Please help to choose a new iMac!

[MagicMolecule]

Hi guys.
I had my 1st iMac for 13 years since 2009 and was always very happy with it until it stopped working. It still works but the screen doesn’t come on anymore.

I can buy a latest iMac or a refurbished one I don’t mind.
My main criteria is that it lasts for years!

Following this main criteria which iMacs will last longer refurbished from 2015-17 or thé latest ones?

I have an impression that the newer things are these days the less they last.

What do you think?
What would you recommend?

I need nothing too professional just reasonable storage and decent RAM.

Please direct me in the right direction

 

[rm5]

Go ahead and grab yourself a refurbished M1 iMac with 16 GB of RAM. You might even upgrade the storage to 512 GB. A 2015-2017 iMac is great, but they have Intel chips and will be deprecated in probably 3-4 years.

 

[hoo-man-b-ing]

Well, you haven’t said what your workflow is, what your computing needs are or what your budget is so take this recommendation with a large pile of salt. 🤪

Given:
- none of your critical apps are 32-bit only
- none of your apps have compatibility problems with Ventura
- you don’t have any exotic needs (e.g., high-end/external GPU processing)
- a screen size requirement of 27” or larger
- the need for Target Display Mode

I’d recommend a 24” iMac with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and 8 core GPU. If you’re in the US, that’s $1899 without any special promotions. That keeps you under $2000 and you can add perpetual AppleCare, which I‘d recommend since you plan on keeping this for a long time.

If you have more money, you can always bump up the internal storage or buy an external SSD which will be cheaper but slower. RAM and GPU cannot be upgraded later so, again, recommending the higher end configuration since you’re looking for longevity.

The Intel-based iMacs are going to stop receiving support long before the Apple Silicon devices and Apple is already releasing features that only run on M1 or better Macs. Plus, we’re now seeing apps (like Resident Evil Village) which are only supported on Apple Silicon Macs, making them the better choice for longevity.

 

[Realityck]

Hi guys.
I had my 1st iMac for 13 years since 2009 and was always very happy with it until it stopped working. It still works but the screen doesn’t come on anymore.

I can buy a latest iMac or a refurbished one I don’t mind.
My main criteria is that it lasts for years!

Following this main criteria which iMacs will last longer refurbished from 2015-17 or thé latest ones?

I have an impression that the newer things are these days the less they last.

What do you think?
What would you recommend?

I need nothing too professional just reasonable storage and decent RAM.

Please direct me in the right direction

Apple 27" iMac with Retina 5K display Intel Core i7 (3.8GHz) 8GB Memory 512GB SSD Silver MXWV2LL/A - Best Buy

Shop Apple 27" iMac with Retina 5K display Intel Core i7 (3.8GHz) 8GB Memory 512GB SSD Silver products at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

Adding memory from OWC/MacSales is cheap.

$1699 USD new even though its a 2020 model. You can buy AppleCare 3 years is $169 USD

Other same year models also listed that are cheaper

 

[russell_314]

Hi guys.
I had my 1st iMac for 13 years since 2009 and was always very happy with it until it stopped working. It still works but the screen doesn’t come on anymore.

I can buy a latest iMac or a refurbished one I don’t mind.
My main criteria is that it lasts for years!

Following this main criteria which iMacs will last longer refurbished from 2015-17 or thé latest ones?

I have an impression that the newer things are these days the less they last.

What do you think?
What would you recommend?

I need nothing too professional just reasonable storage and decent RAM.

Please direct me in the right direction

If you’re using a iMac from 2009 I suspect you’re doing very light computing tasks like browsing the web. I wouldn’t recommend an older Intel iMac unless you can get one cheap.

Your choices are the M1 iMac. There’s only one current model. The problem is it’s only 24” screen so that may or may not be an issue with you. There aren’t a lot of good options for a larger screen. You can go with a Mac mini relatively cheap but to get a very nice display, it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg. If you’re fine, with a so-so display, you can save money.

