so my mom wants an imac and i obviously disagree and am trying to persuade her otherwise
This is the part list i have come up with http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/N7WwFT
The max cost has got to be around £900 including everything
I have left out os but i can get this for about £20
I think you need to consider just letting her buy the iMac. You're going to be responsible for every single thing that goes wrong with the computer if you insist on building it for her. Also, you haven't factored in the quality of the screen of the iMac which is very good, even on older models. Super awesome for viewing family pictures. What you suggest is maybe great for yourself or a big gamer but I doubt your mother is the same.
Have you asked her what she likes about the iMac? Pretty big chance it's the all-in-one design. Some people prefer simplicity and looks above performance (you mom doesn't need a 280x, really).
Maybe you should let her have the iMac and start saving up for your own pc?
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The way I see it, if you want to convince someone away from an iMac you would need to make the experience as equal or better. So in my eyes, the PC would need to perform well and be very quiet. If she has no intention of playing games (real games not Facebook) then you can drop the graphics card and improve that experience.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/nTJG6h
No point wasting money on gaming parts like the 4690K and Z97 board. She won't benefit from.
Dropped the graphics card for same reason
Much quieter case
Quieter cooler, you may even be able to run it passive
RM PSU fan probably won't spin at all, even under full load - unlikely to happen anyway
Much nicer monitor.
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Do you live with her? I'm asking because I get the feeling you want a gaming computer out of it for yourself, too. If that's the case, just be honest about it and discuss. Tell her she doesn't have to buy an xbox or whatever.
If I'm way out of mark here, You'll be lot happier you got her an Mac if she has any idea of how to use the operating system, Even if she doesn't just install windows on it for her. You'll get way less of those shitty calls where you need to figure out what could be wrong with the computer from vague clues like an extremely pissed off Sherlock Holmes. I told my mom to buy an imac after one particularly bad month of technical issues, and she's been extremely happy with her new computer. The absolute best thing for her is there's only a couple cords she needs to tolerate on the floor. And it does just work. fingers crossed
When you get older in life, and I've only started to notice this for myself, you don't care so much what things cost as long as there's just less shit you need to deal with.
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iMacs are fine machines. Just let her have it.
The computer you linked is a gaming computer, I doubt she'll be gaming. If you want to persuade her away find a cheaper rig (£400?) with an SSD, Mini ITX case. Not one the same price!
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in this case its probably better to just let her get an iMac. There are many reasons computer nubs want simple stuff..
it looks good
its quiet and simple to use
it has a recognised badge and her friends will be jelly ( I think its called badge snobbery)
Also if it screws up, she can take it to a service centre and you can say roll eyes and say "pfff apple "
failing that build her a minimal Linux PC with a tiling window manager .. (thats a joke of course )
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Ok thanks for all the replies i think i will let her have the imac because its what she wants. Also to answer your questions i already have a gaming pc myself which im planing on upgrading soon so that wasnt really a factor. It was just that personally i think apple are overpriced but if that what she wants
If you want to contest an iMac, you want to build not a gaming build that you would make for yourself, but a quiet i3/i5-based PC with integrated graphics (and a quality monitor, not cheapest TN you can find) that you install hackintosh on (look for lists of compatible parts).
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You could make a rig with broadwell as those chips will have Intel Iris Pro graphics.
I think it's a fact macs are overpriced, but it's not as bad as it seems.
Anyways, just make her get one with a fusion drive upgrade (apples branding for hybrid SSD/HD). It's ridiculously expensive for what it is (99e for the upgrade here) but it does make a huge difference in performance.
With this current business of Apple handing over encryption keys to China I'd be a bit wary of Apple. They seem more interested in getting more sales that protecting their existing customer base.
same as all mega corps. Apple & google and microsoft are all compelled by profit and law .. the consumer has only 1 right, the right to buy.
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Macs use very high end components in there builds and don't cheap out too much.
And before the current generation of PowerMacs that are driving people to make hackintoshes. Macs used to be in line with PCs price wise.
*Hates Macs and will never own one. I just see the value that others see in them, not for me though.
I would just let her get the mac too.
Like many said before me - don't try to build her a gaming pc. If you want to beat Mac in user experience buy a nice display (something like this - http://www.amazon.com/Acer-K272HUL-bmiidp-27-inch-Widescreen/dp/B00JB6HCIC/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1425745235&sr=1-4&keywords=1440p or http://www.amazon.com/MX279H-27-Inch-Screen-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B00B17C5KO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1425745235&sr=1-2&keywords=1440p), build a small quiet desktop with Intel graphics and install some user-friendly Linux distro on it.
cinnamon can look identical to mac ( if thats what you want )
most distros come with firefox and and all the other stuff ...
maybe we are pre-judging his 'mom' maybe she is a bit more open minded ? either way, mac or themed linux distro but concentrate on the looks as thats (sadly) what sells people. Small form factor ITX, white box perhaps a node 304 and a decent 1440p monitor 27"
failing that just get a mac. At least it wont have all the endless windows updates, viruses, malware and grud
I know how you feel man, my family are all social media zombie mac fags.
Also, depending on what she is doing, you might want to consider the mac mini.
Lots of people forget about the mini, but in reality, it is probably one of the best products apple offers.
The lowest tier iMac starts at 900 pounds, and it's a piece of shit.
For 730 bucks, you could get a mac mini with
A faster cpu with better better graphics, the same ram, a super fast PCI-e 256GB ssd (vs the slow 5400 rpm drive that comes with the low end imac), and more inputs are easier to get to : D
With the other 170 bucks you saved you will have to get a screen. This is really not a huge problem because the stock imac screen is just a 1080p IPS screen.
It is really nothing special.
Here is a great dell monitor for 130 bucks and it looks very industrial and Apple-ish.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/dell-monitor-p2314h
Or for a little bit extra she could get this dell 25 inch 1440p monitor.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/dell-monitor-u2515h
And yes, that is a 25 (not 27 inch) 1440p monitor. So that means that this screen would have a higher PPI than the apple 1440p screen.
The last thing that you would have to get extra is speakers. But IMO that is perfectly fine because the built in imac speakers suck anyways. Some basic logitech speakers would work, or you can get her to treat herself to some bose companion 2 speakers.
So for the same price (plus the price of speakers) the mac mini can beat out the imac, and for a little bit extra, it can go toe to toe with the 1440p imac.
The only other apple product that she should seriously consider (if she has the money) is the 5K iMac. That thing is a serious machine that will last her a very long time.
This is exactly why I am still trying to get my parents to buy Mac's. Simple, not as buggie, nice looks.
if she is a basic computer user that hasn't figured out windows then yes, imac it up. def if you are support for this endeavor, and if you know nothing about apple maybe you will come to understand why you use windows. i came by a macbook pro 13.3 that i am rebuilding...came out in mid 2009 and the cheapest motherboard i can find is $234 if i want one that works, yet there are pages of "for parts" motherboards on ebay. I'm gonna pimp it with 8gbs of RAM and a 250gb ssd, remove the superdrive and with a small adapter and some double sided sticky tape, thermal, have a really fast machine with fat storage, that will probably end up running windows...maybe, i have yet to decide a task for this creature.
apple does for those that can't, usually at a higher price point and with a whole lot of less options (and more planned obsolecence)...windows has a billion options but its left to the user to control that...some can, alot can't and some don't want too...hence apple with its small but kind of increasing market share, depending on what crazy graphs you look at (all the ones i found on a cursory search have apple competing with brand names, not OS, apple is both and propriatary on one) I finally read the whole thread, so ya...momma's getting an imac, awesome for ya! game on...