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Macbook Pro OR iMac + Air ??
- Thread starter JR1993
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wow you write a lot lol. But i do agree with you.
Especialy when everyone argues about the IPS display. You can get a dell 23" ips monitor for $220-$280 depending on sales. And ive seen the 23" asus ips display go on sale for $180 before.
My personal setup is:
i5- 2500K- OC'ed to 4.6 ghz
16 gb G.Skill Ram (1600 Mhz... Imac still runs on 1333 mhz which is pathetic)
Gigabyte Z68A-D3H
64 GB Crucial M4 SSD
Spinpoint f3 1 TB hdd
Sapphire 6950 gpu (unlocked to 6970)
Haf 912 case
Hyper 212+ cpu cooler
XFX 650x PSU
2 HP 23" LED monitors + 1 Dell 23" Monitor
Logitech mk710 keyboard & mouse
Windows 7 Professional for students
Total Cost: $1700 (main cost was the monitors, Just the rig cost me $1200)
and this will outperform ANY imac and will hold its own against mac pros.
btw video encoding on quick sync on the z68 board is faster than even mac pros. and i have 2 more pci-e slots for cfx/sli action later down the line. Thats not something able to be done on the imac. A Custom PC rig can last you 3-4 years will small upgrades to keep it up to date.
Maybe another way to look at it is this, the value you get from using a MBP 100% of the time = $2400. The value of using the iMac 50% of the time is $700 and MBA the other 50% is $500 (basically half of the cost you paid). So you're not getting your money's worth and eventually you're gonna view one of those machines to be excessive.
With Intel releasing the specs on the SB processors, the new MBA looks to be good. I'd go with that. However if your looking for the fastest, most powerful laptop - don't look at the MBA. Stick with the MBP. However the MBA is a dam sexy computer. 😀
iMac is probably one of the most "cost effective" machines in the Apple line. tbh, if you "need" everything it offers, the price is very competitive. ACDs are top notch quality, and a 27 inch retails for 1000. That leaves $700 for what's in the machine, which isn't terrible. That's not more than $200 overpriced in that sense, and for that, you get an all-in-one design [for better or for worse]. No customizing though, which is a real shame because that's one of the premier reasons to get a desktop: so you don't have to replace it every 3 years, you merely update the parts.
The catch: this is assuming you 100% NEED the 27-inch IPS screen. Imo, IPS has a very specific audience. There are very few people who benefit from it, but a lot of people who just want Apple this, Apple that. Apple really is a religion. Now, with that said, ACDs are the highest quality monitors I've ever seen.
However, 24-inch LEDs retail for under $190 now. You can get 4 of these and you'll end up with 360 degree viewing angle. Heck, get 5 and make yourself a fort.
The catch: this is assuming you 100% NEED the 27-inch IPS screen. Imo, IPS has a very specific audience. There are very few people who benefit from it, but a lot of people who just want Apple this, Apple that. Apple really is a religion. Now, with that said, ACDs are the highest quality monitors I've ever seen.
However, 24-inch LEDs retail for under $190 now. You can get 4 of these and you'll end up with 360 degree viewing angle. Heck, get 5 and make yourself a fort.
