Category: IMAC Series

Discovering how to get value for money from the various iMAC series.

The High Capacity iMAC Pro Review 2017 Model

iMAC Pro Review

The IMAC PRO is another product from the stable of one of the leading companies in the world regarding technology.

An Overview

It was first introduced to the world at the 2017 Worldwide Developers conference. This device is a top of the range machine built with:

  • Xeon Processor.
  • Radeon Pro Vega Graphics.
  • Thunderbolt 3.
  • And a unique space grey compartment.

Features

  • It comes with 4TB3 ports.
  • A new terminal architecture.
  • Up to 4TB SSD.
  • Space grey body.
  • Radeon pro Vega graphics.

It’s a first-class computing machine designed for users with commanding workflow. It comes with the same design as the standard IMAC but what separates this machine from the standard is:

  • All Flash Architecture.
  • A new Terminal Design.
  • An Intel Xeon Processor up to 18 cores.
  • Top of the range Radeon Pro Vega Graphics.

More about the Features

  • T2 Processor that integrates with SMC.
  • The Camera Processor comes with an image signal.
  • An Audio Control.
  • An SSD Control.
  • A Secured Enclave.
  • A Hardware Encryption Engine.

These features above enhance this machine with a new functionality and comes with greater security.

The Computer is equipped with:

  • A High Quality 5k Display supported by 1 billion colours.
  • The Enclosing is a unique Space Grey enclosed with matching Accessories.
  • A Black Lighting Cable.

This computer is a split image of the existing IMAC 27.

  • The four-thunderbolt feature is powerful enough to drive multiple 5k displays at once.
  • A Solid-State Storage of up to 4TB.
  • 128GB of ECC RAM.
  • The Radeon Pro Vega 64 Graphic card comes with 16GB of HBM2 memory.

Apple has gone the extra mile to meet the undying demands of the MAC fanatics, this will probably pave way for Apple to keep producing high spec PRO machine that will probably support upgrades and increases life span.

 

IMAC PRO REVIEW

This machine was tested by a Professionals and youtubers permitted by Apple before it was launched.  A popular Tech Youtuber and his review where:

  • A silent operating Machine.
  • A gorgeous display and enclosure.
  • This Computer is faster than the 2013 MAC PRO and the existing lineup.
  • He said, the price tag is right for the machine.
  • It cannot be upgraded.

Another Tech You tuber made some statements:

  • He’s highly impressed with the performance.
  • Highly impressed with the Design.
  • It was the fastest out of ten different systems tested in the last ten years.

A Professional Photographer said:

  • The speed boost is 2x to 3x compared to his current IMAC
  • There was a 200 to 300 percent improvement as claimed by the photographer when editing 8K RED videos, 4K Drone Footage and 6K VR content.
  • He stated further that this machine is a killer and mentioned that people shouldn’t live without it.

They are:

  • Filmmaker.
  • VR Producer.
  • Photographer.

DESIGN

  • It mirrors a standard IMAC.
  • An ultra-thin slim bodied design.
  • A minimal footprint.
  • Set apart with a unique space grey enclosure.
  • A unique terminal design with 80 percent cooling capacity.
  • The airflow support is 75 percent more and up to 500 watts of power. This is 67 percent powerful than the previous model.
  • It has a wider ventilation grill because of the unique terminal design.
  • Not built for upgrade means, unable to change the RAM, Processor or the hard drive.

The RAM can be upgraded, but you can only do this in one of the Apple’s Retail store or an Apple’s Authorised service provider. Don’t bother going if it’s a different RAM because Apple won’t install the RAM.

At the back of the IMAC PRO are:

  • 5 mm audio jack.
  • An SD card slot.
  • Thunderbolt 3 USB – C ports.
  • 4 USB-A 3.0 Ports.
  • 10GB Ethernet port.
  • A retina 5k display that supports a billion colours with a P3 wide colour gamut.
  • The brightness level is more than 14.7 million pixels and a 500 nit which is 43 percent higher than the previous IMAC display.

The new spacious grey design is not alone, but comes with accessories that are exclusive to high end machine. It is not available to other Apple users.

The accessories are:

  • A wireless magical keyboard
  • A black lighting cables
  • A black thunderbolt 3 cable
  • A magic mouse 2 or a magic trackpad.

CPU AND GPU

The IMAC PRO was built with Intel Xeon-W processor with 8, 10, 14 and 18n core chips. This can be configured with Turbo boost of up to 4.5 GHz and up to 42MB of cache. This Intel-W new workstation class processor was introduced in August 2017. This processor uses an LGA2066 socket which was built on sky lake SP architecture. The CPU is made of a custom hardware.

