Apple recently announced the new iMac Pro, the next-generation iMac designed for professionals and meant to blow the competition (and all past Mac’s) out of the water.
On the outside, the iMac Pro doesn’t look too different from past models. It’s got the trademark slim profile in space gray, with a 27″ Retina 5k screen that is glossy and beyond gorgeous. On the inside, it’s got a Xeon processor with anywhere from 8 to 18 cores, with a 4.5ghz Turbo Boost. In other words, this thing is fast, and perfect for 4k video editing, rendering graphics in enormous detail, or creating real-time audio effects – without a hint of drag.
The impressive graphics capabilities are powered by Radeon Pro Vega, which is completely separate from the CPU and three times faster than previous Mac GPU’s. There are a mind-boggling 22 teraflops of graphic power, and either 8GB or 16GB of High Bandwidth Memory. Again, mindboggling. Game settings can be maxed out, 4k video renders in seconds, and you’re apt to feel as if every video is a piece of VR.
And if those specs aren’t impressive enough for you, the iMac Pro can handle up to 128gb of RAM. Yes, 128GB. That’s about 8 times more than you ever should need for everyday computing, and still more than enough for professional tasks. Apple has also included a 4tb SSD, with 3 Gb/s throughput for maximum speeds. There are 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports, which allow you to connect up to two more 5k monitors for up to 44 million pixels of display. There are also new speakers, and the new thermal cooling system has almost 75 percent more airflow and an 80 percent increase in system thermal capacity.
So, unless you’re into 4k video editing or some serious 3d graphics, you probably don’t need this kind of power. If you are, there’s no better choice. Either way, Apple has re-asserted itself as the brand of choice for those who need high-end power and looks – and just a little bit of cool.
