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iMac 2017 buying advice

J

jon08

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 14, 2008
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Hey everyone, I'm in the market for my first ever iMac, so I'd really appreciate your input.

Having been a MBP user since 2008, I've had my MBPs hooked to an external monitor more than I carried them around. Esp. in the past couple of years it's pretty much been sitting on my M Stand for 95% of the time. So lately I've been considering getting an iMac to declutter my desk and at the same time gain a better overall experience and a better GPU card for some casual gaming whenever I felt it.

I'm really on the fence now regarding the purchase of iMac 2017, though.

I have a late-2011 MBP, which still works fine but I already had the motherboard and battery replaced once while it was still under Apple Care. Now way past the Apple Care warranty, and with these 2011 MBPs known for their faulty GPUs it's pretty much a gamble whether it would last me another month or another couple of years.

So I've been considering selling the MBP now that I can still get some bucks for it and buying the 2017 iMac (esp. if I can get some nice Black Friday deals), as my MBP is hooked to an external monitor 95% of the time anyway. And besides, I'd like to do some occasional gaming too, for which even the newer MBPs are inferior (and at the same time more expensive) compared to iMac.

BUT: one thing that bothers me slightly about the iMac is its somewhat outdated thick bezel.... so here's the huge dilemma:

1. Should I stick with my 6-yr-old MBP and wait for another 8-12 months for a POSSIBLY redesigned iMac with a thinner bezel, while also risking a potential GPU failure in my MBP in the meantime and thus disabling me from selling it at all?

2. Even if they really released a redesigned iMac a year from now, it's again a risk buying a redesigned 1st gen Apple product, as it has proven so many times that there were some hardware problems with 1st gen products, which Apple then fixed in the next cycle?

What are your thoughts?

Additional questions:

3. If I were to get a 2017 iMac, I'd definitely be buying the SSD version (probably 512GB) rather than the
one with Fusion. If I wanted to expand the disk capacity later on, what would you suggest as the optimal option regarding an external SSD drive? What are my options if I wanted to have an external drive that would complement my internal SSD as seamlessly as possible?

4. There are some games that are only Windows compatible, so I'd have to create a Bootcamp partition for those. With a 512GB internal SSD I'd most likely be inclined to not sacrifice that disk space for a Bootcamp partition, so would it be possible to do it on an external SSD drive?

5. RE: external drive: should I go with a USB3 or a Thunderbolt one?
 
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As long as your current machines are running well and you can delay your decision for about a year, I'd recommend waiting. Good chance of a physical redesign of the iMac during that time. Good decision on going with the SSD when the time comes. By then, you will also have better options available for external drives if needed. I would not worry about the "First year of new model" problem. Apple has a good track record and a good warranty.
 
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I say wait until you need to purchase. Even if you end getting one of the current imacs, they still look great, and with the right spec are fantastic performers.
 
Thanks for your input so far.

How about the Bootcamp partition? Is it possible to install it on an external USB3 drive for example?

Also, RE: Apple Care - I suppose there is 1 type of Apple Care for all iMacs? I can add it any time within the 1st year of purchase?
 
EugW said:
Wait.

Not only MIGHT there be a new design, there WILL be a 6-core i5 and 6-core i7 available.
Click to expand...

Well, how much difference would a 6-core i5 make compared to the current 4-core i5 to an average user? Unfortunately I don’t have the extra $500 or more to spare on an i7 machine (nor have I been convinced that it’s necessary, as I don’t do much intensive heavy encoding and what not on my computer, and from what I hear the i7s often tend to rev the fans more, which is another reason for me to consider the quieter i5 instead?), so I’ve been considering the base CPU option (i5 3.4 Ghz). I see that you have the slightly faster 3.5 Ghz one, so how does it suit your needs? Does it ever feel like you could use more?

If I were to buy an iMac I’d like to keep it for the next 5-6 yrs, so what does disappoint me slightly is that this i5 in iMac doesn’t score all that much more on Geekbench than my 6-yr-old MBP with i7 2.2 Ghz. On my MBP I get 2966 single core and 9847 multi core vs. iMac 2017 i5 3.4 Ghz 5041 single core and 13674 multi core (as per geekbench.com blog entry). Which makes the iMac cca. 40% faster at single core and cca. 30% faster at multi core.
 
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Happy to say I FINALLY got my iMac 27 today! After much deliberation, I was able to get it at Best Buy using a financing option that works in my favor, and allowed me to save a ton in cash. The only downside was I couldn't get the pure SSD as Best Buy doesn't allow configurations. But that being said, I needed this machine as an upgrade from my 2009 iMac 21"- and I think I'll be a happy camper. I do a lot of editing, and can't wait to try 4K.

I got the 27 5K- 580/2TB Fusion Drive model. So at least it's the top of the line in the 27s (before the Pro releases of course). I figured if I was going to have to settle for a Fusion, might as well get the one that gives me the 128GB of Flash. And the extra space will be a bonus as I have a lot of video files I will be exporting. I also purchased the Apple Care Protection plan, as well as Ballistix Sport LT 16GB Ram on Amazon this evening (will be shipping in the next three days!)

