Is the fusion drive worth the extra $$?

KekelaNikol · Dec 9, 2012, 10:08 PM

My husband and I are looking to upgrade our old early 2007 Macbook to a new iMac. The thought of the fusion drive sounds nice for the speed, but we are only average users (no gaming, video editing, etc). We mostly use it for web browsing, documents, and occasional photo editing. The cost (since it's not available as an option on the base model?) difference is pretty big, to upgrade to the upper end 21.5" then add the extra $250 for the fusion drive. Is it worth it for just an average user? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

zemzabob · Dec 9, 2012, 10:18 PM

For what your doing I would say just stick with the base model.

iohass · Dec 9, 2012, 10:54 PM

Personally, I think I'm in the same boat as you. I don't really intend to do much (if any at all) gaming, and definitely no video editing with perhaps a little photoshop/lightroom work.

I don't think you or I really need the fusion drive, but I think getting it along with the slightly upgraded CPU makes the iMac a little more future-proof and that's why I decided to spend a little more now with hope that I won't need another new computer in a couple years.

leman · Dec 10, 2012, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KekelaNikol

My husband and I are looking to upgrade our old early 2007 Macbook to a new iMac. The thought of the fusion drive sounds nice for the speed, but we are only average users (no gaming, video editing, etc). We mostly use it for web browsing, documents, and occasional photo editing. The cost (since it's not available as an option on the base model?) difference is pretty big, to upgrade to the upper end 21.5" then add the extra $250 for the fusion drive. Is it worth it for just an average user? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yes, definitely, the subjective speed up will be dramatic.

throAU · Dec 10, 2012, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leman

Yes, definitely, the subjective speed up will be dramatic.

This.

Whether or not you can justify the $250 or not is up to you, but for the uses you describe no other upgrade option available at purchase will give you bigger bang for buck than the fusion drive.

i.e., sacrifice CPU upgrades (they'll do very little for your usage) and sacrifice RAM upgrades if you were planning to get those instead, and go for the fusion drive first.

I'm not sure if apple will have an in store demo you can compare with (i.e., a standard machine, and one with Fusion drive side by side), but if you haven't seen the difference in speed, i'd highly recommend seeing it before deciding against it.

tom vilsack · Dec 10, 2012, 02:08 AM

For your needs a older 2006 20" 2.16GHz (core 2 duo,with snow leopard osx) with a couple gb of ram would be more then enough for web browsing and simple photo editing.I'm sure you could find a vnc one on craigs for $300 ish.

-will play 1080p utube np
-gets a geekbench score of about 2700
-clean install of osx snow leopard with default 7200 rpm hd will boot in about 15-20 secs
-safari,firefox,chrome,latest flash all will preform just fine
-for photo editing try opensource "seashore" program...fast (kinda lite photoshop)
http://seashore.sourceforge.net/The_...ect/About.html

IGregory · Dec 10, 2012, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KekelaNikol

My husband and I are looking to upgrade our old early 2007 Macbook to a new iMac. The thought of the fusion drive sounds nice for the speed, but we are only average users (no gaming, video editing, etc). We mostly use it for web browsing, documents, and occasional photo editing. The cost (since it's not available as an option on the base model?) difference is pretty big, to upgrade to the upper end 21.5" then add the extra $250 for the fusion drive. Is it worth it for just an average user? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'd go with the Fusion Drive. Here's a 3 minute YouTube video where a Mac-Mini is used to demonstrate the speed difference on the 5400 HD vs. 5400 HD with Fusion Drive. My time is valuable. I hate to waste it sitting waiting for pages to load. Ultimately though, you have to decide if the extra $250 is worth it.

tuccillo · Dec 10, 2012, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KekelaNikol

My husband and I are looking to upgrade our old early 2007 Macbook to a new iMac. The thought of the fusion drive sounds nice for the speed, but we are only average users (no gaming, video editing, etc). We mostly use it for web browsing, documents, and occasional photo editing. The cost (since it's not available as an option on the base model?) difference is pretty big, to upgrade to the upper end 21.5" then add the extra $250 for the fusion drive. Is it worth it for just an average user? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I have posted this before: take a look at a refurbed 2011 21.5" from the Apple website for $979 - may need to keep checking until they show up - they appear to be flying off the shelves. If you are OK with a 500 GB harddrive then they are a great value. You can upgrade the memory to 12 GBs for $36. A 2012 21.5" with fusion and upgraded memory is just shy of $2000 (but you do get 1 TB+ if you need the space).

