looking to buy an imac...but what spec?

[Mr.Iqbal]

hi all, hope you are all well

im in abit of a pickle.. im off to uni in sept to do my masters in architcture. i have had a 2008 mbp since, well 2008.. it has served me well and has been a loyal partner. it still works fine and is as good as it was new ( apart from the battery).

i now wish to upgrade to either a top spec mbp or a top spec imac.

the portability issue is not a biggie as i plan on keeping my current mpb.

i will be using the machine for 3d modeling, image rendering and photoshoping.

im am drawn to the imac as i dont wish to keep a new mbp plugged in constantly for rendering which could take upto a day or more. as i know the battrys are a liitle sh*te and will probs bugger up.

so the questuions are these:
could i make do with a low spec system that would happily work as fast as me when modeling and rendering or do i really need somthing powerfull. i can pick up cheap imacs of ebay with great spek for around a 1000 quid as opposed to a spanker from apple for around 2200...

an insight into the power of these machines will be greatly apricated


regard n thanks in adavnce

 

[mac-ho]

Mmmm, Quid=Pound Sterling=$1.62 US X 1000 = $1662.00 US. Don't be so cheap. Add a few hundred and get the $2000.00 i5.

 

[Mr.Iqbal]

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Well I was thinking of getting the i7 with 2gb graphics and upgrading the ram myself to 16 gig.

I'm just thinking if I need all that power and if I can make do with a lower spec model.

 

[accessoriesguy]

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Well I was thinking of getting the i7 with 2gb graphics and upgrading the ram myself to 16 gig.

I'm just thinking if I need all that power and if I can make do with a lower spec model.

Get the i7, but not the 2GB Graphics. Then again the 2GB graphics is only $100 more, but I highly doubt you would need that much. Mainly because that wuold be more for HD video rendering. But the second gen i7 with a AMD Radeon HD 6970M will make even your college professors jealous of your rendering speeds!