iMac Pro IMac Pro

[SamD82]

Hello All,
After long time, just decide to change my MacBook Pro (Mid 2010), which's serve me a lot, i'm graphic designer and logo branding, and i need a new desktop with different level of power, also i'm planning to go deeply with video editing, 3D design (exhibition stands, modeling, and 3D intro, etc...) I have good background about C4D which's my first 3D program i have used.

My question is, Is the IMac Pro good enough for my work mentioned above?

• 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor
• Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
• 32GB 2666MHz ECC memory
• 1TB SSD storage
• Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB HBM2 memory

In all my search, couldn't find clear answer if these specs are really good for 3D rendering.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MadDane]

That machine should more than meet your needs.

However, if you aren't set on an iMac Pro, you might want to hold off until this coming Tuesday where Apple is expected to release new iMacs. You might be able to find something similar power-wise for less money. You are paying a lot extra for Xeon and ECC memory, which I don't think you need for the tasks that you mention.

 

[SamD82]

That machine should more than meet your needs.

However, if you aren't set on an iMac Pro, you might want to hold off until this coming Tuesday where Apple is expected to release new iMacs. You might be able to find something similar power-wise for less money. You are paying a lot extra for Xeon and ECC memory, which I don't think you need for the tasks that you mention.

Thx for replay and for that good news, yeah i know i will pay much, almost will have empty pocket later

 

[mikehalloran]

That machine should more than meet your needs.

Probably. That is certainly not a given.

Plugins will eat RAM. Is 32G enough? There's a reason that Apple makes these capable of using 128G.

Your SSD should be large enough to contain all active work projects plus 25% or more. You'll swap completed projects out to an external, of course. Stock libraries etc. can reside on the external. Is 1T large enough?

 

[SamD82]

Probably. That is certainly not a given.

Plugins will eat RAM. Is 32G enough? There's a reason that Apple makes these capable of using 128G.

Your SSD should be large enough to contain all active work projects plus 25% or more. You'll swap completed projects out to an external, of course. Stock libraries etc. can reside on the external. Is 1T large enough?

I think it's enough, i'm not going for 3D animation always, which's eat a lot of space, so the external drive will handle the dead projects, plus, my budget not allowing me to upgrade the SSD

 

[AlexMaximus]

Thx for replay and for that good news, yeah i know i will pay much, almost will have empty pocket later

The new iMac 2018 next week will be a 6 core machine and will cost you about 4K. I think this will be the sweet spot for you, also in terms of OSX support and longevity. However, if you are lucky, you might be able to get an iMac Pro as an open Box or slightly used or with MicroCenter for the exact same price tag.
Either way, your timing is great for getting a new hardware. Because of the word "reliability", I did not choose a consumer iMac for my work in the past. I am extremely happy with my old 5.1 Pro machine so far, so the question will remain how much more reliable will be a "Pro" machine compared to the regular version. For me, I absolutely could live with an i7 or i9 Intel CPU, the question is how reliable is the consumer GPU in a regular iMac. I can't answer that, maybe someone with a long iMac usage can.

 

[SamD82]

The new iMac 2018 next week will be a 6 core machine and will cost you about 4K. I think this will be the sweet spot for you, also in terms of OSX support and longevity. However, if you are lucky, you might be able to get an iMac Pro as an open Box or slightly used or with MicroCenter for the exact same price tag.
Either way, your timing is great for getting a new hardware. Because of the word "reliability", I did not choose a consumer iMac for my work in the past. I am extremely happy with my old 5.1 Pro machine so far, so the question will remain how much more reliable will be a "Pro" machine compared to the regular version. For me, I absolutely could live with an i7 or i9 Intel CPU, the question is how reliable is the consumer GPU in a regular iMac. I can't answer that, maybe someone with a long iMac usage can.

6 core machine with 4K cost! sounds good for my budget , and i think it's not a big difference for the 8 core.

 

[mikehalloran]

The new iMac 2018 next week will be a 6 core machine and will cost you about 4K. I think this will be the sweet spot for you

How do you know?

