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Mac Mini X iMac

post #1 of 8
1/29/13 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 

Hi everyone,

 

I'm a graphic designer and I'll use CS suite just for graphics and images, no video.

I'm between a mac mini (quad core, 16gb with fusion drive and) an iMac 21 with standard configuration. That's what I can afford by now (Buying the imac I'll try a memory upgrade in the future).

 

Choosing the iMac I'll have an amazing screen and the gforce. With the mini I can go with fusion drive and 16gb ram. 

 

Which option should I choose?

 

*Unfortunately macs are too much expensive here in Brazil. A friend of mine can bring me the mini from usa and the imac I would buy at Chile. 

 

Thanks for helping!

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post #2 of 8
1/29/13 at 10:19pm

Welcome!

 

For the Mac Mini, don't buy your RAM from Apple. It's going to be far more expensive there than from somewhere else. With the money you save, you could potentially get an update to something else that you must buy from Apple.

 

The rest is up to your use case. If you don't need the power of a better GPU, you wouldn't need the iMac, but the screen is gorgeous… If you need those faster access times, well, you might want a Fusion Drive. It's your call.


Hopefully Apple ramps up production of Macs in your country to get those prices down. Darn your domestic manufacturing laws!

PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #3 of 8
1/30/13 at 4:05am
Thread Starter 

Hey man,

 

thanks for helping.

 

I'm not sure about the real need of gforce on my machine. Same for the fusion drive. I wish I could have both, of course :)

 

My question is: If I buy the standard iMac, will it attend me?

 

 

*Pricing may not change in Brazil. Tax policy is out of reality. For everything.

For example, the standard iMac here costs 2,5 iMacs in the US.

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post #4 of 8
1/30/13 at 7:09am
Originally Posted by Abraao View Post

My question is: If I buy the standard iMac, will it attend me?

 

Probably.

 

The amount of RAM you'll need depends on the size of the files with which you'll be working. If you want more RAM (than the standard amount) on the iMac, you'll have* to get it from Apple. So if you think you need the 16GB, make sure to get it at purchase.

 

*It's possible to upgrade it yourself, but not many people would feel confident enough to do this.

PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #5 of 8
1/30/13 at 8:01am
Thread Starter 
Isn't simple to access the memory slots on imacs?
 
I have a G5 from 2005, is quite simple.
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post #6 of 8
1/30/13 at 8:09am
Originally Posted by Abraao View Post
Isn't simple to access the memory slots on imacs?

 

Unfortunately they changed that in the most recent 21.5" model.

 

The RAM is still able to be changed, but you have to get truly inside the computer to do it. The 27" retains that same easy RAM access, as do all models of the Mac Mini.

PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #7 of 8
1/30/13 at 9:46am
Thread Starter 

This info changes my scenario. I tend to choose the mini with 16gb ram. The memory is far more significant at daily tasks than the geforce gpu.

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post #8 of 8
1/30/13 at 5:21pm
  • hmm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abraao View Post

This info changes my scenario. I tend to choose the mini with 16gb ram. The memory is far more significant at daily tasks than the geforce gpu.


The gpu won't make a big difference to you there. I say that as I've tested most of those applications even with gpu acceleration completely disabled. The HD 4000 is sufficient. It's not great, but it works. You just need a nice display to accompany it. Some people have experienced problems with HDMI there. If possible I would stick to the thunderbolt connection. Third party displays can connect to it using mini displayport cables. If you need mini displayport to another connection type, try monoprice. They're extremely cheap.

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