Bought new iMac, several questions.

[Apple2000]

Well I recently purchased a refurbished 27 inch 2011 imac with the 3.1ghz processor. It is replacing my 2008 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo mac. I have several questions:

1) Can i use the 21 inch as an external display for my new 27 inch?

2) If so, what cable should i use?

3) If i have 2 external displays hooked up, how much more taxing will it be on my computer? For example, If i am gaming with my 21 inch imac hooked up, with the game on the 27" and the web open on the 21", should i expect slower performance?

4) Is it possible to use external displays when using W7 over boot camp?

5) I splurged on the extra 4gb of ddr3 1333mhz ram as it was only $40.00, how big will the performance difference be with 8gbs instead of 4gbs? Where will i notice the difference most?

6) Do thunderbolt external SSDs exist? If so, would they be as fast as an internal SSD?

7) Is there an adapter that will let me display my xbox 360 on my 27 inch imac? If there is that is great because then i can get rid of my 27 inch viewsonic.

I know it is alot, thanks to anyone who can answer these!

 

[philipma1957]

Well I recently purchased a refurbished 27 inch 2011 imac with the 3.1ghz processor. It is replacing my 2008 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo mac. I have several questions:

1) Can i use the 21 inch as an external display for my new 27 inch?

2) If so, what cable should i use?

3) If i have 2 external displays hooked up, how much more taxing will it be on my computer? For example, If i am gaming with my 21 inch imac hooked up, with the game on the 27" and the web open on the 21", should i expect slower performance?

4) Is it possible to use external displays when using W7 over boot camp?

5) I splurged on the extra 4gb of ddr3 1333mhz ram as it was only $40.00, how big will the performance difference be with 8gbs instead of 4gbs? Where will i notice the difference most?

6) Do thunderbolt external SSDs exist? If so, would they be as fast as an internal SSD?

7) Is there an adapter that will let me display my xbox 360 on my 27 inch imac? If there is that is great because then i can get rid of my 27 inch viewsonic.

I know it is alot, thanks to anyone who can answer these!

1) no

2) can't do 1 so no cable


3) you can only do thunderbolt monitors ie another 2011 imac or a new Apple display with t-bolt

4) you can only do thunderbolt monitors same as 3


5) hard to tell since i don't know what you do with the machine my guess is it will really help if you go to lion


6) yes but not practical as of today (more later) they can be much faster.


7) maybe but not for sale yet I will find a link


sorry for the less then happy answers..


for 7) this may work it is not for sale as of today

http://www.google.com/products/cata...Ts29Ko610AGqoY3ACg&ved=0CEgQ8wIwBg#ps-sellers

also for 7) the sonnet echo express PCIe may be good.

http://www.sonnettech.com/news/pr2011/pr041111_thunderbolt.html



as for 6 if you buy this unit


http://store.apple.com/us/product/H5184VC/A/Thunderbolt

with this cable

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC913ZM/A


and put in 4 ssds like this in a raid 0 it should work and be very very fast


http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...-470-Series-SATA-Solid-State-Drive-SSD-Retail


cost is over 2k .


wait for this in august


http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?id=10549


will cost less and be very fast

 

[GGJstudios]

1) Can i use the 21 inch as an external display for my new 27 inch?

No, only the 27 inch has this capability.

 

[And1ss]

Well I recently purchased a refurbished 27 inch 2011 imac with the 3.1ghz processor. It is replacing my 2008 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo mac. I have several questions:

1) Can i use the 21 inch as an external display for my new 27 inch?

2) If so, what cable should i use?

3) If i have 2 external displays hooked up, how much more taxing will it be on my computer? For example, If i am gaming with my 21 inch imac hooked up, with the game on the 27" and the web open on the 21", should i expect slower performance?

4) Is it possible to use external displays when using W7 over boot camp?

5) I splurged on the extra 4gb of ddr3 1333mhz ram as it was only $40.00, how big will the performance difference be with 8gbs instead of 4gbs? Where will i notice the difference most?

6) Do thunderbolt external SSDs exist? If so, would they be as fast as an internal SSD?

7) Is there an adapter that will let me display my xbox 360 on my 27 inch imac? If there is that is great because then i can get rid of my 27 inch viewsonic.

I know it is alot, thanks to anyone who can answer these!

4) Yeah, as long as you aren't trying to do it via thunderbolt to a 21in.

5) Multitasking probably. It's hard to tell when we don't know your working environment.

6) Google that.

7) Yes, MRgoogle that. It was a hot topic when the 27in first came in.

 

[Apple2000]

Thanks for the answers everybody, its a shame that the 21 incher can't be used as an external display as even when the internal components become too weak to be practical the display will always be incredible.

 

[Apple2000]

Does anybody know if the magic mouse/keyboard that come with refurb macs are new or refurbished? Just was wondering b/c i plan to sell them and keep my old wireless keyboard/mouse - and if they are new they will fetch more money.

 

[CTopher]

1)
3) you can only do thunderbolt monitors ie another 2011 imac or a new Apple display with t-bolt

4) you can only do thunderbolt monitors same as 3

Thats incorrect regarding additional monitors. I don't know about the old iMac, since i don't have one to test. But I currently have a new 2011 27" 3.4 iMac with a older 24" cinema display attached using MDP and a old 22" Dell monitor using a MDP->DVI. Both attached monitors work with no issues using MDP cables/adapters on my MDP/Thunderbolt ports on the iMac.


Christopher

 

[philipma1957]

Thats incorrect regarding additional monitors. I don't know about the old iMac, since i don't have one to test. But I currently have a new 2011 27" 3.4 iMac with a older 24" cinema display attached using MDP and a old 22" Dell monitor using a MDP->DVI. Both attached monitors work with no issues using MDP cables/adapters on my MDP/Thunderbolt ports on the iMac.


Christopher

good to know as the info changes a lot on this I suspect that the updates may have fixed some of the problems.
The first week of the macbook pro 2011 no sata III hdds or ssds worked then came a few updates and they work.

Must be happening with the t-bolt/ mini d port and the 2011 iMacs.