

[zedsdead]

I am brand new to the MAC and, so far, I am very happy with the switch. But now I am reading about the new IMACS. I just bought mine last week and it has the Core 2 Duo processor with the integrated graphics card. Should I return it and get the i3 with the better graphics card? The price of this upgraded IMAC is the same as what I paid.

Yes, definitely go get the new one. They will exchange it for you. The graphics card alone is worth the hassle.

[RdRunner]

In your position I would since the new model is a significant upgrade over a Core 2 Duo. If you bought it directly from Apple you should be able to just return it. A reseller might prove a little more difficult and involve some form of restocking fee.

I bought it at Best Buy and they told me I had 14 days to return it if I wasn't satisfied. (I was worried about using a MAC) I hate to go through the hassle of returning and then waiting for a new one, but I suppose that would be best in the long run.

Thanks for the response. I should have came to this forum before I made the purchase.

[2 Owls]

Still China. They go from there to one of the regional distribution centres, for example the centre in The Netherlands services deliveries to Europe, then onwards to each individual country for delivery. So it tends to take four or five days.

My guess is that if your Mac is going to be delivered Wednesday it left the factory yesterday, but that they haven't updated the page yet. It will now either sit in a warehouse all weekend or the page will update on Monday showing it having arrived somewhere a lot closer to you.

I really hope so, I'm due to go away on the 9th so I'm desperate to get my hands on it, if not this week I'll have to wait 2 weeks till I get to open it :eek:
Hopefully my arm to fix it to will be here by then though.

[astigtigas]

Finally pulled the trigger yesterday on the new 27" quad i7!!!

[leftroom]

Yesterday I ordered:

2.93GHZ QUAD-CORE INTELCORE I7
8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 SDRAM - 4X2GB
1TB SERIAL ATA DRIVE
ATI RADEON HD 5750 1GB GDDR5
8X DOUBLE-LAYER SUPERDRIVE
MAGIC MOUSE+MAGIC TRACKPAD-Z
APPLE BATTERY CHARGER-INT
WL KB & USER'S GUIDE-SWE
COUNTRY KIT,IMAC 27-INCH-IEA

:) The Magic Trackpad is for a friend.

[Tehy]

Here's what I ordered last Saturday:

2.93GHZ QUAD-CORE INTELCORE I7
4GB 1333MHZ DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB
1TB SERIAL ATA DRIVE
ATI RADEON HD 5750 1GB GDDR5
8X DOUBLE-LAYER SUPERDRIVE
MAGIC MOUSE+MAGIC TRACKPAD-Z
APPLE BATTERY CHARGER-INT
APPLE REMOTE
WL KB & USER'S GUIDE-FIN
COUNTRY KIT,IMAC 27-INCH-IEA

It's should be a nice update as I currently have iMac 24" Core 2 Duo 2,8 Ghz. :)