Help me build a PC with similar specs to the current iMac

ToadVine

I'm a total n00b at this computer building stuff, so please be gentle

I was hoping to build a PC with a similar spec to the current top end iMac here http://www.apple.com/ie/imac/specs.html

I'm looking at minimum quad core i5/i7 and 8gb ram, with 500gb HDD (or an ssd if not cost prohibitive). I want something powerful, but wont be using it for gaming. I already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse. I also have all the software I'll need.

My idea is to get something as powerful as an iMac for a lot cheaper if possible. All suggestions/help greatly appreciated.

deconduo

Total build cost: €373.85 + €30 shipping
Intel Core i5-2400 Box, LGA1155 €152.91
MSI H61M-E33 (B3), Intel H61, mATX, DDR3 €53.03
Samsung SH-222AB bare schwarz SATA €16.52
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W €41.02
Xigmatek Asgard II Midi Tower - black/black, ohne Netzteil €31.61
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1000GB, SATA II (HD103SJ) €44.09
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9 €34.67

That would be better than the iMac in every aspect apart from graphics. If you want a discrete card as well with similar/better performance to the 6750M this would do:
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=43690&agid=1004

If you want an SSD this is one of the best 64GB models:
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=46113&agid=1145

Solitaire

What are you using it for? If its anything graphics/design related then bear in mind that in order to achieve visual quality on a par with the iMacs you'll need to get a proper IPS monitor which is going to hit you for another €400+ for a 24" model

indough

you can get a u2311h ips monitor for about 200 off komplett, although it doesnt have the superior resolution of the 24" and above models

edit: its actually gone back up to 229 now but with free delivery its still not a bad deal and cheaper than buying directly from dell even

ToadVine

Thanks for the replies guys ... really appreciated.

Solitaire wrote: »

What are you using it for? If its anything graphics/design related then bear in mind that in order to achieve visual quality on a par with the iMacs you'll need to get a proper IPS monitor which is going to hit you for another €400+ for a 24" model

@Solitare ... I wont be using it for graphics or gaming. The monitor I currently have is the Dell st2420 similar to this. Would this be a good monitor with the build recommended above? I also have the Apple wireless keyboard and mouse.

Also, a few other questions. Would the build suggested by deconduo above be as fast and powerful as the top end iMac? Would an ssd vastly improve speed and performance? I was thinking of putting dual operating systems on the ssd ... Windows 7 and another operating system ... is this possible and/or recommended?.

I basically want something comparable (or superior) to the top end iMac. Any more suggestions very welcome

Fluffy88

deconduo wrote: »

That would be better than the iMac in every aspect apart from graphics.

As deconduo said, it would be simply better than the iMac and if you put an SSD into the build it will be so much better!

SSD's if you can afford it, is almost a requirement of any new build. They will give you huge speed increases.

Personally I wouldn't like to put two OS's on a 64GB drive as there wouldn't be a whole lot of room left for other stuff, but having said that, Windows 7 is about 20GB, Ubuntu is about 8GB so you wouldn't even half fill the SSD putting both Windows 7 and Ubuntu onto the drive. I don't know what's the install size of the Mac OS but if you were planning to install it you would find the info somewhere.

And if you wanted to make deconduo build better all you need to do is get an i5 2500k and a P67 motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155 €175.58
ASUS P8P67 Rev 3.0, Sockel 1155, ATX, DDR3 €103.83
Maybe an aftermarket cooler if you were willing to overclock the 2500k
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 - Pro PWM Rev.2 €14.49

ToadVine

Fluffy88 wrote: »

deconduo wrote: »

That would be better than the iMac in every aspect apart from graphics.

As deconduo said, it would be simply better than the iMac and if you put an SSD into the build it will be so much better!

SSD's if you can afford it, is almost a requirement of any new build. They will give you huge speed increases.

Personally I wouldn't like to put two OS's on a 64GB drive as there wouldn't be a whole lot of room left for other stuff, but having said that, Windows 7 is about 20GB, Ubuntu is about 8GB so you wouldn't even half fill the SSD putting both Windows 7 and Ubuntu onto the drive. I don't know what's the install size of the Mac OS but if you were planning to install it you would find the info somewhere.

And if you wanted to make deconduo build better all you need to do is get an i5 2500k and a P67 motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155 €175.58
ASUS P8P67 Rev 3.0, Sockel 1155, ATX, DDR3 €103.83
Maybe an aftermarket cooler if you were willing to overclock the 2500k
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 - Pro PWM Rev.2 €14.49

Thanks for all the advice ... much appreciated.

Fluffy88 would your suggestions vastly improve decunduo's build? What total cost does your suggested build come to?

Also, would an i7 be a big improvement over an i5? All suggested builds above are quad core ... is that correct?

And finally, would 16gb of ram (instead of 8) make any big difference?

Moon54

There's very little difference between i7 2600K and i5 2500K unless you are using a particular program
that could use the extra threads in the i7;
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=287

Personally I'd go for the i5 2500k with the Asus P8P67 motherboard and a good CPU fan.
Even if you don't overclock it now (like me), your machine's usefulness and longevity is enhanced because;
(1) it is so simple to over-clock (one click, seriously),
(2) when other's will be looking around for a new build,
you can simply overclock and get a real performance improvement.

As regards RAM, also unlikely that 16GB is going to make a huge difference over 8GB,
unless you were doing a lot of audio or video processing.
I'd opt for 8GB RipJaw-X's (2x4GB), leaving 2 slots free for later upgrading,
when RAM is even cheaper.

All depends on your budget, though, if you have an extra €200 burning a hole in your pocket,
then I see no problem with getting the i7 2600K and the 16GB RAM.

Lastly, SSD is a must, WOW is all that can be said,
decunduo is spot on, that 64GB M4 rocks.

Unregistered.

Just had a quick glance at the CPU's - does any body want to save me the effort and tell me which models the 2.5 and 2.7 GHz CPU's are in the iMac?

Monotype

I think it's the 2400S for the 2.5GHz i5 quad core.
http://ark.intel.com/products/52208/Intel-Core-i5-2400S-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_50-GHz).

Edit:

and the 2500S for the 2.7GHz.
http://ark.intel.com/products/52211/Intel-Core-i5-2500S-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_70-GHz)

Yeah, a quick look online confirms that these are the ones.

Unregistered.

Monotype wrote: »

I think it's the 2400S for the 2.5GHz i5 quad core.
http://ark.intel.com/products/52208/Intel-Core-i5-2400S-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_50-GHz).

Edit:

and the 2500S for the 2.7GHz.
http://ark.intel.com/products/52211/Intel-Core-i5-2500S-Processor-(6M-Cache-2_70-GHz)

Yeah, a quick look online confirms that these are the ones.

Maith an fear.