Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Buying IMAC 24"
- Thread starter vegas421a
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Buy more RAM, but not from Apple. I'd suggest getting a 2GB chip to bump you to 3GB without having to replace the 1GB it comes with. You can buy 2 2GB chips if you want to max out, and then sell the 1GB, but my experience is that 3GB works quite well for my home use.
I do alright with 2GB in my 24" iMac and it's not even the new aluminum ones. I run Avid and FCP on a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo just fine at those specs. I assume you'll be using iMovie or Final Cut Express so you really don't need it but going up to 3GB won't hurt.
I do think you should max out the HDD space to whatever you can afford. I thought I'd be fine with 250GB but I was glad I changed my mind and went with the 500GB. If you're getting the 2.8 model, I think you'll be fine but still...the extra HDD space won't hurt in the long term.
I do think you should max out the HDD space to whatever you can afford. I thought I'd be fine with 250GB but I was glad I changed my mind and went with the 500GB. If you're getting the 2.8 model, I think you'll be fine but still...the extra HDD space won't hurt in the long term.
I'm guessing from your name that your based in the US. But if perchance you are based in the uk, I bought a kingston 2gb sodimm from play.com. Cost me £27.99 with free delivery. Worth every penny.
Going to buy a new 24" imac tomorrow, any suggestions. Will be using it for editing my family videos, pictures and web surfing. Thanks in advance for the your imput.
I agree with the RAM suggestions; just install a 4GB kit, and retain the 1GB factory module in case you need it later.
http://www.macsales.com/
Video uses an enormous amount of RAM and disk space, and requires a lot of "breathing room" on the disk while editing it.
Get (2) external Firewire drives; (1) for video capture, and (1) for Time Machine backup.
I bought mine from cesell.com. They were the cheapest option I found via Google products at the time. It was $131.23 including shipping for a 2GB chip, though RAM prices drop pretty much all the time, so you might find it much cheaper now (I bought mine 5 months ago). Here's the product name:
KINGSTON 2G KTA-MB667 2G DDR2 667 200PIN SODIMM (KTA-MB667/2G)
You can buy 1GB as someone else suggested, but if you ever want to bump up past 2GB you'll have to replace at least one chip. That's why I suggest spending the extra money and getting a 2GB. That way you'll never have to replace the new chip, just the included 1GB if you want to bump up to 4GB.
I bought mine at Crucial
4GB kit (2GBx2), 200-pin SODIMM USD 107.99 1 USD 107.99
Bought the same kit for my new 24". It screams.
