What do you buy? Standard config or CTO

[ThirteenXIII]

I'm in the market to change up my set-up and streamline my workflow a bit better. I usually in the past CTO my systems on Apples site to the highest specs (at least CPU, GPU, and storage if it was built in) but it gets pricey and I tend to not keep the same systems for more than 2-3 years at a time, but generally break even with re-selling. Im just not sure outside of maybe storage is any of those upgrades warranted or needed.
I do a mix of photography, CAD and some app building now.

I tried iMacs and MacBook Pros + Multidisplays (but dislike the current selection of displays) and tend to change out the portable systems.

there does not seem to be much disparity between base configurations and CTO aside from storage capacity and RAM. CPU specs dont appear to be that substantial from i5 to i7, but I could be wrong ?

What do you typically prefer when spec'ing out a system (Storage, cpu, ram, etc)? factor in pricing and longevity if you can.
or those who buy standard configs is it due to convenience?

 

[campyguy]

I tend to buy CTO Macs but also cruise the Apple refurb store for options when I'm ready to buy. I buy what I need while forecasting needs for either myself or the company I own, opting for a refurb that is both available and exceeds the specs I need.

This year I specced out a couple of 27" iMacs with intent to buy several in May as my FY ended 5/31, then Best Buy offered the base iMP on 5/1 at $3999 - around the same price as the iMacs I had specced out but exceeding those specs by a bunch. Then Apple's Amazon "store" matched that price and I bought 5 with my Chase card and knocked off another 5% - the iMPs showed up 3 days later with Prime shipping, and were up and running the next day.

I have specced out some i9 MBPs to buy by the end of the year, and I'll be ready to shop around starting Black Friday for those machines or something on sale for about the same price-ish that I have budgeted for. Ditto with the hoped-for updated Mini.

Currently I'll not settle for less than 1TB of onboard flash storage, I budget for DAS if more is needed in the form of 8-20TB of DAS and 1TB of available external flash storage (Samsung T5 or SanDisk Extreme Pro are my go-to units right now) and a target minimum of 32GBs of RAM for future Macs (some of my Win boxes are stuffed with 128GB of RAM). I'm really digging the iMP's performance, tho still happy with my maxed-out 2012 i7 Mini Server but wished I could stuff more RAM in it over the 16GB that's in it now.

My 2¢…