2.5 or 2.7 Ghz iMac?

[NunoBerny]

Hello.

I'm a future fellow iMac owner.

I'm currently undecided between the 2 different clock speeds.
I'm not a power user, but tend to prefer the faster option if not too expensive.
Play a few games, but coming recently from an Amiga I can live with less than top speed. ))))

Is the speed difference that noticeable in "normal" usage (iPhoto, iMovie, etc, etc)?
What about the gfx card? Is it just a case of being able to use higher resolutions?
The extra 500GB HD space are swinging me towards the 2.7 option, but it's not a clear cut decision, since the difference is considerable (about 300EUR).

Thanks in advance.

Nuno

 

[arjen92]

The higher clock speed won't be noticeable in normal programs. An SSD would be noticeable (all programs will start faster). You could also spend the money on buying RAM (not from Apple of course).

You could even buy RAM, and an SSD and it'll still be less than $300.

A better video card might make games look better (higher settings), but I don't think it will spoil your fun having lower settings.

 

[NunoBerny]

The higher clock speed won't be noticeable in normal programs. An SSD would be noticeable (all programs will start faster). You could also spend the money on buying RAM (not from Apple of course).

You could even buy RAM, and an SSD and it'll still be less than $300.

A better video card might make games look better (higher settings), but I don't think it will spoil your fun having lower settings.

About the RAM, is it easy to upgrade yourself? Or it needs to be done at a shop? I have a couple of DDR3 memories lying around... 8)

I do a bit of 3D rendering, but nothing too special, so even there the speed increase would be negligible, apparently.
The SSD look really good, but are still very pricey and smallish. Having said that, it seems one of the easier ways to improve a machine.

I don't really care much about HIGH END gaming, so I guess the lower-speeced machine may be better suited for me (and my wallet).

The only remaining issue is: buy now or wait a couple of months for a newer iMac?

 

[I8P'CS]

About the RAM, is it easy to upgrade yourself? Or it needs to be done at a shop? I have a couple of DDR3 memories lying around... 8)

I do a bit of 3D rendering, but nothing too special, so even there the speed increase would be negligible, apparently.
The SSD look really good, but are still very pricey and smallish. Having said that, it seems one of the easier ways to improve a machine.

I don't really care much about HIGH END gaming, so I guess the lower-speeced machine may be better suited for me (and my wallet).

The only remaining issue is: buy now or wait a couple of months for a newer iMac?

All depends if you need it now or not, me I Needed now so purchased now (last week in fact) Its not like apple are using old chip sets like the C2D iMacs, All iMacs are quad now & will remain quads on Upgrade i think.

If you want usb 3 up to 10% cpu increase (Very minor bump) plus more Gpu then you can wait, Usb 3 means nothing to me as I am buying a Thunderbolt external real soon.

As for redesign I just can't see it. plus current design & specs are lovely, thats my take on things.

Enjoy whatever you do

 

[I8P'CS]

Also i miss out on all the teething problems with new hardware when new release come out, buying late in a good circle is good to me as you shouldn't have any issues with Hardware or Software. Forgot to say???

 

[yashi]

SSD is the most noticeable upgrade you can make. I wouldn't worry about the drive space too much if you're thinking about going that route, since you can plug in an external and hide it away somewhere to house your media. The SSD could hold your OS, applications, and home directory (minus media).

I think all of the graphics options should at least be able to play modern games decently, as long as you're prepared to turn down some settings. My 27's 6970m dominates, but that's just me bragging.

Seriously doubt the difference between 2.5 and 2.7 is very noticeable at all though.