iMac 27 Fusion, not sure if i should

[WhiteIphone5]

Can I just order with a 1TB, open it and install an SSD?

[bembol]

I don't follow prices but why would you want to rip open your new iMac to save a few bucks.

[GimmeSlack12]

1. You'd void your warranty. Really a bad idea.
2. The DIY install of an SSD is no walk in the park with the new iMac's.
3. As Bembol stated, is it really worth saving $100? (or whatever it is).

Sometimes the money you save isn't worth giving up peace of mind.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by gimmeslack12

1. You'd void your warranty. Really a bad idea.
2. The diy install of an ssd is no walk in the park with the new imac's.
3. As bembol stated, is it really worth saving $100? (or whatever it is).

Sometimes the money you save isn't worth giving up peace of mind.

$225!!

[Yebubbleman]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

Can I just order with a 1TB, open it and install an SSD?

Everything that the below poster says is completely accurate and worth heeding. For one, even though Apple uses mSATA, its mSATA SSDs are somewhat proprietary; so it's not like you're going to rip out a 2.5" drive and put an off-the-shelf SSD in there. I'm sure OWC's drives will work in there just fine, but you don't save much money (if any at all) by going that route. And yeah, seconding and thirding his points 1 and 3 (though 2 is fairly accurate as well).

Originally Posted by GimmeSlack12

1. You'd void your warranty. Really a bad idea.
2. The DIY install of an SSD is no walk in the park with the new iMac's.
3. As Bembol stated, is it really worth saving $100? (or whatever it is).

Sometimes the money you save isn't worth giving up peace of mind.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by Yebubbleman

Everything that the below poster says is completely accurate and worth heeding. For one, even though Apple uses mSATA, its mSATA SSDs are somewhat proprietary; so it's not like you're going to rip out a 2.5" drive and put an off-the-shelf SSD in there. I'm sure OWC's drives will work in there just fine, but you don't save much money (if any at all) by going that route. And yeah, seconding and thirding his points 1 and 3 (though 2 is fairly accurate as well).

I see but man 225 ugh lol

[buysp]

At this stage of the late 27" lifecycle i would just pay up front for the Fusion Drive.

[Yebubbleman]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

I see but man 225 ugh lol

Yes, but unless you know what you're doing (and you have the right tools) when it comes to installing that SSD, you'd be paying at least $225 for the labor to have whatever third-party drive installed to begin with. I agree, it's an annoying premium to pay, but such is the sad fact of iMacs compared to literally any other Mac desktop, let alone any other Mac at all.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by Yebubbleman

Yes, but unless you know what you're doing (and you have the right tools) when it comes to installing that SSD, you'd be paying at least $225 for the labor to have whatever third-party drive installed to begin with. I agree, it's an annoying premium to pay, but such is the sad fact of iMacs compared to literally any other Mac desktop, let alone any other Mac at all.

I'm Thinking of getting the retina mac 15 for $1900 with 16gb.

[GimmeSlack12]

Originally Posted by Yebubbleman

when it comes to installing that SSD, you'd be paying at least $225 for the labor to have whatever third-party drive installed to begin with.

I gotta say this is another good point. If the OP just buys the 1 TB, he'll still have to buy an SSD which is at least $150 though probably a lot more if you're replacing your main internal drive.

I also second that this blows and the fact that we cannot have user accessible drives and RAM is pretty damn stupid. I have grown up marveling and raving about the easy accessibility of Apple's hardware. Now? I gotta say this has become total BS.

[smoking monkey]

Originally Posted by GimmeSlack12

I gotta say this is another good point. If the OP just buys the 1 TB, he'll still have to buy an SSD which is at least $150 though probably a lot more if you're replacing your main internal drive.

I also second that this blows and the fact that we cannot have user accessible drives and RAM is pretty damn stupid. I have grown up marveling and raving about the easy accessibility of Apple's hardware. Now? I gotta say this has become total BS.

