Apple Tax Investigation- Part III: DIY Computers
This is the second part of a multi-section article on the reality of the Apple Tax by comparing the 24" iMac (early 2009) to several other options. Part I and Part II are already posted and should be read prior to this segment.
This portion of the article contains a table that may be too wide for your view. For best results, please maximize your browser window.
While not as convenient for the mainstream consumer, building a computer yourself usually nets the lowest cost machines and the greatest flexibility in terms of components and performance. There are plenty of detailed guides for the uninitiated to assist them through the process and even component level guides to help them find the parts that are right for them. Unlike the prebuilt systems, each component usually has to be purchased separately, making planning a system a daunting task for some. It is important to make sure that all needed items are included.
The assumed Apple Tax is two-fold in that you have to sacrifice in terms of cost or performance in selecting a Mac over a PC. To measure the cost component, we build a system to match or exceed the specs of the 24" iMac, our baseline, for a lower cost. To measure performance, we build the highest performing machine we can for as close to $1500 as we can.
All prices and products found at Newegg.com, 3/23/09
DIY Spec Match
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45T-UD3LR ($115)
CPU: 3.0GHz Core 2 Duo E8400, 6MB L2 cache ($165)
RAM: 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333, OCZ Reaper HPC (CAS Latency 6) ($63)
HDD: 640GB, 7200RPM, 32MB cache Seagate ($70)
Optical: Samsung 22x Super-Multi ($25)
Display: ASUS MK241H 24” monitor, 1920x1200 with HDMI ($280 after $20 instant savings)
Video: Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB GDDR3 ($90)
Case: Rosewill R512BS ATX Mid Tower w/ 500 PSU ($70 after $10 savings)
OS: Vista Home Premium 64-bit OEM ($100 after $10 savings)
Other: 1.3MP webcam in monitor, Altec Lansing stereo speakers ($23), Logitech desktop microphone ($20), Logitech EX110 Keyboard/Mouse set ($30)
Final Cost: $1051 (after applicable savings)
Apple Tax: $449
Remember that home-built computers don't include an operating system, so that has been factored in to these costs. We found a promising monitor from Asus that boasted the full 1920x1200 resolution as the iMac screen and had a built-in webcam. We get a faster CPU, faster memory, a video card that can handle a bit of gaming at high resolution, and a faster DVD burner. Even with the added cost of accessories like the keyboard and mouse and the cost of a Windows Vista license, you still save nearly $450 over the 24" iMac.
DIY Cost Match
It was hard to pick just one path to take for this build. We started by constructing systems for each of the four leading architectures of the day in hopes that one would start to gain ground during the process or that one would lag well behind the others. Neither happened. All four builds produced great systems and all deserve mention. Below is a table detailing the selected components and their individual prices. All four exceeded the $1500 mark, but only by $21 in the worst case.
Intel Builds Core 2 Core i7 Component Cost Component Cost Motherboard ASRock P45 $95 MSI X59 Plat SLI $225 CPU Core 2 Quad Q9400 $230 Core i7 920 $289 RAM OCZ Reaper 4GB kit $63 Corsair 3x2GB kit $90 HDD Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Optical Drive Pioneer BDC-2202B $110 Samsung 22x Super-Multi $25 Display ASUS MK241H $280 ASUS MK241H $280 Video HIS 4870 1GB $190 EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 $210 Case Aplus Monolith $100 XCLIO Godspeed $50 PSU Mushkin 550300 800W $140 hec Zephyr 750W $100 OS Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Camera Integrated $0 Integrated $0 Speakers Creative Inspire T6100 $70 Logitec S120 2.0 $12 Microphone Logitech Mic $20 Logitech Mic $20 Keyboard/Mouse Logitech EX110 $30 Logitech EX110 $30 Total $1,518 Total $1,521 AMD Builds Phenom AM2+ Phenom AM3 Component Cost Component Cost Motherboard ASRock A780GXE $80 Asus M4A78T-E $140 CPU Phenom II X4 920 $194 Phenom II X4 810 $175 RAM OCZ Reaper 4GB kit $63 OCZ Reaper 4GB kit $63 HDD Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Optical Drive Samsung 22x Super-Multi $25 Pioneer BDC-2202B $110 Display ASUS MK241H $280 ASUS MK241H $280 Video 2x HIS 4870 1GB $380 HIS 4870 1GB $190 Case Aplus Monolith $100 Aplus Monolith $100 PSU Mushkin 550300 800W $140 Mushkin 550300 800W $140 OS Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Camera Integrated $0 Integrated $0 Speakers Logitec S120 2.0 $12 Creative Inspire T6100 $70 Microphone Logitech Mic $20 Logitech Mic $20 Keyboard/Mouse Logitech EX110 $30 Logitech EX110 $30 Total $1,514 Total $1,508
All prices as of 1900 Eastern 3/23/2009 at Newegg.com
The cost of the Core i7, the performance leading CPU from the previous round, started to escalate much faster than the other three systems. As such, it had to settle for a cheaper case, smaller power supply as well as inherit any such compromises made for any of the other builds. The end result was something that didn't really stand out against the Gamer Xtreme XT from Cyberpower PC. Certain components were common to multiple machines and/or used as bonuses if they were coming in under cost. The bonus items included a BD-ROM/DVD-burner combo drive from Pioneer and Creative Inspire T6100 surround speakers. The monitor from the previous build was once again the monitor of choice as well as the microphone and keyboard/mouse combo. All systems used Vista Home Premium 64-bit (OEM) for their operating systems, and all but the Core i7 used the Aplus Monolith case and Mushkin 800W power supply.
