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Ethosik

Contributor
Original poster
Oct 21, 2009
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Ok one last question since I’m going with the 2019 iMac now. Since there is only one Thunderbolt bus, can I get the OWC thunderbolt doc with TOSLINK port and still have enough power left for eGPU for Windows gaming? Or is there another way to get TOSLINK that supports both Mac and Windows?
 

alaman64

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2017
40
21
I doubt the iMac pro will ever get an update, it was a stop gap measure to appease the pro community until the Mac Pro came to market. The next update after the Mac Pro will be a new iMac with a similar 32 inch screen, to the Mac Pro. It won't have all the features, etc. The new iMac will have 4 tb ports, the new AMD cards, t2 chip etc.. This will be released in early 2020, once the new iMac get's released, is there a place for the iMac pro?
 

Apple Mac Daz

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2011
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I doubt the iMac pro will ever get an update, it was a stop gap measure to appease the pro community until the Mac Pro came to market. The next update after the Mac Pro will be a new iMac with a similar 32 inch screen, to the Mac Pro. It won't have all the features, etc. The new iMac will have 4 tb ports, the new AMD cards, t2 chip etc.. This will be released in early 2020, once the new iMac get's released, is there a place for the iMac pro?

Of course there is a place for the iMac Pro. Not everyone can afford the Mac Pro the user base has changed with the spec and pricing on the machine.
 

alaman64

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2017
40
21
Of course there is a place for the iMac Pro. Not everyone can afford the Mac Pro the user base has changed with the spec and pricing on the machine.

Since when does Apple care what people can afford? The thing is there's no place for an updated iMac Pro, in Apples line up because an updated Mac Pro with a 6k 32 inch screen would eat away sales from the Mac Pro where apple I'm sure makes a healthier margin.

Apple does not sell enough pro computers to justify 2 pro lines.
 

Benz63amg

macrumors 601
Oct 17, 2010
4,110
805
I doubt the iMac pro will ever get an update, it was a stop gap measure to appease the pro community until the Mac Pro came to market. The next update after the Mac Pro will be a new iMac with a similar 32 inch screen, to the Mac Pro. It won't have all the features, etc. The new iMac will have 4 tb ports, the new AMD cards, t2 chip etc.. This will be released in early 2020, once the new iMac get's released, is there a place for the iMac pro?

"Once the new iMac gets released"? The new 2019 iMac was just released about 2 months ago for your information and the update cycle of iMacs is unusually 2 years apart at least.
 
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alaman64

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2017
40
21
"Once the new iMac gets released" ? The new 2019 iMac was just released about 2 months ago for your information and the update cycle of iMacs are unusually 2 years apart at least.

Maybe but a new iMac will be released in June 2020, the current one needs a refresh badly. Have you read any of the reviews for the 2019 iMac? All reviews praise the performance and critique the look that is now 7 years old. The iMac is embarrassing, Apple has always been about looks over function, 1 inch bezels??? Just does not fit. They are about security and privacy, no T2 chip in the iMac.... they are about profit, with iPhone sales dropping, they need new revenue sources. A new iMac with a small bezel, 32 inch screen, will generate sales from existing iMac owners who have been hesitant to change.
 

Zen_Arcade

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2019
415
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Maybe but a new iMac will be released in June 2020 . . .
(Emphasis added.)

And you know that . . . how, exactly?

It's possible, but seems unlikely for the reason that @Benz63amg listed. Apple might well see the iMac Pro as a bridge from the i9 iMac to the Mac Pro, and update it sporadically.
 

alaman64

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2017
40
21
(Emphasis added.)

And you know that . . . how, exactly?

It's possible, but seems unlikely for the reason that @Benz63amg listed. Apple might well see the iMac Pro as a bridge from the i9 iMac to the Mac Pro, and update it sporadically.

How do I know that? Well It's the only logical choice, they will want to show it off, and get as much press as possible. so they will announce it during the developers conference and ship in Fall 2020. What other choice do they have? announce it in Spring 2021 and ship in Fall 2021, that's just way too long.
 

