Which iMac to buy?

[polarbear911]

I'm making the switch and I need some help deciding between a new and a refurb imac. I do not do a lot of gaming. I plan on using the computer for Internet/Movies/Music/Pictures. The two configurations I am looking at are:

New: 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (can be upgraded to 8GB), 640GB Serial ATA; 7200 rpm NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256MB GDDR3 (I thought of bumping to the GT 130 or the ATI but I'm not sure I need that kind of power and I'm not sure if I could survive the wait for the ATI)

Refurb: 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM (can be upgraded to 4GB); 500GB Serial ATA; 7200 rpm NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB GDDR3

I need this computer to last me for the next 3-5 years. I think both systems have similar performance but should I go with the new computer as it has more RAM (and greater capacity for RAM upgrade) and HD? Would I be better off with the Refurb Graphics card? I intend on upgrading to Snow Leopard when it is released. Will the RAM speeds make a considerable difference in performance?

I really appreciate your help/advice!

 

[neiltc13]

Get the new 24" 2.66GHz model. Nothing you want to do comes close to using the power of the higher end machines.

There is so much BS about RAM at the moment. People think it's necessary to have 4GB when in fact they never even go over using 1GB in day to day use. I have 2GB in my machine and it is just fine.

 

[Eanair]

I have the new 2009 iMac (20 inch) with a 320 GB harddrive and 2 GB RAM. I use it for mainly casual use as you've outlined (internet, movies, music, pics) and my setup is just fine as is.

If you have a TON of music, you may want a larger harddrive or supplement with an external one but my 320 GB harddrive works fine with my 80 GB worth of music.

My 2 GB RAM are fine also. For my everday usage with the usual applications (nothing too fancy), I tend to have about 1.2 GB free at all times. I've noticed that Safari can take up a lot of RAM, so I've switched to Firefox.

Good luck!

 

[polarbear911]

Thanks guys. I have decided to go with the 2.8 Ghz refurb to save some money. I my end up needing more hard drive space but I figure with the money I save on the refurb I'll be able to get one if I need it. Thanks for helping me not buy more system than I need!