I think the OP wants to add an extra SSD to make a fusion drive with the standard 1TB HD.

So yeah, as you say, it's going to be at least 80-100 bucks to buy one. SO really it's at most a saving of 150 bucks and in the process you void your warranty.

Just want to point out that Apple hasn't stopped us from accessing RAM on all iMacs. The 27s make it incredibly simple to add your own RAM. Remember, 21s aren't all iMacs. Your post is a little misleading.

[Lancer]

I agree I would not open my new iMac to save a few $$$ especially since the screen is glued in. I would consider it on the older model but only after AppleCare ended.

Maybe you need a Mini which is much easier to crack open and add you own SSD to make it Fusion.

[Bolteh]

I went with a regular serial ATA drive instead of Fusion, mainly because I don't trust Apple that much when it comes to new Apple-branded technology (if I wasn't forced to get a new computer now, I would have waited for the second update of these new iMacs to get one, but alas).

Maybe for the better as well, there appear to be some issues with Fusion drives (failing, freezing, not working properly with Boot Camp, etc).

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by Bolteh

I went with a regular serial ATA drive instead of Fusion, mainly because I don't trust Apple that much when it comes to new Apple-branded technology (if I wasn't forced to get a new computer now, I would have waited for the second update of these new iMacs to get one, but alas).

Maybe for the better as well, there appear to be some issues with Fusion drives (failing, freezing, not working properly with Boot Camp, etc).

how's it going So far? Is it really when opening apps and such?

[emsworthboy]

The best thing about the new iMac is the fusion drive. It's a must and it's not worth saving a few dollars to go through the hassle if pairing one up. Buy it.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by emsworthboy

The best thing about the new iMac is the fusion drive. It's a must and it's not worth saving a few dollars to go through the hassle if pairing one up. Buy it.

but then i want the i7 processor too total of 2400 with tax and all

[emsworthboy]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

but then i want the i7 processor too total of 2400 with tax and all

That's the problem! I was going to buy a base machine but ended up getting both these add ons... Wish I had also got the top graphics proscessor now. given the issues of upgrading its bet to buy as many upgrades as you can afford. If its a choice between fusion and i7 it will depend on what you are doing I suppose.

[jmpage2]

Originally Posted by emsworthboy

That's the problem! I was going to buy a base machine but ended up getting both these add ons... Wish I had also got the top graphics proscessor now. given the issues of upgrading its bet to buy as many upgrades as you can afford. If its a choice between fusion and i7 it will depend on what you are doing I suppose.

If the choice is between i5 and Fusion then Fusion all the way. There are relatively few scenarios where the i7 benefits, it is primarily for things like video encoding where it will be worth while to have.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by emsworthboy

That's the problem! I was going to buy a base machine but ended up getting both these add ons... Wish I had also got the top graphics proscessor now. given the issues of upgrading its bet to buy as many upgrades as you can afford. If its a choice between fusion and i7 it will depend on what you are doing I suppose.

Did you buy it yet? If so how is it?

[Yebubbleman]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

but then i want the i7 processor too total of 2400 with tax and all

Honestly, as someone who spent a good three years saving for a new 15" non-retina MacBook Pro (Mid 2012) when the plan was originally to save for and buy a 13" MacBook Pro (Mid 2010) back in 2010, I can say that sometimes it is worth it to just hold off and save so you can get a better machine when it's time to cash out.

Then again, if you want the Core i7 just for the sake of it being better than the contemporary Core i5, well that's just a needless use of money. For most tasks it won't matter much. If you're planning on doing any serious video or rendering work, then it's worth considering. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel too badly about going with a Core i5 instead. The Fusion drive is way more substantial of an upgrade than the processor bump in terms of raw speed.

Originally Posted by GimmeSlack12

I gotta say this is another good point. If the OP just buys the 1 TB, he'll still have to buy an SSD which is at least $150 though probably a lot more if you're replacing your main internal drive.

