i5 3.1 or i7 3.4 ??

[bo-waleed]

is there a big difference between them ?

i want to play some games that aren't released yet like DmC.

and i may convert videos like mkv to avi.

 

[Hellhammer]

In video encoding, there is a difference but unless you do lots of it, then you are probably fine with the i5. i7 won't help much in gaming.

 

[Georgio]

i7 is more future proof for when apps need more power/ resale value when you upgrade. Buy whatever you can afford and stick as much RAM in it as you can to really smooth it out.

 

[bo-waleed]

i7 is more future proof for when apps need more power/ resale value when you upgrade. Buy whatever you can afford and stick as much RAM in it as you can to really smooth it out.

i can afford both but do you think it is a bad idea to get i5 instead of i7 ?

also i don't use professional apps like final cut,aperture,cs4.

only small encoding and gaming in windows (DMC4,DmC,all AC games,Dead space 1 and 2)

 

[clyde2801]

If the software you use to work with can make good use of multiple cores, then yes. Otherwise, no. Hyperthreading (the ability to make 8 virtual cores rather than 4 physical ones) is really the only difference between the two chips, isn't it?

Been using a 2.16 c2d white imac as my primary (office) work machine since 2007, and I don't think the 2.33 would have much of a difference.

 

[TheUndertow]

i can afford both but do you think it is a bad idea to get i5 instead of i7 ?

also i don't use professional apps like final cut,aperture,cs4.

only small encoding and gaming in windows (DMC4,DmC,all AC games,Dead space 1 and 2)

It doesn't sound like you NEED an i7, and honestly the i5 TurboBoost speeds make it very competitive with the i7 for apps that don't use multiple cores.

I'm strongly considering the 2.7 i5 due to the lower thermal and power properties, but I may get the i7 to (maybe) better future proof.

I'm also thinking of going with the 2GB VRam graphics card for the same reason.

 

[patp77]

Based on early benchmarks, it appears to be a good upgrade choice for price/performance. For $200 (10% of your purchase price), you get roughly a 40% performance gain. The question for you becomes: do I want to spend another $200 or is the performance gain something that really matters to me?

From my perspective, it's one of the few upgrade that is actually worth the asking price and will keep your iMac going for an extra year or two.