Mid 2010 to Late 2012... is this a big upgrade?

richard13 · Apr 8, 2013

I normally wait 3 years between computers but I'm thinking it might be time for a new one a little early. Has anyone else upgraded from a similar iMac? Did it feel like a big improvement on your old iMac?

I currently have:
27" iMac
2.93 Core i7
4GB RAM (upgraded to 12GB)
1TB HDD
ATI HD 5750 1GB
Magic Mouse

I am thinking of ordering:
27" iMac
3.4Ghz Core i7
8GB RAM
1TB Fusion Drive
nVidia GTX 680MX 2GB
Magic Mouse+Magic Trackpad

WilliamG · Apr 8, 2013

I went from a late 2009 i7 to the 2012 system you want to buy. I added more RAM to it. Processor-wise it's a wash for the most part. I do notice my processing of RAW files in Lightroom is faster, but aside from that, meh.

The biggest difference, though, is the GPU. That 680 2GB card just smashes the graphics card in my 2009 iMac (AMD 4850 512MB), and doubtless your 2010 card, too. It's amazing how powerful it is in such an all-in-one with just a single fan.

So yes, if you're into GPU-stuff, it's a big upgrade (it's a veritable gaming beast).

ninja2000 · Apr 9, 2013

To add to what WilliamG has said (Which I completely agree with) there are a number of other differences which could make the switch worthwhile:

Much much less glare (I own a 2010 and 2012 and put them side by side). It is so much nicer working with the 2012 model, I would often find I got headaches from the 2010 model due to the glare it produced.

USB3 and thunderbolt ports make a big difference to me as I am always moving large files around.

The only slight negatives I have found is the speakers seem to have less bass (both sound good for what they are) and it is much easier to add more internal storage in the 2010 (I have a SSD, 3.5" and a 2.5" in optical bay).

richard13 · Apr 9, 2013

Thanks guys. I appreciate the info.

But now that you mention it, I am a little concerned about what ninja2000 said regarding the screen. I am no fan of anti-glare schemes and would rather have a screen that reflects like crazy as long as the picture is crystal clear. Things like "matte" screens may reduce glare but they completely ruin the clarity.

Please tell me this new screen isn't like that.

dandrewk · Apr 9, 2013

richard13 said:
Thanks guys. I appreciate the info.

But now that you mention it, I am a little concerned about what ninja2000 said regarding the screen. I am no fan of anti-glare schemes and would rather have a screen that reflects like crazy as long as the picture is crystal clear. Things like "matte" screens may reduce glare but they completely ruin the clarity.

Please tell me this new screen isn't like that.

I had your exact system and upgraded to the one you are considering, except I went to 32gb RAM with the SSD. You WILL notice a huge speed increase. No more bouncing icons or spinning pinwheels. Photoshop starts up in about 5 seconds. Games are soooo much faster and smoother. It takes about 1.5 minutes to completely reboot.

You have zero to worry about with the anti glare. The glass screen is still glossy glass as before - no matting at all. Apple reduced the glare by changing the way the glass is attached to the monitor. Previously it was via magnets, now it is glued. This reduces the distance between the screen and the glass, and thus reduces the glare. This also allows for the new iMac to be much thinner than prior models. The result is the monitor is every bit as bright and sharp as before, except with much less glare.

Go for it. You won't be disappointed.

richard13 · Apr 9, 2013

dandrewk said:
I had your exact system and upgraded to the one you are considering, except I went to 32gb RAM with the SSD. You WILL notice a huge speed increase. No more bouncing icons or spinning pinwheels. Photoshop starts up in about 5 seconds. Games are soooo much faster and smoother. It takes about 1.5 minutes to completely reboot.

You have zero to worry about with the anti glare. The glass screen is still glossy glass as before - no matting at all. Apple reduced the glare by changing the way the glass is attached to the monitor. Previously it was via magnets, now it is glued. This reduces the distance between the screen and the glass, and thus reduces the glare. This also allows for the new iMac to be much thinner than prior models. The result is the monitor is every bit as bright and sharp as before, except with much less glare.

Go for it. You won't be disappointed.

Hey. Thanks for the additional info, it's definitely useful! It's looking more likely that I'll make this purchase. Likely in the next few weeks.

ninja2000 · Apr 10, 2013

richard13 said:
Thanks guys. I appreciate the info.

But now that you mention it, I am a little concerned about what ninja2000 said regarding the screen. I am no fan of anti-glare schemes and would rather have a screen that reflects like crazy as long as the picture is crystal clear. Things like "matte" screens may reduce glare but they completely ruin the clarity.

