Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

buying advice 2012 (fusion) vs 2013 imac (21.5)

N

natedg200202

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 15, 2014
5
0
Hello everyone,

I'd appreciate any advice we can get. We are planning to replace my wife's work macbook pro circa 2005 with an imac. I'm looking at two models:

2013 21.5" imac 2.7GH:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FE086LL/A/refurbished-215-inch-imac-27ghz-quad-core-Intel-Core-i5

2012 21.5 imac 2.7gh with FUSION drive:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/G0MP0LL/A/refurbished-imac-27ghz-quad-core-Intel-Core-i5

Including tax the cost increase is $140 for the older 2012 fusion.

I know it's hard to say unless you really knew how she would use it. Not much in the way of power graphics usage. She does use VMware to run windows. The total HD usage will be around 140 gb.

Is it worth it to get the fusion with it's ssd and take a bit of a hit on the older model with slower processor performance?

It makes me a little nervous getting the older model but I think the fusion drive could be a big boost in how fast programs open.

Thanks!
 
I would go for the 2012 model with SSD. It will feel so much snapier and the GPU in the 2012 model is much much faster (15-20%)
 
Performance is about the same. A pure flash drive or fusion is worth the money which ever way you go. Looks like the 2012 is out of stock already, so...? Good Luck
 
I'm one of these people that really doesn't see the SSD magic and I am perfectly happy with my HDD iMac (2.9-3.6Ghz i5, GT 750m) but I'd still recommend the 2012 model for you. You get a dedicated GPU (as well as 512MB of VRAM) and an SSD. The CPU performance is not a massive difference.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice. We bought the older 2012 with Fusion drive last night.

I can't wait to get it setup for her. I think the speed difference and larger screen is going to blow her mind.
 
natedg200202 said:
Thanks everyone for the advice. We bought the older 2012 with Fusion drive last night.

I can't wait to get it setup for her. I think the speed difference and larger screen is going to blow her mind.
Click to expand...

Well chosen! , she will love the machine!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back