Difference between 3.4GHz Processor and a 3.8GHz Processor

The MacTracker database, available free in the Mac App Store, has GeekBench benchmark scores for many Mac models. Here are the scores for the Late 2017 iMac 27-inch:

That does not show much difference, roughly 9 percent, between the 3.4 and 3.8 versions. In my experience you need a 15-20% speed boost to "feel" it for most tasks.. The 3.4, 3.5, and 3.8 Ghz entries are Quad-Core i5 processors. Were I doing video editing I would go with the more capable Quad-Cor i7 processor, the last one listed.

Those processors are for the Latest iMac 5Ks available from Apple.

Assuming that is the case, then the computer's in question, have a few more differences worth considering.

Buy iMac 5K - Apple.com

The 3.5Ghz option comes with the

• Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory
• 1TB Fusion Drive

While the 3.8Ghz option comes with the

• Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB video memory
• 2TB Fusion Drive

Which also accounts for the price difference. so its not just the jump in processor.

Depending on what you plan on doing with it, the better graphics card with more video RAM and the extra storage may be helpful.

Otherwise, on its own the 0.3Ghz difference is not substantial enough in real life scenarios.

I agree with Tesserax. It is extremely unlikely anyone has measured the performance between the two. If the only difference is the processor speed the difference would be minimal.

Just to add, under ideal conditions, if the faster CPU took an hour to render a project, the slower CPU would take 54 mins. Only you can decide if the cost difference is worth 6 mins per hour.

Unless someone here has tested both iMacs and have the results of those tests handy, I seriously doubt you will get an answer to your question. Good luck!

The information provided is incomplete.

What processor (Core i5, i7)? What model year iMac? How many cores?

Where are you seeing these machines listed for sale?

I just assumed we're talking the latest iMacs.

Thanks Alan. I have been using Mactracker for quite some time and didn't realize that just clicking on the Processor Speed link provided this information. Doh!

KiltedTim wrote:

dialabrain wrote:

I just assumed we're talking the latest iMacs.

Since the OP is apparently in India

I seemed to have missed his location.

I hadn't paid attention. But I deduced he was copying and pasting from Apple's product page.

dialabrain wrote:

I just assumed we're talking the latest iMacs.

Since the OP is apparently in India, I don't think that's a safe assumption. The gray market there is substantial and Apple has no direct retail presence there.

Not surprising results since one processor has approximately a 9-10% difference in clock speed.

I deduce that based on the price difference being quoted in Rs... Rupees.