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iMac Pro Described as Blazingly Fast, Quiet, and Fairly Priced, But Lacks Upgradeability
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I'll try again, can you post a link to a workstation with close to similar spec?
You posted a bunch of pc parts, both very different plus it's just parts, sata ssd? AMD CPU? Are you trolling?
if you don't know the difference between a workstation and a bunch of parts you clearly never worked on it, please check dell, lenovo e HP workstation prices with similar spec and came back!
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Third time you don't answer a direct question.... it's ok... don't panick... no need to insult me if you had no clue
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I’ve come to the conclusion that people claiming you can buy a more powerful computer for less than half the price of an iMac Pro are simply jealous that they are not getting one. Unfortunately, it’s an ugly-side of humanity. Jealousy drives people to lash out with harsh comments and say things that are completely untrue. What a shame.
1. Sorry but each of the things I listed WERE officially upgradeable and engineered specifically to be so. Steve Jobs used to BUILD machines (although Woz did most of the engineering), so it's not a stretch to assume that all the machines I listed were designed with a purposeful ease of maintenance. Even my 2011 iMac is still repairable (although I concede it wasn't really intended for user repairability); I can replace drives, screen, RAM, etc without resorting to a heat gun or glue gun to put it back together, which made it a sound investment for me. Current Macs are no longer so.
2. The issue is not tinkering, it's upgrading and maintenance.
For example, if a drive dies, I can swap it out, for less money and headache than having to pack up a 27-in machine, carry it to the car, drive to the (not-so-) nearest Apple Store, wait to get helped, spend 20 mins arguing with the "Genius" on what I know the problem is, them taking the machine in, driving back home, waiting days for the machine to be fixed, driving back to the Apple Store, waiting to get helped, have the "Genius" bring the machine out and test it in front of me, pack it back up, carry it to the car, drive back home, set it back where it was, plug everything back into it, then test it myself.
Seems like you have way more time (and money) to waste than I do.
3. Thinking that it is stupid for someone else to not buy an iOS device because it doesn't have an SD card slot IS stupid in itself.
There's deal-breakers for everyone, whether it be that or a headphone jack or wireless charging or NFC or whatever.
Personal preference is NEVER stupid.
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I just get them to collect it from my house and carry on work on my backup machine.
Though if you're really hell bent on doing it yourself you can, I mean you like tinkering right? Lean how to take an iMac apart, i've actually done it. Sounds like you haven't.
As I said you're not going to get a Samsung 960 Pro PCI-E SSD on next day delivery anyway if it fails (which is a very unlikely) regardless of it had a custom connector or not.
Anyway you keep doing you, obviously this machine isn't for you - Apple obviously doesn't care about that. There's not really much point whining about it, it is what it is. I very much doubt you'll be buying the modular Mac Pro either.
I'd agree that the iMP (as with most of the iMac range) is probably good value if you compare like-for-like and if you need all of its features.
However, yes, you can configure a pretty darned powerful PC for $3000 with the exact features that you need, even if it doesn't match the iMP point-for-point.
Not everybody needs all the workstation features of the iMP. One big example is the 5k display (last I looked, all the 5k options for PC had been discontinued anyway) - a huge added value of the iMac... unless you wanted a matching pair of 30" 4k displays, in which case its pretty valueless. Ditto the 10Gbps ethernet - expensive, and wasted unless you have an (also expensive) 10Gbps network to plug it in to. 1TB of top-grade PCIe SSD is an expensive luxury for many for whom a 256GB PCIe SSD system disc + 2TB of something cheaper would be more appropriate.
Again..It's a review. I don't think it's the reviewer who doesn't understand the concept. I think he's getting the info out there for potential buyers that may not understand the concept.
Actually, you can't generalise about Steve Jobs and upgradeability.
iPhones, iPods, iPads have never been upgradeable...
The original Mac wasn't easy to upgrade (special long-handled torx screwdriver and, oh, yes, danger of death from the high-voltage display circuitry).
...but then you have the G3 and G4 towers, the G5 and Mac Pro "cheese graters" which were not just upgradeable, but tool free with spare expansion slots and drive bays.