Please tell me this new screen isn't like that.

no no, not like that at all. All they have done is laminated the screen to the glass. It is still glossy but as it is all one piece there is much less reflection.
I enjoyed my 2010 screen but I am in love with my 2012 screen!

mrmarts · Apr 10, 2013

I'am in the same boat as you i own also a 2010 imac with 8gb of ram and a tiny video card 512mb. I am tempted to make the change to a new 2012 model for the USB 3 ports, better graphics 2gb and more ram 32gb.

But with all the rumours hovering around with better WI FI in new models, a boost to thunderbolt and usb 3 transfer speed and the possibility of a retina display i prefer to hang onto what i got.

Drharrington · Apr 10, 2013

Have you considered upgrade the 2010 with a SSD? That model has an extra sata on the logic board. You could add an internal SSD and DIY a fusion drive. I did that and feel like I extended the life of the iMac another years or so. Other World Computing has the kit or they will do for you. Any service center should do it as well.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1564795/

bmcgrath · Apr 10, 2013

I think the question you need to ask yourself is... "Do you really need it?"

What problems do you face with your current machine?

richard13 · Apr 10, 2013

bmcgrath said:
I think the question you need to ask yourself is... "Do you really need it?"

What problems do you face with your current machine?

Well, "need" is kind of a stretch here. Want is more like it. I'm still pretty much happy with my mid-2010 except in one department and that is gaming performance. My FPS in WoW is way lower since MoP and so what I specifically need is an upgrade in the video card department. Everything else is icing on the cake!

----------

Drharrington said:
Have you considered upgrade the 2010 with a SSD? That model has an extra sata on the logic board. You could add an internal SSD and DIY a fusion drive. I did that and feel like I extended the life of the iMac another years or so. Other World Computing has the kit or they will do for you. Any service center should do it as well.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1564795/

I think if I were to keep my mid-2010 I'd leave it alone. Somehow ripping open my "all-in-one" iMac doesn't appeal to me. Well, actually, it does appeal to me... Just to see what's inside. But having to deal with things I'd likely break is another story.

----------

mrmarts said:
I'am in the same boat as you i own also a 2010 imac with 8gb of ram and a tiny video card 512mb. I am tempted to make the change to a new 2012 model for the USB 3 ports, better graphics 2gb and more ram 32gb.

But with all the rumours hovering around with better WI FI in new models, a boost to thunderbolt and usb 3 transfer speed and the possibility of a retina display i prefer to hang onto what i got.

Sure, more awesome wi-fi itself is worth waiting for. Those other things I don't know. But the question would be when? That could be anywhere from a few to many many months before it appears. At some point you have to bite the bullet.

bmcgrath · Apr 11, 2013

richard13 said:
Well, "need" is kind of a stretch here. Want is more like it. I'm still pretty much happy with my mid-2010 except in one department and that is gaming performance. My FPS in WoW is way lower since MoP and so what I specifically need is an upgrade in the video card department. Everything else is icing on the cake!

----------

If I were you and you can wait, there should be another update later this year which would be a nice bump up. Probably larger drives aswell along with AC wifi, better graphics and obviously a bump in CPU. And maybe a new display... Retina finally?

dandrewk · Apr 11, 2013

richard13 said:
If I were you and you can wait, there should be another update later this year which would be a nice bump up. Probably larger drives aswell along with AC wifi, better graphics and obviously a bump in CPU. And maybe a new display... Retina finally?

Wait until next year for new toy?

....does....not....compute....

toddzrx · Apr 11, 2013

Drharrington said:
Have you considered upgrade the 2010 with a SSD? That model has an extra sata on the logic board. You could add an internal SSD and DIY a fusion drive. I did that and feel like I extended the life of the iMac another years or so. Other World Computing has the kit or they will do for you. Any service center should do it as well.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1564795/

+1.

If you don't need the extra GPU power or faster external connections, an SSD will make your 2010 machine feel like it's brand new. I did this on my 21.5" 2010 iMac, and I plan to get another 2 or 3 years out of it. Easily the best upgrade for the cost.

Also, I think the 27" 2010 model can bump all the way up to 32GB of RAM (check OWC to make sure).

Frankly, it sounds like your purchasing decision is a bit emotional. New toys delight you for a little while but the thrill wears off pretty quick. On the other hand, upgrading what you thought was washed up is satisfying and leaves a much smaller hole in your pocket. Just sharing from my own experience here; not trying to talk down at you.

dakhein · Apr 11, 2013

richard13 said:
Well, "need" is kind of a stretch here. Want is more like it. I'm still pretty much happy with my mid-2010 except in one department and that is gaming performance. My FPS in WoW is way lower since MoP and so what I specifically need is an upgrade in the video card department. Everything else is icing on the cake!

I here you on the FPS. That alone would get me hungering for a new one. I briefly used a Mid 2011 with the Radeon HD6970M. MoP worked pretty well even at 2560x1440. The new 2012 with the 680 should be even better. I've heard they even run cooler and quieter (the 2011 would get pretty hot I'd get worried sometimes). I would spend the extra dough and get the Fusion Drive.

