21.5 or 27 inch iMac?

yjchua95 · Oct 17, 2013

boombox15 said:
Does the screen look any better on the 27 inch than on the 21.5 inch? Like in brightness, color, etc. I know that the 27 inch is pretty high res with 2560X1440. I still am at a dead end for picking the 21.5 inch or 27 inch.

Configurations I am thinking about

21.5 inch $1299 model, 8GB RAM, 256GB Flash or 1TB Hard Drive
27 inch Standard $1799 model

Resolution doesn't matter. What matters is pixel density, measured in PPI.

Both 21.5" and 27" models have almost the same PPI (around 108-109 PPI).

Color-wise, doubt you'd notice anything.

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boombox15 said:
Yeah, I am 95% sure that I am getting the 21.5 inch. The reason is because I just measured my desk and it is 30X20.5. That means that the 27 inch iMac would only leave me with 4 inches of free space, and the 21.5 inch would give me 10 inches of free space.

Still deciding but I am likely to choose the 21.5 inch.

And, how much faster would the NVIDIA GT 750M be in my uses compared to the Iris Pro? I would like to know that with my uses in mind.

Well, since the GT 650M is already faster than the IRIS in most aspects, you can be guaranteed that the GT 750M will be much faster than the IRIS in everything else.

ioannis2005gr · Oct 18, 2013

boombox15 said:
To be clear, I don't want this to be my home theater. I just want the best iMac that is best for my needs. The late 2012 21.5 inch iMac that I have now is great, but I just can't decide if I need something larger.

You've got a nice machine....save your money for other activities....

TyPod · Oct 18, 2013

ioannis2005gr said:
You've got a nice machine....save your money for other activities....

I completely agree. I see no reason why you wouldn't keep your current machine.

MacDarcy · Oct 18, 2013

Nothing against the 21.5"....but I like the larger screen real estate of the 27". Great for editing video or working on any design/art/photography work.

You can also upgrade the ram on the 27" which you can't on the 21.5"

Shappaeye · Nov 3, 2013

boombox15 said:
I have heard some say that the 27 inch screen is"too big". Because you have to move your head a lot to see things. I don't know if that's true. I want to set my budget a little higher than $2000 with tax, but I also need to save up for a 13 inch Haswell Retina MacBook Pro.

I have a 27 at home and a 21 at work and find that I prefer the 21.

The biggest factor being how far you have to move the mouse to navigate around the screen apart from that the 27 is a nice screen for arranging various open windows, DVDs, etc.

madele · Nov 28, 2013

Can someone tell me the differences between the Fusion and SSD as I am undecided ??

Traverse · Dec 3, 2013

madele said:
Can someone tell me the differences between the Fusion and SSD as I am undecided ??

The Fusion is....well...a fusion of SSD and HDD. There is an SSD portion for the OS and Apple uses "smart" technology to put your most commonly used apps and files into the SSD portion for fast access. Then there is a much larger HDD portion for general storage of everything else.

Think of it as a hybrid.

I think, but am not sure, that you get 128 GB of SSD and then 500 GB - 1 TB of HDD.

boombox15 · Dec 11, 2013

Here is a long update.

In late October, I returned the 21.5 inch iMac because with the 5400RPM Hard Drive, it was quite sluggish, and 5400RPM Hard Drives are just not something that should be around in 2013. So I returned the iMac and have been waiting to re buy until now.

I am now considering the 27 inch iMac again, and now it is more in my budget. I know for sure that no matter what screen size I get, I will put Flash in it.

Now I am thinking of

21.5 inch iMac 2.7 or 2.9 8GB RAM, 256 or 512GB Flash
27 inch iMac, 3.2, 8GB RAM, 256GB or 512GB Flash

What should I do? Is the 27 inch display all that big? Is it worth the extra $500?

tbolt11 · Dec 11, 2013

Hard to say really. I went with my gut which was telling me to get a decked out 21.5". I am really happy with it, but for alot of people they find the 27" really nice. Maybe it's just a preference thing?

bartonjm · Dec 11, 2013

MacDarcy said:
Nothing against the 21.5"....but I like the larger screen real estate of the 27". Great for editing video or working on any design/art/photography work.

You can also upgrade the ram on the 27" which you can't on the 21.5"

I agree with this completely. I've used a family member's 21.5" iMac, and I just prefer mine so much more. I wouldn't worry though since you have a great machine already.

