Recommend a new Mac computer
April 18, 2018 7:00 AM Subscribe
My trusty old 27" iMac is on its last legs so I need to buy a new computer. What should I get?
I have a budget of around $1000. I already have a MacBook Pro laptop so I'm thinking of getting another desktop. That said, I'd be open to getting a laptop/monitor/keyboard combo.
Here's the specs on my current one: 27" 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 4GB RAM 1TB HD. I'd like something equivalent or better. I do graphic and web design so the large screen is most helpful. I do some gaming as well, so it would be nice if it could handle something like Bioshock without any issues.
Is refurbished worth looking into?
I have a budget of around $1000. I already have a MacBook Pro laptop so I'm thinking of getting another desktop. That said, I'd be open to getting a laptop/monitor/keyboard combo.
Here's the specs on my current one: 27" 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 4GB RAM 1TB HD. I'd like something equivalent or better. I do graphic and web design so the large screen is most helpful. I do some gaming as well, so it would be nice if it could handle something like Bioshock without any issues.
Is refurbished worth looking into?
What do you mean by "on its last legs"?
If it's just slow, and it's the type of iMac where you can upgrade the memory, if you can upgrade the RAM to 8 or (preferably) 16GB, then that would make all the difference in the world. Even paying a repair shop to do the upgrade could be cheaper than buying a whole new computer.
An upgrade to a SSD from a hard drive would make a huge difference, too, but again it could be tricky depending on the exact iMac model you have.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:28 AM on April 18, 2018
If it's just slow, and it's the type of iMac where you can upgrade the memory, if you can upgrade the RAM to 8 or (preferably) 16GB, then that would make all the difference in the world. Even paying a repair shop to do the upgrade could be cheaper than buying a whole new computer.
An upgrade to a SSD from a hard drive would make a huge difference, too, but again it could be tricky depending on the exact iMac model you have.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:28 AM on April 18, 2018
Response by poster: Tomorrowful: My MacBook Pro is fine for minor work and email and such, but it is not very powerful. A YouTube video is enough to make the fans sound like they want to spin off their axles.
1970s Antihero: It's not so much that it is slow (which it is). It has crashed three times now in as many weeks. First time was an OS corruption, second time was some logic board issue, third time was today, who knows why. The screen is also partially dimmed on one side and apparently would cost a bundle to fix. The techs I brought it to said it was time to move on.
All that said, maybe I should just get a new MacBook Pro with monitor and keyboard? The techs said the recent batch of desktops from Apple were having overheating problems.
posted by jammy at 8:41 AM on April 18, 2018
1970s Antihero: It's not so much that it is slow (which it is). It has crashed three times now in as many weeks. First time was an OS corruption, second time was some logic board issue, third time was today, who knows why. The screen is also partially dimmed on one side and apparently would cost a bundle to fix. The techs I brought it to said it was time to move on.
All that said, maybe I should just get a new MacBook Pro with monitor and keyboard? The techs said the recent batch of desktops from Apple were having overheating problems.
posted by jammy at 8:41 AM on April 18, 2018
I can't comment on current-gen iMacs, but Apple Certified Refurb is always worth looking into; I've bought almost all my Apple hardware that way.
posted by a halcyon day at 9:51 AM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by a halcyon day at 9:51 AM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
I have a mid-2017 5K iMac and I have had no overheating problems with it at all, although it's way over your budget. I wouldn't get a new MacBook Pro right now, since it seems the latest generation is really problematic (lots of complaints about the keyboard in my social media feed, the lack of regular size USB ports is limiting, people miss MagSafe, etc). Is your budget flexible at all? I love my iMac but I spent 250% of your budget on it.
posted by fedward at 10:40 AM on April 18, 2018
posted by fedward at 10:40 AM on April 18, 2018
I really should have fleshed that out more instead of just leaving a dangling question. Any current iMac will be an improvement over the one you have. You can get the base 5K iMac for $1800 and you can put third party RAM in it for significantly less than Apple charges (there's a door on the back of the 27" model but not the 21.5" model). I paid more because I popped for the best graphics ("Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB video memory") but I got the base processor available in that spec. AppleCare was $169. I spent another $240 on RAM from Crucial but prices have been really variable of late so I have no idea what you'd end up paying for upgrades.
Factory refurbished Macs can be a good deal, and you can (and should) still get AppleCare on them. There aren't any 5K iMacs currently listed on the Refurbished Mac page on the Apple Store, but I'd guess you'd save somewhere around $200 compared to the list price? That would put you at $1600, not counting AppleCare and any extra RAM. I'm guessing that's too much of a stretch of your $1000 budget, but maybe it's not?
Based on the graphics processors and SSD speed I'd definitely recommend a mid-2017 iMac over any older iMac model, but based on USB ports, MagSafe, and the keyboard I'd recommend a 2015 MacBook Pro over current MBPs. If you just want to buy one computer and it needs to be cheap, a 2015 MBP is probably your best bet.
posted by fedward at 10:57 AM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Factory refurbished Macs can be a good deal, and you can (and should) still get AppleCare on them. There aren't any 5K iMacs currently listed on the Refurbished Mac page on the Apple Store, but I'd guess you'd save somewhere around $200 compared to the list price? That would put you at $1600, not counting AppleCare and any extra RAM. I'm guessing that's too much of a stretch of your $1000 budget, but maybe it's not?
Based on the graphics processors and SSD speed I'd definitely recommend a mid-2017 iMac over any older iMac model, but based on USB ports, MagSafe, and the keyboard I'd recommend a 2015 MacBook Pro over current MBPs. If you just want to buy one computer and it needs to be cheap, a 2015 MBP is probably your best bet.
posted by fedward at 10:57 AM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
A consideration: New(er) or refurbished MBP, plus the adapter for a Thunderbolt cable, to allow you to use the existing iMac as an external monitor (for as long as it lasts anyway). That is assuming your iMac has a thunderbolt input, most of them released ~2010 or later should (my son uses a 2009 iMac, no Thunderbolt or I'd do the same thing!)
Having said that, what MBP do you have? I found the 13" to be just too small a screen for many things, and went with a 15" when replacing my system. Should the iMac die, you're stuck with the screen on the MBP - if it is too small, you will not be happy.
I'm assuming with a $1000 budget you are looking at used systems?
If your current MBP is new enough, AND has a replaceable HDD/memory, try maxing the RAM, adding an SDD, and then the aforementioned Thunderbolt cable. Might give you an upgraded "feel" on the cheap while you save money toward a proper replacement (base model iMac ~$1300 or so right now for the 21")
posted by caution live frogs at 9:13 AM on April 19, 2018
Having said that, what MBP do you have? I found the 13" to be just too small a screen for many things, and went with a 15" when replacing my system. Should the iMac die, you're stuck with the screen on the MBP - if it is too small, you will not be happy.
I'm assuming with a $1000 budget you are looking at used systems?
If your current MBP is new enough, AND has a replaceable HDD/memory, try maxing the RAM, adding an SDD, and then the aforementioned Thunderbolt cable. Might give you an upgraded "feel" on the cheap while you save money toward a proper replacement (base model iMac ~$1300 or so right now for the 21")
posted by caution live frogs at 9:13 AM on April 19, 2018
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Is it not very powerful? I'm pretty happy with my macbook + monitor/keyboard setup.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:13 AM on April 18, 2018