The only way to get 256GB RAM in an iMac Pro is to buy a custom configuration from Apple
The recent addition of an option to configure an iMac Pro with up to 256GB of memory may be the only time users get to add that much RAM to their Mac, with internal documentation reportedly suggesting it won't be possible to upgrade versions with lesser memory capacities to that level after purchase.
Updated on March 19 alongside other changes to the Apple product lineup, prospective customers looking to acquire an iMac Pro were given the opportunity to select two more options as part of their order. The memory could be set up 256 gigabytes, at a cost of $5,200 on top of the entry-level price, while an upgrade to the Vega 64X for graphics put the price up by $700.
It seems that customizing the order from Apple may be the only opportunity customers will get to go for 256 gigabytes of memory. Documentation for use by Apple's store support teams and Apple Authorized Service Providers allegedly indicate only iMac Pro models configured at the time of purchase to have 256 gigabytes of RAM will be able to support the high memory quantity.
While it would be physically possible to insert four 64-gigabyte memory modules into the iMac Pro, configurations starting with memory capacities below 256 gigabytes apparently won't be upgradable to the figure at all.
It is unclear why Apple would prevent memory upgrades to that quantity, as the limitation could be due to a number of factors. It is plausible for there to be a limitation in the design of the iMac Pro that requires an additional workaround, though it may also be a move to try and encourage customers to pay for their memory upgrades through Apple directly rather than going down the route of third-party upgrade kits.
An Apple corporate source not authorized to speak on behalf of the company advised to AppleInsider that "any of the iMac Pro models can be upgraded to 128GB. At present, the only way to get to 256GB on an iMac Pro is to order a custom configuration."
The reason for the limitation wasn't advised, but it does still mean it could be lifted in future, potentially by a firmware update.
For the best deals and latest product availability, be sure to check out the AppleInsider iMac Pro Price Guide.
Updated on March 19 alongside other changes to the Apple product lineup, prospective customers looking to acquire an iMac Pro were given the opportunity to select two more options as part of their order. The memory could be set up 256 gigabytes, at a cost of $5,200 on top of the entry-level price, while an upgrade to the Vega 64X for graphics put the price up by $700.
It seems that customizing the order from Apple may be the only opportunity customers will get to go for 256 gigabytes of memory. Documentation for use by Apple's store support teams and Apple Authorized Service Providers allegedly indicate only iMac Pro models configured at the time of purchase to have 256 gigabytes of RAM will be able to support the high memory quantity.
While it would be physically possible to insert four 64-gigabyte memory modules into the iMac Pro, configurations starting with memory capacities below 256 gigabytes apparently won't be upgradable to the figure at all.
It is unclear why Apple would prevent memory upgrades to that quantity, as the limitation could be due to a number of factors. It is plausible for there to be a limitation in the design of the iMac Pro that requires an additional workaround, though it may also be a move to try and encourage customers to pay for their memory upgrades through Apple directly rather than going down the route of third-party upgrade kits.
An Apple corporate source not authorized to speak on behalf of the company advised to AppleInsider that "any of the iMac Pro models can be upgraded to 128GB. At present, the only way to get to 256GB on an iMac Pro is to order a custom configuration."
The reason for the limitation wasn't advised, but it does still mean it could be lifted in future, potentially by a firmware update.
For the best deals and latest product availability, be sure to check out the AppleInsider iMac Pro Price Guide.
Comments
There’s nothing deceiving in the photo.
it’s a task that a single frame takes a huge amount of time to render, and you’ve got thousands of them, while also invariably seeing “oops, doesn’t look as good as hoped!” Pops up. It parallelizes wonderfully if you’ve got the resources.
There are other things that can readily use such resources, such as doing MMO level video game design and testing/development for all the assets in a database that’s ideally kept in RAM because time is money, and huge displays make it easier to see all the editing controls along the edges while seeing what the game would look like in 4k, as an example.
Software development on such a system is nice, as I found with my 5k iMac I can look at about 750 lines of code at once (several columns) which can come in handy. Most software development won’t be sped up by having that much RAM, though, as much as having an SSD and more CPU cores for builds, but using some debugging tools can result in huge amounts of captured telemetry to analyze.
Why, because of the name? The iMac Pro blows the current (6 year old) Mac Pro away. Right now, there is literally no reason to buy a Mac Pro over an iMac Pro. In fact, there is no reason to buy it all. It's a mess. Apple will need a new form factor and specs that are truly workstation class to have people buy it. If I was in the market, I'd buy an iMac pro in a second.
And yes, I know it's possible to open the case (OWC/MacSales has a 17+ minute DIY video),
but do you really want to lay your warranty for such an expensive product on the line? I've been
taking Macs apart since the 128/SE era and I wouldn't do it. Just not a good risk vs. reward.
3D modeling (CAD, animation) of sufficiently complex object.
Data analysis with sufficiently large datasets, such as highly granular surface countour data at 1000 Hz, multiple sensor data at 100 kHz.
Heck, you want to simulate a 5 billion transistor CPU? Probably need some memory for that.
Basically any high performance computing application typically run on servers from 5 to 10 years ago can now be run on a single computer.
There’s also the folks who develop applications and need to run 3, 4, 5, 10 VMs running target environments. That eats up RAM pretty fast. This might be the main target.