Looking to buy a 27" 5K iMac! Which model should I buy?

[Firesign3394]

I currently have a 2011 27" iMac that I upgraded to a 256GB SSD with 16GB ram. I'm not a heavy user, but I need things to work instantly. I would like to upgrade to a new machine with a retina display that has the same user experience with things loading instantly.

I'm initially looking at the entry level 27" 5K, but it has a 1TB Hard drive, not a fusion drive or SSD. I'm worried I'll be losing responsiveness and sacrificing loading times.

I'm also looking at a late 2014 model from B&H that's on sale for $1699 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1086734-REG/apple_mf886ll_a_27_imac_with_retina.html
This one has a fusion drive so I believe it should provide the level of responsiveness I expect.

I'd like to spend around $1700 but I'll go higher if I need to in order to get what I need.

All advice is appreciated!

 

[glenthompson]

Do not get one with only a spinning drive, your performance will suck. If you go with fusion, get the 3tb version as the 1tb fusion drive only has a 24gb SSD while the 3tb has a 128gb SSD.

You can also check out Apple's refurbished store.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Yep as long as you get an SSD or a 2tb or 3tb fusion the responsiveness will be great.m

 

[gbdavid]

I bought mine with 256GB SSD storage only. It's about what I need for best performance and I really don't want the extra slow storage. I got it with the minimum RAM and bought the additional RAM modules myself (50% cheaper in Amazon).

 

[jmiddel]

I got the same machine as gbdavid and it is really fast. Forget the fusion drive, the 256gb ssd will be faster.