Worth Upgrading 20" 2007 iMac CPU/HDD/GPU/RAM?

[Solar Trans]

Hey guys! Although I've had an account for a while I've never really posted much .

But anyways, I've got this old iMac that's still trucking along really well that I think it would be fun to upgrade. I have an iPad and iPhone, and with the Continuity stuff I'm enticed to give OS X another try. It would be my main work computer (web browsing and Office), and my gaming rig (that I've been using as my main PC for a while) would get hooked up to the TV.

Considering Apple still supports these C2D systems (they will for Yosemite, and probably for a good while after that), I figure this upgrade could be worthwhile.

The iMac's current specs are as follows:

-2.0GHz Core 2 Duo (T7300, 65nm)

-250GB 7200RPM HDD

-4GB (2x2GB) 667MHz SO-DIMM RAM

-ATI (yep, ATI ) Radeon HD 2400 XT 128GB

It's fairly zippy as it is (not quite like my main rig though ), but I think a bump to the CPU and HDD in particular would be a real boon to its performance.

I'm considering upgrading to the following:

-2.8GHz C2D Extreme (T7800, 65nm, $75 USD shipped)

-250GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD ($140 USD new)

-Maybe a 4GB SO-DIMM (so I have 6GB total, 2GB+4GB, $100 USD)

-Maybe an ATI HD 2600 Pro 256MB (only other compatible GPU model, $130 USD)

Max Total: $450 USD

Probable Total: $215 USD

So is this even worth doing? It's more of a summer project kinda thing than something I really need to do, but if it ended up as fast as my main rig around the OS and online (I play minecraft occasionslly, so that's why I'm considering the GPU), I'd consider it worth it.

Thanks in advance for the help and support guys!

[79wjd]

The only thing I'd bother with is the ssd. 

 

the better gpu won't benefit you in anyway, neither will the extra 2gb of ram, and the better cpu will be helpful...but not all that helpful...

[NinjaStyle013]

It would be pretty cool, I wouldnt worry about the gpu if youve got a gaming pc, just make a snappy work machine.

[Solar Trans]

The only thing I'd bother with is the ssd. 

 

the better gpu won't benefit you in anyway, neither will the extra 2gb of ram.

Thanks for the quick response!

How about the CPU? I realize the RAM and GPU aren't really that important.

Geekbench scores of people who've gone from the 2GHz to the 2.8 went from about 2750 to 4400.

[Solar Trans]

It would be pretty cool, I wouldnt worry about the gpu if youve got a gaming pc, just make a snappy work machine.

Yeah it would just be nice to be able to jump on and play some Minecraft with a friend and not go to the other room--if I replaced the CPU, I'd likely do the GPU too because I'd already have the whole thing disassembled. Heck, when I do stuff with computers, it's usually all or nothing .

[ROK]

The only upgrade I'd do would be grabbing an SSD (at least you can use it in your next mac/pc).

Any other upgrade would generally be a waste of money. You may as well buy something like a refurbished Macbook Air or a Mac Mini.

[Solar Trans]

The only upgrade I'd do would be grabbing an SSD (at least you can use it in your next mac/pc).

Any other upgrade would generally be a waste of money. You may as well buy something like a refurbished Macbook Air or a Mac Mini.

You bring up a good point with the Mac Mini. I could get an i7 one that blows this out of the water for not much more thsn this whole upgrade would cost

I'll cross the RAM and GPU off the list. I just find it hard to believe that the $75 for the CPU wouldn't provide a tangible benefit.

[ROK]

You bring up a good point with the Mac Mini. I could get an i7 one that blows this out of the water for not much more thsn this whole upgrade would cost

I'll cross the RAM and GPU off the list. I just find it hard to believe that the $75 for the CPU wouldn't provide a tangible benefit.

There will be an improvement, it just won't be worth it.

You're better off saving your money IMO. 

[Solar Trans]

There will be an improvement, it just won't be worth it.

You're better off saving your money IMO.

The extra $75 really isn't an issue if there will be a gain. The only thing that concerns me is that it takes a good deal more effort to replace the CPU in these things than the hard drive.

Purely on an effort basis (with money irrelevant), do you think it would be worth it?

[ROK]

The extra $75 really isn't an issue if there will be a gain. The only thing that concerns me is that it takes a good deal more effort to replace the CPU in these things than the hard drive.

Purely on an effort basis (with money irrelevant), do you think it would be worth it?

After having busted my fair share of devices trying to do some DIY repairs and improvements, I'd say it's not really worth it if you're not familiar with tearing stuff apart. You have to lift up the glass and LCD, and then fiddle around with a bunch of tightly packed parts for a 10-15% increase in CPU speed.

 

On top of that, you're spending close to a hundred bucks on a new CPU that you won't be able to use later. If I were you, I'd try and sell the iMac on Craigslist or Kijiji for a few hundred bucks (Macs have mad resale value) and put that and some of your upgrade cash towards a Mac Mini and an SSD. Not only will you save yourself the hassle and potential to lose a device, but you'll be getting a more noticeable upgrade that will last you much longer.

[79wjd]

Thanks for the quick response!

How about the CPU? I realize the RAM and GPU aren't really that important.

Geekbench scores of people who've gone from the 2GHz to the 2.8 went from about 2750 to 4400.

You would notice a performance increase from the cpu, but the one from switching to an ssd would be far FAR greater, such that, it probably wouldn't make a difference.....Start out by upgrading to an ssd, you'll probably decide that its fast enough and you don't even need a new cpu. Plus, as others have said, the ssd will be good for years as sata 3 won't likely be phased out for quite a while, whereas that cpu is literally worthless in any other computer. And if its only for internet/work then 250gb is overkill. You could probably get away with 64gb no problem--although I'd just get a 120gb just to not have to worry about space...

[Solar Trans]

I'm decently experienced with tinkering (I've replaced smartphonephone screen+digitizers, built PCs, heck I even have installed front lights into GameBoy Colors for me and my friends ), so I doubt I'd mess something up.

I'm probably gonna go for either just the SSD or a Mac Mini. One's on CL right now (albeit a 2.5hr drive away) for $750 with max specs and a 256GB SSD, and I may just go for that. Thanks everyone!

[NinjaStyle013]

Yeah it would just be nice to be able to jump on and play some Minecraft with a friend and not go to the other room--if I replaced the CPU, I'd likely do the GPU too because I'd already have the whole thing disassembled. Heck, when I do stuff with computers, it's usually all or nothing .

Go for it, if you got the money might as well