Help with first Mac purchase

[EricB4President]

Hey y'all.
I've been a PC user for years so I'm finally making the switch because I really feel that Logic Pro X is my best bet due to its price as well as its ability to record, produce, mix and master my hip-hop records and get studio quality (Russ & Nav both seem to have flourished using Logic as a main daw).

At the moment my use will be just recording, producing, mixing & mastering on Logic but I will eventually start using Photoshop for album covers and Premiere for editing music videos and editing quick skits.

I've been told by my handful of friends to get an i7, 16 GB RAM, and 1TB of storage and 2013 model or newer.

--
Here are the four options I'm going for but I'd love better suggestions or if you can lead me elsewhere

27 inch iMac 2013 quad core used, 3.2 ghz, i5, 32gb ram, 3tb storage. $1350
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 1 GB GDDR5

21.5 inch iMac 2013 intel core used, 3.1 ghz, i7, 16gb ram, 1tb storage. $1600

21.5 inch iMac 2013 quad core used, 3.1 ghz, i7, 16gb ram, 256gb ssd, Vesa mount stand. $1250. (Reselling used computer store: no returns, 90 day warranty)

21.5 inch iMac 2017 dual core refurbished, 2.3 ghz, i5, 8gb ram, 1tb storage. $1300 (1 yr warranty) [No longer available on site...sadly]

15.4 inch MacBook Pro 2015 quad core intel refurbished with retina, 2.2 ghz, i7, 16gb ram, 256gb PCle-based flash drive. $2350 (1 yr warranty)

27 inch iMac 2015 quad core intel core refurbished with retina 5k display, 3.2 ghz, i5, 8gb ram, 1tb fusion drive. $2100 (1 yr warranty) (can upgrade RAM to 16gb for $200 more)
--

I think the used ones I found off kijiji are great but personally I'm a little paranoid to buy used because if there's any issue after a few months, I'm basically screwed.
At least with buying from Apple, if I don't like the switch I can get a full return within 2 weeks and a year warranty if any internal damage...ahh so stressful

Is the i7 significantly better or should I just settle with an i5?

The refurbished $2,100 seems like my best bet but honestly it's just so out of my budget, I had plans to spend only $1000 and now I'd be at double my plans. Mind you, I am and have already spent a lot on purchasing my home studio and am not making enough $ at my tender age of 22 haha.

EDIT: if I go with refurbished, is it worth getting Apple care? Will have a year limited warranty but convince me pls

Appreciate any help, thank you for your time!

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Hey y'all.
I've been a PC user for years so I'm finally making the switch because I really feel that Logic Pro X is my best bet due to its price as well as its ability to record, produce, mix and master my hip-hop records and get studio quality (Russ & Nav both seem to have flourished using Logic as a main daw).

At the moment my use will be just recording, producing, mixing & mastering on Logic but I will eventually start using Photoshop for album covers and Premiere for editing music videos and editing quick skits.

I've been told by my handful of friends to get an i7, 16 GB RAM, and 1TB of storage and 2013 model or newer.

--
Here are the four options I'm going for but I'd love better suggestions or if you can lead me elsewhere

27 inch iMac 2013 quad core used, 3.2 ghz, i5, 32gb ram, 3tb storage. $1350
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 1 GB GDDR5

21.5 inch iMac 2013 intel core used, 3.1 ghz, i7, 16gb ram, 1tb storage. $1600

21.5 inch iMac 2017 dual core refurbished, 2.3 ghz, i5, 8gb ram, 1tb storage. $1300 (1 yr warranty)

27 inch iMac 2015 quad core intel core refurbished with retina 5k display, 3.2 ghz, i5, 8gb ram, 1tb storage. $2100 (1 yr warranty) (can upgrade RAM to 16gb for $200 more)
--

I think the used ones I found off kijiji are great but personally I'm a little paranoid to buy used because if there's any issue after a few months, I'm basically screwed.
At least with buying from Apple, if I don't like the switch I can get a full return within 2 weeks and a year warranty if any internal damage...ahh so stressful

Is the i7 significantly better or should I just settle with an i5?

The refurbished $2,100 seems like my best bet but honestly it's just so out of my budget, I had plans to spend only $1000 and now I'd be at double my plans. Mind you, I am and have already spent a lot on purchasing my home studio and am not making enough $ at my tender age of 22 haha.

Appreciate any help, thank you for your time!

Yeah the 2015 is your best bet, however do not buy any mac without at least some sort of ssd in it. whether that is a 2TB fusion or a pure SSD you will want at least 128GB of SSD drive in your machine otherwise you will be seriously disappointed with the performance. Logic actually isn't that bad for specs it will run on most things but you'll probably want at least 16gb of RAM.

