I have a decent iMac I bought a few years ago, and looking to get a second for my son. He mostly does web browsing and games like Minecraft and Roblox.

I can get the Mid-2017 21" model with a 1TB HDD. I also found a version with a 1TB Fusion drive. Very affordable in "excellent refurbished condition" and a 1 year warranty for about $350.

Is this just a bad purchase if it lacks an SDD?

iMac 21.5-inch (Mid-2017) Core i5 2.3GHz - HDD 1 TB - 16GB

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Posted by bluebarracuda

Member since Oct 2011

18838 posts

Posted on 12/7/23 at 10:38 am to RaginCajunz

quote:
Is this just a bad purchase if it lacks an SDD?

Yes.

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Posted by RaginCajunz

Member since Mar 2009

6560 posts

Posted on 12/7/23 at 11:01 am to bluebarracuda

quote:
Is this just a bad purchase if it lacks an SDD?

Yes.

Anyone have any experience with the "fusion drive?" It is apparently a hybrid.

Is the HDD that bad of a dog? Causing issues with web browsing, running IOS updates, and Roblox type games?

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Posted by ThatBaw

Baton Rouge

Member since Jul 2023

288 posts

Posted on 12/7/23 at 11:07 am to RaginCajunz

I'd disagree with the other poster. For games, the only difference you will really notice is loading speeds. SSD won't really impact performance.

Also, don't worry about the fusion drive. It is known for being a dog, much worse than an HDD could be. They came out in a time that SSD was still massively expensive in order to offer a compromise. It is essentially a combination of the two, but lends itself to mechanical issues, which bricks the drive. Stay away.

This post was edited on 12/7/23 at 11:12 am

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Posted by bluebarracuda

Member since Oct 2011

18838 posts

Posted on 12/7/23 at 12:14 pm to ThatBaw

quote:
I'd disagree with the other poster. For games, the only difference you will really notice is loading speeds. SSD won't really impact performance.

Yea, SSDs dramatically increase loading times especially with games