nbirkett
Senior Member
Has anyone heard more information (or rumours) about when the iMac Pro will be released? Apple's site still says 'December'. And more information about expected pricing?
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iMac Pro release?
- Thread starter nbirkett
- Start date
johnbandry
Senior Member
nbirkett
Senior Member
Thanks. That was the one I had seen. Guess nothing more.
Of course
hotshew
Well-known member
Hopefully we hear something soon! Rumors are pointing to 12/18 -- but even if true -- not sure what that means in terms of when arriving on doorstep.
I really like / want the iMac all-in-one form factor and recently purchased a spec'd out i7 (4.2GHz / SSD), not really feeling like I needed the new Pro model. The fan spun up real hard with high CPU workloads to push out all the heat.
I did an LR import of a few hundred RAW photos and woke-up to photo the next morning. I returned the unit to Apple and don't know the root case, but suspect heat was a factor -- the machine performed flawlessly until pushed, and then toast! Probably an isolated incident but I think safe to say current design is not up nor intended for high-compute/gpu workloads.
The AIO formfactor is fundamentally disadvantaged in area of heat management as compared to other designs, but I think (hope) if Apple is designing system to handle 18-cores, then 8-core unit should have no issues. That said, I'll definitely be buying the AppleCare.
I really like / want the iMac all-in-one form factor and recently purchased a spec'd out i7 (4.2GHz / SSD), not really feeling like I needed the new Pro model. The fan spun up real hard with high CPU workloads to push out all the heat.
I did an LR import of a few hundred RAW photos and woke-up to photo the next morning. I returned the unit to Apple and don't know the root case, but suspect heat was a factor -- the machine performed flawlessly until pushed, and then toast! Probably an isolated incident but I think safe to say current design is not up nor intended for high-compute/gpu workloads.
The AIO formfactor is fundamentally disadvantaged in area of heat management as compared to other designs, but I think (hope) if Apple is designing system to handle 18-cores, then 8-core unit should have no issues. That said, I'll definitely be buying the AppleCare.
nbirkett
Senior Member
Yes, this is part of why I am asking. I saw a post where someone did a fairly systematic examination of CPU speed in different iMacs at different workloads. While the i7 was faster (as are some of the higher speed i5's) at low loads, with higher loads, they rapidly got very hot and instituted an automatic slow down to reduce heat generation. And the fans ran 'hard'. As a result, buying the up-scale version did not produce the benefit suggested. I know that not everyone agrees.
I wish that Apple would pay more attention to function (e.g. heat dissipation) than making their cases so thin and 'tight'. For a desktop computer, I really don't care if it is 2-3" deep on the edges, especially if it works better.
This missue got me interested in the iMac Pro. But, if the price difference is a great as seems likely (a 50% or higher premium), that will make the decision tough. I would use the machine for statistical analyses and simulations at work which involves lots of high speed calculations, not just for photo editing. So the extra capacity could be useful.
Guess I'll just have to be patient a bit longer (and hope for good news on the prices).
hotshew
Well-known member
I tend to agree. Ultimately, an i7 in regular iMac chassis is like bolting a small 2bbl carb to a big block -- it's only going to go as fast as that air you can pump through the system.
Hopefully they'll get it right w/ iMac Pro. I think they will because Apple is bleeding pro customer and creative segment to Windows, and regular (non-pro) customers listen to and pay attention to what pros & creatives use. Apple's got to know this, which is why they're racing to salvage what's left. I was a 2013 Mac Pro user and dumped it once I lost faith that Apple cared about this segment anymore.
Tom_N
Forum Pro
Options:
- CPU: 8, 10, or 18 cores. (Clock speeds unknown)
- RAM: 32, 64, or 128 GB.
- SSD: 1, 2, or 4 TB.
- GPU: Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8 GB or Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16 GB
So max out the RAM and the SSD and you can probably double that $4,999, even before you make any upgrades to the CPU or GPU.
hotshew
Well-known member
The base system is pretty well spec'ed. Given this is DPReview forum, should be plenty adequate for most users here. (Assuming photography / videography as primary use case.)
If more RAM needed, I'm sure OWC will have RAM kits out soon enough -- get the min spec RAM (32GB) and OWC kit once available.
Upgrading to 2TB from 1TB is prob the only thing I'll consider. It'll be fast flash mem on a fast bus interface, so not the relatively slow & cheap SATA stuff you find at your local Fry's. It's still carry the Apple tax, but nice to avoid needing external storage drive hanging off backside of an otherwise clean all-in-one form factor (and appearing as removable in Finder).
If more RAM needed, I'm sure OWC will have RAM kits out soon enough -- get the min spec RAM (32GB) and OWC kit once available.
Upgrading to 2TB from 1TB is prob the only thing I'll consider. It'll be fast flash mem on a fast bus interface, so not the relatively slow & cheap SATA stuff you find at your local Fry's. It's still carry the Apple tax, but nice to avoid needing external storage drive hanging off backside of an otherwise clean all-in-one form factor (and appearing as removable in Finder).
Tom_N
Forum Pro
RAM is user-accessible on the regular 27" iMac, but not on the iMac Pro. It's not clear if iMac Pro RAM is socketed, or how difficult getting to the sockets might be.
hotshew
Well-known member
Yes, I stand corrected as I only just learned this last night. While disappointing, I still maintain that 32 GB should be sufficient for the vast majority of pro users. Thanks for pointing out though.
David Mintzer
Leading Member
I have essentially the same machine and yes the fan goes on when you are doing intensive editing, particularly in Lightroom. I think its a function of many things but I've grown use to it. Not so sure things will be different with the IMac Pro.
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Corkcampbell
Forum Pro
Considering the specs, the iMac is well priced. This has been pointed out by many reviewers although, of course, they haven't actually used the actual machine.
A lot of people buying this will be using it in businesses, so the net cost is going to be lower for them, depending on how they depreciate, etc.
A lot of people buying this will be using it in businesses, so the net cost is going to be lower for them, depending on how they depreciate, etc.
stevevp
Senior Member
According to the Apple uk site, iMac Pro is available for order from Thursday 14 December. No more details eg on prices available.
nbirkett
Senior Member
Thanks. Yes, I saw that on the Canadian and US sites too. But, no pricing.
Tom_N
Forum Pro
One can guess that RAM and SSD space aren't going to be any cheaper for the iMac Pro than for the regular iMac. There, RAM goes for $800 USD per additional 32 GB, and SSD space goes for $800 USD per additional 1 TB.
That leaves the CPU and GPU option prices as the big variables. We've waited this long, so I doubt that it will kill anyone to wait two more days to find out the prices.
nbirkett
Senior Member
Agreed.
Ellis Vener
Forum Pro
David Mintzer
Leading Member
joger
Veteran Member
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