I will be getting the Final Cut Pro X bundle for Education later in December, as well as the Magic Track Pad 2 that I still desire over the mouse.

But for now I am still very happy with my decision. This saved me a lot of money, and that was the thing- I didn't want to wait another 6 months just so I could get a pure SSD. I know they're better internal drives, but other then that this machine will get my work done more efficiently, and that's what matters :)

Thanks to everyone for your guidance!
 
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JasonMovieGuy said:
Happy to say I FINALLY got my iMac 27 today! After much deliberation, I was able to get it at Best Buy using a financing option that works in my favor, and allowed me to save a ton in cash. The only downside was I couldn't get the pure SSD as Best Buy doesn't allow configurations. But that being said, I needed this machine as an upgrade from my 2009 iMac 21"- and I think I'll be a happy camper. I do a lot of editing, and can't wait to try 4K.

I got the 27 5K- 580/2TB Fusion Drive model. So at least it's the top of the line in the 27s (before the Pro releases of course). I figured if I was going to have to settle for a Fusion, might as well get the one that gives me the 128GB of Flash. And the extra space will be a bonus as I have a lot of video files I will be exporting. I also purchased the Apple Care Protection plan, as well as Ballistix Sport LT 16GB Ram on Amazon this evening (will be shipping in the next three days!)

I will be getting the Final Cut Pro X bundle for Education later in December, as well as the Magic Track Pad 2 that I still desire over the mouse.

But for now I am still very happy with my decision. This saved me a lot of money, and that was the thing- I didn't want to wait another 6 months just so I could get a pure SSD. I know they're better internal drives, but other then that this machine will get my work done more efficiently, and that's what matters :)

Thanks to everyone for your guidance!
Click to expand...

Congrats! I made the same exact purchase on Friday. I originally wanted to wait for a design refresh but decided to make this purchase instead... My 2008 Unibody MacBook Pro is in mint condition and will now go to my son. I look forward to use this machine as long as possible; next step will be to add 32gb of RAM.
 
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eldivino said:
Congrats! I made the same exact purchase on Friday. I originally wanted to wait for a design refresh but decided to make this purchase instead... My 2008 Unibody MacBook Pro is in mint condition and will now go to my son. I look forward to use this machine as long as possible; next step will be to add 32gb of RAM.
Click to expand...

That's great! Let me know what you think of the Fusion Drive. I am waiting for my RAM to arrive before I set up.
 
Can someone tell me which SSDs are in 2017 iMacs?

I found some reasonably-priced open box deals for the 1TB SSD versions of iMac but I'm a bit worried whether those had the stock SSDs replaced with inferior SSDs to make them cheaper?

It says in the description on eBay that they have 1TB SSD (Samsung 850/Crucial). Is that the one that is used in 2017 iMacs?
 
jon08 said:
Can someone tell me which SSDs are in 2017 iMacs?

I found some reasonably-priced open box deals for the 1TB SSD versions of iMac but I'm a bit worried whether those had the stock SSDs replaced with inferior SSDs to make them cheaper?

It says in the description on eBay that they have 1TB SSD (Samsung 850/Crucial). Is that the one that is used in 2017 iMacs?
Click to expand...

No all SSDs have been PCIe connected for far greater speed and bandwidth in all macs since 2013.

You have found one that has been upgraded from a HDD with a SATA 3 connected SSD which is about a quarter of the speed of today’s Apple SSDs.

This will still be better than an HDD and the fusion drive in some scenarios and slower than the fusion in other scenarios.
 
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Is it worth paying cca. $500 more for i5-7600K & 580 vs. i5-7500 & 570? Both with 512GB SSD.

Does the i5-7600K require more power and thus revs the fans more than 7500? Where would I see the main gains of 580 (8GB VRAM) vs 570 (4GB VRAM)?
 
jon08 said:
Is it worth paying cca. $500 more for i5-7600K & 580 vs. i5-7500 & 570? Both with 512GB SSD.

Does the i5-7600K require more power and thus revs the fans more than 7500? Where would I see the main gains of 580 (8GB VRAM) vs 570 (4GB VRAM)?
Click to expand...
580 vs. 570:
https://kotaku.com/amd-radeon-rx-570-and-rx-580-review-a-extra-power-goes-1794446537
Not too technical, and benchmarks made on games... but it can give you an idea.

I think speed benefits will show off at image & movie processing also.
So... $500 gives you more gpu & more cpu speed.
I don’t know about i5’s differences, but I’m getting a 5K iMac and I’m sure will get the 580 gpu... just hesitating between i5 & i7, as my apps rarely use hyper-threading (wich gives i7 a big advantage in some situations).
GPU is going to drive general graphic performance... but not every software app will show better behavior due to small Mhz increase in cpu. (IMHO)
At the end, it depends on the kind of work you make with your mac.
 
