21.5 mid 2011 iMac or 21.5 late 2013 iMac

[cnna]

Hi there, im trying to get an iMac for me, im a web designer who wants to use almost every item on the Adobe Suite, code editing, every day use and occasionally gaming (Dota 2, CS:GO, games like those).

I have a 13-inch, Mid 2010 Macbook and i need a new one(and bigger one), for work and everything else, so i need you guys to give me some guidance on the purche. I can get the mid 2011 iMac with the radeon GPU (used) or the late 2013 with the Iris Pro Graphic (new).

Im worried about the GPU, the ram upgrade (im trying to get 16 for the moment), the firewire port... and most of all if is worth get the mid 2011 today in 2014.

I'm from Argentina so excuse me for my bad english.

Tnks everyone for help.

 

[AlexxRyzhkov]

How much are you paying for the iMacs?

 

[yjchua95]

Hi there, im trying to get an iMac for me, im a web designer who wants to use almost every item on the Adobe Suite, code editing, every day use and occasionally gaming (Dota 2, CS:GO, games like those).

I have a 13-inch, Mid 2010 Macbook and i need a new one(and bigger one), for work and everything else, so i need you guys to give me some guidance on the purche. I can get the mid 2011 iMac with the radeon GPU (used) or the late 2013 with the Iris Pro Graphic (new).

Im worried about the GPU, the ram upgrade (im trying to get 16 for the moment), the firewire port... and most of all if is worth get the mid 2011 today in 2014.

I'm from Argentina so excuse me for my bad english.

Tnks everyone for help.

The base 21.5" iMac with Iris Pro should do you fine.

 

[cnna]

How much are you paying for the iMacs?

is hard to convert to from pesos to us dollars cuz every day our pesos worth less, but i can get the mid 2011 imac for 16k to 18k argentine peso (12 $ = 1 u$s) and the late 2013 new for a reseller for 19k to 20K argentine peso

The base 21.5" iMac with Iris Pro should do you fine.

you think ? i have not faith in that intel GPU, and im worried about the possibility of upgrade the ram late

Thanks guys for taking the time to answer

 

[capuzino]

Vote for the 2011 model!

is hard to convert to from pesos to us dollars cuz every day our pesos worth less, but i can get the mid 2011 imac for 16k to 18k argentine peso (12 $ = 1 u$s) and the late 2013 new for a reseller for 19k to 20K argentine peso




you think ? i have not faith in that intel GPU, and im worried about the possibility of upgrade the ram late

Thanks guys for taking the time to answer

If your choice depends on either the money or graphic card, go with the 2011 version. The Radeon is slightly better and has more ram. Also it has the DVD superdrive and ability to add system RAM too.

I bought half a year ago the 2011 iMac with half the price than the newest base model of iMac and couldn't be happier (even though I'm going to sell it)

- Only reasons to get the newer model would've been second thunderbolt port and usb 3.0 ports. But Line in, firewire, superdrive, changeable memory and better graphic card for lower price were enough reasons for me to get the older model. I think if I would add a bit more memory and change the HDD it would run for years, but after I bought new MBP it's been just taking space on my desk.

So at least I can recommend the 2011 iMac. More options with lower price, where the only bad/worse thing is that it might break down and there's no warranty left.

 

[yjchua95]

If your choice depends on either the money or graphic card, go with the 2011 version. The Radeon is slightly better and has more ram. Also it has the DVD superdrive and ability to add system RAM too.

I bought half a year ago the 2011 iMac with half the price than the newest base model of iMac and couldn't be happier (even though I'm going to sell it)

- Only reasons to get the newer model would've been second thunderbolt port and usb 3.0 ports. But Line in, firewire, superdrive, changeable memory and better graphic card for lower price were enough reasons for me to get the older model. I think if I would add a bit more memory and change the HDD it would run for years, but after I bought new MBP it's been just taking space on my desk.

So at least I can recommend the 2011 iMac. More options with lower price, where the only bad/worse thing is that it might break down and there's no warranty left.

I'd disagree over the GPU. The Iris Pro will outperform the 512MB 6750M/6770M in almost everything, except some games.

 

[JPamplin]

Guys, I think you're missing some of the best features of the 2011 21.5" iMac specifically and ignoring one of the worst features of the 2013:

Expandability.

Although it's a pain to do it, it's possible to install an after-market SSD in the 2011. There's a second SATA3 port in there (and you can still leave the SuperDrive in place, which is SATA2 strangely).

And getting in the 2011 is much easier - the glass is held in place with magnets. With the 2013, it's GLUED ON. So it's basically impossible to open it up after you get it without heat guns, spudgers, and a ton of patience. Check out the teardown on iFixit - it's a nightmare.

You can upgrade the drives, put in 32GB of RAM, etc. in the 2011 - and the speed is no slouch with a discrete video card. Get the 2011.