Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

Desktops forum: iMac Vs Custom PC Build

by: danmancity March 11, 2012 8:10 AM PDT

Like this

0 people like this thread

Staff pick

Resolved question

iMac Vs Custom PC Build

by danmancity - 3/11/12 8:10 AM

Hi all

Ive always used Mac Desktops because i prefer OSX and windows laptops because i could never justify the price of mac portables

But the time has come for a desktop upgrade because my iMac is struggling with my Lightroom library and photoshop use, also the tiny hard drive is pretty much full to the brim and has died on me once already.

Im still trying to decide between the top of the range 27 inch iMac or a custom build pc, now if you just go by specs the PC would walk all over the Mac in every department but in the real world what would be faster?

Specs of the PC - Comes in under £1000
Intel i7 2600k 3.4ghz (or Ivybridge)
AsRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 MoBo
Corsair Vengeance 8gb 1600MHZ ram
Mushkin Chronos 120Gb SSD for Boot and Lightroom
1Tb WD Caviar Black
Nvidia GTX 570
24 inch display

And the Mac - £1649
Intel i5 3.1ghz
4gb 1333mhz ram
1Tb HDD
AMD Radeon 6970M

Either machine will be primarily used for Photoshop, Lightroom, iTunes, Dxo Optics Pro, Photomatix Pro and THe rest of the CS5 master Collection

Which would you choose, try to forget the OS, i think OSX is far superior but I'm sure i could get used to Windows 7 being on my primary machine anyway.

Thanks happy


danmancity has chosen the best answer to his/her question!
Click here to view the answer that was selected.

Answer This
Ask for clarification
Report offensive post
Email to friend
Answers
Answer Best answer as chosen by user danmancity

Can't tell. Why?

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 3/11/12 11:07 AM

In Reply to: iMac Vs Custom PC Build by danmancity

Because no one I know has compared those 2 machines. The Apple gets a boost from being finely tuned and all the parts are matched to the OS and the apps.

Your common home built PC often suffers from a botched OS install or a newbie that didn't understand what drivers are needed or the maker didn't tell them,.

If you want to learn about Windows driver hell, build a PC.
Bob


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend
Answer Best answer as chosen by user danmancity

the pc

by randomguy4242 - 3/14/12 12:52 PM

In Reply to: iMac Vs Custom PC Build by danmancity

Without a doubt the pc will go faster.

yea sometimes osx does get a slight boost in some applications as seen here simply because it is a much lighter OS than windows.

however, the pc has outright better hardware.

if you installed windows and osx on the same amchine you might notice a small difference, however the pc has a processor that runs at a faster clock speed and is multithreaded, and the GTX 570 will blow that mobile card out of the water. not to mention having twice as much ram at a faster speed and a 120 GB ssd. so that should more than compensate for the <3% boost from running osx.

I think you could not install any drivers at all and the pc would still run faster for the most part...but apparently some people think using windows is too complicated...

or...you could get the pc an use linux, which is lighter than windows and thus you would be faster than either solution and save you $100 on linux.
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-10319612-285/performance-showdown-windows-7-vs-snow-leopard/


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Forum Icon Legend

  • UnreadUnread
  • ReadRead
  • Locked threadLocked thread
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  • ModeratorModerator
  • CNET StaffCNET Staff
  • Samsung StaffSamsung Staff
  • Norton Authorized Support TeamNorton Authorized Support Team
  • AVG StaffAVG Staff
  • avast! Staffavast! Staff
  • Webroot Support TeamWebroot Support Team
  • Acer Customer Experience TeamAcer Customer Experience Team
  • Windows Outreach TeamWindows Outreach Team
  • DISH staffDISH staff
  • Dell StaffDell Staff
  • Intel StaffIntel Staff
  • QuestionQuestion
  • Resolved questionResolved question
  • General discussionGeneral discussion
  • TipTip
  • Alert or warningAlert or warning
  • PraisePraise
  • RantRant

You are e-mailing the following post: Post Subject

Your e-mail address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the e-mail and in case of transmission error. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose.

Sorry, there was a problem emailing this post. Please try again.

Submit Email Cancel

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

You are reporting the following post: Post Subject

If you believe this post is offensive or violates the CNET Forums' Usage policies, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the post). Once reported, our moderators will be notified and the post will be reviewed.

Offensive: Sexually explicit or offensive language

Spam: Advertisements or commercial links

Disruptive posting: Flaming or offending other users

Illegal activities: Promote cracked software, or other illegal content

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Submit Report Cancel

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

You are posting a reply to: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Duplicate posts are not allowed in the forums. Please edit your post and submit again.

Submit Reply Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close

You are requesting a clarification of the question: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Submit Clarification Request Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close

You are posting an answer to the question: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Submit Answer Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close
close

Click here to be notified via e-mail when someone submits an answer.

Would you like to resolve this question? close

Based on your response, it looks like this question has been answered.



Sorry, there was a problem resolving this question. Please try again.

Resolve Leave unresolved