iMac purchase: last check!

[daanodinot]

I'm going to be buying an iMac, and it'll cost me a lot of money! I've been going back in forth in my mind for the last few weeks, but I've finally settled on the configuration I want. My use case is quite simple: I want an all-in-one desktop Mac that's optimally configured for gaming. I'll list each part of the configuration and my justification for it:

- 27-inch: dedicated GPU, Skylake processor, upgradable memory;
- i5 CPU: I've been convinced by people that the GPU is and will be the bottleneck for gaming, and there's no need to upgrade to i7;
- 8GB RAM: upgradable later for much cheaper;
- 512GB flash: the hardest too decide on. A fusion drive requires only one backup drive, because I can store all my data internally. However, I don't like to have a HDD constantly spinning/making noise only for a handful of files frequently have to access. 1TB flash is way too expensive for me. 256GB is a tempting option, but I feel it's on the small side if I decide to boot camp with Windows (2x 128GB);
- R9 M395MX: GPU is the bottleneck for gaming, so I must take the best there is;
- Magic Mouse 2: I'm not convinced I need the trackpad, and I think it's just as expensive buying it seperately.

This is thread is mainly to see if I'm missing or misunderstanding something. I'd love to hear from you what you think my chosen configuration.

 

[Floris]

I still don't quite understand the difference between the i5 vs i7 stuff, and I will let my budget (*or lack thereof) help me decide on the upgrade to i7 myself.

The memory, correct, upgrade yourself later. It's the only upgradable item, so let's upgrade later.

The SSD, I personally think that 128 is enough for me, but it's smart to go with 256 and if you CAN afford it, the 512. And to just realise the stuff you 'store' can be on fast external drives. I mean, it does have thunderbolt is speed really matters. Professionals keep telling me: no, we would never ever consider the fusion drive. I trust their judgement. SSD only from 2014 onwards for me.
I think the GPU is crap, the more I read about it the more I am convinced I am investing in underperforming hardware. But, again, no real life experience. My incentive is to invest my budget in the best card i can get, like the one you selected, just so I am more 'ready' for the future, especially since I can't upgrade it. And that i5 is NOT a bad CPU.
I would personally go with the track pad, that new magic one.. sweeet.. Anyway, rather than the mouse, because I alway exchange the mouse for a logitech one anyway.

By the way, don't forget Apple Care.. if you can afford it, just do it.. it's nice if the machine makes it through it's fist year. It sucks if you then regret not having apple care. It's a full all in one machine .. I rather get good service for an expensive machine like that when I really need it (And I never bought Apple care, mind you). But with this big box, I personally would invest in it. (so i'd go with 256ssd and apple care, vs 512ssd and no apple care)

But yeah, first impression: nice config, go for it! Nothing wrong with it.. I wish I could already afford it. haha. I am still saving.

 

[daanodinot]

Thanks for your response. Oh dear, now you have me doubting whether I should take Apple Care. I know it's only a droplet compared to the whole price, but it's all starting to add up...

You have a good point about the magic mouse. I actually already have a Performance MX mouse, so a magic mouse might not be necessary. I wish there was an option to not buy a mouse/trackpad.

 

[Hangs]

Applecare - uhm. I bought a MacBook Pro in 2007 with Applecare: 4 years on, Apple paid for a replacement motherboard as I had reported a graphics issue to them within the first 3 years. Conversely, I am typing this on a 6 year old IMac (refurbished). I put Applecare in my 'must attend to it later box' and I just forgot. I have just ordered a replacement IMac and Applecare is part of the package given that there is very little in these machines which is user replaceable.

 

[whodatrr]

Do take Applecare. I've bought it on just about every Mac I've owned, since Apple's offered the service, and I've probably wound up using it on 2/3 of them. Typing this on a late 2012 27" i7 that will be headed in for covered service, soon. Also, if you wind up selling before Applecare expires, it will bump your sales price. It pays for itself, and Apple's service is outstanding!

Regarding the i5 vs i7, it depends on how you'll use it. This time around, the i7 offers both a nice speed bump and hyper threading. Sounds like the first might be a bit interesting, but the 2nd not so much for you. I don;t know a whole lot about gaming, but I've found hyper threading to come in handy for stuff like Handbrake, which is tuned to use threads as well as cores. By doing this, it provides a considerable performance bump (think 40%). Also, hyper threading comes in handy when you're using one family resource intensive app, while there's stuff going on in the background (eg. exporting a video, while editing photos). If your workflow doesn't incorporate those types of activities, than i7 might not buy you much, except for the ~20% cycle bump.

Thanks for your response. Oh dear, now you have me doubting whether I should take Apple Care. I know it's only a droplet compared to the whole price, but it's all starting to add up...

You have a good point about the magic mouse. I actually already have a Performance MX mouse, so a magic mouse might not be necessary. I wish there was an option to not buy a mouse/trackpad.

 

[Floris]

Each person in my offline life that trusted me that apple was perfect, and believed me when I said i never take apple care.. had regretted not investing .. they had problems with their imacs and mbp, .. tech changes, their company changes.. And it changed my opinion, despite it being over my budget and something I rather not spend so much money on. But the time I got something checked with my system, they found 3 other issues and replaced those at no cost as well. Their service is nice, so far , .. and great while within warranty. If I had to pay for those out of warranty it would have cost me tripple the apple care

 

[Sirmausalot]

Thanks for your response. Oh dear, now you have me doubting whether I should take Apple Care. I know it's only a droplet compared to the whole price, but it's all starting to add up...

You have a good point about the magic mouse. I actually already have a Performance MX mouse, so a magic mouse might not be necessary. I wish there was an option to not buy a mouse/trackpad.

Most credit cards will double the warranty by a year. Make sure you use one of those ( that also insure against accidents and price protection for 90days or so)