Drharrington · Apr 12, 2013

toddzrx said:
+1.

If you don't need the extra GPU power or faster external connections, an SSD will make your 2010 machine feel like it's brand new. I did this on my 21.5" 2010 iMac, and I plan to get another 2 or 3 years out of it. Easily the best upgrade for the cost.

Also, I think the 27" 2010 model can bump all the way up to 32GB of RAM (check OWC to make sure).

Frankly, it sounds like your purchasing decision is a bit emotional. New toys delight you for a little while but the thrill wears off pretty quick. On the other hand, upgrading what you thought was washed up is satisfying and leaves a much smaller hole in your pocket. Just sharing from my own experience here; not trying to talk down at you.

Well said. I do find this forum completely full of folks who continuing advance the notion that you must upgrade to the new, latest Mac or else your stuff is just way behind. Kind of an apple mac fanboy sales person mentality -- strange. Rarely are the processors the bottleneck for the majority of the users - the drive is. But to each his own - people rationalize things to no end.

The SSD upgrade on that model is a slam dunk given the extra sata on the logic board - whether you do it yourself or have a professional do it. The drive and connectors maybe run you 200 bucks (120 ssd to 1tb hdd is fine), the DIY fusion drive creation is easy - any service center or professional should charge should be very reasonable as you don't even have to remove the logic board to connect. It's plug and play - not rock science. You remove the screen - loosen the logic board - plug it in - and tighten back up the logic board - replace the screen and then done. Granted its sata II but the SSD, even on sata II, will crank out at 4-7 times your traditional drive speed.

The difference in response is absolutely stunning even on my i3 core and the machine will rock especially with an i7 core. Yes, I forgot that i7 can take 32 GB as posted on this forum. Man, that thing should really rock with ssd. IMHO, the ssd coupled with fusion is really changing this "upgrade after three years" traditional thought.

Emotional - yes, absolutely.

See OWC video on it. I did it myself and I'm no expert.

ninja2000 · Apr 12, 2013

Drharrington said:
Well said. I do find this forum completely full of folks who continuing advance the notion that you must upgrade to the new, latest Mac or else your stuff is just way behind. Kind of an apple mac fanboy sales person mentality -- strange. Rarely are the processors the bottleneck for the majority of the users - the drive is. But to each his own - people rationalize things to no end.

The SSD upgrade on that model is a slam dunk given the extra sata on the logic board - whether you do it yourself or have a professional do it. The drive and connectors maybe run you 200 bucks (120 ssd to 1tb hdd is fine), the DIY fusion drive creation is easy - any service center or professional should charge should be very reasonable as you don't even have to remove the logic board to connect. It's plug and play - not rock science. You remove the screen - loosen the logic board - plug it in - and tighten back up the logic board - replace the screen and then done. Granted its sata II but the SSD, even on sata II, will crank out at 4-7 times your traditional drive speed.

The difference in response is absolutely stunning even on my i3 core and the machine will rock especially with an i7 core. Yes, I forgot that i7 can take 32 GB as posted on this forum. Man, that thing should really rock with ssd. IMHO, the ssd coupled with fusion is really changing this "upgrade after three years" traditional thought.

Emotional - yes, absolutely.

See OWC video on it. I did it myself and I'm no expert.

I completely agree with your post. the 2.8gbz cpu in my old 2010 was never a bottle neck. I upgraded for the faster gpu, I game a lot and the 5750 was not cutting it. It got to the point where I was running a PC through the imac to game so I decided to flog the PC and 2010 imac and get a 2012.

The 2010 is being picked up tonight and I will miss it, but I am so happy with the new screen, gpu and usb3 in my new imac I am sure I will get by

dakhein · Apr 12, 2013

Drharrington said:
Well said. I do find this forum completely full of folks who continuing advance the notion that you must upgrade to the new, latest Mac or else your stuff is just way behind. Kind of an apple mac fanboy sales person mentality -- strange. Rarely are the processors the bottleneck for the majority of the users - the drive is. But to each his own - people rationalize things to no end.

Except in this case the impetus for getting a new iMac is in fact something that the upgrades suggested for his existing machine will not fix - his low FPS. It would've been better to have asked 2012 iMac owners with the 680MX to who play WoW to comment on MoP's performance. Are they able to play at native res at ultra settings with good fps? Did they have to tone down view distance or ground clutter, shadow settings to whatever because blowing heroism in LFR made their system chug for ten seconds...

dandrewk · Apr 12, 2013

I have no issues with anyone who says the latest updates/upgrades won't make that big of a difference when somebody posts a "should I upgrade?" question.

