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Buy iMac now, or wait?

B

boombox15

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 17, 2013
272
22
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
I have a 2011 27 inch iMac that I love. It's amazing, but it's already starting to get slow. I have all of the money invested to get a new 27 inch iMac, one with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. I do know that WWDC 2014 is coming June 2, but I have not heard much about hardware. Last year was a dud when it came to hardware with just a new MacBook Air.

Is there any reason to think that the iMac will be updated at WWDC 2014? Could it even be the long-rumored retina iMac? I would be willing to wait for a few months, but if a refresh is not expected until fall, then I will buy now then sell when the new one comes out.
 
I think it's likely they will have a new iMac during the fall but I don't think it will be much of an upgrade. Intel's next gen chip won't be out until late next year and graphics won't be much better either.
 
Like the buyers guide often says. Buy it only if you need it ...approaching end of cycle. I would say it will come anything from may-june to fall.
It wont be a huge upgrade, but it will be a slightly better gpu and cpu. Ill wait personally, but then again I dont really need a new iMac :)
 
If you still love the old one like you say, I would stick with that until refresh.

I'm also sporting a 2011 model, although the MBP not iMac. Looking to perhaps get one if the new ones are nice. If you want to be fast in the meantime you could look into getting more RAM and SSD for your current one.

Unless you do something very CPU heavy, I don't think you'll notice major change in number crunching speed.
 
I just replaced a 2009 27 inch iMac with a new 2014 (2013) iMac with a 512 SSD and 16 gigs of RAM. I couldn't be happier. The computer is very snappy.
 
Slow how? I don't think the CPU would be noticeably slower than a newer one - what sort of drive and how much RAM do you have?
 
...

businezguy said:
hologram said:
No, it should be out next month. There's a chance for an upgraded iMac next month, too (but of course, it's not a certainty).

https://www.macrumors.com/2014/04/10/intel-haswell-imac-refresh/[/QUOTE/

The chip that's coming out next month is still a haswell chip. It will just be clocked a bit higher. A new generation processor has a new architecture.
Click to expand...

Nobody was talking about Broadwell. A NEW chip will be out next month, even if it is just a Haswell refresh. Apple is likely to upgrade the iMac with the 4791/4790K on the high end iMac, even if it's not a new architecture. Furthermore Intel isn't coming out with Broadwell until Q1 2015.
Click to expand...
 
casperes1996 said:
businezguy said:
Nobody was talking about Broadwell. A NEW chip will be out next month, even if it is just a Haswell refresh. Apple is likely to upgrade the iMac with the 4791/4790K on the high end iMac, even if it's not a new architecture. Furthermore Intel isn't coming out with Broadwell until Q1 2015.
Click to expand...
It does seem like a good tule for Apple to refresh with new NVIDIA 800 Series and haswell refresh.
Click to expand...
 
casperes1996 said:
businezguy said:
Nobody was talking about Broadwell. A NEW chip will be out next month, even if it is just a Haswell refresh. Apple is likely to upgrade the iMac with the 4791/4790K on the high end iMac, even if it's not a new architecture. Furthermore Intel isn't coming out with Broadwell until Q1 2015.
Click to expand...

I didn't say anybody was. Are you purposely misreading my posts which clearly state there is a small upgrade just as you are saying? Jesus.
Click to expand...
 
Not that bad.

businezguy said:
casperes1996 said:
I didn't say anybody was. Are you purposely misreading my posts which clearly state there is a small upgrade just as you are saying? Jesus.
Click to expand...

Although I see that my post might have seemed a bit aggressive, I did not mean for it to be so. Just trying to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Intel will be releasing a new chip, even though it is just a rebranding with a faster clock rate. Similarly the 880M will be another Kepler GK104 with a faster clock rate and more VRAM, but perhaps we can hope for an 880MX running the GM104 or 107.
Again I appologise if I came off as being aggressive, I didn't mean to.
Click to expand...
 
casperes1996 said:
businezguy said:
Although I see that my post might have seemed a bit aggressive, I did not mean for it to be so. Just trying to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Intel will be releasing a new chip, even though it is just a rebranding with a faster clock rate. Similarly the 880M will be another Kepler GK104 with a faster clock rate and more VRAM, but perhaps we can hope for an 880MX running the GM104 or 107.
Again I appologise if I came off as being aggressive, I didn't mean to.
Click to expand...

Well thanks I appreciate it. I suppose I could have perhaps misunderstood your intentions and replied in a less then friendly manner. Neh! Okay, I did and apologize as well.
Click to expand...
 
Please let me know now if I should give up or not !!

I am on my 4th maxed out 21" iMac and they were all yellow and overly lite on the left side :(
 
Personally I'm waiting off until broadwell is launched and it appears in Apple products - iMac and MacBook Air are on my wish list but I'd love to see Apple also adopt the Saumsung 3D V-NAND Based SSD for their products which promise speed, reliability and plentiful space.
 
The main reason to wait is for a more price efficient model this year. If you're waiting for a big power boost you might be waiting til next year.
 
Hey OP, may I offtopic a bit?
This comes out of pure curiosity, so please don't get me wrong. What do you use your iMac for that it feels slow?

Cheers.

P.S: Considering it's from 2011, unless you need it ASAP, I'd definitely wait.
 
Yeah really. If the iMacs are too slow maybe he should invest in a build your own windows machine. Or get one and use target display mode...
 
cohen777 said:
I just replaced a 2009 27 inch iMac with a new 2014 (2013) iMac with a 512 SSD and 16 gigs of RAM. I couldn't be happier. The computer is very snappy.
Click to expand...

Same here, except I came from a 24" 2009 to a 2013 with 24 GB of RAM. Huge leap. lol.
 
boombox15 said:
I have a 2011 27 inch iMac that I love. It's amazing, but it's already starting to get slow. I have all of the money invested to get a new 27 inch iMac, one with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM.
Click to expand...

Dude, sounds to me like you don't really need a new machine. Why not just put an SSD and more RAM in your current iMac? It would not be that much slower than what you're planning to buy, and save you a lot of money.
 
IMO, at this point in the year, there are pretty few reasons not to wait to buy refresh. Even if hardware doesn't get any better, which it will in some way or another, there is everything to gain and nothing to lose by waiting for new models.

I'm running 2009 17" MBP, just hoping and praying the new iMacs come out earlier rather than later. Next month would be a-w-e-s-o-m-e to get a new loaded iMac.
 
I don't care wait or not wait...I just bought online 21,5" 16gb, 512 ssd and that's it!!!...Carpe diem...
 
Kayan said:
IMO, at this point in the year, there are pretty few reasons not to wait to buy refresh. Even if hardware doesn't get any better, which it will in some way or another, there is everything to gain and nothing to lose by waiting for new models.

I'm running 2009 17" MBP, just hoping and praying the new iMacs come out earlier rather than later. Next month would be a-w-e-s-o-m-e to get a new loaded iMac.
Click to expand...

me too, waiting. I have a maxed out late 2012 though :) But switching every second model I think is a good plan when using it professionally. Hope it will be out before summer,....I´m always eager when I know Im gonna buy it. But if it comes out fall 2015 thats fine too, it´s not like Im suffering with the current model. But i7 8 core and 8gb of VRAM will actually make some difference for me in work speed.
But IF apple will include the new intel i7 and the new geforce 880m they should release it quite soon though...if those will be the only upgrades to the iMac...no point waiting to sell older hardware. 880m is out and the new haswell i7 will be out early may....so Im guessing may-june for the upgraded iMac....Unless apple choose to skip this years hardware updates from nvidia and Intel.
 
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