is the i7 upgrade worth it?

[akarmywife]

Hello!
I am in desperate need of a new computer. I use photoshop cs4 A LOT along with excel, word, internet. I also play games a lot on it. I frequently have multiple things open at one time (for example, i have about 7 internet tabs open right now along with two excel files, photoshop, and word).

I want a 21.5 inch imac and I am wondering if the i7 upgrade is worth it? does the hyperthreading cause overheating in the computer? (I feel like I read somewhere that was an issue)

Would it be worth it to upgrade to fusion drive as well? I have read somewhere that it is hard to fix things if something goes wrong with the fusion drive (yes, i'll be purchasing the applecare but i prefer to think beyond the length of that as well! )

I also want to get the 16gb of ram as i know its very hard, possibly not doable at all, to add or switch ram later in the 21.5 inch.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sjinsjca]

If you do much image processing or run virtual machines, then the i7 will indeed be worth it. But spend money on the RAM and drive first, as those are much bigger bottlenecks (and, as you note, the RAM is soldered nowadays-- good for reliability, good for package size, but really bad for upgrading). An SSD might be worthwhile for your usage, but capacity gets pricey with those.

 

[rainydays]

You will not notice a huge difference with the i7 for your use, unless you do really heavy tasks in Photoshop. But then I'd question why you'd not go for the 27" iMac.

Just make sure to get the model with the 750M and max the RAM. I'd also suggest to grab one with an SSD, it will make way more difference for you than the i7 ever will. Connect an external HDD for extra storage and you'll be set.

However, the price difference between the top 21" model and the base 27" model isn't that big, especially if you buy third party RAM. The screen of the 27" is so much better for Photoshop work. Plus you get a bit better performance out of it.

 

[vir3l]

i5 is more than enough. just think that i basically did the same photoshop tasks with the same file sizes 10 years ago and my workflow today is now only twice as fast.

i got the i7 but regret it, not because of the money, but because it adds extra heat which i got plenty of with my 105c gpu.