'12 i7 / 1tb fusion / 8gb / gt650m vs '13 i5 / 8gb / iris pro & AppleCare

[troy14]

Hi everyone, which computer would you pick between these two? Mostly for my parents so light internet browsing and iPhoto usage, gonna be hooked up to a NAS.

2012 21.5" iMac with i7 processor, 8gb ram, 1 tb fusion drive, gt650m card, wireless keyboard + wired mouse, no original box, AppleCare expired. Selling for $900

2013 21.5" iMac with i5, 8gb ram, 1tb HD (5400rpm?), Intel iris pro, wireless keyboard + magic mouse, no original box, AppleCare up until 2016. Selling for $700

Which one would you pick? My heart was set on the fusion drive but I think it might be overkill for my parents needs (they use the computer maybe once or twice a day), I could save $250 AND have an extended warranty by getting the newer one.. I think they would be fine with the performance


They are coming from a 24" 07 core 2 duo with a horrendous going bad lcd, I think 2.9ghz or something and 4-8 gb of ram

 

[Serban]

From performance perspective the 2012 all the way..
2013 only has the applecare advantage

 

[troy14]

From performance perspective the 2012 all the way..
2013 only has the applecare advantage

Thanks, I was just curious if anyone was able to shed some light on how much better the '12 would be, since my parents use isn't very demanding it would be cheaper and probably safer to buy the mac with applecare for them.

 

[Skittery Badger]

The '12 is definitely the better machine, but as you said, it might be more than they need. The thing that will make the biggest difference to folks like your parents is the fusion drive. That will mean faster boot times and a more responsive desktop.

You're correct that the 21.5" 1TB HD is 5400 RPM.

 

[nrubenstein]

For your parents, AppleCare and cheaper price.