 

[ignatius345]

The problem is it’s only 24” screen so that may or may not be an issue with you.

I stepped down from the 5K 27" iMac to the 4.5K 24" iMac M1 last year. It's smaller but still quite workable.

 

[wilberforce]

I’d recommend a 24” iMac with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and 8 core GPU. If you’re in the US, that’s $1899 without any special promotions.

I agree, that is a good choice. Can be had for ~$1600 on Apple's refurb store, which is as good as new; same warranty and return period

 

[Starfia]

I basically agree with rm5. Macs are such sturdy machines that any Mac's chance is good of lasting for many years, but the first M1 Macs (starting with those released in 2020) were such a major step in both efficiency and presumable future software support that it's an easy bet to get one of those.

 

[MagicMolecule]

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your help in choosing an iMac that will last.
I really needed your help.
I will now look for the M1 Mac.

For those of you who wondered how heavily I’m going to use it:
nothing major, not for work anyway. I will have an Adobe Creative Suite on it but I’m not using it much.

 

[MagicMolecule]

Hello again everyone.
Just one last question.
So if I bought this new M1 iMac I wouldn’t go wrong in terms of durability?
Are the newest models as durable as the ones from the past?

Many thanks in advance for sharing your opinion.

And yes, I’m perfectly fine with the 24” screen. I wouldn’t want anything overly dominant. I think it’s an optimal size.

 

[MagicMolecule]

Sorry forgot the screenshot:

 

[leifp]

View attachment 2123266Sorry forgot the screenshot:

in short: if you need the iMac now, buy it. However…

Two concerns: 1. the M1 iMac is already over one and a half years old (1 year, 7 months) and 2. the new systems do not allow you to upgrade RAM (if you choose 8GB now, that’s all you’ll ever have) nor storage (ditto your 256GB - external storage is your sole mode to increase storage)

Why are they concerns? Although the upgrade to the M2 processor (in the new MBAirs since June of this year) is not immense it exists and has CPU, GPU, RAM limit and bandwidth, video codec, and ML (machine learning - its importance will only increase in the coming years) improvements. If your Adobe CS work ever incorporates PhotoShop or video editing more generally you’ll notice the improvements the M2 bring. But they’re not in the iMac right now.

So, how does that address your concerns? The base/core functionality of the ”entry” chips into Apple Silicon already have changed what’s included. This will impact macOS support going forward. How much? No idea. But the M1 iMac has already cut a large chunk off of its own lifespan in support by being around for so long.

May I ask what your previous/present iMac is? (size/specs)

 

[leifp]

Also: to address your original post, do you happen to have an extra monitor/TV on hand that you can use as a display? That could extend the life of your iMac so that you can make a decision based on your real wants/needs rather than the need to have a new machine ASAP.

 

[MagicMolecule]

in short: if you need the iMac now, buy it. However…

Two concerns: 1. the M1 iMac is already over one and a half years old (1 year, 7 months) and 2. the new systems do not allow you to upgrade RAM (if you choose 8GB now, that’s all you’ll ever have) nor storage (ditto your 256GB - external storage is your sole mode to increase storage)

Why are they concerns? Although the upgrade to the M2 processor (in the new MBAirs since June of this year) is not immense it exists and has CPU, GPU, RAM limit and bandwidth, video codec, and ML (machine learning - its importance will only increase in the coming years) improvements. If your Adobe CS work ever incorporates PhotoShop or video editing more generally you’ll notice the improvements the M2 bring. But they’re not in the iMac right now.

So, how does that address your concerns? The base/core functionality of the ”entry” chips into Apple Silicon already have changed what’s included. This will impact macOS support going forward. How much? No idea. But the M1 iMac has already cut a large chunk off of its own lifespan in support by being around for so long.

