Should I switch to an iMac

[Orlandoech]

I'm contemplating on selling my 15" MBP and 24" U2410 IPS Panel Monitor in my sig for an iMac 27" with iPad2 and wanted to hear/read people's advice on a performance comparison between the two. I know I would lose my second HDD via Optibay if I got an iMac and have to run an external through USB or FW for now (Until TB was cheaper).

I rarely game and if I do its like Civilization, some Mac App Store Games (nothing extensive really), I do a lot of heavy photo and video editing in Photoshop, Premier, FCP7 and I do some webdev from time to time.

Here is my current MBP setup and two iMac configs I was debating, keep in mind if I do buy a iMac I would also add 8 or 16GB ram and an SSD.

Current MBP Setup:
Dell u2410 IPS Panel 24" Monitor (I'd sell this if I got an iMac)
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011)
2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
8GB 1600MHz Kingston HyperX
OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS (128GB)
Optibay 750GB 7200RPM HDD
Intel HD Graphics 3000
AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB GDDR5


iMac Setup #1: $1439
Refurbished iMac 27-inch 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Originally released May 2011
27-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory (Id upgrade to 8GB or 16GB 1333mhz)
1TB hard drive (Id replace with an OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS)
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics with 512MB memory

Built-in FaceTime HD camera


iMac Setup #2: $1699
Refurbished iMac 27-inch 3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Originally released May 2011
27-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory (Id upgrade to 8GB or 16GB 1333mhz)
1TB hard drive (Id replace with an OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS)
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics with 1GB memory

Built-in FaceTime HD camera


Overall which is the fastest setup?

 

[UnitedAlliance]

Your MBP is more than enough for what you have to do. Sell the 24" screen and buy a Cinema Display.

FYI, replacing the HD in the imac would void the warranty.

 

[Waragainstsleep]

Either of the iMacs would be faster than the MBP but if I recall the benchmarks correctly they aren't that much faster for most tasks. Its up to you if you like that trade off in exchange for the portability you have now.

Alternatively you could wait/save for some external thunderbolt storage. The Promise RAID units are seriously quick and might well speed up certain tasks with FCP or Aperture more than a CPU bump.

 

[iSayuSay]

Your MBP actually perform faster (CPU-wise) than hi-end 21" or base 27" iMac. But iMac has a bit better GPU (6770M on iMac vs 6750M on MBP) albeit your MBP has 1GB VRAM. And don't forget iMac has more breathe room and heat tolerance compared to cramped MBP. For me, iMac has the best bang for your buck compared to other Macs (even MacPro). You gain most with same money if you buy an iMac.

If you want to outperform/compete current MBP you have, at least go with hi-end 27" w/ 3.1 GHz i5, or upgrade to 3.4GHz i7 for absolute winning of all side against your current MBP.

I'm inclined toward iMac since I rarely go out with computer. And I don't have to worry about battery problem. MBP's battery will run out and need to be replaced in a couple of years, often time Apple has limitation about batteries warranty, even if you have AppleCare to go with it.

 

[B.A.T]

If your laptop sits in the same place all the time like a desktop then get an iMac. The 27" screen is heaven.

 

[OptyCT]

Personally, I would only look at the i7 3.4 refurb'd iMac for an additional $170 over setup #2. You'll appreciate the extra horsepower when performing heavy video and photo editing. Looking at Geekbench results (32-bit), the i7 3.4 performs about 35% better than the i5 3.1 (11,500 vs. 8,500). As a comparison, your MBP scored around 10,500. So, the i7 3.4 is the only true "upgrade" by about 10%. Of course, benchmarks aren't the be-all-and-end-all.

So, with the i7 3.4 (versus your MBP), you get a better video card, faster processor, better display, and a cleaner desk. If you sell your MBP and Dell monitor, you'll have most of the cost of the iMac covered. If you do end up selling your MBP, I would take out the SSD and redeploy it in a Thunderbolt enclosure (availability???) on the new iMac. You can then use it as an external boot drive and application launcher without having to crack open the iMac.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[Orlandoech]

Personally, I would only look at the i7 3.4 refurb'd iMac for an additional $170 over setup #2. You'll appreciate the extra horsepower when performing heavy video and photo editing. Looking at Geekbench results (32-bit), the i7 3.4 performs about 35% better than the i5 3.1 (11,500 vs. 8,500). As a comparison, your MBP scored around 10,500. So, the i7 3.4 is the only true "upgrade" by about 10%. Of course, benchmarks aren't the be-all-and-end-all.

So, with the i7 3.4 (versus your MBP), you get a better video card, faster processor, better display, and a cleaner desk. If you sell your MBP and Dell monitor, you'll have most of the cost of the iMac covered. If you do end up selling your MBP, I would take out the SSD and redeploy it in a Thunderbolt enclosure (availability???) on the new iMac. You can then use it as an external boot drive and application launcher without having to crack open the iMac.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Very good point. Thanks! I Id love to have a 27" ACD but not sure if I need portability but would like to have it "in case" but almost NEVER travel enough to justify it... hmmm.

I also definately want to upgrade to 8GB or 16GB memory and an SSD, I dont want to spend the RIDICULOUS amount of $ on a TB enclosures and also have to wait months on end so Id rather crack it open.

 

[TA031]

Your MBP is more than enough for what you have to do. Sell the 24" screen and buy a Cinema Display.

FYI, replacing the HD in the imac would void the warranty.

 

[Orlandoech]

Your MBP is more than enough for what you have to do. Sell the 24" screen and buy a Cinema Display.

FYI, replacing the HD in the imac would void the warranty.

This is what Im leaning towards actually, I still want to be able to be mobile and I dont wanna tear apart an iMac. I just didnt want to spend $1000 or $850 on a refurb. I think Ill wait till the ACD refresh and buy a prev. gen ACD (which is the current gen) for a cheaper price.


Thanks everyone for the help, logic and what not.