The reason the iMac Pro is available up to 18 cores, 4T SSD and 128G RAM is because some AV professionals need that much horsepower.

I'm hoping that my budget can handle a 10 core 2T, 64G machine. I've done a lot of research and, so far, that's my sweet spot. It's also a lot of money...

I'm hoping that the iMac gets a bump and that a less expensive machine will do the job. I am waiting to see what happens Tuesday but, so far, it's only a rumor that the iMac will be included in next week's announcement.

 

[mreg376]

That machine should more than meet your needs.

However, if you aren't set on an iMac Pro, you might want to hold off until this coming Tuesday where Apple is expected to release new iMacs. You might be able to find something similar power-wise for less money. You are paying a lot extra for Xeon and ECC memory, which I don't think you need for the tasks that you mention.

Apple is not "expected to release new iMacs." People are hoping that Apple will release new iMacs. There hasn't been a single leak or fact-based rumor about new iMacs.
[doublepost=1540591518][/doublepost]

How do you know?.

He doesn't know anything. He's guessing. Maybe he'll hit a home tun, or maybe he'll strike out. It's as useful as any other guessing.

 

[MadDane]

Apple is not "expected to release new iMacs." People are hoping that Apple will release new iMacs. There hasn't been a single leak or fact-based rumor about new iMacs.

First of all I am trying to help OP with an informed purchasing decision, hence why I mentioned the expected/rumoured/possible refresh next week.

Secondly - Apple is expected (expected ≠ confirmed) to release new iMacs. Just look at the MacRumors frontpage.

iMac

Apple refreshes its iMac lineup on a regular basis, and reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that an updated model is in the works and set to launch at Apple's October 30th event.

We're expecting new iMacs that feature upgraded 8th-generation Intel processors, improved GPUs, and perhaps the adoption of the T2 chip that was introduced in the iMac Pro and has since been added to the MacBook Pro.

For more on the iMac, make sure to check out our iMac roundup.

Article Link: What to Expect at Apple's October 30th Event: New iPad Pros, Mac Mini, Low-Cost Retina Notebook and More

 

[AlexMaximus]

Apple is not "expected to release new iMacs." People are hoping that Apple will release new iMacs. There hasn't been a single leak or fact-based rumor about new iMacs.
[doublepost=1540591518][/doublepost]

He doesn't know anything. He's guessing. Maybe he'll hit a home tun, or maybe he'll strike out. It's as useful as any other guessing.

Yeaahh, you are correct on that one. However, statistics and Intel's product portfolio on CPU solutions upgrade's the guess to "educated guessing". That- and Apple's world-class product lifecycle management when it comes to product segmentation. I might be wrong, but I really wonder.
If they put an i9 6-core CPU in a completely cramped MacBook Pro 2018 chassis and thermal throttle the hell out of it, why not put a similar CPU in the consumer iMac? The only debate on the holy ring campus in Cupertino is the degree of a cannibalization effect on the entry model iMac Pro.

Regardless of a right or wrong guess, I admit it - I do love the iMac Pro. On top of that, I think there will be a 22 core model in the pipeline for all you honest Pro creatives out there, lol. The iMac Pro is like a warm footbath for my eyes. Sooner or later I will pull the trigger....

 

[mikehalloran]

First of all I am trying to help OP with an informed purchasing decision,

How? I'm serious.

The OP mentioned tasks that can be very intense and require a full blown iMac Pro with all the bells and whistles — or not.

You don't know. Neither do I, frankly. I certainly know enough not to make a recommendation.

No one here is going to know except those familiar with the apps he will be using (that haven't been mentioned) and the expected workload (if he knows).

Here's the thing about AV: Time. An underpowered Mac or PC will be able to do most tasks but it will take forever to accomplish them. If a 64G, 14 Core, 2T is the recommendation, a 128G 18-core 4T won't be much faster (if at all) but a 32G 8 Core 1T might take days longer to get the same job done.