Zen_Arcade

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2019
415
576
How do I know that? Well It's the only logical choice, they will want to show it off, and get as much press as possible. so they will announce it during the developers conference and ship in Fall 2020. What other choice do they have? announce it in Spring 2021 and ship in Fall 2021, that's just way too long.

That same "logic" applies to the last few years of iMac updates. People have been complaining about the design since it came out, and Apple has had the same kind of "choice" for years.

And as it is a desktop, it seems unlikely that Apple sells many - certainly not as many as they do laptops - so wanting to maximize press is unlikely to be its biggest concern.
 

alaman64

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2017
40
21
That same "logic" applies to the last few years of iMac updates. People have been complaining about the design since it came out, and Apple has had the same kind of "choice" for years.

And as it is a desktop, it seems unlikely that Apple sells many - certainly not as many as they do laptops - so wanting to maximize press is unlikely to be its biggest concern.

So why did they make such a big deal if the Mac Pro
That same "logic" applies to the last few years of iMac updates. People have been complaining about the design since it came out, and Apple has had the same kind of "choice" for years.

And as it is a desktop, it seems unlikely that Apple sells many - certainly not as many as they do laptops - so wanting to maximize press is unlikely to be its biggest concern.

So you’re telling me that they will spend millions on a redesign of the iMac line and they won’t be concerned about maximizing press coverage.
 

Zen_Arcade

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2019
415
576
So why did they make such a big deal if the Mac Pro

"f the Mac Pro . . . " What?

So you’re telling me that they will spend millions on a redesign of the iMac line and they won’t be concerned about maximizing press coverage.

Apple's main concern is maximizing profitability, not press coverage. Any concern on its part with press coverage is simply a means to the end of maximizing profitability.
 

Benz63amg

macrumors 601
Oct 17, 2010
4,110
805
Maybe but a new iMac will be released in June 2020, the current one needs a refresh badly. Have you read any of the reviews for the 2019 iMac? All reviews praise the performance and critique the look that is now 7 years old. The iMac is embarrassing, Apple has always been about looks over function, 1 inch bezels??? Just does not fit. They are about security and privacy, no T2 chip in the iMac.... they are about profit, with iPhone sales dropping, they need new revenue sources. A new iMac with a small bezel, 32 inch screen, will generate sales from existing iMac owners who have been hesitant to change.

“Maybe”? I’m not sure if you’re serious or simply trolling this thread. A NEW iMac was just released and the developers conference just happened several weeks ago. A new iMac will eventually come out but don’t expect it anytime soon. There are plenty of reasons for people to buy the 2019 iMac such as 4K HDR Playback which seems to be a 2019 iMac Exclusive that even the current iMac Pro will NOT be able to do due to hardware limitations.
 
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joema2

macrumors 68000
Sep 3, 2013
1,645
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Zen_Arcade said:
...last few years of iMac updates....as it is a desktop, it seems unlikely that Apple sells many - certainly not as many as they do laptops - so wanting to maximize press is unlikely to be its biggest concern...

So why did they make such a big deal if the Mac Pro...

For the same reason Chevrolet makes a big deal about the high-performance Corvette, despite selling only 9,896 in 2018, vs 585,581 Silverado trucks.

Whether computers or cars, the highest-end, highest-performance product from a mfg. is a "halo" item in marketing terms that attracts customers and reflects well on the entire product line.
 

alaman64

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2017
40
21
That same "logic" applies to the last few years of iMac updates. People have been complaining about the design since it came out, and Apple has had the same kind of "choice" for years.

And as it is a desktop, it seems unlikely that Apple sells many - certainly not as many as they do laptops - so wanting to maximize press is unlikely to be its biggest
“Maybe”? I’m not sure if you’re serious or simply trolling this thread. A NEW iMac was just released and the developers conference just happened several weeks ago. A new iMac will eventually come out but don’t expect it anytime soon. There are plenty of reasons for people to buy the 2019 iMac such as 4K HDR Playback which seems to be a 2019 iMac Exclusive that even the current iMac Pro will NOT be able to do due to hardware limitations.

