Apple's 14- & 18-core iMac Pro configurations won't ship until 2018

AppleInsider

Power users wanting the fastest possible iMac Pros will have to wait until sometime in 2018, when 14- and 18-core models will ship, according to a well-known YouTube celebrity who received an early unit.

Only 8- and 10- core models will be available when the computer launches on Dec. 14, Marques Brownlee said on Tuesday. Apple's website currently only lists 8-, 10-, and 18-core options, but Brownlee confirmed with AppleInsider that Apple plans to announce the 14-core option on Thursday.

The iMac Pro is the first part of Apple's response to professionals complaining about a lack of high-end Macs. The $4,999 entry-level model will include an 8-core processor, 32 gigabytes of RAM, and a 1-terabyte SSD, with an 8-gigabyte AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 GPU.

Beyond faster CPUs, upgrade options will include 16-gigabyte Vega 64 GPUs, up to 128 gigabytes of RAM, and SSDs as big as 4 terabytes.

Apple is also working on a new version of the Mac Pro, which should ship sometime in 2018. Little else is known about it other than it will be modular, allowing it to be user-upgraded, unlike the iMac Pro.

smaffei

Sounds more like a chip supplier delay rather than a Apple shipping problem.

tht

A part of me finds it hard to believe that Apple can bring this all-in-one form factor so far up the price and performance tiers. With YouTube and other consumer video and audio markets, there’s a place for a product like this, so I can see it being successful.

They do need a black anodized aluminum+glass external monitor to go with the iMac Pro though. The wait for the Mac Pro and external monitors is a long wait. That machine has to go to 2 Xeon sockets and 2 GPUs to even differentiate itself from the iMac Pro; and, something like 4 5K montiors or 3 8K monitors.

appex

This is programmed obsolescence. All-in-one (AIO) computers like iMac are a huge aggression to planet Earth. Computers may last for seven years or less, whereas displays may last for more than 20 years. I am using an Apple Cinema Display 22-inch purchased almost 18 years ago and it works great. And it has been on an average of 15 hours a day, 356 days each year.

docno42

tht said:

They do need a black anodized aluminum+glass external monitor to go with the iMac Pro though. The wait for the Mac Pro and external monitors is a long wait. That machine has to go to 2 Xeon sockets and 2 GPUs to even differentiate itself from the iMac Pro; and, something like 4 5K montiors or 3 8K monitors.

I hope not (2 Xeon sockets).  It dramatically restricts the chips and refresh cycles (and jacks up the pricing too!).  Being able to have flexibility with graphics and other cards is paramount and I hope Apple really did hear the complaints like they insist they did for the new Mac Pro.  A single socket model with at least 16 lane PCI slots would be my minimum if they are going to bother producing a modular Mac Pro.

My 2010 Mac Pro has 16 threads - 8 cores spread across two chips with hyperthreading - heck I can get a CPU with 16 real cores now, so please let’s drop the complexity, cost and severe restrictions in chipsets that multiple sockets bring.  

Give me PCI Express Sockets and a boatload of RAM sockets.

maciekskontakt

It is not about how many pixels. Nobody gives about your 5k or zillion K in profesional graphics design work. You need multiple HIGH QUALITY PROFFESIONAL GRADE monitors that can deal with accurate colors or one large monitor for smaller tasks. Are they going to release 32-40 inch monitor iMac? Who gives? Just upgrade those Mac Pros to proper multicore CPU and GPU with a lot of RAM and nevermind expensive iMacs for professional work. They do not cut for needs if you ever ran in that business you should know.

Mike Wuerthele

appex said:

This is programmed obsolescence. All-in-one (AIO) computers like iMac are a huge aggression to planet Earth. Computers may last for seven years or less, whereas displays may last for more than 20 years. I am using an Apple Cinema Display 22-inch purchased almost 18 years ago and it works great. And it has been on an average of 15 hours a day, 356 days each year.

A much, much larger aggression is the power you're using with the CRT.

docno42

appex said:

This is programmed obsolescence. All-in-one (AIO) computers like iMac are a huge aggression to planet Earth. Computers may last for seven years or less, whereas displays may last for more than 20 years. I am using an Apple Cinema Display 22-inch purchased almost 18 years ago and it works great. And it has been on an average of 15 hours a day, 356 days each year.

Already addressed your comment spam here:  https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/comment/3015574/#Comment_3015574

king editor the grate

appex said:

This is programmed obsolescence. All-in-one (AIO) computers like iMac are a huge aggression to planet Earth. Computers may last for seven years or less, whereas displays may last for more than 20 years. I am using an Apple Cinema Display 22-inch purchased almost 18 years ago and it works great. And it has been on an average of 15 hours a day, 356 days each year.

Life is suffering.

tht

docno42 said:

tht said:

They do need a black anodized aluminum+glass external monitor to go with the iMac Pro though. The wait for the Mac Pro and external monitors is a long wait. That machine has to go to 2 Xeon sockets and 2 GPUs to even differentiate itself from the iMac Pro; and, something like 4 5K montiors or 3 8K monitors.

I hope not (2 Xeon sockets).  It dramatically restricts the chips and refresh cycles (and jacks up the pricing too!).  Being able to have flexibility with graphics and other cards is paramount and I hope Apple really did hear the complaints like they insist they did for the new Mac Pro.  A single socket model with at least 16 lane PCI slots would be my minimum if they are going to bother producing a modular Mac Pro.

My 2010 Mac Pro has 16 threads - 8 cores spread across two chips with hyperthreading - heck I can get a CPU with 16 real cores now, so please let’s drop the complexity, cost and severe restrictions in chipsets that multiple sockets bring.  

Give me PCI Express Sockets and a boatload of RAM sockets.

I presume the Mac Pro will have 3 PCIe slots and 8 RAM slots. Maybe they’ll have single socket CPU versions just like Mac Pros of old as a base model, but they’ll need something to differentiate the Mac Pro from the iMac Pro, and I don’t think being “modular” will be the sole differentiator. Mac Pros are going to occupy an even higher price tier than the iMac Pro will, and 2 socket CPU, 2 GPU card is about the only thing they can do.

Hard for me to believe that there will be a price overlap between the iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro. 

welshdog

Mike Wuerthele said:

appex said:

This is programmed obsolescence. All-in-one (AIO) computers like iMac are a huge aggression to planet Earth. Computers may last for seven years or less, whereas displays may last for more than 20 years. I am using an Apple Cinema Display 22-inch purchased almost 18 years ago and it works great. And it has been on an average of 15 hours a day, 356 days each year.

A much, much larger aggression is the power you're using with the CRT.

Not mention the X-ray bath that CRT has been giving him all that time. 

neilm

appex said:

I am using an Apple Cinema Display 22-inch purchased almost 18 years ago and it works great. And it has been on an average of 15 hours a day, 356 days each year.

Dream on. When did you last compare it to a current display?

We've had your display (fondly remembered as "the easel") in the office, and still have a few of its 23" successor as secondary monitors. Their once-vibrant color has long faded to gentle pastel shades, while brightness is now better thought of as dimness.

It's nice to know that someone is still getting use out of an old monitor, but don't kid yourself about what "works great" means.