Imac vs pc gamer: cost and performance analysis
Table of contents:
- iMac vs PC Master Race Is Apple a good choice?
- iMAC 21.5 inch 4K vs PC Gamer
- iMAC 27 inches good concept but really expensive
- Is the new iMAC 21.5 and 27 really worth it?
With the arrival of the new generation of Mac Pro and iMac we have to look at the new Apple computers and compare their cost with that of a PC with an equivalent level of performance. Traditionally, Apple's options have always been much more expensive, which is why many users are interested in this type of analysis.
Index of contents
iMac vs PC Master Race Is Apple a good choice?
First, let's compare the new 21.5-inch iMac with a current gaming PC to see which is the cheapest option in equal power. The first drawback is that Apple does not use desktop processors in their iMac, so we cannot make a direct comparison. In any case, Apple uses Intel Core i3 and Intel i5 processors for laptops, so we are going to bet on a Core i5 7600k desktop that is already much more powerful.
Having the processor we are going to look at the motherboard, the iMac offer us two Thunderbolt 3 ports so we are looking for a motherboard that offers us at least one of them, an excellent option is the Asrock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac that also It provides us with WiFi to be able to enjoy our wireless network.
Now we go to the hard disk, the iMac include a mechanical disk of 5, 400 RPM which is not the most recommended, in our case we have opted for a Kingston HyperX Savage SSD of 240 GB that offers us excellent performance along with the great durability of its memories MLC.
As for the monitor, we are looking for a 21.5-inch screen with IPS technology and 1920 x 1080p resolution as in the case of the input iMac, we have many options, but we have opted for the Asus VX229H which is one of the most popular and It offers us two HDMI ports together with a VGA (D-SUB) port.
We continue with the 8 GB DDR4 2400 Corsair (CMK8GX4M2A2400C16) memories, a 500W Corsair Series VS550 power supply, an MSI GeForce GTX 1050 2G OC graphics card and a Phanteks Enthoo EvolV ITX chassis. We point out that the 21.5-inch iMac does not have dedicated graphics so we can only use the integrated Intel and practically forget about playing. The higher models do include dedicated graphics but less powerful than our option.
Breakdown of prices by components:
- Intel Core i5 7600K 240 euros Asrock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac 207 euros Kingston HyperX Savage 240 GB 116 euros Corsair LPX CMK8GX4M2A2400C16 8GB to 72 euros Be Quiet Pure Power 10 500W 75 euros MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4G OC 160 euros Phanteks Enthoo EvolV ITX 65 euros Monitor Asus VX229H 119 euros Total PC Gamer: 1054 euros
Our PC gamer comes out at a price of 1038 euros without assembly, if we take into account that the most popular stores usually charge around 40 euros for assembly and we have free shipping we would be left with a final price with assembly included above 1050 euros. The 21.5-inch iMac has a starting price of 1299 euros with much lower performance since it does not even include a graphics card or SSD. Our personalized PC can even stand up to the most expensive 21.5-inch iMac (1699 euros) as it is still far superior in processor and graphics.
iMAC 21.5 inch 4K vs PC Gamer
Currently there are two other variants that are worth 1499 euros and 1699 euros respectively. What do they bring about "improvements" ? A 21.5-inch 4K screen (ridiculous resolution / screen dimension) and the Radeon PRO 555 and Radeon PRO 560 (1024 streams) graphics cards that are equivalent to an RX 460 or RX 560…
The changes we are going to do is insert a 24-inch 4K monitor (somewhat more decent than the one it brings) such as the Asus MG24UQ and we will keep the configuration exactly the same (which is already much more superior). The total team is 1430 euros and being a vastly superior team. Another alternative would be to eliminate the Intel Core i5-7600k processor for an i5-7400 and increase the graphics to an Nvidia GTX 1060, which gives us a rather important graphic plus.
iMAC 27 inches good concept but really expensive
If we want something even more powerful than the previous configuration, we present the following equipment based on the Intel Core i7-7700K processor, much more powerful than the Core i5 mounted on the top-of-the-range iMac, in addition to being compatible with overclocking, so the gap it can be expanded much more. We have opted for a Sapphire Nitro + RX 580 graphics card that is equivalent to the one that Apple mounts in its most powerful equipment and that will give us exceptional performance in all scenarios. The team adds a total of 1778 euros so it is still almost 1000 euros cheaper than the 27-inch iMac and is far superior in performance.
- Intel Core i7 7700K 349 euros Asrock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac 207 euros Kingston HyperX Savage 480 GB 179 euros Corsair LPX 16 GB to 134 euros Be Quiet Pure Power 10 500W 75 euros Sapphire Nitro + RX 580 269.9 euros Phanteks Enthoo EvolV ITX 65 euros BenQ Monitor BL2711U 499 euros Total PC Gamer: 1778 euros
There is also the possibility of upgrading to 8GB GTX 1070 for +210 euros and you play in 4K.
Is the new iMAC 21.5 and 27 really worth it?
- Resolution: 5K 5120 x 2880 Extremely accurate color calibration with sRGB, Adobe RGB, and BT.709 (the same color space as Blu-ray devices). Smoother gradations, sharper images, and richer color displays due to quality Professional 10-bit color and up to 1.07 billion colors Input signal: 2 DisplayPort 1.2 (with HDCP support). Ports: 5 USB 3.0 ports (one upstream, four fence).
Currently there are very few alternatives like Monitor 5K and they all rise to more than 1000 euros and without real stockage in any store. We only see interesting the HP Z27Q that comes out for about 995 euros on Amazon Spain. If you choose this option, it would raise the budget to about 500 euros more… which would equal the top-of-the-range budget, but we will have a much superior team.
Answering the question, we believe that it may be worth it to those who want a high-performance All in One, but we are sure that it will be throttled due to high temperatures and that in the long run they will have a high repair rate.
We recommend reading our PC Gaming configuration
So, if you do not have space problems, we would clearly opt for the configurations that we have recommended, but in the case that you want an All in One, our advice is that you wait for the variants that launch both Asus, MSI, Acer and main companies, because we are surely they will not stay with their arms crossed.
Now we ask you. Do you think these new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMACs are worth it? Do you think our configurations are correct?
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