iMac or Custom build

[chazus]

the cheapest one that is available to me starts at around $600.

I'm certain you can find something cheaper. Coding requires 0 system power. You could do it on a used old ipad with a keyboard for $200 or something.

Now the reason I am after a rig is for the raw power it offers which I'll be using for parallel programming practices in the future. I do have enthusiasm for modeling and solving plasmonic structures along with solving various PDEs which tend to solved faster on platforms that offer greater raw power. However, right now I don't have the funds at the time to buy the high-end rig.

Thats great and all, but you're spending ALL of your money on this. More than you need to, at that. Not only that, but an i7-E is a waste even then. It's like buying a clunker of a car, that gets terrible gas mileage, and breaks down. But it's totally got a 100 CD changer, and I do like music! Blowing all your money on a hobby, one that can easily (and probably better) be solved by a different choice... is a poor choice.

Nonetheless, I can buy it over time without having to replace too much as in parts such as case, psu, RAM and MB yet buy the cheaper CPU and GPU that is compatible with the base hardware while still being sustainable for basic use for WoW and SC.

The Mac has a great CPU (much more than necessary), but an utter crap GPU. Which I don't think you can upgrade. Your gaming experience will start out at 'meh' and move onto miserable pretty quickly.

[skatblast]

Why would you ever buy a imac.... it is so stupid. Either buy a macbook or get a proper desktop, an imac is a overpriced pos with mobile components. Laughable

[ZenX]

I'm certain you can find something cheaper. Coding requires 0 system power. You could do it on a used old ipad with a keyboard for $200 or something.

Thats great and all, but you're spending ALL of your money on this. More than you need to, at that. Not only that, but an i7-E is a waste even then. It's like buying a clunker of a car, that gets terrible gas mileage, and breaks down. But it's totally got a 100 CD changer, and I do like music! Blowing all your money on a hobby, one that can easily (and probably better) be solved by a different choice... is a poor choice.

The Mac has a great CPU (much more than necessary), but an utter crap GPU. Which I don't think you can upgrade. Your gaming experience will start out at 'meh' and move onto miserable pretty quickly.

Well I'd be content with the GPU as long as it can run WoW and SC at good or better graphics.

The thing is Xcode IDE which you need to compile and publish iOS applications is native to OS X and my experience with a hackintosh and vmware mount were terrible. And if I had the possibility of buying an intel-based mac-variant (iMac, mac mini or a mackbook) for $350 or less I would be asking the question of whether to go P9X79 DX or Sabertooth or which fan to use for OC'ing a 3820 etc.

Btw, I'd be needing the rig for my thesis work next year.

Why would you ever buy a imac.... it is so stupid. Either buy a macbook or get a proper desktop, an imac is a overpriced pos with mobile components. Laughable

The GPU is sadly notebook grade but the CPU isn't. Heck if I'd be going for a mediocre machine I'd be getting the 3330, its a great CPU for that price range.

[chazus]

Well I'd be content with the GPU as long as it can run WoW and SC at good or better graphics.

That might be a stretch. And even worse later on.

And if I had the possibility of buying an intel-based mac-variant (iMac, mac mini or a mackbook) for $350 or less I would be asking the question of whether to go P9X79 DX or Sabertooth or which fan to use for OC'ing a 3820 etc.

I'm a bit confused. What is the reason you can't find an intel based mac for $350 or less? Maybe I missed where your location is.. .But they're there.

There's really no situation that warrants an X79 setup in any of this, honestly.

[vesseblah]

Well I'd be content with the GPU as long as it can run WoW and SC at good or better graphics.

What most people don't realize about iMacs is that the 2560x1440 resolution absolutely kills framerates on the mobile GPU it ships with. Big screen looks nice on empty desktop, but not when you're trying to play some games on it.

[chazus]

2560x1440

Good god, I didn't even think of that. A 650 SE on that resolution? I suppose you could play WoW in windowed mode, on a much smaller res >.>

[Deleted]

Good god, I didn't even think of that. A 650 SE on that resolution? I suppose you could play WoW in windowed mode, on a much smaller res >.>

stock GT 650M has a whooping 512MB of Vram aswell

[ZenX]

Good god, I didn't even think of that. A 650 SE on that resolution? I suppose you could play WoW in windowed mode, on a much smaller res >.>

Its actually the 21.5" version with the 1080p screen not the 1440 one.

---------- Post added 2013-05-10 at 06:38 PM ----------

That might be a stretch. And even worse later on.


I'm a bit confused. What is the reason you can't find an intel based mac for $350 or less? Maybe I missed where your location is.. .But they're there.

There's really no situation that warrants an X79 setup in any of this, honestly.

I live in Turkey, so can't find one at that price point.

[chazus]

I imagine if you poked around, you could find something.

