Is the new iMac for me?

[Charcoalwerks]

Or should I just buy a refurbished 21.5? I currently have a mid 2011 21.5” iMac. I definitely want and need to upgrade. I use it for graphic design and producing music. I use 2017 versions of Adobe software, and GarageBand. I have about 5 usb peripherals I need to be able to plug in. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[glenthompson]

If you have the budget I would definitely go for the 24" iMac. I find the screen size perfect while the 27" model is too large for my uses. Plenty of power for your apps. For handling your USB port needs We bought two of these (one for me and one for my wife) Satechi clamp on hubs.

Many of that age iMacs are suffering GPU failures. We have the same iMac that is starting to show problems.

 

[Charcoalwerks]

If you have the budget I would definitely go for the 24" iMac. I find the screen size perfect while the 27" model is too large for my uses. Plenty of power for your apps. For handling your USB port needs We bought two of these (one for me and one for my wife) Satechi clamp on hubs.

Many of that age iMacs are suffering GPU failures. We have the same iMac that is starting to show problems.

Thanks for the reply. I ended up pulling the trigger on a Refurbished 2019 21.5-inch iMac 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 4K display and fusion drive. My 2011 was refurbished and it lasted 11 years after moving from place to place and it even took a back dive off my desk one time onto a ceramic floor. I hope this “new” one lasts half that long at least.

 

[henry72]

Thanks for the reply. I ended up pulling the trigger on a Refurbished 2019 21.5-inch iMac 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 4K display and fusion drive. My 2011 was refurbished and it lasted 11 years after moving from place to place and it even took a back dive off my desk one time onto a ceramic floor. I hope this “new” one lasts half that long at least.

I would not recommend anyone to get a Fusion Drive in 2022... Also this 21.5-inch model is really dated.

Have you looked at this 24" model? For $190 more you are getting a much better computer that will last you a very long time...

Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, Gigabit Ethernet - Silver

Originally released April 2021 24-inch 4.5K Retina display 4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors 8GB unified memory 256GB SSD 1080p FaceTime HD camera Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports Two USB 3 ports Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

www.apple.com

 

[Charcoalwerks]

I would not recommend anyone to get a Fusion Drive in 2022... Also this 21.5-inch model is really dated.

Have you looked at this 24" model? For $190 more you are getting a much better computer that will last you a very long time...

Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, Gigabit Ethernet - Silver

Originally released April 2021 24-inch 4.5K Retina display 4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors 8GB unified memory 256GB SSD 1080p FaceTime HD camera Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports Two USB 3 ports Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

www.apple.com

Well it’s gonna be $250 more with tax. Like I said, I need to be able to run 2017 versions of CC. My 2011 iMac is almost unusable now. I only use the desktop for graphic design and recording music. I wanted to be able to plug in all my usb peripherals without having to buy another $100 worth of hubs and dongles. Don’t get me wrong, if I had a $2k budget to upgrade no doubt I would’ve bought the new 24”. My budget was $1200 tops. Do you happen to know which OS this refurbed 2019 will ship with?

 

[Charcoalwerks]

I would not recommend anyone to get a Fusion Drive in 2022... Also this 21.5-inch model is really dated.

Have you looked at this 24" model? For $190 more you are getting a much better computer that will last you a very long time...

Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, Gigabit Ethernet - Silver

Originally released April 2021 24-inch 4.5K Retina display 4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors 8GB unified memory 256GB SSD 1080p FaceTime HD camera Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports Two USB 3 ports Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

www.apple.com

Btw I appreciate the recommendation and I’ll have 2 weeks to think about it.

 

[Charcoalwerks]

I really like this 2019 model so far. I think I’m gonna keep it.