Going to purchase a Mac soon

[Bateluer]

I'm trying to decide whether to go with the entry level 20in iMac and pick up 4GB of aftermarket RAM or with the 2Ghz Mac Mini with 2GB of RAM.

Obviously, I don't intend to play games on either, but I would like to have some video decoding capabilities, and the Radeon 2400 in the iMac will serve that function fairly well. The iMac also offers up to 4GB of RAM, whereas the iMac tops out at 2GB.

If I'm not too much mistaken, the iMac's are using 45nm C2Ds. I'm not sure about the Mac Minis though.

From the few Mac's I've used at work, Leopard runs decently with 2GB of RAM, but I didn't have the opportunity to really do anything other than really basic functions. How much RAM will Snow Leopard require?

I'm kinda leaning towards the entry level iMac because of its display. The Mac Mini would have to be plugged in with my KVM switch.

Anyone have further input? Oh, I'm not interested in a Hackintosh.

So Mac Mini or iMac?

 

[Injury]

iMac. Hands down. Sounds like you've already convinced yourself, anyway.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Injury
iMac. Hands down. Sounds like you've already convinced yourself, anyway.

Well, I was hoping some compelling evidence would surface in favor or the Mini, its ~400 dollars less.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: Injury
iMac. Hands down. Sounds like you've already convinced yourself, anyway.

Well, I was hoping some compelling evidence would surface in favor or the Mini, its ~400 dollars less.

$400 more for a quality 20" LCD, way better video card, twice the RAM, full-sized hard drive, and faster processor sounds like a deal to me :thumbsup:

 

[randomlinh]

I thought the 20" LCD's weren't all that great? the 24" is actually a good pannel. But definitely would lean toward the imac. I really wish they didn't go all glossy though.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
I thought the 20" LCD's weren't all that great? the 24" is actually a good pannel. But definitely would lean toward the imac. I really wish they didn't go all glossy though.

I have heard some negative things about the 20in models, apparently there is a lawsuit being filed against Apple for quality issues with the 20in displays and misleading customers.

If I go with the iMac, it will be the 1GB model, which I will then bump up to 2x2GB from Newegg. How is the cooling on the iMacs? If I were to let it run S@H for an extended period of time, would it be alright?

And do the Mac Mini's use 45nm C2Ds or the older 65nm variants?

 

[mshan]

I own a Mac Mini and a 24 inch non-aluminum iMac.

iMac draws around 90 - 100 watts at idle, about 110 watts under moderate load.

I read that Mac Mni draws about 40 watts under load.

If you run the Mac Mini under full load constantly, I think the cooling fan is going to always be spinning up audibly. Also, the Mac Mini is a small enclosure so everything will probably heat up in there.

I like the tight integration of the iMac where everything seems to be calibrated, but I don't know if I would want such an expensive piece of hardware to run under constant heavy load.

If that is your primary use for the Mac, perhaps you should look at some of the hackintosh threads? This way you can use a larger pc case case with plenty of cooling to hopefully ensure long life for your components.

 

[randomlinh]

I ran my 20" imac under folding 24/7 for a while. I had no issues.. but it did get warmer on top where it vents. I have since stopped though because I basically put my computer to sleep when I'm not around now, wasting too much power, heh.

 

[Tyranicus]

Snow Leopard runs fine on my MacBook Pro with 2GB of RAM and on my friend's MacBook with only 1GB of RAM.

 

[TheStu]

Indeed, Leopard and Snow Leopard both run just fine with 1GB RAM, and the Mac Mini actually tops out at either 3GB or 4GB, I am not sure if it is using the x3100 or not, if it is then it has a 4GB cap, if not then it is a 3GB cap since it is a Core 2 Duo.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Indeed, Leopard and Snow Leopard both run just fine with 1GB RAM, and the Mac Mini actually tops out at either 3GB or 4GB, I am not sure if it is using the x3100 or not, if it is then it has a 4GB cap, if not then it is a 3GB cap since it is a Core 2 Duo.

Really? Apple lists the Mac Mini's max RAM at 2GBs.

 

[manly]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: TheStu
Indeed, Leopard and Snow Leopard both run just fine with 1GB RAM, and the Mac Mini actually tops out at either 3GB or 4GB, I am not sure if it is using the x3100 or not, if it is then it has a 4GB cap, if not then it is a 3GB cap since it is a Core 2 Duo.

