Future proofing. 802.11ac wifi?

[kingebaneezer]

I am buying a new imac to replace by early 2007 MBP. I'll game on it if things run well but mostly photoshop, indesign and a few other adobe programs. Then your basic internet, music, netflix etc. I like the drop in the refurb prices but since I most likely will not buy again for 4 or 5 years is the 802.11ac wifi going to matter? Will I need a new router to see the difference?
I'll be getting either:
Refurb option
Originally released October 2012
27-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology
8GB memory
1TB Fusion Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX with 2GB

I think this has plenty of power for now, its cheaper and I may run bootcamp to game eventually but I use an Xbox alot and really am only excited for Star Craft 2 at the moment.

Then there is
3.5GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X4GB
1TB Fusion Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB GDDR5

I am a student so with apple care it is around $400 more. I like the savings but $400 is not that much to pull an extra year or two out of the machine. I know this new one is overkill at the moment but wil the new wifi be worth it?

 

[RedReplicant]

If you really find yourself needing it down the line then you can (almost certainly) just drop the new card in.

 

[jclardy]

It does matter, but it depends on what you are doing. If everything is over the internet, then don't bother worrying about it as most peoples internet speeds are easily handled with Wireless-N.

If you have a local network and will be transferring large files all the time (Like to a NAS box) then you might want to consider it, as wireless AC gets near gigabit ethernet speeds.

Also it depends on your house as well. Wireless AC has a larger range and greater reliability, so if your iMac will be far away from the router than you might want to consider the upgrade.

And yes, you need a wireless AC router to see a difference, most of those are over $100 at the moment but will come down eventually.

 

[kingebaneezer]

Thanks folks. If it will be upgradable later then I'm getting the refurb. I don't transfer big files now but am getting a journalism degree so who knows once I graduate.

 

[blanka]

Desktops should be wired anyway. And wired networks are the same for over 10 years. I use Gigabit ethernet with much joy for over 10 years now since my first G4 tower. A G4 still beats the latest Wifi on speed.