I’m serious, not sure why I’m getting attacked. The recent iMac was released March 2019 all I’m suggesting is that they will announce the revised iMac in June 2020 at the developers conference and release it in September 2020. Not sure why that’s so far fetched, that’s about 18 months between releases . Just in time for back to school and ready for Xmas 2020. I gave this much thought, that’s why I bought my 2019 iMac 2 weeks ago, I usually keep my systems an average of about 18 months then trade up.
 

_Skyfire_

Suspended
Aug 16, 2017
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A NEW iMac was just released and the developers conference just happened several weeks ago. A new iMac will eventually come out but don’t expect it anytime soon.

A "new" iMac? Perhaps it's you who is trolling...

What we got was a CPU refresh after a wait of almost 2 full calendar years. Perhaps not a 6k bezel-less display, but certainly updated ports and a thermal redesign would be reasonable expectations. And how about those shiny Navi GPUs?
So IMO we are due new iMacs pretty soon. Unless ofc Apple can count on enough fanboys to classify a CPU upgrade as new machines..
 

Benz63amg

macrumors 601
Oct 17, 2010
4,110
805
A "new" iMac? Perhaps it's you who is trolling...

What we got was a CPU refresh after a wait of almost 2 full calendar years. Perhaps not a 6k bezel-less display, but certainly updated ports and a thermal redesign would be reasonable expectations. And how about those shiny Navi GPUs?
So IMO we are due new iMacs pretty soon. Unless ofc Apple can count on enough fanboys to classify a CPU upgrade as new machines..
The 2019 iMac is a new iMac Model whether you like it or not. It is not a redesigned iMac which is what many of us on the forum including myself wanted to see but if you’re going to start playing word games about what “new” means then you can have that conversation with yourself from this point on.
 

askunk

macrumors 6502a
Oct 12, 2011
547
430
London
It is also true that Apple has once updated the models only after 150 days. The fact that they came out with a pure refresh without even a T2 chip inside makes me think it could be possible.
The problem is that there is no Intel chip in sight, unless (very unlikely) Apple wants to use Ryzen chips. The next desktop Intel chip (Ice Lake or whatever they will call it) is not expected until at least Spring/Summer 2020. :(

Screenshot 2019-06-24 at 15.01.27.png
 
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Ethosik

Contributor
Original poster
Oct 21, 2009
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Has anyone used an eGPU with an iMac? How does it work in Windows with two GPUs detected (internal and eGPU)?

I’d like to do some gaming on the side and rather not have to be required to get the iMac Pro with Vega 64x for it. The 2019 iMac fits the most of my needs and allows 4K HDR playback

Edit: To clarify, I would intend to use my eGPU with my secondary monitor and not the internal screen.
 
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_Skyfire_

Suspended
Aug 16, 2017
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The 2019 iMac is a new iMac Model whether you like it or not. It is not a redesigned iMac which is what many of us on the forum including myself wanted to see but if you’re going to start playing word games about what “new” means then you can have that conversation with yourself from this point on.
You actually were the one with the emphasis on the NEW iMac. I simply had to respond to such a haughty, exaggerated statement. Now, whether you wish to have a civil discussion or just play a word game with yourself, that's ultimately up to you.
 

SecuritySteve

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2017
940
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California
Has anyone used an eGPU with an iMac? How does it work in Windows with two GPUs detected (internal and eGPU)?

I’d like to do some gaming on the side and rather not have to be required to get the iMac Pro with Vega 64x for it. The 2019 iMac fits the most of my needs and allows 4K HDR playback

Edit: To clarify, I would intend to use my eGPU with my secondary monitor and not the internal screen.
If you are using the eGPU attached to an external monitor, it should perform exactly the same as MacBook Pro users. You might find a larger eGPU user base in that forum, for your usage. I also recommend looking at eGPU.io for more detailed information on eGPU performance.
 

askunk

macrumors 6502a
Oct 12, 2011
547
430
London
If I can throw my two cents...

The new Navi 5700 cards are the best candidates for the new iMacs, while it seems AMD will introduce new more powerful ones in the range of 10 to 12 TFlops (I guess the replacements for Vega 56 and 64) by the Q4 2019.
If they did, it would get close to the new Cooper Lake Xeons (Q1 2020, but given it's Intel, I'd say at least H1) or Apple could go for using the same Cascade Lake as the Mac Pro, after all it would be awkward to sell a cheaper machine - even though an AIO - with more powerful CPUs.

