Who's getting the 21.5" iMac over the 27"?

[rpg51]

My experience is

that 4 gig is PLENTY for my purposes but since it is so cheap to add ram these days I just bought a new refurb imac and I will bring it up to 8 gig just for the heck of it. I think a lot of ram is good if you are running many large applications at that same time or if you are editing movies. Maybe if you are working with very large multi track music editing files. Otherwise I honestly don't think you are going to ever need more than 4 gig for the average non professional user doing email, web browsing, word processing, microsoft office applications, power point, that sort of thing. Just one man's opinion.

 

[DeSnousa]

8Gb of ram will be plenty, I still think that 16Gb is still more for the 'pros'.

I wish iMacs had a 24 inch model, I have a 24 inch Windows machine and would find it hard to go down to a 21 inch screen. 27 inch sound great but is not necessary and I don't want to pay for that size.

I reckon the mac mini would be perfect instead as another options, just won't look as cool.

 

[rpg51]

8Gb of ram will be plenty, I still think that 16Gb is still more for the 'pros'.

I wish iMacs had a 24 inch model, I have a 24 inch Windows machine and would find it hard to go down to a 21 inch screen. 27 inch sound great but is not necessary and I don't want to pay for that size.

I reckon the mac mini would be perfect instead as another options, just won't look as cool.

I agree.

 

[MagicThief83]

I wonder what resolution these gaming benchmarks are done in, as well as whether or not the laptop in question is using 1GB of vram or 512mb. Could make a difference at 1920x1080.

I too also wonder about this, as I'm sure those benchmarks were performed using a GT 650M with at least a GB of VRAM. The rMBP gets good gaming benchmarks from videos I've seen (e.g. BF3 on 1900 x 1200 and on high averaging 50 FPS) but then again it has an over clocked GPU with a GB of VRAM. So you think 512 MB is insufficient for 1920 x 1080 for most of today's games?

 

[mjoshi123]

Was, no longer, because of memory slots

+1 - I'm rather looking at 2011 21.5" now because of 4 memory slots instead of just 2 in 2012 and 7200RPM HDD instead of 5400RPM

 

[Johnf1285]

I too also wonder about this, as I'm sure those benchmarks were performed using a GT 650M with at least a GB of VRAM. The rMBP gets good gaming benchmarks from videos I've seen (e.g. BF3 on 1900 x 1200 and on high averaging 50 FPS) but then again it has an over clocked GPU with a GB of VRAM. So you think 512 MB is insufficient for 1920 x 1080 for most of today's games?

It might be. It might not be. I think this is the one time where Apple's return policy might come in handy. Or I may wait it out. Been thinking about waiting until after Christmas to make a purchase in order to save, see benchmarks, and consider a 27"

I have a feeling I may be just doing a 21.5" and calling it a day.

 

[glitch44]

Can anyone comment on how critical it is to have 16 GB of RAM instead of 8 GB, and for what kinds of tasks (generally) it's really important?

I'm coming from a late 2008 Unibody Macbook with 4 GB, and haven't noticed big problems, but everyone on MacRumors talks as if it's absolutely necessary to max out your RAM.

Obviously it would be much better if it were user upgradeable, but if the base RAM for the iMacs is 8 GB, is that really so bad?

Thanks!!

No, it's not so bad. It's just that with the 21.5" you're locked at whatever you purchase the machine at due to its lack of upgrade-ability, so you might want to future-proof it by maxing it out. Also, (non-Apple) memory is so cheap right now, that dropping in 16GB over 8GB is a no brainer if you have the user accessible slots.

 

[rmitchell248]

I have had 2 @ 27'' models in the past and the screen was just too large. My eyes hurt from searching around the screen. I picked up a 21'' earlier this year for my secretary and after messing around with it for a few hours I decided that I would get the 21'' whenever it came out for myself in the office. I have patiently waited and will be taking my 15'' mbp home for good whenever I can actually order the 21''.

So I am in the 21 over 27 group for the simple reason that my eyes kill me after an hour of using the 27.

 

[MagicThief83]

It might be. It might not be. I think this is the one time where Apple's return policy might come in handy. Or I may wait it out. Been thinking about waiting until after Christmas to make a purchase in order to save, see benchmarks, and consider a 27"

I have a feeling I may be just doing a 21.5" and calling it a day.

