iMac i5 3.6 duo vs i7 2.93 quad?

[THX1139]

Hi,

I am a Graphic Designer looking for a new machine. I'm getting ready to buy one of the new iMac's. Upgrading from an 07' Macbook Pro. For the most part I am largely a print designer but have aspirations to exploring other options such as video and 3D.

Current softwares used are: Adobe Creative Suite 4/5. Final Cut Pro. And starting to play with Cinema 4D and After Effects.

The question I am posing is whether I should get the i5 3.6 duo or the i7 2.93 quad? What would be better in the long run for my investment? Would I be better off going with 4 cores for heavy processing, or 2 cores running at a bit faster clock speed?

Thanks.

 

[Hellhammer]

Get the quad core, it's faster in long run and CS4/5 can already take advantage of the extra cores

 

[THX1139]

Get the quad core, it's faster in long run and CS4/5 can already take advantage of the extra cores

Thanks for the advice! Have you heard how the heat is with the quad iMac? I read (somewhere) that the fans kick on a lot and the machine is pretty noisy trying to compensate for the heat the quad processor gives off.

 

[Hellhammer]

Thanks for the advice! Have you heard how the heat is with the quad iMac? I read (somewhere) that the fans kick on a lot and the machine is pretty noisy trying to compensate for the heat the quad processor gives off.

I haven't heard anything like that. When the CPU is under 100% load, then the fans should kick on but generally, it's dead silent