imac or no imac that is the question

passey89 · 19 Mar 2013 at 06:57

Recently with other things and the fact of having a HTPC downstairs with a decent gpu in it I have been using my main rig less and less for gaming.

I'm depating to sell it and replace it with a 21" imac.

I use it more for photo editing than anything else and me and the wife also have ipads.

The space saving and power saving would be good anyway.

Can also load bootcamp with windows 8 to play the odd game if I want on low setting.

What do you think would I like the imac over windows?

Only ever played on my dads imac for about 10 mins boot seamed nice.

SO do i strip my old pc down and put the cash towards a new imac or stick to the machine I have now?

oldbag · 19 Mar 2013 at 07:27

I have a 2007 iMac - the hd and DVD drive failed and were a pig to replace, the screen is going slightly also. You get osx which is nice. Would I get one again? Not sure. Cooling sucks also in them and not sure they are that well built.

passey89 · 19 Mar 2013 at 07:51

oldbag said:
I have a 2007 iMac - the hd and DVD drive failed and were a pig to replace, the screen is going slightly also. You get osx which is nice. Would I get one again? Not sure. Cooling sucks also in them and not sure they are that well built.

That's not bad tbh it is 5 years old now and still going. I'm dads got a 07 imac and his is still going perfectly. I spend loads on my pc each year updating it for no real reason lol.

lamboman · 19 Mar 2013 at 13:33

oldbag said:
I have a 2007 iMac - the hd and DVD drive failed and were a pig to replace, the screen is going slightly also. You get osx which is nice. Would I get one again? Not sure. Cooling sucks also in them and not sure they are that well built.

Can't comment personally on the 2007 models as I have never owned one, however the cooling on the 2012 model is excellent. During gaming the fans don't spin up, stays eerily quiet. Noisiest components through the last generation and this one were the hard drives.

To the OP, the best thing you can do is go and have a play in an Apple Store and get a feel for it. The issue here is that you can go and build a PC yourself for less money that will be more powerful, but the iMac is the best AIO out there. So it's a case of whether you want to prioritise the power of the machine, or whether you want as compact a machine as possible. Keep in mind the iMac is relatively expensive at that level, and you will need to buy an external optical drive if required.

theheyes · 19 Mar 2013 at 13:45

Unless youre desperate for the space I'm not seeing a major advantage. Any power savings would be completely obliterated by the high initial cost of a new iMac.

passey89 · 19 Mar 2013 at 13:46

lamboman said:
Can't comment personally on the 2007 models as I have never owned one, however the cooling on the 2012 model is excellent. During gaming the fans don't spin up, stays eerily quiet. Noisiest components through the last generation and this one were the hard drives.

To the OP, the best thing you can do is go and have a play in an Apple Store and get a feel for it. The issue here is that you can go and build a PC yourself for less money that will be more powerful, but the iMac is the best AIO out there. So it's a case of whether you want to prioritise the power of the machine, or whether you want as compact a machine as possible. Keep in mind the iMac is relatively expensive at that level, and you will need to buy an external optical drive if required.

I have a pc downstairs for gaming so not too fussed about the power.

The odd game here and there is all i play.

I want small as possible and quiet as possible which is y i was looking at imac's.

daz.wallace · 19 Mar 2013 at 22:13

Only you can decide wether you can justify the cost or not but I have just gone from a huge windows gaming tower to a 27" iMac and am so pleased with it, screen is wonderful and it's so quiet compared to my windows PC and that was water-cooled!
As has ben said, your best bet is to go and have a play on one and decide if its for you

likwid · 19 Mar 2013 at 23:31

I have a 2007 iMac and while not wanting to tempt fate, it's been faultless apart from the optical drive failing within 6 months. It has been used weekdays, usually all day, for work since then. The build quality is solid, the thing is very heavy and looks exactly like it did the day I bought it. As for cooling, it runs hot but within specification for its components and I live in a hot humid climate. If you want to ramp the fans up you can.

Really I can't recommend iMacs enough, though when I upgrade I'll probably get a MacBook for its portability.