AL2TEACH · Dec 11, 2013

I got an older 20' for the mom, my sister got my 24', and I just got the 27' w/fusion. it's a beauty and if you can get it, get it, if you need to clear space for it, clear the space. just my viewpoint.

jcmendes · Dec 12, 2013

Fresh 21.5 Base model with (16G Ram/256SSD).

macbookman83 · Dec 12, 2013

2013 Refurb on the way

jcmendes said:
Fresh 21.5 Base model with (16G Ram/256SSD).

[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v380/JCmendes66/20131209_185939.jpg]Image[/URL]

I ordered my base 21inch 2013 refurb on Dec th and have it to ship to the store. Shceduled to be here by this coming Monday So I can wait to have my beauty unboxed and setup!!!!

grizzlyedwin · Dec 12, 2013

I got a 21.5" like 2 weeks, no complaints from yet.

I'm planning on upgrading to a 27" soon, so I would recommend if you really need it, have the money to spare or are planning on getting the 27" afterwards, then just give it a go from the get go and get the 27".

Thunderbird · Dec 12, 2013

Does anyone know the LCD panel vendor and panel model number of the 21.5" (late 2013) ?

I'm pretty sure it's an LG panel, but would like to find out the model number. (couldn't find anything on I-Fixit).

Roman2K~ · Dec 12, 2013

Decided on the 21.5" myself, very happy with it

. Its size is perfect for me. I remember back when I had a 27" Thunderbolt display, I found myself moving my head around too often as I couldn't see the whole screen at once. I'd rather have an overview at all times, only having to move my eyeballs rather than my head. Here's my current setup:

The external monitor is a Dell U2212HM which complements the iMac nicely (same panel dimensions). Debating whether to add a second one or not...

minimalism · Dec 13, 2013

I bought a 21.5 inch iMac and thought it was huge. After three years of usage, it felt that the screen resolution isn't big enough anymore. I mainly use mine for photography and graphic design as well as maintaining my website. If you are not a heavy user, then a 21.5 inch would suffice, but if you are a gamer, movie editor, photographer, then bigger is better.

colodane · Dec 13, 2013

I also prefer the 21.5 inch screen and feel that it is an ideal size.

I've never actually liked multiple windows open on one super big screen - to me that seems cluttered and unorganized. I much prefer to have different desktops assigned to specific tasks or frequently used applications and easily swipe between them with a trackpad gesture.

boombox15 · Dec 13, 2013

Can someone post pics of their 27 inch iMac?

iDutchman · Dec 14, 2013

boombox15 said:
Can someone post pics of their 27 inch iMac?

I find it to be the perfect size.

niki201 · Dec 14, 2013

Size Isn't that big of a deal.

If it is an extra 5.5 inches at a price tag of 800 more dollars, you should keep the 21.5

boombox15 · Dec 14, 2013

I am using my 2011 iMac that I bought for my wife while I wait to buy. Would I notice a huge difference in screen size? Should I switch to the 27 inch? I want to order real soon, and I have to make the right choice. Is the 27 inch iMac truly the best one for me? Do I need a screen that big? I think it looks nice, but I am unsure

What purchase would I be the happiest with? I want to have no regrets. The one thing I know for sure is that no matter what screen size I pick, I am going to put an SSD in it.

Should I get 256 or 512GB? I will keep it until the next models come out, and I don't want to use an external drive. I store EVERYTHING on the computer on the main drive/

DeltaMac · Dec 14, 2013

niki201 said:
If it is an extra 5.5 inches at a price tag of 800 more dollars, you should keep the 21.5

The "extra 5.5 inches" between 21.5-inch and 27-inch gives you nearly 2/3 more screen space, for only around 1/3 extra cost (going with standard configurations) - plus the extra RAM capacity, with very easy memory upgrades, plus using full size hard drive (more internal capacity if needed), and more powerful graphics options.

minimalism · Dec 15, 2013

My first iMac was a 21.5 one, overwhelmed by the size, I thought it would be enough for my needs. After three years of use, I'm have trouble with screen space. I went to the store and check out the 27 inch, turns out it is just what I needed.

boombox15 · Dec 15, 2013

Decision is made

I went to look at the 2 displays at best buy today. After looking at the 27 inch, it makes the 21.5 inch look a lot smaller. I really think that I will benefit from the big 27 inch display. It might be big at first, but I think I will get used to it and love it once I do. It also seems like it will be fun to edit photos on that big display to.

Now the only question I have left is what SSD size to pick. I will store mostly photos and videos on it to edit in iMovie and Aperture. I will also only have this iMac until the new 2014 models come out so maybe at most 10 months. I don't want to use an external hard drive either. I store everything on the internal drive.

I am considering the 256 or 512GB options. The 512GB is a little pricey, but it still fits in my budget.

What should I pick?

21.5 or 27 inch iMac?

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