The latter choice may make more marketing sense: the Mac Pro starts with an "audio studio" GPU (Radeon 580X) but then jumps immediately into the single Vega II, that can connect as a duo with another VegaII via Infinity Fabric at a later stage, therefore not directly comparable with a soldered single one.

There is quite a big gap between the two cards. It may not be only a question of investing in just one chip (Vega 20) and offering super high-end options to the monstrous Mac Pro. It could be a very territorial choice for Apple, leaving the GPU gap to the iMP. After all, nowadays the main critical factor for a purchase of a Mac, at least - allow me - among our rants here on the forum, is the GPU. Well... the iMP would fill exactly the gap between a Vega 48 and a Vega II, as it does already, with the new gen.

That would very likely mean it would still rely on the T2, instead of expecting some T3 evolution. Or it would steal the thunder of the recently released older brother.

Which, in the end, would leave the choice to Apple of whether to present a new case with the Pro or leave it to a more theatrical and widely appreciated/sold iMac later in 2020.

If you followed my cents bouncing down the stairs, my speculation at this point would be that we could see an "old case" iMP with Cascade Lake Xeon Ws, Navi 5800/5900?, T2 and perhaps BT 5.0 and HDR screens (I wouldn't count on WiFi6 until Ice Lake comes out for the new notebooks) in a September to January window.
Alternatively, I would hope for an H2 2020 release of redesigned iMacs and IMPs (maybe even together) all SSD-based with the present and upcoming Navi cards, but the rest is open to further and wilder speculation.
 
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Ethosik

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Original poster
Oct 21, 2009
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If you are using the eGPU attached to an external monitor, it should perform exactly the same as MacBook Pro users. You might find a larger eGPU user base in that forum, for your usage. I also recommend looking at eGPU.io for more detailed information on eGPU performance.

How does windows work with two drivers?
 

Ethosik

Contributor
Original poster
Oct 21, 2009
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Anyone? How does Windows work with two GPUs and two drivers? This might be the deciding factor between the i9 iMac and iMac Pro. If I need to get a better GPU internally, I would need the Vega 64 right?
 

Sooby

macrumors member
Apr 5, 2019
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Anyone? How does Windows work with two GPUs and two drivers? This might be the deciding factor between the i9 iMac and iMac Pro. If I need to get a better GPU internally, I would need the Vega 64 right?

I would research to see if there are MacBook Pro users with Vega 20's who also have egpu's that they use with Windows. That should tell you how two driver's work in Windows. The Vega 48 is no slouch when it comes to gaming though. It's very capable in its own right. Every game I've played on it I've been able to play at the maximum graphical settings at at least 2560x1440p resolution, many higher than that and even some at 4k. It's a lot of money to upgrade to a Vega 64 or 64x, at least where I live (Australia), and I don't think those cards will be able to play the next generation of games at super high settings either, especially as new graphical features such a ray tracing become more and more predominant in the coming years. I'd prefer to keep that money, be content with what the Vega 48 offers right now and then upgrade in a few years time when there are better graphics cards in future iMacs that can truly handle next generation games. For current generation and past generation games, the Vega 48 delivers very good performance. And you should be able to add on an egpu if you really need to (but that's for you to confirm with your own research of course). Plus the 2019 iMac is known to support 4k HDR movies in the upcoming Catalina, while it seems that iMac Pro is not, because it doesn't support DisplayPort 1.4. I don't know if that's important to you, but it was important to me.
 
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Ethosik

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Oct 21, 2009
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It has also been suggested to me to wait for the Mac Pro. I’m not sure how I feel about that system. I can get the iMac pro with Vega 64x and 64GB of RAM and still be under the horrible base Mac Pro. Really, 256GB and 580 for the base model at $6,000? With no monitor even! Why is it so much? iMac Pro is so much better specs at the price. It would probably be $7,000 or $8,000 to even match the iMac Pro
 
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