Comparing this machine to the 2013 module, the mid-range 10 – core model with a 3.0GHz Intel Xeon Processor is 45 percent faster and 95 percent faster than the 2017 27 – inch 5K IMAC. If you want something with higher performance, then you should consider the 14 – 18 core models compare to 8 to 10 especially for multi – core processing tasks.

According to Apple, this machine offers outstanding performance for various workflows and apps including:

  • Auto desk Maya 2018.
  • Maxon cinema 4D.
  • Osiris X MD.
  • Wolfram Mathematica.
  • Adobe Photoshop CC.
  • Logic Pro X.
  • Final cut pro X.

The 10 and 18 core – iMac module offers a faster speed with the final cut pro x for example compare to the 12-core Mac Pro and the 4 – Core iMac.

The AMD’S newest Radeon Pro Vega is the most advanced graphic ever used and is supported by the advance thermal cooling unit built into the machine. This is the next generation compute core of up to 16GB of on package, high bandwidth, memory (HBM2) and 400GB/S memory bandwidth.

What the high-end Radeon Pro Vega 64 will do:

  • It delivers 11 teraflops of single precision computing power.
  • It delivers up to 22 teraflops of half precision computation performance.
  • It delivers a real time 3D rendering and impressive, high frame rate VR.

The Radeon Pro Vega is faster than any previous iMac GPU as claimed by Apple this means packing the power of a double wide graphics card into a single chip. The iMac pro base comes with Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB HBM2 memory and this can be upgraded to a Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB HBM2 memory.

IMAC PRO REVIEW

T2 CHIP

A custom Apple made T2 chip alongside the Intel Xeon – W processor is the successor of the T1 chip in the Mac Book Pro that powers the touch bar. The T2 integrates:

  • The system management controller.
  • Image signal processor for the camera.
  • Audio control.
  • SSD controller.
  • A secure enclave.
  • A hardware encryption engine.

The T2 image signal processor:

  • Enhanced tone mapping.
  • An improved exposure controls.
  • Improved face detection – based auto exposure to the face time HD camera.
  • Using a dedicated AES hardware, it works to encrypt all the data on the SSD with no defect to its performance.
  • The software is protected through a secure boot.
  • The start-up is loaded by OS software approved by Apple.
  • The T2 means if the computer needs restoration, a second Mac and Apples configuration software might be needed.

IMAC PRO REVIEW

SSD AND RAM

  • The base machine ships with 1TB SSD, but can be configured up to 4TB solid state storage.
  • It supports up to 128GB of 2666MHz DDR4 ECC memory that reduces data errors.
  • Price tag is $4,999 with 32GB RAM, which can be upgraded after purchase via Apple or authorised provider.
  • There are four 8GB DIMM RAM modules at the entry level. The upgraded module feature 4 x 16GB and 4 x 32GB arrangements.
  • If you’re planning to upgrade the RAM after purchase, you’ll have to replace all four modules even though the iMac supports quad channel memory.
  • The dual SSD arrangement is used with the entry level 1TB model featuring two 512GB SSDs in a raid configuration.

Other Features

Thunderbolt 3

The iMac Pro comes with four thunderbolt 3 ports. This can power up to two high performance RAID arrays and two 5K displays at the same time. It supports data transfer speed of up to 40GB/s. A black thunderbolt 3 cable and a black lighting to USB are also included which are exclusive.

10GB Ethernet

This is the First Time the 10GB Ethernet has ever been included in the iMac pro and supports Nbase – T industry standard 1GB, 2.5 GB and 5GB link speed.

Speakers

The high-tech speakers produce a broad frequency response mixed with rich bass and more volume.

Configuration options

The single-entry level configuration can be customised with a range of upgrades, some of the recommended configurations are:

  • 8 to 10 – core processor.
  • Upgraded RAM.
  • Improved Graphics.
  • More Storage.

Conclusion

This machine was designed for the PRO but not limited to the Pro, built with the most advanced graphics and processor, never found in any other Mac model. It also has the most advanced storage, memory plus a retina 5K display in a sleek all in one design. IMac Pro will transform your imagination into reality if you are a photographer, video editor, 3D animators, musicians, software developers, scientist and many more.

This cutting edge device provides the benefit of effortless high performance and comfort, thanks to an outstanding innovation. The secret behind this stunning device is the amazing design which provides much functionality with effortless power. The device offers an amazing feeling of comfort and control.

 

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