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Level 1

40 points

Purchasing a 2011 new or refurb iMac vs new 2012?

Hi All,

It is time to finally upgrade my old iMac. I waited for the new 2012 model to come out. Now that I have read up on it and see there is no cd/dvd optical drive(which I use quite a bit) I wonder if I am better off trying to find a mid 2011 iMac as they still have it built in?

Would the Apple stores still have the 2011 model? I know I can by a stand alone optical drive but questioning which way would be the better option.

Thanks in Advance.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jan 5, 2013 5:09 AM

Best reply

WZZZ

Level 6

13,226 points

Posted on Jan 5, 2013 6:16 AM

The mid-2011 is slightly more servicable than the glued together late 2012. Also think that with the components more crammed in than ever, and with only one fan, the silly ultra thin design of the 2012 will run hotter and, long term, lead to more premature failures. Personally, I'd get the mid-2011 while I still can. Apple is more and more turning desktops into single use disposables.

The refubs generally enjoy an excellent reputation.

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2544+Teardown/11936/1

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32 replies

Feb 15, 2013 3:29 AM in response to babowa

Im a bit at a loss here.

I have new 2012 iMac 27" coming in a month.

Will I be able to stick in my 2 modules, 16Gb each? (getting 32Gb by using ONLY 2 slots (removing originals out).

or not?

thank you.

babowa

Level 9

78,103 points

Feb 15, 2013 8:49 AM in response to Athelas loraiel Croatia

If your modules are the exact specs for the new Mac, yes you should be able to, I would just make sure they're in "matching" slots - as I understand that the slots in the new Macs are vertically installed, I'd put the modules in the same slots the OEM RAM is in or in slots 1 and 3 from the top (as I understand it, that is the equivalent of matching them horizontally). Personally, I prefer populating all the slots.

Purchasing a 2011 new or refurb iMac vs new 2012?