May I ask what your previous/present iMac is? (size/specs)

Same screen size and 8Gb RAM the only thing I can remember the rest I don’t remember ane I can’t look it up anymore.

I do not plan doing any video editing in Adobe CS.

Thank you very much for taking time in explaining all the above things to me!

How many years you would say the M1 iMac will last if I buy it now? Considering I never made any updates for my old iMac except for backing it up few times and upgrading operation system twice in 13 years.

 

[MagicMolecule]

Also: to address your original post, do you happen to have an extra monitor/TV on hand that you can use as a display? That could extend the life of your iMac so that you can make a decision based on your real wants/needs rather than the need to have a new machine ASAP.

… I see what you mean 🤓

 

[Boidem]

I bought an iMac last year, as I'd squeezed every bit of life out of an ancient MacPro from 2006, then bought a s/h 2012 MacMini as an interim measure. I waited (like 2 years!) for Apple to bring out a new machine, as I didn't really want to spend a lot on an Intel machine only for the new technology to be better. I wanted maximum longevity, so the M1 iMac was the best choice for me. The 24" display I prefer over anything larger. I went for the higher model with more RAM, so 16Gb and 512Gb storage. And I've been very happy indeed with it, for over a year now. Hopefully it will last me for a good few years to come.

The only real problem you have, after what spec, is what colour. I went for yellow, because I have blue painted walls in the room it is used in, and it looks great. Orange would have been nice too, it's nice to have an option over plain old silver.

 

[stradify]

Unless your Creative Suite is an Adobe subscription, then from what I've read, you won't be able to use it on a M1 or M2 Apple Silicon computer. CS6, the last Adobe non-subscription version, will only work with OS Mojave and older OS's. The reason for this is that there are 32 bit app parts to the older CS versions that won't run in the last 4 OS versions which are 64 bit only. I'd upgrade to a new AS Mac just for the security inherent in the new computers and OS and if you can't afford the Adobe subscription then I'd recommend purchasing Affinity Photo.

 

[leifp]

Same screen size and 8Gb RAM the only thing I can remember the rest I don’t remember ane I can’t look it up anymore.

I do not plan doing any video editing in Adobe CS.

Thank you very much for taking time in explaining all the above things to me!

How many years you would say the M1 iMac will last if I buy it now? Considering I never made any updates for my old iMac except for backing it up few times and upgrading operation system twice in 13 years.

So your sole concern is hardware lifetime not necessarily software support? This is luck of the draw of course but I doubt it would last much less than 10 years. Every failure I’ve had has been within the first months of having a computer (always HDD up until now), excepting the time I decided to dump a pint of beer into my laptop… otherwise I, and everyone I know who keeps their tech until it stops working and nobody will/can repair it, still have computers dating to last millennium. (This is anecdotal and could just be good luck for myself and those I know)

Most failure points are due to moving parts (such as hinges or ports) and not component failure, although if those elements fail your hardware can fail as well (such as fans failing on CPUs). Thus the M1 iMacs should last a very long time (screen tilt hinge and USB/Thunderbolt ports are the sole exterior moving parts; single/double fan [7 core, 8 core models] for a low wattage part inside)

 

[Realityck]

Hello again everyone.
Just one last question.
So if I bought this new M1 iMac I wouldn’t go wrong in terms of durability?
Are the newest models as durable as the ones from the past?

Many thanks in advance for sharing your opinion.

And yes, I’m perfectly fine with the 24” screen. I wouldn’t want anything overly dominant. I think it’s an optimal size.

Yes it would be durable, been using a 24” iMac since it came out. You get use to the 24” screen which looks good with watching videos. Don’t buy the base model with a 8/7 M1. It only has one fan, 2 ports on back. All the ones with 8/8 M1 have four ports on back and 2 fans inside, like the model your picture shows. Runs a lot cooler with games. I recommend opting for 16 GB ram over 8 GB, along with at least 512 GB SSD. Everything is soldered inside and much much faster than what you are using. The current PB beta 4 of 13.1 is extremely fast to shut down, like about 3 seconds. Start up is a lot faster than what you are use to. It has 3 speakers each side giving you a much fuller audio. It not that loud, but it sounds a lot better then the 27” Intel iMacs.

