pmorin wrote:
I have the iMac 27 inch with a 2 tb ssd, 64g ram and the i9 processor and the included 4gb video ram. The machine is screaming fast. I use a 4tb external ssd for the Time Machine backup and another 8tb for photos connected to the usb C port. Is it expensive? Why yes, at over $7000 it cramped the budget, but I got really fed up with the Microsoft software and having to buy a new machine ever couple years so I took the plunge. This computer should last me a very long time.
Yes, it should last a while!
I've used Macs and PCs since the mid-1980s. Apple gear isn't perfect, but it does tend to last. PCs are a mixed bag... Some die young, others last over five years. My personal experience with Macs:
(2) Mac SE — 8 years (retired)
PowerBook 500 — 6 years (retired)
PowerBook G3 — 6 years (retired)
PowerBook G4 — 7 years (retired)
Power Mac G4 — 17 years (retired, but still works)
Power Mac G5 — 8 years (processor melted the motherboard)
MacBook Pro (Early 2008) — 4 years (retired)
Mac Mini (Mid 2010) — still running on High Sierra as a media server
Two MacBook Pros (Mid 2012) Updated with max RAM and 1TB SSD in 2019, still going strong
iMac 21.5" Late 2013 — Updated with max RAM and max SSD in 2018, still going strong (Yes, that model can be upgraded with help from OWC or iFixIt.com. It's a delicate, detailed job, but I did it.)
I had the most trouble with the old PowerBooks, the MBP 2008, and the G5 Power Mac. If you buy a MacBook Pro, get AppleCare. Before you buy ANY Mac, check OWC's site to see what parts of it you can upgrade. Some recent models — especially MacBook Pros and some 21.5" iMacs — have soldered RAM and drives. So consider that when choosing your options on Apple's website.
When you buy add-in RAM, be sure all RAM sticks match (brand, revision, type, size, speed, batch...), or you risk timing issues. I like Kingston, Crucial, and OWC RAM. OWC will buy back your used RAM modules.
My iMac was randomly glitchy with the original hard drive. With the SSD, it only acts weird after a momentary power failure. A shutdown and restart cures that. With the 2TB SSD and 16GB RAM. the fan only comes on when I'm rendering video or doing a large batch of still image exports from Lightroom.