iMac i5 with 12GB RAM or iMac i7 with 4GB RAM?

[JoelMarcey]

Someone asked me, and I wasn't quite sure how to answer -- other than, it depends --- which would be a better overall computer and have more resale value 3 or 4 years down the line:

An iMac i5 2.8Ghz with 12 GB RAM or an iMac i7 2.93Ghz with 4 GB RAM?

Nevermind the fact that I said, well just upgrade the i7 to 12GB and the answer to your question is easy , but he just wanted to know based on the above with everything else being equal.

I said my i5 2.66Gz with 12GB RAM runs pretty nicely, although I have done zero gaming or video work yet.

Any concrete answer here, other than it depends?

 

[dexthageek]

Someone asked me, and I wasn't quite sure how to answer -- other than, it depends --- which would be a better overall computer and have more resale value 3 or 4 years down the line:

An iMac i5 2.8Ghz with 12 GB RAM or an iMac i7 2.93Ghz with 4 GB RAM?

Nevermind the fact that I said, well just upgrade the i7 to 12GB and the answer to your question is easy , but he just wanted to know based on the above with everything else being equal.

I said my i5 2.66Gz with 12GB RAM runs pretty nicely, although I have done zero gaming or video work yet.

Any concrete answer here, other than it depends?

The i7 will last longer then the i5 due to Hyperthreading effectively offering 8 threads. I say get the i7 and then down the road upgrade the RAM and it will seem like a new machine!

 

[wordoflife]

I say keep the RAM!

 

[JoelMarcey]

The i7 will last longer then the i5 due to Hyperthreading effectively offering 8 threads. I say get the i7 and then down the road upgrade the RAM and it will seem like a new machine!

I guess the assumption is that the two systems would be equivalent in price after buying the memory and that he won't have any extra money to upgrade later on