KekelaNikol · Dec 10, 2012, 08:33 AM

Thanks for everyone's input. From what I'm seeing, the fusion drive isn't an option on the base model unless I'm missing something?? If it was just $250 it wouldn't be an issue. However because we have to upgrade the computer to the upper end model just for the fusion drive, it ends up being $450 which is a lot to justify. Too bad it's not an option on the base model

mihai.ile · Dec 10, 2012, 08:41 AM

What I would do is take the basic version and then add an external thunderbolt case with SSD and use that as main drive. In the end is cheaper, probably very good performance and a small SSD case is barely noticeable on the desk, not to mention you could put it somehow behind the iMac/attached to the foot.

Chihawk725 · Dec 10, 2012, 03:08 PM

I just got my BTO iMac today and am currently using it to post this response. I played around with a new non fusion at the apple store and wow the difference in so called "subjective" speed is mind boggling. Fusion boots up in 15 seconds, unlike the 45 for the HDD, apps opened instantaneously and iPhoto had no problem chugging through images (this was not terribly slow on the in store base model but for $1300 I would feel really cheated with the response I got from the ancient 5400rpm. My iMac has not made any noise and I doubt the HDD has ever turned on. Do I think fusion alone is worth $450 bucks? maybe.. Do I think the upper level model iMac with fusion is worth 1750? DEFINITELY. Do I think the base model without fusion is worth $1300 or that an all in one computer should be permanently attached to a large solid state usb drive to make it fast? NO.

tuccillo · Dec 10, 2012, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chihawk725

I just got my BTO iMac today and am currently using it to post this response. I played around with a new non fusion at the apple store and wow the difference in so called "subjective" speed is mind boggling. Fusion boots up in 15 seconds, unlike the 45 for the HDD, apps opened instantaneously and iPhoto had no problem chugging through images (this was not terribly slow on the in store base model but for $1300 I would feel really cheated with the response I got from the ancient 5400rpm. My iMac has not made any noise and I doubt the HDD has ever turned on. Do I think fusion alone is worth $450 bucks? maybe.. Do I think the upper level model iMac with fusion is worth 1750? DEFINITELY. Do I think the base model without fusion is worth $1300 or that an all in one computer should be permanently attached to a large solid state usb drive to make it fast? NO.

My reboots are rare and most apps are never shutdown. It comes out of sleep mode is a few seconds.

Hungry&Foolish · Dec 10, 2012, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KekelaNikol

Thanks for everyone's input. From what I'm seeing, the fusion drive isn't an option on the base model unless I'm missing something?? If it was just $250 it wouldn't be an issue. However because we have to upgrade the computer to the upper end model just for the fusion drive, it ends up being $450 which is a lot to justify. Too bad it's not an option on the base model

Buy iRamdisk, put safari cache on that,or any other application. It will be way faster than a fusion or ssd drive. its available in the Mac app store for 3.99

seble · Dec 10, 2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom vilsack

For your needs a older 2006 20" 2.16GHz (core 2 duo,with snow leopard osx) with a couple gb of ram would be more then enough for web browsing and simple photo editing.I'm sure you could find a vnc one on craigs for $300 ish.

-will play 1080p utube np
-gets a geekbench score of about 2700
-clean install of osx snow leopard with default 7200 rpm hd will boot in about 15-20 secs
-safari,firefox,chrome,latest flash all will preform just fine
-for photo editing try opensource "seashore" program...fast (kinda lite photoshop)
http://seashore.sourceforge.net/The_...ect/About.html

Agree with everything but the 1080p. Maybe it was my failing Macbook Pro. But its more powerful spec on Snow Leopard would struggle with 1080p sometimes, 720 on the other hand was fine.

HunterMaximus · Dec 10, 2012, 04:36 PM

As others have said, it's far and away the best upgrade you can get, particularly if you're a fairly light user (CPU power is no longer a limiting factor for most typical usage now, but disk speed is).

It really is a shame that Apple doesn't offer it or an SSD option on the low end 21". If it weren't for having to go to the high end model to get it, I'd say get it without question. As it is, it's still worth considering. But you may also want to look into using an external SSD (either Thunderbolt or USB 3) instead. It's not as elegant as the Fusion drive, and you may give up a bit of top end speed (but not a lot), but it will give you the same snappy perceived performance.

WesCole · Dec 10, 2012, 04:56 PM

It's a cool concept and will probably work great for people who don't want to manually manage a SSD and a storage drive or two. For me, I would rather get a large internal HDD and then add an SSD via Thunderbolt for the OS and some Apps. I don't mind managing my own storage...I actually prefer to do it my way so that I know where everything resides.

jwjsr · Dec 10, 2012, 05:00 PM

Once your browser is open will SSD have any effect on web browsing?

Hungry&Foolish · Dec 10, 2012, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwjsr

Once your browser is open will SSD have any effect on web browsing?

Next to None.

CapnJackGig · Dec 10, 2012, 05:51 PM

Don't waste your money. It's nice to have a speed increase, but is your life really going to be altered significantly because your programs are opening up 5 seconds later? It's especially not worth it if the price difference is 450 since Apple isn't allowing people to add one to the base unit.

pizzapappa · Dec 11, 2012, 04:34 AM

Get the base one and if you feel that you want something quicker, go for an external thunderbolt ssd.

