Any guess as to the cost of the 768 SSD? I am planning on pretty much maxing out the 27 with the SSD vs. the 1TB Fusion drive being the one open question.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How to spec a 27"?
- Thread starter akatsuki
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I would think upping to 768 ssd will add about 1000$+ while the 1tb fusion drive a bit less than half of that.
I want the fusion drive for sure. Not sure on the size though. Then I will definitely get the 680mx. I'll upgrade to 32GB of ram myself.
Idk what to do about the processor upgrade though. Not sure if I need the i7 or not. :s
Idk what to do about the processor upgrade though. Not sure if I need the i7 or not. :s
If the Fusion Drive is more expensive than the one in the Mac Mini I will choose the standard HDD...
You don't think there would be a 512 or 256 ssd option? I don't like the size of the SSD in the Fusion drive, nor the price of the 768 ssd. Seems odd not to offer other ssd size options.
----------
You're dreaming. Maxed out try more like $3000 or even more depending on the drive.
----------
You're dreaming. Maxed out try more like $3000 or even more depending on the drive.
The way that I price out a maxed out 27" it comes in $3,750.00 - 4,000.00
Base price: $1,999.00
3.4 GHz CPU $250.00
32GB RAM $350.00
680MX CPU $250.00
SSD $1,000.00 - 1,300.00
Obviously the BTO prices are just best guesses.
In the past several years I have noticed that the top spec 15" MBP and the top spec 27" iMac are relatively close to each other in price.
Base price: $1,999.00
3.4 GHz CPU $250.00
32GB RAM $350.00
680MX CPU $250.00
SSD $1,000.00 - 1,300.00
Obviously the BTO prices are just best guesses.
In the past several years I have noticed that the top spec 15" MBP and the top spec 27" iMac are relatively close to each other in price.
From the spec sheet we already know the options are 1TB & 3TB spinners, 1TB & 3TB Fusion, and 768GB SSD. No other option from Apple.
Here's a rough guess:
$2000 base
$300 CPU upgrade
$200 GPU upgrade
$1300 768GB SSD
$600 Apple RAM upgrade (if you really wanted to..)
------
$4400 TOTAL
If you want to go 3TB Fusion instead, that's probably $500, so $3600 total.
Of course, people shouldn't get getting anywhere near that Apple RAM.
Unless they have other options on the BTO page. If not, that sure locks you into an unnecessarily expensive drive option if you want an ssd larger than the fusion drive (ssd portion), which I do. If only I could install my own ssd. the fusion size is to small and the 768 is overkill. I need a 400-500 gb ssd.
The spec page appears to be listing every possible BTO option (just without prices).
On the 27" it is made to be user installable, I usually buy from macsales.com
Not so easy on the 21"
The 27" 2012 iMac has a little back door that you open to install RAM. It's kind of like the battery door on a remote control. Installing it is pushing a stick into a slot, it only fits one way. Anyone so inclined could do it. A repair shop would probably charge you their minimum labor (which is probably an hour, at $100 or so), plus the cost of the RAM, which is probably still less than Apple's BTO price.
I get RAM for Macs through crucial.com. They have a system scanner that makes the process of picking the right RAM idiot proof. And installation will be even easier than on earlier models; if you have room behind your desk you don't even need to turn it around, let alone lay it flat like you used to.
You guys crack me up!! Thanks..so it sounds like just get the lowest Ram and then just upgrade.
Seriously thanks.
OK, that makes the math even easier.
Better to buy a base model or barely upgraded model every 2-3 years versus buying a loaded one every 5.
That's not my model, mine is to purchase a maxed out version of any Apple laptop or desktop and keep it through the duration of Applecare. That said, I think that even the 21.5" and the base 27" models will be surprisingly capable.
Last edited by a moderator:
This is all based on bonafide's assertion that he was buying a fully loaded iMac every 5 years instead of a PC every 2.
My point was that if your cash flow looked like that, you may as well just buy a base model every 2 years and have a much more up-to-date machine all the time. In fact, since typically the base is faster than the old loaded machine of two years ago, for 3/5 of those years you will enjoy much faster performance.
Obviously if you are just going to buy a loaded one at a 2 year cadence, then it doesn't matter at all.
Just curious How you guys are deciding between the Fusion drive or no frusion drive.
I definately want more than the 1TB base model (by the way what does BTO stand for exactly).
So it looks like my options are 3TB hard drive or 3TB Fusion Drive.
(or I guess just external drives). - mine will be mainly pictures.
Just curious what criteria I should use to analyze why to get one over the other.
Would there be a thermal advantage to buying the 27" with 750GB SSD? Sounds like a mechanical drive would not be included with such an option, which could save a lot of heat.
If I've calculated correctly from the mac minis, pro's and airs it looks like
- i7 chip upgrade - approx £120 to £160
- 8 to 16Gm Ram upgrade -£160
- ITB HD to 768GB SSD - £820 (as opposed to £200 for the 1TB Fusion)
- GPU - no idea - perhaps £150-200?
I hadn't previously spotted that the 18 different HD or SSD upgrade options were consistently priced across all models....allowing for the different starting point.
So an iMAC with an i7, GTX680MX, 16 GM RAM, and 768GB SSD is going to be around £2950-3050 ?....or £2350-2450 if you opt for a 1TB Fusion Drive ?
- i7 chip upgrade - approx £120 to £160
- 8 to 16Gm Ram upgrade -£160
- ITB HD to 768GB SSD - £820 (as opposed to £200 for the 1TB Fusion)
- GPU - no idea - perhaps £150-200?
I hadn't previously spotted that the 18 different HD or SSD upgrade options were consistently priced across all models....allowing for the different starting point.
So an iMAC with an i7, GTX680MX, 16 GM RAM, and 768GB SSD is going to be around £2950-3050 ?....or £2350-2450 if you opt for a 1TB Fusion Drive ?
I have just placed my RAM order with Crucial.
16GB kit (8GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM
Upgrade for a Apple iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) System
Only $79.99.
Now all I need is a computer to put it in...ha.
I wonder why crucial doesn't offer a 32gb package on their site. They only offer 16. You can buy 2 sets of the 16gb, but aren't they specially matched or something when you get them all from the same package?