Air Conditioning - Combined HeatPump and AirHandler

I am building a new home in atlanta georgia and most likely will need two 2.5 ton heat pumps for the ranch first floor. I will also get gas backup heat in the units. I have found units that have the compressor and the air handler together in the outside units. Are these as good as having the AH in the inside? My wife wants the vents out of the ceiling and putting the AH in the attic seems like it would be not very efficient.

Thanks

You dont say slab or basement? That helps. I would not go for the all in one units. Put the units inside so you dont have long long duct runs from the unit to the rooms. In the attic is ok . Good R 30 insulation lots and lots of vents up there in the over hang and button vents to out side can go attic vent fan up there But One floor. Its back to do you have a basement. You have a lot to look at here.

ED

You will usually not find the package units to be as efficient as the split systems.

Thanks. I will have a full basement. I should have known that the all in one units was too good to be true. So, the best bet is to put the two AHs in the attic and the basement AH in the basement and not use the combined units at all for the best efficiency?