Likewise, I'll probably be doing the same. I'm gonna max out the 21.5"! Like I said, a 27" decently specced will probably run around $2500-3000. For what I'll be using the computer for, I'm sure a maxed out 21.5" will suffice. I'm not a hardcore gamer and don't have to play every game at 60 FPS; as a matter of fact, I have a lot of older pc games (past year and 2010) that I really wanna play and believe the GT 650 should handle them just fine. I can justify a maxed out 27" if I were gaming every day but I simply don't need that much power, so te extra $ spent would be a waste. I just feel like 512 MB is such a bottle neck; he'll even the GTX 660M will b struggling on the 27" due to the low VRAM. I think the GT 650 can game at reasonably settings (1920 x 1080 and high settings).

 

[Apple fanboy]

I really can't decide at the moment. I was all set for a 21", but with the BTO options limited I'm really not sure. Wallet says 21", head says 27" is better.

 

[Johnf1285]

Likewise, I'll probably be doing the same. I'm gonna max out the 21.5"! Like I said, a 27" decently specced will probably run around $2500-3000. For what I'll be using the computer for, I'm sure a maxed out 21.5" will suffice. I'm not a hardcore gamer and don't have to play every game at 60 FPS; as a matter of fact, I have a lot of older pc games (past year and 2010) that I really wanna play and believe the GT 650 should handle them just fine. I can justify a maxed out 27" if I were gaming every day but I simply don't need that much power, so te extra $ spent would be a waste. I just feel like 512 MB is such a bottle neck; he'll even the GTX 660M will b struggling on the 27" due to the low VRAM. I think the GT 650 can game at reasonably settings (1920 x 1080 and high settings).

I am with you. We're in the same boat! I think the GT 650 will be fine. I was ready to pull the trigger on a 6770m. I am sure this is an improvement. I am really excited for this new screen, its going to be great to work with.

I have a feeling we will probably be able to order these bad boys the second week of November. Or at least pre order. Makes sense to have the iMac next up to bat after the iPad Mini officially launches on the 2nd. Maybe we'll see a Tuesday 11/6 order / pre order date?

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I really can't decide at the moment. I was all set for a 21", but with the BTO options limited I'm really not sure. Wallet says 21", head says 27" is better.

Yes this is what I am going through too. I think my wallet will win (and my wife will nix any purchase over $2000 including tax) and I'll end up with a 21.5". Years ago my wallet always lost, but these days the disposable income just isn't there anymore!

 

[Icaras]

Likewise, I'll probably be doing the same. I'm gonna max out the 21.5"! Like I said, a 27" decently specced will probably run around $2500-3000. For what I'll be using the computer for, I'm sure a maxed out 21.5" will suffice. I'm not a hardcore gamer and don't have to play every game at 60 FPS; as a matter of fact, I have a lot of older pc games (past year and 2010) that I really wanna play and believe the GT 650 should handle them just fine. I can justify a maxed out 27" if I were gaming every day but I simply don't need that much power, so te extra $ spent would be a waste. I just feel like 512 MB is such a bottle neck; he'll even the GTX 660M will b struggling on the 27" due to the low VRAM. I think the GT 650 can game at reasonably settings (1920 x 1080 and high settings).

I am with you. We're in the same boat! I think the GT 650 will be fine. I was ready to pull the trigger on a 6770m. I am sure this is an improvement. I am really excited for this new screen, its going to be great to work with.

Count me in the same boat as you guys as well. Well John, I can say that i personally find the 6770M on my 2011 iMac very sufficient. I am to play Rage and Dead Island just fine, both of which were running on medium to high settings. Borderlands on OSX would start to lag up a bit when everything was maxed out. And games that are a few years old like Left 4 Dead 2 are a blast to play and will obviously have no issues at all.

So considering the 650M is an upgrade, performance can obviously only get better and I'm not really complaining about my 6770M. I'll be going to go with the maxed out 21.5" as well.

 

[mcpix]

It's too bad that the new base model 21.5" iMac is somewhat "crippled", given that it has a slower hard drive and no user upgradeable ram. Yes, you can max out the ram when you order it, but then it costs 50% more than a 2011 refurb. that has a faster hard drive, ODD and firewire.

