Ordering new iMac, processor question.

It doesn't sound like you are doing anything that requires an i7 processor.

 

The i5 is more than a sound choice for you - its an excellent CPU and the performance difference from i7 in the everyday usage is not noticeable.

A suggestion though: get the SSD instead of the Fusion drive + a USB3 external drive for mass storage and backups. I like the Fusion drive as a concept, but I was not 100% satisfied with its performance, so I asked Apple to swap it for an SSD model instead. Also, with the Fusion drive, Windows installation goes to the HDD part - which has a large impact on the performance.

 

Or get the fusion drive and split it into a separate SSD + HDD ,

 

I've got an early '13 21" i5, 8gb ram, iMac with Fusion Drive and have been completely happy with its performance. Like you, I'm not playing games or doing video work, although I do some light graphics / vector work. Mostly its Pages, Numbers and email for work.

It's never felt slow in anything I do - comparing it to my MacBook Air with pure ssd. I love having the speed and mass storage capability - so I don't have to worry about cleaning up what I save on it like I do on my mba. If you do need to run Windows, it will be slower given it gets parked on the hdd partition in boot camp.

I'm about to order another one for my company and will be getting the same base unit with FD, given it's worked so well for us so far.

 

i7 helps with multithread aware apps, which are still a rarity. It could mean an automatic boost in 3-5 years or it may not matter before your next purchase cycle. The problem being that most customers don't have it, so there isn't a ton of incentive.

 

i5