iMac very slow!!! How can I make it faster!!!

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harry_derouich

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May 4, 2013
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Hi, I currently own a 27" Core i3 iMac (Model 11,3) With 4gb RAM and 1TB HDD. Don't get me wrong, I love it to bits, but recently, it has become ever so slow. It takes a good 30 seconds just to open up apps like Safari and the app store, and not to even mention Adobe CS6.

I do not want to sell it though, so was wondering what I could do to improve the speeds. Is it more RAM I need, More storage, should I add an SSD? Is it possible to maybe upgrade to an i7? I know it is possible, but is it safe to do so?

My budget would be around £300-400, depending on what was being added.

Thanks in advance

UPDATE:
Does there even have to be any hardware upgrades, can I just clear out my hard drive or clutter, any tips on improving performance without any upgrades?
 
Solution
dalmvern
You could probably get away with a 128GB SSD, however, the best perfrmance SSDs fall into the 256GB and higher category, so given that fact I would recommend the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD.

Ill be honest with you, I know very little about Snow Leopard, but I am sure you can have both a SSD and a HDD at the same time. My rig with Windows has 2 SSDs and 2 HDDs.

The minimum ram that I would suggest is 8GB, but if it fits into your budget, 16GB is what you should get...I would suggest either Corsair Vengeance or G.Skill Ripjaws X...1600MHz or 1866MHz depending on if your motherboard supports 1866.
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dalmvern

dalmvern

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Jun 15, 2011
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If you want your applications to open faster, an SSD would help you out there.

What operating system do you use? If your OS can support more than the 4 GB you already have, that would definitely help you with processing times in Adobe.

Those two changes should give you a bit better of a computing experience. The question of upgrading to an i7 is really dependent on how much multicore processing you use. Adobe uses a bit, but if that is mostly what you use then the i3 should be sufficient. On the other hand, if you are doing video editing and encoding and other heavy multicore processes, then it may be worth your while to upgrade to the i7.

All in all, your best bet is the SSD and memory (if you can use more than 4GB).
 
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harry_derouich

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May 4, 2013
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Thankyou for the very fast reply!

Just a few more questions regarding your answer, How big of an SSD do you think I would need? I would need one big enough for my OS (Snow Leopard) as well as Adobe Creative Suite, and some Steam games. Would a 128GB be enough, or would it be better to future proof a bit and go for a 256GB or a 512, Can I have a HDD and an SSD in the iMac at the same time?? Or will I need to have an external Media storage solution? I have about 300GB of photos and movies which would need to be accounted for, not necessarily on an SSD.

Is there any specific products you recommend?

Also, how much RAM do you think I need, Is 8GB enough? Or would 16 be a better choice?

Thankyou so much for your help already
 
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maestro0428

maestro0428

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Apr 3, 2009
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I started out with a 128GB SSD and have switched to a 256 and now thats full. I recommend going with a 256GB. Mass storage should be on another disk. You could go external for that. I have Samsung 840Pros and recommend them highly. Switching out parts on iMacs can be a scary proposition depending on which one you have. I suggest researching it first. www.macsales.com should have a tutorial for that. As for memory, 8GB should be enough.
 
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dalmvern

dalmvern

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Jun 15, 2011
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You could probably get away with a 128GB SSD, however, the best perfrmance SSDs fall into the 256GB and higher category, so given that fact I would recommend the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD.

Ill be honest with you, I know very little about Snow Leopard, but I am sure you can have both a SSD and a HDD at the same time. My rig with Windows has 2 SSDs and 2 HDDs.

The minimum ram that I would suggest is 8GB, but if it fits into your budget, 16GB is what you should get...I would suggest either Corsair Vengeance or G.Skill Ripjaws X...1600MHz or 1866MHz depending on if your motherboard supports 1866.
 
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