Is my iMac on its last legs?

Arthur_Alexi wrote:

Most of these old mac's are pretty upgradable, Ram, ssd and some even the GPU, so upgrading it could make it still usable. And You could still use it as a display with some Mod kits depending on the model.

Technically, yes. But unless one is a computer hobbyist or tech these sorts of upgrades can be daunting and/or require contracting the work out. The Mac hardware will remain dated and obsolete as will the OS. Not something I would recommend to a casual user such as the OP who probably just wants a computer that works properly when they need to use it.

I have to agree with those who recommend moving on from this ten year old computer. Ten years is a good run for a Mac. Moving on doesn't mean one has to leave the old one behind though. One may find a use for it for themself or a family member or friend. I'm aware of some hobbyists who would love to play with that tech. 😉

The new M4 Mac mini is VERY hard to pass up. I have always been an iMac guy however I am likely going to get a M4MM within the next year. They are VERY powerful for the money, an ideal configuration for many is the base model with a 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM for $999. An external display (a good quality 27" 4K model) will be another $350. You can use your 2015's keyboard and mouse and with a couple of VERY inexpensive USB adapters you have a solution for <$1500. A 24" iMac with a similar spec will run you considerably more and you will still have a 24" display. If you have needs for more storage MM's can be configured up to 2TB of storage, the iMacs can be configured up to 2TB of storage as well.

When you are ready to pull the trigger and migrate from the 2015, simply follow the instructions in Setup Assistant and Migration Assistant and within an hour or two you will be migrated and up and running.

I just got a Mac Mini M4 with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB storage for $1086 US including tax.

I paired that with a 32" 4K monitor w/speakers for $332.24 w/tax.

A similarly configured new 24' iMac will cost $647 more.

You can increase the cost savings by getting a 27" monitor or one w/o speakers and use the single speaker in the Mini or, better yet, use some earbuds with it.

FWIW, there was no 2016 iMac. It's either a 2015, 2017, or something else. Need more info.

Install EtreCheck and post the report. Allow Full Disk Access.

https://etrecheck.com/

Use the Additional Text icon to paste in the report.

How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community

It is getting long in the tooth. Probably time to think about replacing it.

As far as the Time Capsule, the last version of the one you have was discontinued 12 years ago. So an external drive is also in order. You can get 1 TB ro 1 TB SSD drives for under $200.

tbirdvet wrote:

Having used a 27" iMac I could not get use to a smaller 24" screen especially with my old eyes.

I guess you can't use an iPad or iPhone at all. 🤔

Most of these old mac's are pretty upgradable, Ram, ssd and some even the GPU, so upgrading it could make it still usable. And You could still use it as a display with some Mod kits depending on the model.

tbirdvet wrote:

iPhone yes but hurts my eyes. I have no use for iPads anyway. For me monitors are like TV's. Once you have a large screen 4k TV it is hard to go smaller later on.

Well,, I've used nothing but 27" iMacs since 2015. I really haven't noticed much of a difference with the 24" IMacs. I still have a 27" iMac running Monterey and an iMac Pro running Sequoia. I spend 99.9% of the time on the 24" M3 iMac.

rkaufmann87 wrote:

The new M4 Mac mini is VERY hard to pass up.

Just thought I would mention, I opted for the recent iMacs. Although it's true you can get a Mac mini plus a 4K monitor for less than an iMac, the iMacs have 4.5K extremely high quality screens.

To add, what that means is a 24" 4.5K screen will look apparently sharper than a 27" or larger 5K screen.

I have the Mac Mini M4 with the 27" Studio display and it is an outstanding looking picture. Having used a 27" iMac I could not get use to a smaller 24" screen especially with my old eyes.

iPhone yes but hurts my eyes. I have no use for iPads anyway. For me monitors are like TV's. Once you have a large screen 4k TV it is hard to go smaller later on.