Want a refurb iMac, need solid advice, please!

[Badelement1]

Hello,

I really got to get another iMac, currently running PT 8 LE on a late 2006 iMac w/ intel core duo and 2GB RAM....its just not cutting the mustard, very slow, bogging down badly. Done all the usual PT trash this/that, and every combination of Set-up parameters....no difference. This iMac is just not powerful enough. Essentially, I want a used/refurb'd iMac (2010-2011 model), one that will run Snow Leopard 10.6.8, thats why I don't want a 2013-2012. Reason is, I wanna keep using my DIGI 003 and PRo Tools 8 or 9 LE. I just can't afford to get a new interface and invest in AAX plugs. I gotta be able to run RTAS Virtual Instruments like Drumasonic/Kontakt 5 or Steven Slate Drums, currently I can't do much with them b/c the 2GB RAM isn't enough I know. Wanna be able to run a lot of plugs (EQ/DYnamics/Delay on maybe 12-20 tracks I'm guessing). With a couple VI's for drums. So I really need to know which iMacs to avoid, i3/i5/i7? Know i5 doesn't have hyper-threading, which I've heard is essential for Pro Tools and Waves plugs(which I plan on getting sometime soon). I know the 2010-2011 models have one FW800 port, my DIGI 003 is FW400 and I also recently bought a LaCie Quadtro D2 which is FW800. Figured I could go daisy-chain Lacie>DIGI003 using a FW800>400 Adapter. Any pitfalls to doing this, band-width-wise, should be ok, correct? Also which is more important: internal HD processor GHZ or just more RAM? I really would appreciate any advice here, not a computer guy and really don't need to buy a Mac that won't work with what I've got. Thanks guys

[nst7]

Well, I don't think 8LE is compatible with Snow Leopard either.

PT9 is, but I'm not sure how you can get it at this point.

You still may want to just upgrade to PT11, because you also get the license and installer for PT10. PT10 will still work with all your RTAS plugins. You don't even have to install 11 if you don't want to.

Definitely go for an I7 Imac, but buy your ram from 3rd party sources (it's cheaper).

With any Imac from 2010 on, you have a Thunderbolt port, so you can use the Thunderbolt to firewire adapter for either your drive or the 003, thereby keeping the drive and 003 on separate busses, so you don't have to daisy chain.

Note that if you get a more recent one with no firewire ports, but two Thunderbolt ports, you can just use two adapters, and keep them separate.

[Craig F]

Go fof the i7. Get 3rd party RAM but do buy quality with lifetime warranty. Your 003 will work inboth 10 and 11.
I would get the newer model, personally.

[CME]

I personally think the last generation before they went super thin, 2011 maybe?, is the sweet spot. They're easy enough to work on if needed and the i7 quad has a lot of power. And you'll have thunderbolt and FireWire ports. Don't think they have USB 3.0, but that's not an issue IMO. I had one I bought used and played with for a month or so. Very solid machine. I even added an SSD to go along with the 2 TB drive it came with. I also found a Blu-ray drive that would have worked in it, but never bough it. Anyways the newest super thin ones are a lot more difficult to work on and don't have much in the way of user upgrades. But should def have plenty of power and being able to work on it may not be a plus for you. It was for me.

I would have kept it, but found a great deal on a used Mac Pro. Which I've now upgraded to a 6-core machine. So that may be an option also. That said the 27" screen is pretty amazing. I wish I could have kept it too. But I couldn't justify having two macs without one being portable.