You might be best off with a mac mini for logic at a low price but that won't go so well for video in the future.

 

[EricB4President]

Yeah the 2015 is your best bet, however do not buy any mac without at least some sort of ssd in it. whether that is a 2TB fusion or a pure SSD you will want at least 128GB of SSD drive in your machine otherwise you will be seriously disappointed with the performance. Logic actually isn't that bad for specs it will run on most things but you'll probably want at least 16gb of RAM.

You might be best off with a mac mini for logic at a low price but that won't go so well for video in the future.

Would you say the 1TB Fusion Drive this 2015 refurbished model has will be fine? Is that equivalent to the ssd mentioned?

Sorry I'm such a noob. Here's the link to the model

 

[MCAsan]

Look at refurbished units at Apple. https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/imac There could be a separate listing for CA. You can get Apple Care on them.

B&H has very good Black Friday pricing on new iMacs.

 

[xsmi123]

Take a look at the iMacs on this page. If you can stretch your budget a little, a nice 2017 special would be a HUGE leap forward. The desktop class GPU's in these models are much more powerful than the mobile units in the 2015 and earlier.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/17...ces-on-macbooks-ipads-imacs-and-apple-watches

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Would you say the 1TB Fusion Drive this 2015 refurbished model has will be fine? Is that equivalent to the ssd mentioned?

Sorry I'm such a noob. Here's the link to the model

The 1TB fusion in the 2015 only has a tiny 24gb SSD so any large apps etc just end up on the hard drive slowing everything down and the ssd acts as a fast cache sometimes. Even the 2017 1TB fusion only has 32gb. I think the 2012 and 2013 1TB fusion had 128gb ssd and was the last 1TB fusion to be worth buying, it swapped to 24gb in 2014 with a price drop.

 

[EricB4President]

The 1TB fusion in the 2015 only has a tiny 24gb SSD so any large apps etc just end up on the hard drive slowing everything down and the ssd acts as a fast cache sometimes. Even the 2017 1TB fusion only has 32gb. I think the 2012 and 2013 1TB fusion had 128gb ssd and was the last 1TB fusion to be worth buying, it swapped to 24gb in 2014 with a price drop.

What about one of these three:
2013: 21.5" iMac 3.1GHz Quad-Core i7 / 256GB SSD / 16GB RAM (Vesa Mount, 90 day warranty, no returns, used) $1250
2013: 27" iMac 3.2GHz Quad Core Intel Core i5 /3TB Fusion / 32GB RAM (no returns, no warranty, used) $1350
2013: 21.5” iMac, 3.1GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB Storage (no returns, no warranty, used) $1600

Would any of these have a good enough SSD/Storage to run what I need.
[doublepost=1511198648][/doublepost]

Look at refurbished units at Apple. https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/imac There could be a separate listing for CA. You can get Apple Care on them.

B&H has very good Black Friday pricing on new iMacs.

Will do, thank you!
[doublepost=1511198690][/doublepost]

Take a look at the iMacs on this page. If you can stretch your budget a little, a nice 2017 special would be a HUGE leap forward. The desktop class GPU's in these models are much more powerful than the mobile units in the 2015 and earlier.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/17...ces-on-macbooks-ipads-imacs-and-apple-watches

Will check it out, thank you!

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I would go with the 27 inch out of that list its a great price but with no returns no warranty I would be wanting to give it a run through its paces before I bought it.

 

[EricB4President]

I would go with the 27 inch out of that list its a great price but with no returns no warranty I would be wanting to give it a run through its paces before I bought it.

I ended up going with the (Refurbished) 2015 iMac 21.5" 2.8 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, 8gb RAM, 1tb hard drive
Do you know if this particular iMac can be configured later? Like if I can upgrade the RAM to 16, and eventually upgrade the storage to a fusion drive

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I ended up going with the (Refurbished) 2015 iMac 21.5" 2.8 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, 8gb RAM, 1tb hard drive
Do you know if this particular iMac can be configured later? Like if I can upgrade the RAM to 16, and eventually upgrade the storage to a fusion drive

Yes it can be configured later not with a fusion drive as apple make them but you could swap the hdd out for a sata ssd, the ram can be upgraded but there are only 2 slots so it'll be replacement not addition of more RAM and its a nightmare to get to and do if you are upgrading I would pay for an apple certified technician to do it for you and get RAM and SSD done at the same time.

See here for upgrading ram and HDD on ifixit.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2544+RAM+Replacement/16601

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+4K+Display+Hard+Drive+Replacement/64107

I did warn you in my 1st post you would be disappointed by the performance without an SSD in there, so don't be surprised when it takes over a minute to boot up and 10 seconds to open office apps.