However, I do have issues with numerous posters in this thread, and elsewhere on this forum, who automatically and dogmatically poo-poo any notion of upgrading -without taking into account the OP's needs/concerns.-

Is the latest iMac a major improvement? Maybe yes, maybe no, but probably not enough for many users to consider spending the money. Has it upgraded enough to make it worthwhile to some users? ABSOLUTELY! Like so many things, it's an individual choice. Too many times the "naysayers" make an -individual- choice of not upgrading, then feel the need to belittle those who do upgrade.

We're not all "fanboys". Some of us see the need and are HAPPY with the choice.

Drharrington · Apr 12, 2013

dandrewk said:
I have no issues with anyone who says the latest updates/upgrades won't make that big of a difference when somebody posts a "should I upgrade?" question.

However, I do have issues with numerous posters in this thread, and elsewhere on this forum, who automatically and dogmatically poo-poo any notion of upgrading -without taking into account the OP's needs/concerns.-

Is the latest iMac a major improvement? Maybe yes, maybe no, but probably not enough for many users to consider spending the money. Has it upgraded enough to make it worthwhile to some users? ABSOLUTELY! Like so many things, it's an individual choice. Too many times the "naysayers" make an -individual- choice of not upgrading, then feel the need to belittle those who do upgrade.

We're not all "fanboys". Some of us see the need and are HAPPY with the choice.

As everyone knows - need drives it. The OP went never stated an overwhelming need for graphics improvement till deep into the post, if ever.

I stand behind my comments. The board is heavily slanted toward - "upgrade the machine craze". No question about that. For many - has nothing to do with need but want disguised as need. To each his own.

toddzrx · Apr 12, 2013

dandrewk said:
I have no issues with anyone who says the latest updates/upgrades won't make that big of a difference when somebody posts a "should I upgrade?" question.

However, I do have issues with numerous posters in this thread, and elsewhere on this forum, who automatically and dogmatically poo-poo any notion of upgrading -without taking into account the OP's needs/concerns.-

Is the latest iMac a major improvement? Maybe yes, maybe no, but probably not enough for many users to consider spending the money. Has it upgraded enough to make it worthwhile to some users? ABSOLUTELY! Like so many things, it's an individual choice. Too many times the "naysayers" make an -individual- choice of not upgrading, then feel the need to belittle those who do upgrade.

We're not all "fanboys". Some of us see the need and are HAPPY with the choice.

Not sure if you were replying to me or Drharrington, but did you read both our posts fully? I think we explained our thoughts pretty clearly without sounding uppity.

Of course we're not all fanboys. While I have a fair amount of Apple gear, I do like getting as much out of it as possible (like the 2006 iPod sitting in my car that now has a 16GB CF card instead of the original 30GB hard drive).

The point I and Drharrington are trying to get across is that there are other, much cheaper options out there than just buying new gear that might fit a persons needs just fine. Heck, I'm still rocking a 3GS; just need to figure out ways to modify it (cue Tim Allen on Tool Time; tells you what a geezer I am!).

dandrewk · Apr 12, 2013

I'm probably a bit over sensitive to the "upgrade or not" issue. I've had posters here and elsewhere tell me point blank that I'm wasting my money... without even knowing my needs or situation.

It's true not everyone "needs" the upticks. It's also equally true that these upticks do result in better, faster performance. The value of this is up to the individual. Many times, strictly speaking, "need" is not the primary driving force in the decision.

haddy · Apr 13, 2013

dandrewk said:
It's true not everyone "needs" the upticks. It's also equally true that these upticks do result in better, faster performance. The value of this is up to the individual. Many times, strictly speaking, "need" is not the primary driving force in the decision.

I have gone for the iMac 32GB RAM 768 flash 3.4GHz 680MX. Don't need it at all but it makes me very happy. Great screen, great USB3/thunderbolt, oh and did I say it's fast. Way faster than any other machine I have. I also have great external speakers and using VLC watching Game of Thrones, Justified, etc. A great experience on this Mac.

flynz4 · Apr 13, 2013

haddy said:
I have gone for the iMac 32GB RAM 768 flash 3.4GHz 680MX. Don't need it at all but it makes me very happy. Great screen, great USB3/thunderbolt, oh and did I say it's fast. Way faster than any other machine I have. I also have great external speakers and using VLC watching Game of Thrones, Justified, etc. A great experience on this Mac.

+1

I have the same configuration. Everything on this machine is "instant".

/Jim

dandrewk · Apr 14, 2013

I use a magic trackpad. Love it, but occasionally I would drag the mouse pointer over the quick launch row and accidentally "blip" an icon and launch the app. Invariably, it was something like Photoshop or iTunes, which meant several dozen bounces followed by another 60 seconds of spinning wheel before I could get to the point of closing the damn app. That was on my old iMac.

No more. It's happened a few times already. Now the app is open and ready to be closed in nearly the same time it takes to position the pointer on the "x" in the upper left corner.

Mid 2010 to Late 2012... is this a big upgrade?

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