iMAC or Custom Built Desktop?

[peterok]

I have a budget of 3k plus. But i cannot choose between Mac or Custom Desktop. I need the computer for multimedia editing, sound and video.

the imac is 3.8k but with 3.8k, i can built a computer tech spec way better. Hence i dont know what i should get.

 

[Calculagator]

The first difference between an imac and build your own is not so much cost as it is space. The Imac fits everything into a relatively small, neat package. The second difference is whether you want to do repairs/upgrades or whether you want someone else. The imac has good support from Apple, but you won't really be able to change anything once you buy it. If you build your own, you can easily upgrade, but you will also be the one who has to fix anything that breaks.

You should also consider that an Imac will probably hold its value much better than anything you build.

You can buy a 5k monitor similar to the one on the 5k imac from Dell. It will cost about $2000. If you don't need a cutting edge screen, you could save a lot of money by going with something cheaper.

You can't really build "better" for the same cost, but you can build something that fits you better--unless what you want is a crazy good screen with a super compact computer running OSX.

 

[tangentmonkeyspc]

Custom build is the way to go imo! At 3k+ you'll probably be able to build something twice or 3 times as powerful as the iMac, and your computer won't OVERHEAT! If you want a serious work computer where you can actually do work on it, custom built all the way!

So, build a liquid cooled i7-5820k computer with a gtx 980 ti (or the new R9 390X) for around $1700-1800, get 2 or 3 4k monitors to work with and you're still in the 3k range.