The Core i7 build relies on the 920, the same one used in the other i7 machines discussed so far, and a GTX 260 video card for gaming performance. ATI's 4870 1GB card (the Gamer Xtreme XT used the 512MB version) was used by itself or in CrossFire in the other three systems as they weren't equipped for SLI. All systems use DDR3 1333 except for the AM2+ build that uses DDR3 1066, the same memory standard as the iMac.
Comparison:
All DIY machines sport processors superior to the Core 2 Duo in the iMac and feature twice as many physical processing cores. The Phenom II line from AMD is competitive with the Core i7 and the AM2+ version is cheap enough to allow for a second Radeon HD 4870. The bottom line here is that you have a lot of options when building a machine at the $1500 level. It isn't even that hard to beat the iMac in a spec-for-spec comparison; the lowest end component (excluding peripherals) from the builds in each category meets or exceed the same in the Mac. When we step back to the Spec Matching unit, it still has a slight hardware advantage over the iMac while saving nearly $450, even after the cost of the monitor and other accessories needed to round the machine out such as speakers.
Another nod in the DIY's favor is upgradability. Virtually any component of these machines can be swapped out for another. You get some flexibility with the prebuilt machines, but that is usally limited to drives, memory, and expansion cards; with these home-built systems, even the CPU is fair game. There aren't hardware lockouts to prevent anything other than approved hardware, and few proprietary hardware interfaces (other than CPU socket). The iMac has a quick access slot for adding/replacing the Mac-specific 204-pin SO-DIMM sticks, but everything else is for keeps unless you are very industrious and willing to void your warranty.
NEXT IN PART IV: Other Considerations and Conclusion - After collecting the data, we look for other influencing factors and make the call on the Apple Tax.
This portion of the article contains a table that may be too wide for your view. For best results, please maximize your browser window.
While not as convenient for the mainstream consumer, building a computer yourself usually nets the lowest cost machines and the greatest flexibility in terms of components and performance. There are plenty of detailed guides for the uninitiated to assist them through the process and even component level guides to help them find the parts that are right for them. Unlike the prebuilt systems, each component usually has to be purchased separately, making planning a system a daunting task for some. It is important to make sure that all needed items are included.
The assumed Apple Tax is two-fold in that you have to sacrifice in terms of cost or performance in selecting a Mac over a PC. To measure the cost component, we build a system to match or exceed the specs of the 24" iMac, our baseline, for a lower cost. To measure performance, we build the highest performing machine we can for as close to $1500 as we can.
All prices and products found at Newegg.com, 3/23/09
DIY Spec Match
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45T-UD3LR ($115)
CPU: 3.0GHz Core 2 Duo E8400, 6MB L2 cache ($165)
RAM: 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333, OCZ Reaper HPC (CAS Latency 6) ($63)
HDD: 640GB, 7200RPM, 32MB cache Seagate ($70)
Optical: Samsung 22x Super-Multi ($25)
Display: ASUS MK241H 24” monitor, 1920x1200 with HDMI ($280 after $20 instant savings)
Video: Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB GDDR3 ($90)
Case: Rosewill R512BS ATX Mid Tower w/ 500 PSU ($70 after $10 savings)
OS: Vista Home Premium 64-bit OEM ($100 after $10 savings)
Other: 1.3MP webcam in monitor, Altec Lansing stereo speakers ($23), Logitech desktop microphone ($20), Logitech EX110 Keyboard/Mouse set ($30)
Final Cost: $1051 (after applicable savings)
Apple Tax: $449
Remember that home-built computers don't include an operating system, so that has been factored in to these costs. We found a promising monitor from Asus that boasted the full 1920x1200 resolution as the iMac screen and had a built-in webcam. We get a faster CPU, faster memory, a video card that can handle a bit of gaming at high resolution, and a faster DVD burner. Even with the added cost of accessories like the keyboard and mouse and the cost of a Windows Vista license, you still save nearly $450 over the 24" iMac.