For 199 you get a http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10599 wich i think would be more suitable for you since you dont need to go for the higher end mac.

comatose81 · Dec 11, 2012, 04:39 AM

After playing around with my brand new 21.5" with Fusion - YES!

Confuzzzed · Dec 11, 2012, 04:40 AM

Seriously, whatever people say, given your use, I don't imagine you are into doing external drive partitions etc. so if I were you I'd either go for the base iMac and live without the unquestionable speed benefits of fusion drive OR even smarter (if you don't care about looks), buy a refurbished 2011 iMac with SSD...they are not easy to come by but keep an eye out on the Apple refurb store when the 2012 iMacs start delivering, I am sure there will be plenty becoming available over the coming few weeks.

Either way, once you go SSD, you can't go back and fusion allows you to have a taster for it on a desk-top without costing the earth...

bobright · Dec 11, 2012, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Confuzzzed

Seriously, whatever people say, given your use, I don't imagine you are into doing external drive partitions etc. so if I were you I'd either go for the base iMac and live without the unquestionable speed benefits of fusion drive OR even smarter (if you don't care about looks), buy a refurbished 2011 iMac with SSD...they are not easy to come by but keep an eye out on the Apple refurb store when the 2012 iMacs start delivering, I am sure there will be plenty becoming available over the coming few weeks.

Either way, once you go SSD, you can't go back and fusion allows you to have a taster for it on a desk-top without costing the earth...

I hope Fusion is smart enough though, got a 1TB Fusion 27" coming. I have a huge itunes music collection I hope it stays over on the HDD part for obvious reasons.

roadie.f · Jan 29, 2013, 08:23 PM

Just curious, would fusion drive become available in the refurbished macs (iMac and Mac mini)? Currently I don't see any, and wondering if I should wait.

maxosx · Jan 29, 2013, 08:32 PM

If you're looking for good value, I'd pass and not buy the Fusion Drive.

Steeped in Apple's marketing magic & clever naming, it has its place if one has unlimited funds.

Speed is greater, but only under certain conditions like so many other components. The day to day difference I've noticed with my fusion drive, reveals it to be less than a good return on my investment.

That's not a complaint, as I have years of experience with Apples highly hyped creations. Therefore even before I chose it, I knew the risks involved. Even though I buy a lot of Mac computers & gear each & every year, this will be my first & last Fusion Drive.

Dec 9, 2012, 10:08 PM	#1
KekelaNikol macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2007	Is the fusion drive worth the extra $$? My husband and I are looking to upgrade our old early 2007 Macbook to a new iMac. The thought of the fusion drive sounds nice for the speed, but we are only average users (no gaming, video editing, etc). We mostly use it for web browsing, documents, and occasional photo editing. The cost (since it's not available as an option on the base model?) difference is pretty big, to upgrade to the upper end 21.5" then add the extra $250 for the fusion drive. Is it worth it for just an average user? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
	0

Dec 10, 2012, 04:56 PM	#16
WesCole macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Texas	It's a cool concept and will probably work great for people who don't want to manually manage a SSD and a storage drive or two. For me, I would rather get a large internal HDD and then add an SSD via Thunderbolt for the OS and some Apps. I don't mind managing my own storage...I actually prefer to do it my way so that I know where everything resides. __________________ 2010 15" MacBook Pro, Anti-Glare Hi-Res, 2.4 i5 128 GB SSD & 500GB HDD in optibay; iPhone 5 32GB; ATV3; 2011 Core i7 27" iMac 2GB VRAM; "New" iPad 32GB AT&T 4G; 2012 MacBook Air 13", i7, 8GB, 256GB
	0

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Dec 9, 2012, 10:18 PM	#2
zemzabob macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2010	For what your doing I would say just stick with the base model.
	0

Dec 9, 2012, 10:54 PM	#3
iohass macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Canada	Personally, I think I'm in the same boat as you. I don't really intend to do much (if any at all) gaming, and definitely no video editing with perhaps a little photoshop/lightroom work. I don't think you or I really need the fusion drive, but I think getting it along with the slightly upgraded CPU makes the iMac a little more future-proof and that's why I decided to spend a little more now with hope that I won't need another new computer in a couple years.
	1

Dec 10, 2012, 02:08 AM	#6
tom vilsack macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: ladner cdn	For your needs a older 2006 20" 2.16GHz (core 2 duo,with snow leopard osx) with a couple gb of ram would be more then enough for web browsing and simple photo editing.I'm sure you could find a vnc one on craigs for $300 ish. -will play 1080p utube np -gets a geekbench score of about 2700 -clean install of osx snow leopard with default 7200 rpm hd will boot in about 15-20 secs -safari,firefox,chrome,latest flash all will preform just fine -for photo editing try opensource "seashore" program...fast (kinda lite photoshop) http://seashore.sourceforge.net/The_...ect/About.html
	0

