I really think that the model ships in the OT minus the garbage mattes, were more convincing than CGI.
I believe that in the future CGI will be convincing but as of now no. I have nothing against CGI for man made items, but I absolutely hate CGI on living creatures. The Uncanny Valley effect is always present. I have seen flawless CGI models on the internet that breath and smile. But still they don't look alive.