I also second that this blows and the fact that we cannot have user accessible drives and RAM is pretty damn stupid. I have grown up marveling and raving about the easy accessibility of Apple's hardware. Now? I gotta say this has become total BS.

Agreed; though the non-retina MacBook Pro design is probably the best that Apple has ever done at this point (Mac Pro aside).

Originally Posted by jmpage2

If the choice is between i5 and Fusion then Fusion all the way. There are relatively few scenarios where the i7 benefits, it is primarily for things like video encoding where it will be worth while to have.

+1

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by Yebubbleman

Honestly, as someone who spent a good three years saving for a new 15" non-retina MacBook Pro (Mid 2012) when the plan was originally to save for and buy a 13" MacBook Pro (Mid 2010) back in 2010, I can say that sometimes it is worth it to just hold off and save so you can get a better machine when it's time to cash out.

Then again, if you want the Core i7 just for the sake of it being better than the contemporary Core i5, well that's just a needless use of money. For most tasks it won't matter much. If you're planning on doing any serious video or rendering work, then it's worth considering. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel too badly about going with a Core i5 instead. The Fusion drive is way more substantial of an upgrade than the processor bump in terms of raw speed.



Agreed; though the non-retina MacBook Pro design is probably the best that Apple has ever done at this point (Mac Pro aside).



+1

but then wouldnt it be better to get an i7 just to future proof it?

[Yebubbleman]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

but then wouldnt it be better to get an i7 just to future proof it?

For the most part, CPUs within the same family (i.e. Ivy Bridge, Sandy Bridge, Haswell) aren't likely to be cut off from minimum system requirements, meaning that you likely won't find that a future game or piece of software requiring a minimum of an Ivy Bridge Core i7 or a Haswell Core i5. Typically, if you are disallowed from running something, whether it is a future version of OS X or a particular piece of software, it is either by RAM, hard drive space, supported video cards, or by whole Mac generation (i.e. "iMac (Late 2012)") and not by the difference between an Ivy Bridge Core i5 and an Ivy Bridge Core i7.

All that getting the Core i7 buys you is additional speed that you may not ever care about or take advantage of. If you aren't sure about your future needs, then the Core i7 is a safe move. But if you know that all you're going to be doing is StarCraft II, Microsoft Word, iTunes, and things that utilize a combination of Safari and Adobe Flash Player, then going with the Core i7 buys you nothing additional.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by Yebubbleman

For the most part, CPUs within the same family (i.e. Ivy Bridge, Sandy Bridge, Haswell) aren't likely to be cut off from minimum system requirements, meaning that you likely won't find that a future game or piece of software requiring a minimum of an Ivy Bridge Core i7 or a Haswell Core i5. Typically, if you are disallowed from running something, whether it is a future version of OS X or a particular piece of software, it is either by RAM, hard drive space, supported video cards, or by whole Mac generation (i.e. "iMac (Late 2012)") and not by the difference between an Ivy Bridge Core i5 and an Ivy Bridge Core i7.

All that getting the Core i7 buys you is additional speed that you may not ever care about or take advantage of. If you aren't sure about your future needs, then the Core i7 is a safe move. But if you know that all you're going to be doing is StarCraft II, Microsoft Word, iTunes, and things that utilize a combination of Safari and Adobe Flash Player, then going with the Core i7 buys you nothing additional.

i just see myself programming, maybe photoshop. couple of final cut pro then safari. thats pretty much it.

[Fried Chicken]

I'm simply going to wait a year and then put a 1TB SSD in place of the 1TB HDD.
Or if a cheaper blade SSD exists I'll use that.

[Yebubbleman]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

i just see myself programming, maybe photoshop. couple of final cut pro then safari. thats pretty much it.

If your Photoshop or Final Cut Pro usage is at all serious, then the i7 is the way to go and if you can't afford it, you should save up money until you can. If your usage of both programs is casual, then the i5 will be more than sufficient.