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#1 2007-08-10 6:00 am
- craighind
- Member
- Registered: 2007-08-10
- Posts: 2
iMac: Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 Extreme
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting a 24" iMac, and I can't decide whether the Core 2 Extreme CPU is worth the extra money.
Does anyone have any opinions on the Core 2 Extreme and why it would be so much better than the Duo?
From all the research that I have tried to do comparing the two, the only benefits to PC users would be the increased processor speed, and the ability to overclock the chip. Since overclocking would be unlikely in the iMac (not necessarily impossible, but without voiding warranties etc), the only benefit that I can see is the increased speed, which really isn't that much.
The 4Mb cache, the bus speeds, the video, all seem to be identical in the two 24" models, the only difference is the CPU, hard drive and the additional memory.
Since I don't specifically need the 500Gb drive and I plan to cram the full 4Gb into the machine, it would be better to buy the 2.4GHz and sacrifice only 1Gb of RAM instead of 2Gb. (Why couldn't Apple just put one 2Gb DIMM in and leave the other slot open?)
Before people suggest that I BTO from the Apple Store, let me say that I'm in a country that doesn't have an online Apple Store that offers BTO options. I'm basically stuck with only the stock standard configurations.
Thanks
Craig
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#2 2007-08-10 6:27 am
Re: iMac: Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 Extreme
I'm planning on buying a 24" iMac, and I sure as hell am not paying the premium Apple are asking for 400 MHz of CPU speed, a larger drive (which I will probably install myself, anyway, I have a 500 GB drive in my current 20" iMac) and an extra gigabyte of RAM.
,xtG
.tsooJ
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#3 2007-08-10 7:09 am
- craighind
- Member
- Registered: 2007-08-10
- Posts: 2
Re: iMac: Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 Extreme
Alien wrote:
I'm planning on buying a 24" iMac, and I sure as hell am not paying the premium Apple are asking for 400 MHz of CPU speed, a larger drive (which I will probably install myself, anyway, I have a 500 GB drive in my current 20" iMac) and an extra gigabyte of RAM.
This is currently my thinking too. I have a 1Tb FW800 drive that I'll use for most data, so I think the 320Gb for apps should be sufficient. Put it this way - my current desktop (Mac mini) only has a 100Gb drive so 320Gb is plenty for now! :-)
The only thing that I still need to check on before I buy it is whether the glossy screen will bug the heck out of me... If it does then I guess I'll be getting a Mac Pro, but I really hoped that I wouldn't have to spend so much more, since otherwise the new iMacs look like they will suit me fine.
- Craig
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#4 2007-08-10 10:35 pm
- jayster
- Member
- From: Dallas
- Registered: 2005-03-12
- Posts: 52
Re: iMac: Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 Extreme
I'm also thinking about getting the Core 2 Extreme, I currently have a 20" iMac first gen Core Duo 2.0 GHz (not core 2). I really need this more for the extra screen real estate then the faster CPU but I would like to see if its worth the money (and how it compares to the low end Mac Pro).
I cant seem to find any benchmarks anywhere for the 2.8
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#5 2007-08-13 9:16 am
- zoees
- Member
- From: Maryland
- Registered: 2001-08-14
- Posts: 2560
Re: iMac: Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 Extreme
jayster wrote:
I'm also thinking about getting the Core 2 Extreme, I currently have a 20" iMac first gen Core Duo 2.0 GHz (not core 2). I really need this more for the extra screen real estate then the faster CPU but I would like to see if its worth the money (and how it compares to the low end Mac Pro).
I cant seem to find any benchmarks anywhere for the 2.8
Sounds to me like you might be in need of a second monitor. I never knew what I was missing until I did it and now I cannot imagine life without it. You could get the faster CPU, which you will appreciate in the long run, and double your screen area.
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. It is simply too painful to acknowledge even to ourselves that we've been so credulous. -Carl Sagan
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#6 2007-08-13 10:44 am
- jayster
- Member
- From: Dallas
- Registered: 2005-03-12
- Posts: 52
Re: iMac: Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 Extreme
We tried the whole second monitor thing with a 20" cinema display. Wife hated it, took up to much of the desk and the monitor didn't match the white iMac. So the 2 monitor thing is out. So my only option is a bigger screen. Still looking for some benchmarks of that 2.8 before I buy. I was thinking about just stepping up to a mac pro, and a 24" Dell screen. But the wife loves the all in one clean design and doesn't want a tower.
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