Really? Apple lists the Mac Mini's max RAM at 2GBs.

Even with Core 2 Duo, the Mac mini has a crappy old chipset that only addresses 2GB RAM.

Apple updated the mini a year ago w/ C2D, and even then it was due for a real upgrade!

 

[AsianriceX]

Originally posted by: manly

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: TheStu
Indeed, Leopard and Snow Leopard both run just fine with 1GB RAM, and the Mac Mini actually tops out at either 3GB or 4GB, I am not sure if it is using the x3100 or not, if it is then it has a 4GB cap, if not then it is a 3GB cap since it is a Core 2 Duo.

Really? Apple lists the Mac Mini's max RAM at 2GBs.

Even with Core 2 Duo, the Mac mini has a crappy old chipset that only addresses 2GB RAM.

Apple updated the mini a year ago w/ C2D, and even then it was due for a real upgrade!

Core2Duo Mac Minis can address 3GB of RAM. If in a 2x2GB configuration, it will display 4GB under "About this Mac" but will not utilize the extra GB.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop...ntel_Memory_Benchmarks

Although limited to 3GB, a 2x2GB configuration will provide better performance (although minuscule) due to the chipset utilizing a dual channel configuration.

The Mac Mini is well overdue for a refresh and their current configurations are overpriced for what you're getting. I really wish they'd update to at least a X3100 or the new Montevina platform, but we probably won't see that until the MacBooks get refreshed...

 

[Eug]

The biggest drawback of the Mac mini is the laptop hard drive.

 

[Bateluer]

Thanks for the replies guys, I think I'll go with the iMac with an aftermarket RAM upgrade.

I don't think the iMacs will be getting a refresh any time soon, but again, I don't follow the Mac channels with as much vigor as I do the PC.

 

[jamesbond007]

The iMacs are apparently in the middle of their life cycle. I've been strongly advised to consult with the Mac Rumors' Buyer Guide.

Happy computing,
~Travis

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
The iMacs are apparently in the middle of their life cycle. I've been strongly advised to consult with the Mac Rumors' Buyer Guide.

Happy computing,
~Travis

Thats a useful resource.

I'll probably be picking up an iMac at Newegg with 2x2GB of iMac Kingston RAM. Funny how this config is cheaper than buying an iMac 20in from Apple with an additional 1GB of RAM.

 

[Tu6]

Don't buy the Mac Mini. It should be updated in the next month or two, and the iMac won't for a while (maybe not until next year).

 

[dmw16]

What about a macbook and a monitor?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
I thought the 20" LCD's weren't all that great? the 24" is actually a good pannel. But definitely would lean toward the imac. I really wish they didn't go all glossy though.

I've seen several side-by-side. The 24" is DEFINITELY better. The 20" looks more like a laptop screen, while the 24" looks more like a real desktop LCD.

 

[sourceninja]

we just got 15 20inch imacs in the office. Side by side they seem to have varying qualities of screens. Some look great, some look well...meh. We also got 4 24 inch imacs (for our marketing department), those all look very awesome. If I went imac I would go 24 inch. In fact if I had to do it over I would not of gotten my macbook pro, but gotten a 24 inch imac.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: sourceninja
we just got 15 20inch imacs in the office. Side by side they seem to have varying qualities of screens. Some look great, some look well...meh. We also got 4 24 inch imacs (for our marketing department), those all look very awesome. If I went imac I would go 24 inch. In fact if I had to do it over I would not of gotten my macbook pro, but gotten a 24 inch imac.

Despite simply being a "laptop on a stand", the iMacs are really amazing machines...huge LCD monitor, CD/DVD burner, 1TB hard drives, 4 gigs of RAM, Wifi, Bluetooth, etc. etc. etc. And quiet to boot!

 

[Kadarin]

I would love to have a 24" iMac, but it would be kind of redundant, given that I already have a 17" MBP.

 

[Bateluer]

I have a budget to work with here. A Macbook+monitor would cost more than the 20in iMac, plus take up more room on my desk and be less powerful to boot.

The most intensive thing the iMac will be used for is playing DVDs and possibly some HD content. Will the 'low quality' 20in display be good enough for this purpose? The 24in iMacs are too pricey for me.