Dec 10, 2012, 08:33 AM	#9
KekelaNikol Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2007	Thanks for everyone's input. From what I'm seeing, the fusion drive isn't an option on the base model unless I'm missing something?? If it was just $250 it wouldn't be an issue. However because we have to upgrade the computer to the upper end model just for the fusion drive, it ends up being $450 which is a lot to justify. Too bad it's not an option on the base model
	0

Dec 10, 2012, 08:41 AM	#10
mihai.ile macrumors member Join Date: Oct 2012	What I would do is take the basic version and then add an external thunderbolt case with SSD and use that as main drive. In the end is cheaper, probably very good performance and a small SSD case is barely noticeable on the desk, not to mention you could put it somehow behind the iMac/attached to the foot.
	0

Dec 10, 2012, 03:08 PM	#11
Chihawk725 macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2012	I just got my BTO iMac today and am currently using it to post this response. I played around with a new non fusion at the apple store and wow the difference in so called "subjective" speed is mind boggling. Fusion boots up in 15 seconds, unlike the 45 for the HDD, apps opened instantaneously and iPhoto had no problem chugging through images (this was not terribly slow on the in store base model but for $1300 I would feel really cheated with the response I got from the ancient 5400rpm. My iMac has not made any noise and I doubt the HDD has ever turned on. Do I think fusion alone is worth $450 bucks? maybe.. Do I think the upper level model iMac with fusion is worth 1750? DEFINITELY. Do I think the base model without fusion is worth $1300 or that an all in one computer should be permanently attached to a large solid state usb drive to make it fast? NO.
	1

Dec 10, 2012, 04:36 PM	#15
HunterMaximus macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada	As others have said, it's far and away the best upgrade you can get, particularly if you're a fairly light user (CPU power is no longer a limiting factor for most typical usage now, but disk speed is). It really is a shame that Apple doesn't offer it or an SSD option on the low end 21". If it weren't for having to go to the high end model to get it, I'd say get it without question. As it is, it's still worth considering. But you may also want to look into using an external SSD (either Thunderbolt or USB 3) instead. It's not as elegant as the Fusion drive, and you may give up a bit of top end speed (but not a lot), but it will give you the same snappy perceived performance.
	1

Dec 10, 2012, 05:00 PM	#17
jwjsr macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fairhope, Alabama	Once your browser is open will SSD have any effect on web browsing?
	0

Dec 10, 2012, 05:51 PM	#19
CapnJackGig macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2011	Don't waste your money. It's nice to have a speed increase, but is your life really going to be altered significantly because your programs are opening up 5 seconds later? It's especially not worth it if the price difference is 450 since Apple isn't allowing people to add one to the base unit.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 04:34 AM	#20
pizzapappa macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2012	Get the base one and if you feel that you want something quicker, go for an external thunderbolt ssd. For 199 you get a http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10599 wich i think would be more suitable for you since you dont need to go for the higher end mac.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 04:39 AM	#21
comatose81 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2009	After playing around with my brand new 21.5" with Fusion - YES!
	1

Dec 11, 2012, 04:40 AM	#22
Confuzzzed macrumors 68000 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Liverpool, UK	Seriously, whatever people say, given your use, I don't imagine you are into doing external drive partitions etc. so if I were you I'd either go for the base iMac and live without the unquestionable speed benefits of fusion drive OR even smarter (if you don't care about looks), buy a refurbished 2011 iMac with SSD...they are not easy to come by but keep an eye out on the Apple refurb store when the 2012 iMacs start delivering, I am sure there will be plenty becoming available over the coming few weeks. Either way, once you go SSD, you can't go back and fusion allows you to have a taster for it on a desk-top without costing the earth...
	1

Jan 29, 2013, 08:23 PM	#24
roadie.f macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2012	Just curious, would fusion drive become available in the refurbished macs (iMac and Mac mini)? Currently I don't see any, and wondering if I should wait.
	0

Jan 29, 2013, 08:32 PM	#25
maxosx macrumors 68000 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Southern California	If you're looking for good value, I'd pass and not buy the Fusion Drive. Steeped in Apple's marketing magic & clever naming, it has its place if one has unlimited funds. Speed is greater, but only under certain conditions like so many other components. The day to day difference I've noticed with my fusion drive, reveals it to be less than a good return on my investment. That's not a complaint, as I have years of experience with Apples highly hyped creations. Therefore even before I chose it, I knew the risks involved. Even though I buy a lot of Mac computers & gear each & every year, this will be my first & last Fusion Drive.
	0