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I'm due up for a new work computer. I have a late 2013 27-inch iMac with a 3.5 GHz Intel Core i7. What I'm considering buying now for the same price point ($3k) is a new 27-inch iMac with a 3.1GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor. I don't fully understand all the specs, but can someone tell me why this is an upgrade?
iMac Line (2012 and Later)
Without knowing what your intended use of the computer is no one can make any type of creditable recommendation! When you tell us how you intend to use it, please be specfic. For example, if you are a graphic artist say something like, " I will be using the Mac with Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator to make my living......"
The MacTracker database, available free in the Mac App Store, has benchmarks scores for most Macs. These charts are for the two models you mention:
So it's 13141 (2013 i7 3.5) v 21713 (2018 i5 3.1). I believe the results are for the base amount of RAM.
27-inch iMacs (except the iMac Pro) still allow user upgrades. Please see:
Install memory in an iMac - Apple Support
and/or this install video: https://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/imac-27-inch-5k-2019-memory/
Mactracker is here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mactracker/id430255202?mt=12
or you can download directly fom the developer's site: http://mactracker.ca
How much RAM does the older iMac have? Also what kind of drive? Who's selling the older iMac? Will it have a warranty.
I wouldn't get any iMac with a rotational HD, even if it's a Fusion drive. I'd get the largest SSD the budget can afford and then add external storage if needed with EHDs from MacSales.com.
If you buy the new 27" iMac order the minimum RAM (8 GB) as you an upgrade the RAM yourself for about ½ what Apple charges at MacSales.com or Crucial.com. For about $100 you an upgrade the RAM to 24 GB at MacSales.com which is half Apple charges for a total of 16 GB.
Without knowing how the older iMac is configured and who's selling it I'd go for the new iMac.
Just on the face of it, 3.5 GHz i7 sounds preferable to a 3.1GHz i5. Obviously there are cores, and generations, and as you said you can do more with less now. So that’s helpful. Just looking for some reassurance I was spending money buying what i basically already had.
I wasn’t so much looking for a recommendation as much as just a comparison of the two machines and something showing that the new one is objectively better than the old.
But to answer your question, I run my computers decently hard. I work for a church as a worship director with my hands in a bit of everything. The more intensive work is lots of audio recording and editing (Logic), music composition (Ableton, Mainstage, Finale, etc.), and graphics work (Adobe stuff, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator).
Thanks. So the older iMac is my current machine, not one I'm considering purchasing. It's got 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB Fusion Drive (which I won't do again).
You can upgrade memory yourself? I thought you couldn't do that anymore. That would be a huge plus. I would want to do 32 again for sure. If I can upgrade memory myself, I'm thinking I might spring for the 8-core i9.
What makes you think its not?
Processors can do much more per gigahertz now.
Thanks! This is what I was looking for. I didn't know this was just an app.
2013 iMac i7 vs. 2019 iMac i5?
