27 inch IMAC vs CustoMac build #3

Hey guys, my first post on tonymac. Just a question.. Is the CustoMac build number 3 better or the 27 inch imac? I CAN afford the IMac but I really really don't want to.

Which ones would you guys get? 800 dollars gives me space to get a lot sweet stuff for my new hackintosh. BTW, this will be my first time making a computer but I have watched a TON of tutorials and have done a lot of research. I'm hoping you guys suggest the hackintosh because I think it will be a lot of fun and just a cool experience. ALSO, I need some help purchasing a 24 inch monitor under $400. Any suggestions? I want to have 2 screens and I already have a 21 inch monitor.


P.S.

Any suggestions for speakers?

As a side note, another reason I don't want to get a imac is because I thin 4g of ram just won't cut it. I'd much prefer the 8gs the hackintosh offers.

The 27 inch iMac may be faster for some things (video editing) than the CustoMac #3 (if that's the one with the 2500K).

Of course, you could spring for at 2600K processor, which is identical to the one in the iMac-- except that, unlike the iMac, you can overclock it for a big speed boost.

For gaming, an overclocked 2500K will be faster than a stock speed 2600 (that's the chip in the iMac). There's no difference in gaming and most daily tasks between evenly overclocked 2500K and 2600K processors. The GPU will be a far, far more important factor at this point.

Just in case this is gibberish, the K at the end of the chip signifies that it is unlocked, and overclockable. The customac can take either the 2500K or 2600K, the iMac has the 2600 (at least the best imac does). The only real difference between the 2500K and 2600K is that the 2500K has 4 cores, and can run 4 threads while the 2600K has 4 cores and can run 8 threads-- in most tasks, from gaming to regular computer use, the extra 4 threads of the 2600K doesn't do a thing for you. For video editing, sound editing, virtual machines, etc, the extra threads makes a real difference.

All in all, I'd say the iMac and the customac are pretty even in abilities as purchased. Niether is dramatically faster or slower. And the 27-inch screen on the iMac is a GREAT deal (and a GREAT screen); if you end up getting the apple 27 screen for your hackintosh (or any other 27 inch IPS, high resolution monitor), the two systems are basically the same price.

The biggest advantage with the Hackintosh is that you can update or replace components over time-- something you can't do with the iMac. And you can have more HDDs/SSDs. So if a 6-core chip comes along in the right platform, you can just drop it in the hackintosh. If a new generation of supported video cards come out, you can just add it to your system. If the motherboard blows up, you can replace it yourself with a new one.

The biggest advantage with the iMac is that it will just work. No fiddling. No worrying about updates breaking compatibility of some kext. No having to post on here why your monitor is black after the boot screen, etc.

Hope that helps.

Justruss post : +1

Some excellent points in there to consider.

With performance being fairly similar, I would err on the side of the hackintosh. You have the ultimate control over every single component in the system and can customise it to your hearts content.

The option of upgrading as and when can't be overstated too. With your new iMac what you have is what you have, you can do very little to upgrade it other than the memory and possibly the hard drive/ssd if you are adventurous. That aside, you can do little with it as and when newer technology arrives. You have no control over the performance, the cooling, you cant just pop the case and add in a new interface card or add the latest and greatest graphics card.

If I were in the market for a laptop, I would be more inclined to go with Apple, as laptops generally have the same level of upgradeability regardless of who makes it. Disk drive, memory and maybe the wireless if you are lucky.

In the case of a desktop, you have total control going with a hackintosh and wont be stuck with the same hardware for the life of the machine. Considering how fast technology moves these days, thats not a bad thing.

My vote on this one goes to the hackintosh

Wow.. Thanks for the quick response bro!

Well I'm 18 and I want to take law for college. I'm pretty sure you don't need a lot of power for things you're doing in law. Can the IMac work with the 27inch and a 21 pc monitor? IF so, I'll consider the iMac choice a little more. I like to edit photos and videos sometimes, more of a hobby then anything else. Well for gaming, I don't think I will need anything too powerful as the only games I play on pc is starcraft 2. I might look up dota 2 and guild of wars 2 when they come out though. I play FPS on console. Which would YOU get?

Thanks a lot!

P.S.

I'm drooling over your computer specs right now haha!

WonkeyDonkey any suggestions for monitors? Thanks! Also, you make a fair point about upgradeability. I will look into that.