iMac 21.5" i5 (2013 or onwards) or 2012 quadcore mini?

[max_os17]

Hi, I am looking to get a mac for some logic pro x recording, general web browsing, video encoding.

My options are as title a 2013 21.5 iMac with 16gb ram (£500ish) or a 2012 2.3ghz quad core mac mini with 8gb ram (£400ish).

I currently own an old 20 inch cinemas display thats still working, maybe a bit dated now though.

would the iMac have less noisy fans under load?

geekbench multi for imac is 10345 and mini is 10446.

Thanks

 

[deuteronomy]

I bought a late 2013 iMac 21" for £380 from ebay, bargain.

It came with a 1Tb HDD and I have since opened it up (easy) and installed a 500gb SSD and its super fast, cant fault it for the price.

I can't say I have heard the fans spin at all.

 

[ctrlzone]

iMac and use 2 screens

 

[max_os17]

in the end I got a 2012 iMac with gt 640m for around £250

worth putting an ssd in ? maybe more ram as i would be opening it.

easy is it? doesn't look to easy haha

 

[deuteronomy]

yes it was easy, i used one of the little plastic containers my contact lenses came in, to cut the tape round the screen, you just have to work it loose for a while, and then the sucker on my phone holder for the car to lift the screen up. Just watch the videos and there are 2 cables you need to unplug.

It was not really slow to begin with - other than boot, but I am so used to SSD speeds it was pretty much a necessity.
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[max_os17]

i don't use contacts so I'm not sure what you mean?

i see you can buy kits like this -

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Adhesive-Strips-Tape-Opening-Tools-Kit-Opening-Wheel-for-iMac-A1418-A1419-/182773861169

 

[deuteronomy]

It basically had a small plastic wedge type edge kind of like a small Credit card but with a bump so I couldn’t cut too deep

 

[max_os17]

The ebay listing I linked too seems to provide a tool to open the screen and new adhesive strips to replace the old ones. Did you use those?

 

[deuteronomy]

No I didn’t put new strips back on, I left the old ones in place and it went back together pretty well, it’s not 100% flush closed but good enough for now