Apple's latest computer, the iMac Pro, is now available to order. It carries with it a hefty price tag but it promises to be "the most powerful Mac ever."
The iMac Pro is an assembly of some of the most powerful computing components in the market today. The standard version powered by a 10-core Intel Xeon W processor, rated and 3.2 Ghz and can be boosted to 4.2 Ghz. There are options for 8-core, 14-core, and 18-core processors.
Graphics are handled by a Radeon Pro Vega 56 model cards, with 8 GB of memory. There is an option to upgrade to a Vega 64 model, with 16 GB of memory.
The base amount of random access memory (RAM) is 32 GB, but there are options to upgrade it to 64 GB or 128 GB. The installed solid-state drive (SSD) in the standard model has a capacity of 1 terabyte, but it can be upgraded to 2 terabytes.
The iMac Pro can also be ordered with a mount as approved by the Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA).
All of the computer's customizations can be done on the item's Apple store page.
While computer enthusiasts can theoretically build a similar machine using the same components, Apple says that this will cost as much if not more than their asking price for the iMac Pro.
They also point out that their assembly of parts are optimized, and will thus work better together than user-built computers. This is mainly because of a technology called T2.
T2 is an integrated system which helps with overall data-crunching. It handles calculations for audio, 1080p image processing, and SSD control, among other system-related functions. This helps reduce some of the load on the motherboard and on the main Intel processor, as well.
However, the iMac Pro is not a cheap machine. The standard model costs $4,999 and that price can go up depending on the user's choice of upgrade options.
Apple has intended for the computer to be mainly used by professionals who need a powerful computer for resource-intensive tasks. Examples of these are virtual reality (VR) development, scientific research, and high-resolution (4K to 8K) video editing.