The MacBook Pros kept user-upgradeable RAM and hard drives through to 2012.
(...and, of course, the Apple II - just unclip the lid and there's a row of expansion slots).
Again, sounds like you have more money to waste than I do. Good for you.
I have taken every Mac I've ever owned apart to do maintenance because I have both the skill and the inclination. I have spare drives lying around, so I can be up and running really quickly if I need to. I guess they don't have Amazon Prime where you live, since I can get a drive in 2 days (or sooner if I choose to) which is ALWAYS faster than Apple getting me my machine. I don't have a spare 27" iMac lying around, and have additional users in my household that use that iMac as a main machine for film-academy projects and the like.
Whether you believe I'd buy the Modular Mac is irrelevant, although given Apple's recent track record you may have a point there (it's likely to be overpriced garbage like the trash can MP is).
Anyway, I WILL keep doing me, that machine is DEFINITELY not for me, and no one's whining, although based on the tone of your posts I could see why you'd think I was.
Yes, parts. Parts that you build into a workstation.
That's not a SATA SSD, the 960 EVO is a PCIe NVMe SSD that fits into one of three Ultra M.2 slots on the motherboard.
Speaking of the motherboard, this particular one has 8 memory slots, 4 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, 1 PCIe 2.0 x1 slot, 3 Ultra M.2 slots, 1 U.2 port, 8 SATA3 ports, 1 USB-A 3.1 gen 2 and 1 USB-C 3.1 gen 2.
The CPU is the 1950X, which offers slightly higher performance than the i9 7900X. The Xeon W-2155, used in the 10 core iMac Pro, is the Xeon version of the i9 7900X.
The entry iMac Pro uses the 8 core W-2145, which the Threadripper 1950X can easily beat.
As for the other aspects of this AMD CPU, it supports ECC, quad channel memory, 64 PCIe lanes and it has 16 cores / 32 threads.
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A part that you are saving a lots of money by using AMD....and this does not make imac unfairly priced.
Any company would laught at buying parts...I understand you are a gamer and PUGB is your life....but this is not twitch....and is not because companies like to pay extra....but quite the opposite.
I'll write one last time "PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH A LINK OF A WORKSTATION NOT PARTS, AT LOWER PRICE"
Don't get me wrong before I started working I used to think like you do....then you realize that if you buy parts for your company and your system crash there is no one to blame but yourself....this is why IT choose companies with support contracts and tested machines and configuration.... but clearly you have no clue of the difference between a working machine and a gaming one and all can you do is compare price and numbers on the internet...if only was so easy.
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You make some very good points. An All-In-One System (AIO) comes with downfalls and that is a lack of customization to your exact needs and for the most part, the inability to upgrade most components. Certainly those of us that take the AIO approach make some compromises. For those that dont like AIOs, hopefully the next Mac Pro will bring back the ability to customize and repair. If not, then those not inclined to adapt will have to look at switching over to a Windows-based machine.
I’ve never been in the camp of “Apple’s AIOs are the Best thing Ever”. I’m just amazed when some people get on here and sling untruths with ugly tones. (Not directed at you...theluggage does not do that.)
If the iMac Pro is not the right machine for someone or is out of their price range, they should at least be semi-mature in the discussion.
Hacking parts together is almost always cheaper than getting a full-serviced machine. WIth iMac pro, you can get full range of services, maintenance (AppleCare?), OS updates etc. With parts, nothing. So its just choice of buyer. I had assembled a number of affordable hackintoshes, but its a hobby, but if I'do serious work on Macs, I'd prefer Apple machines. Thats why I bought Macbook Pro 13 inch and also used MBA, not merely installing MacOS on some PC notebook.
...and for a bit extra you can always find a smaller third-party supplier who will assemble machines to your specifications, and support them, especially if you are the sort of commercial customer with specialist requirements that the iMP is aimed at (the money is in the support contract, not the hardware). Even if you stick to the big 3 box-shifters there is a lot more diversity in what you can configure and order from their range.
Hackintosh can never be anything more than a hobby as long as it breaches Apple's end user license for MacOS (however blind an eye they have turned to it in the past).