The OP needs to ask the app developer or company. Find the User Group for the app(s). Other users will have the best knowledge of the horsepower required.

The recommendation to wait till Tuesday is a good one. Telling someone that $4K will hit the sweet spot for

i'm planning to go deeply with video editing, 3D design (exhibition stands, modeling, and 3D intro, etc...)

None of here are going to know that.

 

[Strider64]

I would wait till Tuesday when Apple makes their announcements. I think everyone who has seen announcements in the past has seen a surprise or two, plus sometimes the announcements throws a curveball for either the bad or good. I would also search the web for unbiased reviews/thoughts on Apple's announcements to get a better feel for it.

 

[MadDane]

How? I'm serious.

The OP mentioned tasks that can be very intense and require a full blown iMac Pro with all the bells and whistles — or not.

You don't know. Neither do I, frankly. I certainly know enough not to make a recommendation.

No one here is going to know except those familiar with the apps he will be using (that haven't been mentioned) and the expected workload (if he knows).

Here's the thing about AV: Time. An underpowered Mac or PC will be able to do most tasks but it will take forever to accomplish them. If a 64G, 14 Core, 2T is the recommendation, a 128G 18-core 4T won't be much faster (if at all) but a 32G 8 Core 1T might take days longer to get the same job done.

The OP needs to ask the app developer or company. Find the User Group for the app(s). Other users will have the best knowledge of the horsepower required.

The recommendation to wait till Tuesday is a good one. Telling someone that $4K will hit the sweet spot for



None of here are going to know that.

To me, in addition to what you've said regarding the required power and so on, an informed purchasing decision also has to do with knowing what is available. What is available today vs. what is available on Tuesday will probably not be the same. By waiting a few days, OP might have different options to choose from and it may or may not influence the final choice.

All i am trying to say is - wait until Tuesday and then make your decision based on what is available then.

 

[xgman]

All i am trying to say is - wait until Tuesday and then make your decision based on what is available then.

and . . .

 

[jtcedinburgh]

I was in a similar situation and have just splurged out on a base iMac Pro. Crazy. But then, I always was....

 

[anonymous161]

I was in a similar situation and have just splurged out on a base iMac Pro. Crazy. But then, I always was....

You'll be pleased; it's a great machine.

 

[MadDane]

and . . .

And now OP can make an informed decision.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Regardless of a right or wrong guess, I admit it - I do love the iMac Pro. On top of that, I think there will be a 22 core model in the pipeline for all you honest Pro creatives out there, lol. The iMac Pro is like a warm footbath for my eyes. Sooner or later I will pull the trigger....

Jump on in! The water is great! I absolutely love my iMac Pro...
[doublepost=1540942709][/doublepost]

I was in a similar situation and have just splurged out on a base iMac Pro. Crazy. But then, I always was....

Congrats! You’re going to love it!

 

[richinaus]

Hello All,
After long time, just decide to change my MacBook Pro (Mid 2010), which's serve me a lot, i'm graphic designer and logo branding, and i need a new desktop with different level of power, also i'm planning to go deeply with video editing, 3D design (exhibition stands, modeling, and 3D intro, etc...) I have good background about C4D which's my first 3D program i have used.

My question is, Is the IMac Pro good enough for my work mentioned above?

• 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor
• Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
• 32GB 2666MHz ECC memory
• 1TB SSD storage
• Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB HBM2 memory

In all my search, couldn't find clear answer if these specs are really good for 3D rendering.

Thanks in advance!

This is the exact computer I have and is my all time favourite Mac [have had them all]. I use it for modelling and rendering in Fusion 360 and rhino, and have tried out Cinema 4D on it too [not really a user of this software though - but pro render in C4D r20 is much improved I think]. You will have no issues at all with exhibition stands etc.

I am sure you won't regret it.

I will add that the quietness of the computer is one of my favourite things, although if you use Twinmotion you can max out that Vega card and get the fans going nicely

Out of curiosity if you are using c4d for visuals, what are you using for documentation?