I personally would spend my upgrade money elsewhere, but that's just my computing needs. Maybe this will help:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/10/core-i5-or-core-i7-does-your-computer-need-the-extra-juice/
If the RAM were user-accessible, then I'd agree whole-heartedly, but it isn't and thusly it has to be done at the time of purchase or it can't be done at all. If a version of OS X should come along that would otherwise run on that machine, but require 16GB of RAM, then having spent the $200 or so that Apple is raping him for would've been worth doing as it would've afforded him at least another year or two of use. Given that these are machines are essentially rentals, time is money and it is best to make the most out of both.
Thank you so much for this article! This is really helpful, guess I have my other answer. Looks like an i7 really isnt necessary and putting your upgrade funds into some of the other BTO's makes mores sense.
i7 is a good upgrade as you get more cache and you get hyperthreading and those are all great features, but RAM will limit you from being able to run apps down the road. It is inevitable. It's best to prepare for that in advance, especially when doing so down the road is no longer an option on these new 21.5" iMacs.
8gigs. For what you describe you will never even use the 8gigs you have. Anyone telling you otherwise is being a fool with your money.
An utter fool. There is no "future proofing" because I the future your graphics card, your hard drive et al will also all be out of date so you will just bottle neck somewhere else. But hey, if you've got 100$ just to blow away, go right ahead. At most right now, you are using 2 gigs tops doing the things you describe.
Aside from Mountain Lion, every version of OS X since Panther has been doubling the RAM requirement of the previous OS. They took a break from it this time, presumably to more focus on weeding out video cards that they could not procure 64-bit drivers for (given Mountain Lion's abandonment of the 32-bit kernel). But there's no reason to assume that they won't resume this practice in the future. Given that, and given the fact that the time at which your computers days are numbered is when software support stops (and that's largely dictated by (a) how limited your system is on expansion for things like RAM and (b) what version of OS X you're running), buying more RAM buys you more time. These computers aren't cheap. It's better to buy one that lasts for five years than to buy one that lasts for three or four and sometimes RAM can make that kind of difference.
It's not worth being so short-sighted when the rest of the computer costs so much money to begin with.
Ok, now Im
so do you think 8gb is good enough for someone who primarily will be using their iMac for the following:
High Internet surfing
iMovie-Light to moderate
iTunes-High (including music video and movie viewing)
MS Office for Mac
Pages, Keynote and Numbers
iPhoto
FaceTime
**Ability to run the latest Apple OS software thats pushed out every year (it seems like anyway)
For everything but the last one, 8GB is sufficient. 8GB will more than likely let you run the next two versions of OS X, but it is likely that somewhere down the road 16GB will be the minimum requirement. At that time, it will be wise to consider replacing your computer, but at least, you won't have to as far as general compatibility is concerned.
Absolutely without any doubt. If you had 4gb it would be more than enough. It's actually easy to see how much ram you are using right now on your computer.
Are you on a Mac now? Just go to activity monitor. I do the same as you and have yet to use more than 2.79gb
That's with multiple web pages, iTunes, smart music, GarageBand, I producer, iPhoto and photo booth, face time, and ibooks author all open at the same time!
That's today and with current versions of that software. Who knows what future software will do with only that much RAM.
WOW! Ok, I am sitting at 5.12 (Used) as of right now on my early 2011 MBP and have 8gb installed. So I guess if I am not at the 8gb limit on my MBP, 8gb on the iMac would suite my needs just fine. Just hate that you cant upgrade the 21.5", thats what worries me...
The fact that you can't upgrade it later should be the determining factor. It's a change you can't make later should you ever need it and it's a change that is guaranteed to effect how long you use the machine before you replace it. I say it's a no-brainer.
Nailed it. The cheapest machine today, is better than the best machine of yesterday.
Yes, but the cheapest machine today will last you much less time than one with more money thrown into things like RAM increases.
Ok, in 2006 a guy needed 3gb of ram, and now in 2013 he's using 4.9.
So, your 8gigs of ram will need upgrading some time in 2050.
Man that logic doesn't even follow, and I'm pretty sure you know even know it.
Thanks for all of your responses!
I have decided that I am going to go for the 16 GB of RAM in my new iMac. Just another quick question, will the baseline 21.5 inch iMac be powerful enough to run some basic games from the App Store and games such as SimCity, when it is released next year?
Good call, and yes, it ought to be powerful enough.
You heard it here folks! "Heavy Facebook use" and casual gaming from the app store now requires 16gb ram.
Enjoy your new computer.
Your use of the word now is both wrong and shortsighted. It doesn't NOW require 16GB of RAM. It WILL require 16GB of RAM. NOW vs. FUTURE. What about that is so hard to grasp, understand or empathize with, especially given Apple's pre-Mountain-Lion track record of doubling the minimum RAM requirement of the OS?
The truth is not determined by the number of people who voice their opinion--they're just justifying their own poor decisions. But hey, it's your money not mine. One guy telling you to get 16 admits he doesn't even use 5gb on his own computer!
To be honest, you sound clueless about computers, so when you say, "you might use more intensive tasks" in the future I doubt you have the know how to even use them.
Are you a professional photographer or graphics designer? If NO, you will never use 16gb. But go ahead, because I'm being a smart ass, spend a hundred bucks for something you don't need (based on the information you provided).
Wait...I own apple stock....never mind, you should buy the 16gb!
Any viable argument I could use against this is something I've said a thousand times over and is something you fail to address in your comments to anyone disagreeing with you.
So.. If you were to choose only two of these upgrades..
What would you choose ?
- 16 GB
- Core i7
- Fusion Drive
Personally, I'd do the RAM and the Fusion Drive, but that's only because the odds of Apple locking you out of being able to use an OS feature (and similarly the odds of any program limiting your ability to install and use itself on your system) are slim as they haven't done that since the PowerPC days. The Core i7 will be faster, for sure, but in terms of getting the most out of what you buy, I'd pick the RAM and the Fusion Drive. Though, I can't imagine the upgrade to the Core i7 being that much more; if you can save more money, it's worth doing all three.
Thing is, 16GB RAM upgrade is likely to mean you are about £100 short of a 27" iMac price. Then what do you do?
Probably still get the 21.5" iMac as its transition away from some desktop components to laptop components (like 3.5" HDD to 2.5" HDD) is likely to make it much more reliable of a Mac whereas the 27" iMac doesn't seem likely to have such an increase in reliability (if anything a decrease given the way increased thinness for only removing the optical drive). Frankly, a Mac model's reliability is a pretty important feature to consider given that's one of the primary reasons to consider a Mac over any other machine.