 

[DeltaMac]

Agree with Samuelsan2001, except that OP stated that the iMac is a Late 2015 (EMC 2889 (?) )
The Late 2015 21.5-inch iMac is a very poor choice for internal upgrades.
The ram is what you get. The existing ram is soldered permanently to the logic board, and there are no expansion slots.
Your best (and really only) choice is to upgrade the existing hard drive, which is a 2.5-inch, 5400 rpm hard drive.
The simplest plan is to plug in an external USB 3.0 drive, with an SSD. Upgrading the internal storage is not easy.
You can see the steps that are involved in opening your Late 2015 iMac, and replacing the hard drive --- here.

 

[EricB4President]

Agree with Samuelsan2001, except that OP stated that the iMac is a Late 2015 (EMC 2889 (?) )
The Late 2015 21.5-inch iMac is a very poor choice for internal upgrades.
The ram is what you get. The existing ram is soldered permanently to the logic board, and there are no expansion slots.
Your best (and really only) choice is to upgrade the existing hard drive, which is a 2.5-inch, 5400 rpm hard drive.
The simplest plan is to plug in an external USB 3.0 drive, with an SSD. Upgrading the internal storage is not easy.
You can see the steps that are involved in opening your Late 2015 iMac, and replacing the hard drive --- here.

Yes it can be configured later not with a fusion drive as apple make them but you could swap the hdd out for a sata ssd, the ram can be upgraded but there are only 2 slots so it'll be replacement not addition of more RAM and its a nightmare to get to and do if you are upgrading I would pay for an apple certified technician to do it for you and get RAM and SSD done at the same time.

See here for upgrading ram and HDD on ifixit.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2544+RAM+Replacement/16601

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+4K+Display+Hard+Drive+Replacement/64107

I did warn you in my 1st post you would be disappointed by the performance without an SSD in there, so don't be surprised when it takes over a minute to boot up and 10 seconds to open office apps.

Would you guys suggest I went with the (Refurbished) 2015 iMac 27" 3.2 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 1TB Fusion Drive with Retina 5K Display?
I'm not certain how easy difficult it is to upgrade a refurbished 27", but on it's Tech Specs it says it can be configured to i7, 16 or 32 GB RAM, 3TB Fusion Drive or 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of flash storage (SSD)

Now I believe I did read somewhere that once it's refurbished it's soldered in and cannot be fixed but if that's wrong I'd be thrilled.
[doublepost=1511286914][/doublepost]Might be a cheaper, effective route: What do you think of this 2014 Mac mini 2.6 GHz Dual-core i5, 16gb RAM, 256GB PCle-based Flash storage (or I could do 1tb fusion instead) (also not sure if i can configure anymore after purchase) $1501 with tax

Also, if you do suggest the Mac mini, would it be better to upgrade the 1tb drive to 1tb fusion drive or 256gb PCle-based Flash storage?

I may get into photoshop/premiere down the road, but that isn't my main priority. Production/mixing/recording/mastering is right now.

 

[DeltaMac]

Any 27-inch can have the RAM increased/replaced. There's a little door on the back, any changes take less than 60 seconds. The fusion drive in your example will be better than just a hard drive, but the 1TB fusion drive is still the ridiculously small 24GB SSD.

I think you are not quite understanding about refurbished models. Although the original purchaser would have other options, the refurbished models come as they are. If you need a different configuration, then you would simply choose a different refurbished system. Again, the 27-inch iMac can be upgraded. The hard drive, although challenging to access, can be replaced/upgraded. You can replace the internal hard drive with an SSD, for example.
And, you cannot upgrade the CPU, as changing THAT means replacing the logic board with the CPU that you would prefer.

Purchasing a refurbished Mac does not change in any way, your ability to upgrade --- compared to the original, new purchase of that Mac.

The mini? I would absolutely NOT get a mini unless it has an SSD/flash storage.
I (for no real reason) believe there will be a new mini, with other options/capabilities, released new in Spring 2018.

 

[EricB4President]

So now I believe it boils down to either keeping the (Refurbished) 2015 iMac 21.5" 2.8 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, 8gb RAM, 1tb hard drive and getting an external SSD and upgrading it's RAM to 16 or getting this 2014 Mac mini 2.6 GHz Dual-core i5, 16gb RAM, 256GB PCle-based Flash storage for nearly the same price which already has a 256 GB PCle-based Flash storage

If I do go with the prior and stick with the 21.5, do you think I should instead put up the $50 more and have the same computer with a 4K Retina Display?