Apple could get a bee in their bonnet and start a crackdown tomorrow (those fake machine IDs for non-existent iMac configurations can't be hard to spot when they pull software updates) and all your Hackentoshen will be... well, perfectly usable for Windows or Linux to be honest, but if you're using them commercially the staff re-training could be a pain.
The original context of my post was responding to the idea that you couldn't build a PC with better value. You've completely ignored that fact and further displayed your ignorance by dismissing an AMD CPU and suggesting a Samsung 960 EVO is a SATA SSD. You haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.
If you're curious about Threadripper being used in workstations, it's currently an exclusive to Alienware until the end of 2017. So in a few weeks time, companies like HP and Lenovo will be able to use it in their builds.
If you're talking about what IT will choose, in terms of a workstation, it won't be a Mac. It will probably be from HP, Dell or Lenovo running Windows or Linux. Further more, it will likely be an NVIDIA graphics based workstation, not AMD graphics.
If you want to price out an OEM workstation, it really depends on the work being done. For example, if you use Siemens NX, a simple Quadro P2000 will outperform an underclocked Radeon Pro Vega 56. If you're doing deep learning, a TITAN V will completely obliterate a Radeon Pro Vega 64.
You look at Lenovo's upcoming P920/P720 workstations, they have ISV certifications from Adobe, ANSYS, AUTODESK, AVID, Altair, AVEVA, Bentley, Dassault, Nemetschek, PTC, Siemens, Halliburton, Schumberger, Barco, Eizo and Mckesson. Similar for HP and Dell.
A last generation P910 workstation fron Lenovo can have 2x Xeon E5-2609 CPUs (16 core total), 32 GB ECC, 1 TB SSD and a Quadro P2000 5 GB. It only runs for around $3500 (consumer price, will be lower for a corporate purchase). Add a single monitor or multiple monitors for another $500~$1500. So if you're doing work in Siemens NX, then you're going to have a better workstation.
Lenovo workstations also come with 3 years of on-site warranty, how do you figure that into the iMac Pro? Clearly Lenovo will have better service included in the initial cost. Again, similar for HP and Dell.
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How would one "prove" what a future release will include? History is the best predictor of future events. Apple has allowed the Mac Pro and Mac Mini to flounder... going years without an update. This is a "rumor" site... so guessing, assuming, predicting.. whatever you want to call it... is fair game.
Wow. With the inability to upgrade RAM even on a friggin 27" iMac, the iOS-ification of Mac seems to be complete. Sad. 
That 11 TFLOPS on their webpage is the maximum configuration. So they are indeed running downclocked.
Anandtech said:
I will skip all the crap you wrote (was too much to read and I kind know it's like childish sort of insults from someone who never worked for an it company....boring)
Can you tell me why you are comparing the old P910 with Xeon E5-2609 (an extremely cheap 199$ and old cpu) instead of comparing a workstation with the similar price CPU? a Quadro P2000? an old 450 bucks CPU? Like really? about a Matrox?
You see it does not matter if you would choose that cpu or another, I would not choose ECC memory at all but with that hardware, the iMac pro is competitive and fairly priced this is a FACT it's not a debate, with the SAME hardware you don't get to save much if any.
Here is the price vat excluded with a recent hardware cpu, different class bu there is no W on Lenovo yet, much lower frequency, no monitor and a less powerfull GPU and no raid i/O no thunderbolt no 10gb ethernet and so on...don't get me started with support, you rushed reading it without looking at the details.
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Ah thanks for this info! So the Vega 56 desktop card is close (equal?) to the Vega 64 speed in the iMac Pro...
If you're not going to read my post that's fine, but I'm not going to bother continuing a discussion with an uninformed troll.
If you want to talk, go back, read it, comprehend it and continue a civilized discussion, I'm not interested in your BS.
Of course you don't...there is really nothing else to say then "I was wrong" but this is not the comment an internet warrior would choose. Good Job!
It would appear so. Of course things aren't always that simple, especially when you take into account potential throttling (resulting in even lower performance) and the fact it still has 16 GB HBM2 (which can be useful for certain applications).
In the end, it's a prosumer all-in-one. There's always going to be compromise.