But regardless, even a $800 PC and a $500 Mac is a better choice than a $1300 Mac like that.

[ZenX]

I imagine if you poked around, you could find something.

But regardless, even a $800 PC and a $500 Mac is a better choice than a $1300 Mac like that.

More like $1200 and $500 due to difference in prices and the requirement to buy a screen of the same size and quality.

[chazus]

I don't know what to tell you, then. You seem bent on getting this system, despite what everyone is telling you.

ANY PC system with a decent video card, will perform better in games. Find a cheap, used mac for development, and then spend the rest on whatever you can afford. I highly doubt the markup is 50% over retail.

That, or either save up some more money, or deal with the fact that Macs just aren't for gaming, if you want to spend less than $2000.

[Spectral]

Why would you ever buy a imac.... it is so stupid. Either buy a macbook or get a proper desktop, an imac is a overpriced pos with mobile components. Laughable

They're expensive, but a 680MX actually benchmarks quite nicely - http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Aesthetics, decent specs, and silence make it a solid option for someone that wants a computer sitting in their living room.

[vesseblah]

They're expensive, but a 680MX actually benchmarks quite nicely

And will choke badly when gaming at the native 2560x1440 resolution. 27" iMac has too high resolution compared to the GPU power.

[Killora]

All the improvement about vector processing and such aside, its not about the chip being broadwell but its rather about upgradability. If I stick with the 1155 I will not be able to upgrade my CPU with anything newer than the 3rd gen CPUs. However, if I go 2011 I high probably will have the option of upgrading it for 3-4 more years.
It may be 15% of difference between a tick and tock, however, supposing it is a tick-tock-tick in between and upgrade with the same scaling in performance then we are talking about an approximate o 22% increase in performance with a single CPU change so it is important for me to collect a rig that is upgradable.

For the amount you're paying for a socket 2011 board + CPU, you'd actually be better off buying a new motherboard and CPU down the road, assuming he socket 2011 is even going to remain the socket size for intels enthsiast series. Which by the way, the likely hood that it won't is far higher than not. Intels enthusiast chips have changed sockets multiple times already. I seriously doubt they will suddenly change that trend.

You're also...not..going to be able to upgrade from a tick to the next gen tick. They change sockets every tick. This has been a trend for years now. The extreme series CPU's also change sockets, and the first gen i7 extreme was socket 1366, the same as the standard i7's and i5s.

Also, upgradeability and futureproofing does not exist in the computer world. You buy for now, and upgrade when you need to. Beyond buying what makes sense now, there is no future proofing. The best future proofing you'd be doing is waiting till haswell. But by the time you'll want to upgrade a 4670/4770k. There will be a new socket size. Same with the extreme CPU's.

It's your money, do what you want, but i fail to see why you posted when you're not taking any of the advice given.

[Spectral]

And will choke badly when gaming at the native 2560x1440 resolution. 27" iMac has too high resolution compared to the GPU power.

Depends on the game. I play WoW with it on maxed out settings and I never see a dip in framerate. The card benchmarks almost identically to a GTX660Ti, which in MMO-Champ's current build of the month is explicitly recommended paired with a 27 inch monitor.

I'm not at all claiming that this is a particularly good value, but a loaded up 27 inch iMac will do almost anything you ask it to do just fine. If someone's a serious gamer, looking for high end performance in new games, they're not in the market for an iMac in the first place.

[Deleted]

Depends on the game. I play WoW with it on maxed out settings and I never see a dip in framerate. The card benchmarks almost identically to a GTX660Ti, which in MMO-Champ's current build of the month is explicitly recommended paired with a 27 inch monitor.

I'm not at all claiming that this is a particularly good value, but a loaded up 27 inch iMac will do almost anything you ask it to do just fine. If someone's a serious gamer, looking for high end performance in new games, they're not in the market for an iMac in the first place.

that 27" screen is 1920x1080 . (from build of the month topic, narwhal asus one)
impossible to compare.
also playing wow with never a dip in framerate is impossible. (unless no raiding/cities/bg's/combat)

[vesseblah]

Depends on the game. I play WoW with it on maxed out settings and I never see a dip in framerate.

Try LFR and it'll dip to 30's while in combat with bosses.

[marthsk]

The real question here is: Do you want a computer, or do you want to look hip to others. If it's really a computer you want, then you'll go custom build.

[Spectral]

also playing wow with never a dip in framerate is impossible. (unless no raiding/cities/bg's/combat)

I said I never see a dip in framerate. By this I mean that whatever drop occurs isn't visually perceptible. I'm sure it drops down to 60 or so at times, but I can't really see that difference. Semantics though - the point is that if WoW is game of choice, having an iMac isn't going to hurt you there.

[chazus]

Getting an imac with a decent card (680MX) is pointless, since it's WAY over budget regardless.