Is it worth buying cheapest 27" if it's with HDD?

[M0esmac]

Hi guys,

I was just thinking, is it worth to buy it (2.7 i5 Quad, 512MB) if you buy it with HDD? I mean the thing which slows this computer (or any with i5/i7 quad) down is HDD. What do you think?

And also, would 32GB ram do anything good? It would be beastly, but is there point without SSD?

Thank you!

 

[avemestr]

No and no.

 

[M0esmac]

So that is true? There's no point of even slightly better model (3.1GHz and 1GB) with HDD?

The thing is, I'd be alright with upgrading my SSD if it would be MacBook or Mac Pro... But iMac isn't easy at all.

 

[iSayuSay]

SSD won't make BattleField 3 feels snappier though. That's where CPU/GPU matters.
Be sure you get a lot of benefit with SSD. i.e you open and load many apps at once, you copy large files, you boot often.

 

[M0esmac]

SSD won't make BattleField 3 feels snappier though. That's where CPU/GPU matters.
Be sure you get a lot of benefit with SSD. i.e you open and load many apps at once, you copy large files, you boot often.

Okay.
I'll not play games.
iMac 24/7 on.
I'll use Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom. And other apps of course.
Large files probably will appear.

 

[flatfoot]

Okay.
I'll not play games.
iMac 24/7 on.
I'll use Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom. And other apps of course.
Large files probably will appear.

You'd be better off with an SSD.

 

[Icaras]

This is why I went with a 21.5" instead for now. I didn't want to quite fork over 3 grand because it was SSD or bust for me (I will not ever purchase an HDD for OS drive ever again), so I saved money on the smaller screen but was able to use it for the SSD and I'm quite the happy camper.

Maybe after a few refreshes when SSD prices hit critical mass market prices I will consider going for the 27" again.

So I agree with many posters here: It simply isn't worth it without the SSD.

 

[RedReplicant]

Is there a reason you don't consider putting a SSD in it yourself?

 

[thekev]

Okay.
I'll not play games.
iMac 24/7 on.
I'll use Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom. And other apps of course.
Large files probably will appear.

Assuming we're talking about CS5 or CS6, ram is a bigger benefit than ssd. SSDs handled a lot of scratch data faster than HDDs, yet Apple charges too much for them, and 16GB is cheap. SSDs are still slower than ram.

 

[comatory]

Also one question for OP: Are you sure you will use all the 32gigs of RAM?

Some applications, including Adobe, have RAM ceiling. But you will definitely benefit if you have more of these applications open (for example when you have Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere opened, 16 gigs seem to do the job).

I said this in other threads: if you visit official Apple repair center, they will replace HDD for a fee but you don't lose warranty. This is what I do when I replace other stuff than RAM in Apple computers. The fee is usually $50 or so and it is worth not losing the warranty and getting HDDs/SSDs yourself, you'll still be saving a lot.
Some of repair centers will even install a secondary HDD too if they have the parts.

 

[M0esmac]

This is why I went with a 21.5" instead for now. I didn't want to quite fork over 3 grand because it was SSD or bust for me (I will not ever purchase an HDD for OS drive ever again), so I saved money on the smaller screen but was able to use it for the SSD and I'm quite the happy camper.

Maybe after a few refreshes when SSD prices hit critical mass market prices I will consider going for the 27" again.

So I agree with many posters here: It simply isn't worth it without the SSD.

I'm buying it for the min of 2 years, and 21.5" is definitely to small for me.

Is there a reason you don't consider putting a SSD in it yourself?

Me? Just because warranty.

Also one question for OP: Are you sure you will use all the 32gigs of RAM?

Some applications, including Adobe, have RAM ceiling. But you will definitely benefit if you have more of these applications open (for example when you have Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere opened, 16 gigs seem to do the job).

I said this in other threads: if you visit official Apple repair center, they will replace HDD for a fee but you don't lose warranty. This is what I do when I replace other stuff than RAM in Apple computers. The fee is usually $50 or so and it is worth not losing the warranty and getting HDDs/SSDs yourself, you'll still be saving a lot.
Some of repair centers will even install a secondary HDD too if they have the parts.

So I understand I can buy an SSD, bring it to Apple, they will replace it for me for some amount of money? Btw, I don't really want them to replace it, I want SSD be my 1st drive where's MAC OS and HDD to be main storage.

 

[flatfoot]

You could also get the 27" with HDD and buy an SSD and a Seagate GoFLex Thunderbolt adaptor.

The SSD via Thunderbolt will be just as fast as on the internal connection – and you won't void the warranty.

 

[M0esmac]

I don't want stuff hanging around the iMac.

By the way, just asked Apple, they said I should get an appointment when I have an iMac, get what models are compatible with SSD, but it and bring it to them with everything that they replace it for me.

 

[robgendreau]

I don't want stuff hanging around the iMac.

By the way, just asked Apple, they said I should get an appointment when I have an iMac, get what models are compatible with SSD, but it and bring it to them with everything that they replace it for me.

For how much?

 

[M0esmac]

For how much?

I don't know actually. Those people who sits in the live help knows just few things and one of them 'You should call straight to the Apple Store'...
If they will ask £100 or more, ten I'm definitely buying it straight away with it, not buying base, then buying SSD, then bringing it there etc...