DIY Cost Match
It was hard to pick just one path to take for this build. We started by constructing systems for each of the four leading architectures of the day in hopes that one would start to gain ground during the process or that one would lag well behind the others. Neither happened. All four builds produced great systems and all deserve mention. Below is a table detailing the selected components and their individual prices. All four exceeded the $1500 mark, but only by $21 in the worst case.
Intel Builds Core 2 Core i7 Component Cost Component Cost Motherboard ASRock P45 $95 MSI X59 Plat SLI $225 CPU Core 2 Quad Q9400 $230 Core i7 920 $289 RAM OCZ Reaper 4GB kit $63 Corsair 3x2GB kit $90 HDD Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Optical Drive Pioneer BDC-2202B $110 Samsung 22x Super-Multi $25 Display ASUS MK241H $280 ASUS MK241H $280 Video HIS 4870 1GB $190 EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 $210 Case Aplus Monolith $100 XCLIO Godspeed $50 PSU Mushkin 550300 800W $140 hec Zephyr 750W $100 OS Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Camera Integrated $0 Integrated $0 Speakers Creative Inspire T6100 $70 Logitec S120 2.0 $12 Microphone Logitech Mic $20 Logitech Mic $20 Keyboard/Mouse Logitech EX110 $30 Logitech EX110 $30 Total $1,518 Total $1,521 AMD Builds Phenom AM2+ Phenom AM3 Component Cost Component Cost Motherboard ASRock A780GXE $80 Asus M4A78T-E $140 CPU Phenom II X4 920 $194 Phenom II X4 810 $175 RAM OCZ Reaper 4GB kit $63 OCZ Reaper 4GB kit $63 HDD Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $90 Optical Drive Samsung 22x Super-Multi $25 Pioneer BDC-2202B $110 Display ASUS MK241H $280 ASUS MK241H $280 Video 2x HIS 4870 1GB $380 HIS 4870 1GB $190 Case Aplus Monolith $100 Aplus Monolith $100 PSU Mushkin 550300 800W $140 Mushkin 550300 800W $140 OS Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Windows Vista HP x64 $100 Camera Integrated $0 Integrated $0 Speakers Logitec S120 2.0 $12 Creative Inspire T6100 $70 Microphone Logitech Mic $20 Logitech Mic $20 Keyboard/Mouse Logitech EX110 $30 Logitech EX110 $30 Total $1,514 Total $1,508
All prices as of 1900 Eastern 3/23/2009 at Newegg.com
The cost of the Core i7, the performance leading CPU from the previous round, started to escalate much faster than the other three systems. As such, it had to settle for a cheaper case, smaller power supply as well as inherit any such compromises made for any of the other builds. The end result was something that didn't really stand out against the Gamer Xtreme XT from Cyberpower PC. Certain components were common to multiple machines and/or used as bonuses if they were coming in under cost. The bonus items included a BD-ROM/DVD-burner combo drive from Pioneer and Creative Inspire T6100 surround speakers. The monitor from the previous build was once again the monitor of choice as well as the microphone and keyboard/mouse combo. All systems used Vista Home Premium 64-bit (OEM) for their operating systems, and all but the Core i7 used the Aplus Monolith case and Mushkin 800W power supply.
The Core i7 build relies on the 920, the same one used in the other i7 machines discussed so far, and a GTX 260 video card for gaming performance. ATI's 4870 1GB card (the Gamer Xtreme XT used the 512MB version) was used by itself or in CrossFire in the other three systems as they weren't equipped for SLI. All systems use DDR3 1333 except for the AM2+ build that uses DDR3 1066, the same memory standard as the iMac.
Comparison:
All DIY machines sport processors superior to the Core 2 Duo in the iMac and feature twice as many physical processing cores. The Phenom II line from AMD is competitive with the Core i7 and the AM2+ version is cheap enough to allow for a second Radeon HD 4870. The bottom line here is that you have a lot of options when building a machine at the $1500 level. It isn't even that hard to beat the iMac in a spec-for-spec comparison; the lowest end component (excluding peripherals) from the builds in each category meets or exceed the same in the Mac. When we step back to the Spec Matching unit, it still has a slight hardware advantage over the iMac while saving nearly $450, even after the cost of the monitor and other accessories needed to round the machine out such as speakers.
Another nod in the DIY's favor is upgradability. Virtually any component of these machines can be swapped out for another. You get some flexibility with the prebuilt machines, but that is usally limited to drives, memory, and expansion cards; with these home-built systems, even the CPU is fair game. There aren't hardware lockouts to prevent anything other than approved hardware, and few proprietary hardware interfaces (other than CPU socket). The iMac has a quick access slot for adding/replacing the Mac-specific 204-pin SO-DIMM sticks, but everything else is for keeps unless you are very industrious and willing to void your warranty.
NEXT IN PART IV: Other Considerations and Conclusion - After collecting the data, we look for other influencing factors and make the call on the Apple Tax.