 

[wilberforce]

So if I bought this new M1 iMac I wouldn’t go wrong in terms of durability?
Are the newest models as durable as the ones from the past?

Physically durable? No-one will really know until 5 years in the future. Some Macs have had screen problems show up after 4 or 5 years. Others have had GPU problems show up after many years. Neither of these could have been predicted when they were new.

But so far, there is nothing to suggest it will not be physically durable.

 

[Realityck]

The only real problem you have, after what spec, is what colour. I went for yellow, because I have blue painted walls in the room it is used in, and it looks great. Orange would have been nice too, it's nice to have an option over plain old silver.

I still went with silver as with off white walls behind it works better than other colors. It was also because the in store stock configs of 8/8/16/1TB only came in Silver and Blue, other colors with that config ended up being a custom order to ship.

 

[MagicMolecule]

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your input!

 

[MagicMolecule]

Unless your Creative Suite is an Adobe subscription, then from what I've read, you won't be able to use it on a M1 or M2 Apple Silicon computer. CS6, the last Adobe non-subscription version, will only work with OS Mojave and older OS's. The reason for this is that there are 32 bit app parts to the older CS versions that won't run in the last 4 OS versions which are 64 bit only. I'd upgrade to a new AS Mac just for the security inherent in the new computers and OS and if you can't afford the Adobe subscription then I'd recommend purchasing Affinity Photo.

Thank you so much for pointing this out to me - I would honestly have neglected it and made that mistake!
Something to reflect upon.
Without Adobe CSS even if I don’t use it much I’d feel like I missing my hands…

 

[stradify]

Know what you mean about Photoshop. I've been running CS4 for 7 years on my 27" late 2015 iMac. Since upgrading it to Monterey I've been using Parallels 17 to run Mojave as a guest virtual machine. That allows me to run CS4 and other 32 bit apps.

If Apple comes out with a bigger iMac I'll be the first in line to get one and will happily switch to Affinity Photo from Photoshop. Affinity Photo is excellent, has no subscription, is written to take advantage of the new M1/2 processors and is very fairly priced.

Because your 2009 iMac died you probably don't have the luxury of waiting till March-April '23 for the new 24" iMac or the Mac Mini M2 (or possibly a larger iMac, which is pure speculation at this point). The current 24" iMac is a good bet without breaking the bank especially if you don't mind moving down from 27" to a 24" display. If that's a deal killer there's always the 27" Studio Display and either an M1 Mac Mini, docking a M2 MacBook Air or what I'd do, since I need a laptop and a desktop, is get the 2021 14" MacBook Pro which is currently being heavily discounted. I picked one up yesterday for my Mom at Costco and it was discounted $350 making it a no brainer to get instead of the M2 MacBook Air.

As others have advised getting 16GB ram and at least a 500GB hard drive in whatever you decide to buy especially since you've demonstrated that you keep your computers A LONG TIME!

 

[Realityck]

or what I'd do, since I need a laptop and a desktop, is get the 2021 14" MacBook Pro which is currently being heavily discounted. I picked one up yesterday for my Mom at Costco and it was discounted $350 making it a no brainer to get instead of the M2 MacBook Air.

Yes the 14", 16" with M1 Pro or M1 Max MBPs are discounted a lot right now for holidays. The 16" is about the same weight/dimension's as my older 2012 15" retina MBP was. But either comes with a HDR capable mini-LED screen and the same speaker arrangement as the 24" iMac. The 16" model screen is large enough to show 2 pages side by side, the 14" not quite. You really need to compare all these AS all-in-one Macs in a store.

We are probably distracting from the OP original question, but it's always nice to consider everything.