 

[Johnf1285]

Count me in the same boat as you guys as well. Well John, I can say that i personally find the 6770M on my 2011 iMac very sufficient. I am to play Rage and Dead Island just fine, both of which were running on medium to high settings. Borderlands on OSX would start to lag up a bit when everything was maxed out. And games that are a few years old like Left 4 Dead 2 are a blast to play and will obviously have no issues at all.

So considering the 650M is an upgrade, performance can obviously only get better and I'm not really complaining about my 6770M. I'll be going to go with the maxed out 21.5" as well.

Here here!

 

[macleod199]

Budget, definitely. Also, given that I have an Apple TV 3 hooked up to a 32" display about four feet away, I can always mirror the desktop to that if I need something bigger (yes, I realize the resolution hit...).

 

[MagicThief83]

Count me in the same boat as you guys as well. Well John, I can say that i personally find the 6770M on my 2011 iMac very sufficient. I am to play Rage and Dead Island just fine, both of which were running on medium to high settings. Borderlands on OSX would start to lag up a bit when everything was maxed out. And games that are a few years old like Left 4 Dead 2 are a blast to play and will obviously have no issues at all.

So considering the 650M is an upgrade, performance can obviously only get better and I'm not really complaining about my 6770M. I'll be going to go with the maxed out 21.5" as well.

Here as well. I hope the 650M can play my games well. How much do you guys expect a maxed out 21..5" to cost? I'm definitely getting the 1TB fusion drive. Do you guys think the drive is a 5400rpm or 7200rpm? Actually video game benchmarks of the GT650M prove it to be quite capable of high performance gaming (in Bootcamp that is!)

 

[talmy]

There are no available 7200RPM 2.5" drives, so the Fusion drive will be 5400RPM. But it hardly matters since all of the frequently used files will easily fit in the 128GB of flash. Large collections of media files, for instance, don't need quick access.

 

[MacWanter]

What makes the 27" a deal breaker? Upgradeable RAM.

 

[Icaras]

There are no available 7200RPM 2.5" drives, so the Fusion drive will be 5400RPM. But it hardly matters since all of the frequently used files will easily fit in the 128GB of flash. Large collections of media files, for instance, don't need quick access.

Exactly. That's why the 5400rpm drive is not a deal breaker for me. It should also generate less heat and energy too than a 7200rpm drive, which is always nice too.

 

[Mike Valmike]

For my business's back office, I am using a Mac Mini Server right now that's not quite beefy enough to manage what it needs to do: Light Speed Retail main server, QuickBooks server, and iTunes Media server simultaneously. Part of that is that it has 5400rpm HDDs and they are definitely a bottleneck to some degree. The SB CPU quad i7 is decent and the 16GB of RAM are enough. I'd like to replace the MMS with a 21" 2012 iMac with max CPU, max RAM, and a straight SSD (no Fusion, the media is already on a Thunderbolt drive). Hopefully the CTO options will allow such a setup at a reasonable price. Can't service the RAM myself in the 21" apparently so we have to buy it up-front, frown. But I don't need a large display so I can't really justify spending company dollars for a bigger one unless I find a credible business reason to do so.

For home, 27" maxed except SSD only again, as media is TB'ed. Display size for my home terminal IS a desirable upgrade.

Sheesh. I'm about to buy two iMacs and pay more for each one of them than I paid for my current car. (1996 Integra)

 

[rnizlek]

I'll be getting the 21.5" as well. For one, I don't need the larger screen, nor the larger price tag. I do wish there was a higher end video card available, but really, I don't game all that much. I play a little CoD4 now and I do very much enjoy X-Plane from time to time. I'm running both on a 13" MBP with a 2.4 Ghz Core Duo 2 and a GeForce 320M. I'm sure the iMac will be a nice step up with the 650M.

Primarily, I'm just looking to transition to a desktop with a larger screen, which is helpful when I work from home, and some additional power compared to my MBP. I'm just not interested in dropping more than $2k for a system that it's sometimes difficult to justify that I need.

Ultimately, though, I just love the 21.5" size. It fits my workspace and what I'm looking to do. It'll be a real nice step up from a 13.3" screen. I'm definitely getting the Fusion drive, but I'm undecided between the i5 and the i7.

 

[JayJayAbels]

I need to see the benchmarks for the high end BTO 21.5" and the high end BTO 27".

