After 8 Years Moving Back To Windows PC from iMac
3 min readRecently my Mid-2011 21″ iMac showed its age. No longer able to get Apple OS updates it was time to retire the faithful machine. I beleive this is the longest I have ever had a primary computer still working at my level of expectations. However, as I started looking at a replacement/upgrade I grew sour on Apple’s stance of denying self-repair on their machines. In my old iMac I upgraded the memory after I purchased it. I found the memory cheaper elsewhere and the install was simple, a few screws at the bottom of the monitor case and pop them in. In my research for the new iMac I was going to do something similar, upgrade it myself with cheaper components and not paying for the install. I hit YouTube and looked for a How-To video on memory upgrade on the 4k iMac, this is what I found. ( –
I started by looking at what the iMac model I would want and priced that out. I then started to look at the PC side and realized that I could build something far more powerful, easier to build and maintain and for far cheaper than what an Apple would cost. I could no longer stand the fact that if I had a problem with an iMac I had to take it in for repairs, unacceptable. Now I can run to the PC parts store, get what I need and swap it out or upgrade as needed.
Here is a comparison of what the base model iMac was compared to what I built. Everything in the PC column was purchased individually. It may seem overwhelming at first but it’s easier than you think.
iMac – https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac/21.5-inch-3.4ghz-1tb
I initally looked at NewEgg to get everything but I researched and found my area brick store had the same stuff for the same price, so I supported the local shop – MicroCenter: https://www.microcenter.com/
iMac 21.5″ 4K Display
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Custom PC
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Advantage
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3.6GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
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AMD Ryzen 7 2700x – 3.7Ghz, Boost to 4.3Ghz, 8 Core w/LED
|
PC
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16GB 2400 MHz DDR4
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16GB 2133 DDR4 LED Enabled
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PC (Memory cheaper)
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Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB video memory
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Radeon RX580 8GB video memory w/LED
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PC
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256GB SSD ($100 up charge)
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256GB SSD and 2TB 7200 RPM (both less than $150)
|
PC
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MacOS (included)
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Windows 10 Pro (purchased)
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Even
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Apple Case with Monitor
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NZXT 500i clear glass, LED case
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PC
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Apple
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Asus x480-Pro w/LED
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PC
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Built In 21.5″
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27″ LG 27UD58 4K Monitor
|
PC
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Build In
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Dual channel 801.11ac Wireless card
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PC
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Built In
|
650W Power supply
|
PC
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$1,999 per Apple website
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Approx. $1500
(That includes the OS and monitor)
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PC
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At the end of the day I am very pleased with my move back to the Windows world. (let the arguments begin)
Apple products are premiere, they work, they are pretty and they are expensive. Apple’s stance of designing out the ability to self-maintain and self-repair their products have pushed me away. They are gret designers but they don’t know everything and don’t know best.
If you are in the market for a new PC and have an interest in building one, I would recommend it. It’s far easier than it was 10 years ago, you learn about your computer in ways you normally don’t and you appreciate it far more than a box you buy from a retailer.
Binary Blogger has spent 20 years in the Information Security space currently providing security solutions and evangelism to clients. From early web application programming, system administration, senior management to enterprise consulting I provide practical security analysis and solutions to help companies and individuals figure out HOW to be secure every day.
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