J.Gallardo said:
580 vs. 570:
https://kotaku.com/amd-radeon-rx-570-and-rx-580-review-a-extra-power-goes-1794446537
Not too technical, and benchmarks made on games... but it can give you an idea.

I think speed benefits will show off at image & movie processing also.
So... $500 gives you more gpu & more cpu speed.
I don’t know about i5’s differences, but I’m getting a 5K iMac and I’m sure will get the 580 gpu... just hesitating between i5 & i7, as my apps rarely use hyper-threading (wich gives i7 a big advantage in some situations).
GPU is going to drive general graphic performance... but not every software app will show better behavior due to small Mhz increase in cpu. (IMHO)
At the end, it depends on the kind of work you make with your mac.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. I'll be using my Mac mostly for web browsing (lots of tabs), music, gaming (my MBP has always been underwhelming when it comes to more power-hungry games like GTA 5 etc), pic editing (Pixelmator,) some music editing (Reason, Garageband), etc.

If I went with 3.8 Ghz i5 & 580, would iMac run hotter and rev the fans more than with 3.4 Ghz i5 & 570?

Would it be more reasonable to go with 570 and buy an eGPU in a couple of years if 570 proved to be inadequate?
 
I will be upgrading my iMac probsbly next year, I currently use a 2012 iMac 27” it’s been a great machine but it’s starting to slow down when using even iMovie and having other tasks open at the same time.

For next year I will be upgrading to Final Cut Pro X from iMovie in order to make more YouTube videos, would you guys recommend the higher spec with the 8GB graphics card? Also I’m guessing that I will notice a big difference screen wise coming from a 2012 iMac?

Op it sounds like your use and needs are similar to mine, except I edit videos as well as write a lot and have a lot of tabs open in Safari and other apps at time (pages and so on).
 
I'm hoping whenever they do upgrade the iMacs, that the 1TB SSD option will be cheaper. That's what I'm waiting for. If not, I'll get the 512GB SSD. Crossing my fingers...
 
jon08 said:
Thanks for your input. I'll be using my Mac mostly for web browsing (lots of tabs), music, gaming (my MBP has always been underwhelming when it comes to more power-hungry games like GTA 5 etc), pic editing (Pixelmator,) some music editing (Reason, Garageband), etc.

If I went with 3.8 Ghz i5 & 580, would iMac run hotter and rev the fans more than with 3.4 Ghz i5 & 570?

Would it be more reasonable to go with 570 and buy an eGPU in a couple of years if 570 proved to be inadequate?
Click to expand...

I don't think an eGPU can drive the 27" iMac internal display. IMO, get the best video card. You're driving a 5k monster. Get the engine needed to run that baby smooth.
 
I see.

What about the new Coffee Lake CPUs - do you guys think iMacs would get a refresh before summer/fall 2018? Apparently those will be considerably faster than the current line of i5 & i7 Kaby Lake as per an IT friend of mine who suggested I should wait and get that if I wanted to buy a "future-proof" Mac for the next 5-7 years....... Now I'm really on the fence...
 
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jon08 said:
I see.

What about the new Coffee Lake CPUs - do you guys think iMacs would get a refresh before summer/fall 2018? Apparently those will be considerably faster than the current line of i5 & i7 Kaby Lake as per an IT friend of mine who suggested I should wait and get that if I wanted to buy a "future-proof" Mac for the next 5-7 years....... Now I'm really on the fence...
Click to expand...

It depends on what you do. The 7700k is still fantastic in the current iMac. and in a multithreaded app like cinema 4d CPU bound rendering the i7 7700k is faster than the i5 8600k despite the 8600k having two more cores! In single threaded tests, the 8600k pulls ahead of the 7700k by a bit, and the 8700k by a bit more. Between the 8600k and the 7700k, honestly you won't notice much of a difference. In puget systems tests, the difference between the 7700k and the 8600k is like 4-5%. Is waiting worth it?

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The i7 8700k, however, is a great processor. Noticeable improvements everywhere. Single thread about 10%, multithread a lot more. But reviewers all comment on the heat. I wonder if the current iMac form factor could handle iy. The new cooling system of the iMac pro seems perfect for that, but sacrifices ram upgradeability and thus cost is much, much higher.

I know about the waiting game. You can always wait longer, and god help you if Apple doesn't update something fast enough or removes a feature like ram upgradeability. It will drive you nuts! :)
 
jon08 said:
Can someone tell me which SSDs are in 2017 iMacs?

I found some reasonably-priced open box deals for the 1TB SSD versions of iMac but I'm a bit worried whether those had the stock SSDs replaced with inferior SSDs to make them cheaper?

It says in the description on eBay that they have 1TB SSD (Samsung 850/Crucial). Is that the one that is used in 2017 iMacs?
Click to expand...

Samsung 960. :apple:
 
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