In an ideal world I would prefer the GTX 680mx in the high end BTO 21.5".

I really don't require a 27" screen. It's over kill imo.

We'll see though.

 

[BuntaFujiwaraaa]

I probably will have to go down an Apple store to take look first before deciding.

But i guess I really need the performance.

How much ram do you guys think will be best if i will be working on several programs at a time like Photoshop (large files), Illustrator, InDesign.

Will any other hardware in the system that would improve the performance according to my intended usage?

 

[Johnf1285]

Here as well. I hope the 650M can play my games well. How much do you guys expect a maxed out 21..5" to cost? I'm definitely getting the 1TB fusion drive. Do you guys think the drive is a 5400rpm or 7200rpm? Actually video game benchmarks of the GT650M prove it to be quite capable of high performance gaming (in Bootcamp that is!)

Well, as mentioned earlier, the available 2.5" drives from Apple intended for the new iMac are only 5400 rpm. The difference between 7200 rpm and 5400 rpm with both having a 128 gb flash Fusion Drive, aka "cache" (I use this term lightly, as I read that the Apple Fusion Drive differs somewhat from Intel's RST, with it writing everything to flash then moving files around, etc.) should be really unnoticeable.

However, in regard to eventual drive/disk upgrade and replacement I am fairly optimistic that if the machine is not glued together, we should be able to plop a 2.5" SSD into the 21.5" iMac's "bay" (assuming the leaked image from that Chinese forum a few weeks ago was indeed a 21.5" iMac - 100% sure at this point it was) as we see fit. Of course depending upon what sort of proprietary connections Apple threw at us this time around.

With all this being said, I find myself now wondering whether or not it is wise to wait for iFixit's tear down of the 21.5" and not jump on ordering/pre ordering once it's available. My reasoning is that I can just pick up an Intel 240gb 330 series, or a Samsung 256gb 830 series, for a lesser price than a 1TB Fusion setup. Granted I am sacrificing space, but I am gaining speed and hopefully reliability. For no particular reason, I am just against spinning disks in my machines, especially All In Ones. It's funny too because I've only had 1 hard drive fail. This was on an iMac 3 years after purchase date too. Of course a few months after Apple Care. It didn't bother me, I opened it up and went to town!

But, the flip side of all this is of course opening up a brand new $1500 machine and risking something going wrong.

Oh as cliche as it sounds, such first world problems!

Just want to get the best bang for my buck here lol!

 

[Yebubbleman]

Title says it all! If so, what is your reasoning? Why would you prefer the 21.5" over the 27" what configuration will you get? What makes the 27" a deal breaker for you? : )

After owning an Early 2006 model iMac and being frustrated that the hard drive was and still is not meant to be upgraded by users (and realizing that for a desktop such is unacceptable), I have since been a non-retina MacBook Pro fan, hence having gotten the 2012 model 15". But I do tons of Apple consulting for friends, family, and associates, so really, I'm often shopping for other people for Macs that I wouldn't necessarily want or get myself. Still though, even in that context, I've been urging that people not get iMacs and that they instead consider a MacBook Pro, a Mac mini, or a Mac Pro, depending on their needs. My reasoning being that as someone who has also worked in an Apple Authorized Service Provider, the number one non-accidental damage machines we get in are iMacs. Their enclosure is way too thin for all of the components inside and that has led to some annoying compromises (like the inability to install an after-market hard drive) and some really bad thermal problems.

Given the new 21.5" iMac's switch to 2.5" hard drives and what seems to be a switch away from the much hotter Gamer-Laptop-PC form-factor dGPU boards to more of a mainstream laptop GPU, it seems like they've seriously scaled back on the number of things that could cause thermal issues. Lack of accessible RAM does legitimately suck, though it's not that much of an issue if the iMac is maxed out at 16GB of RAM at the time of purchase. If this 21.5" iMac rectifies some of these problems, I will start recommending it to people that want a little more oomph than the Mac mini can offer. As for the 27" iMac, given that they have not made these same changes and have only removed the optical drive (which wasn't that thick to begin with) while drastically slimming down the thermal envelope, I'm not all that confident that the thermal issues will go away (let alone not be worse than before) and am thusly unwilling to recommend them until I have more information on how they perform in real world scenarios.