Any tech-savvy people here? I need a hand...
 

Please dont let this turn into an Mac vs PC debate. No replies like "save money, get a PC". Thanks!

Now, that thats out of the way, I'm not exactly tech-savvy so I'm hoping you can sprinkle some wisdom on me. I'm going to be entering film school and I'm going to be buying myself a 27" iMac next month. I have a very limited budget so I need to decide which option would work best for me. I'll be using Photoshop, AfterEffects, Final Cut, and iMovie most of the time. Here are my two options.

3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB

or

3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB

Logic is telling me to go with the first option since theres more RAM but I have no idea how much the i7 would make up for it. It's definitely going to be one or the other so I wouldn't mind some advice :)

Thanks again!

For video rendering/editing you need processing power. I'd go with the i7, to be honest, if those are the only two options.

I don't care about your disclaimer. You're wasting your money, get a Windows-based PC. You say you have a limited budget, so why are you so willing to throw your money away on a company who is KNOWN for overpricing their products? PC means "personal computer," by the way. Macs are personal computers, too.

Let me know if you have any other questions. :)

I'd say thanks if you didn't just blatantly ignore my disclaimer. Why is it so hard for people to just answer a question about a Mac without feeling the need to school someone on why a PC is better?

I guess you weren't even worth answering if your only logic to Mac vs Windows is putting your fingers in your ears and going "LALALALALALALA!"

Enjoy your unnecessarily expensive PC. You're not going to get a better response from anyone else on this board except for maybe JameO. He'll probably tell you the same thing.

actually so will I... You can use Photoshop, After Effects on a Windows 7 box loaded with TONS of RAM for far less than what you will be paying for this mac... iMovie??? Come on that is like Windows Movie Maker... Final Cut is the bomb but I'd rather use AVID since that is what everyone of my buddies in the entertainment/film industry use...

Plus it really isn't about the processor... The thing is you need RAM! That is where your video processes... The processor aka i7 just helps calculate a little... Plus even say you get a quad core processor, the application has to know how to use each core within the program and most developers up until recently have only been writing code to take advantage of 1 core... But the thing is... You need RAM... All of the rendering you will be doing requires it... Unless of course you like choppy edits, slow rendering times and a piece of **** mouse that can't right click properly... MAC vs PC... PC all the way... You know why... Because in 3 years when the industry changes and you need something better that MAC will be a brick you cant update, but the PC very expandable...

Of course what do we internet bums know...

-ms