Pro Display XDR works on iMac Pro at 5K, not 6K

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited July 2020
Apple's Pro Display XDR offers a high 6K resolution for the Mac Pro and select Mac and MacBook models, but users of the iMac Pro are only able to use the professional-level monitor at a lower 5K resolution.




Pre-orders of the Pro Display XDR commenced on Tuesday, with the 32-inch display marketed as an ideal monitor for professionals in creative industries, with specifications to match. Boasting a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio and 1,000 nits of brightness using a 576 full array dimming zone backlight, the screen offers plentiful features for those working in visual fields.

On supported systems, the Pro Display XDR has 6K resolution, at 6,016 by 3,384 pixels, but not everyone will be able to achieve that resolution. In a posting to Twitter, Thomas Grove Carter advises the Pro Display XDR connected to an iMac Pro is only capable of running at a 5K resolution, not 6K.

Confirmation that the #iMacPro does drive the #ProDisplayXDR

At 5k. Not 6k. pic.twitter.com/3k91J00IzY

-- Thomas Grove Carter (@thomasgcarter)


According to the product specifications page, Apple advises the Pro Display XDR is compatible with a variety of Mac models, including the new Mac Pro with an MPX Module GPU, the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2019 21.5-inch iMac, and the 27-inch iMac from the same year. Any Mac model is also supported if it has Thunderbolt 3 ports and is paired with either the Blackmagic eGPU or Blackmagic eGPU Pro.

The support page discussing the setup process for the display further says that the named Macs and the Blackmagic eGPU setups are able to support the 6K resolution with 10-bit color.

While the iMac Pro from 2017 without an eGPU cannot drive the full 6K experience on the Pro Display XDR, the discovery that it does so at 5K shows the monitor is still usable with other Mac configurations, albeit not at the highest resolution available.

The Pro Display XDR costs $4,999, with a nano-texture version priced at $5,999. Prices exclude the $999 stand and the $199 VESA mount.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 36
    thttht Posts: 5,447member
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 36
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    This is like how the 2013 Mac Pro never got a retina screen, yet every other Apple product did...
    EsquireCatswilliamlondon
  • Reply 3 of 36
    bigpicsbigpics Posts: 1,397member
    So one rev away....?
  • Reply 4 of 36
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    thtboboliciousCloudTalkinStrangeDaysjdb8167watto_cobradysamoria
  • Reply 5 of 36
    The current iMac Pros are old in computer years, so this doesn't surprise me. My XDR arrives in January. Can't wait to pair it in 6K with my 16-inch MBP.
    StrangeDaysmdriftmeyerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 36
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000 ~ $14,000 computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    edited December 2019 muthuk_vanalingamwilliamlondondysamoria
  • Reply 7 of 36
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Appleish said:
    The current iMac Pros are old in computer years, so this doesn't surprise me. My XDR arrives in January. Can't wait to pair it in 6K with my 16-inch MBP.
    This is exactly the problem.   Apple simply lets its “pro” hardware languish for way too long turning them into bad buys.   There are few rumors yet but I’m really hoping we see a new iMac Pro early in 2020!    Chip technology has advanced significantly and it isn’t just TB3 controllers.  An iMac Pro built around AMDs Thread Ripper technology would be amazing. IMac might not be able to handle the highest end Thread Rippers but with in a reasonable power budget Intel can’t compete.  

    Pro aaa my a pipe dream but the fact remains IMac Pro is due for an update.   Hopefully the new Pro team at Apple will address the mechanical issues that make iMac Pro too much of a pain in the ass for pros.  Specifically RAM and SSD access.  
    d_2watto_cobrawilliamlondon
  • Reply 8 of 36
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  
    sandorwilliamlondondysamoria
  • Reply 9 of 36
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    wizard69 said:
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  
    That's not true. There is no definition as to what pro means for equipment, other than pros use it. And we know that a lot of pros use this equipment.

    What I don't like, is Apple not updating it every year.
    edited December 2019 stevenozthtGG1StrangeDaysmdriftmeyerd_2watto_cobraphilboogie
  • Reply 10 of 36
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000 ~ $14,000 computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    When the iMac Pro launched, all available Thunderbolt 3 controllers did up to DisplayPort 1.2. The JHL7540 (mostly the same part, but with DisplayPort 1.4 support) launched in Q1 of 2018, and wasn't available in quantity at launch. Waiting for that part would have delayed the iMac Pro at least a full quarter.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobrabaconstangwilliamlondonfastasleepphilboogiedysamoria
  • Reply 11 of 36
    thttht Posts: 5,447member
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000 ~ $14,000 computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    The Titan Ridge TB3 chips became available sometime in early 2018 (thought it was earlier myself), so the iMac Pro shipped in late 2017 with Alpine Ridge TB3 chips.

    The Alpine Ridge chips shipped in 2016 and allowed multi-streams so 5K monitors can be supported off one controller, but even today, the number of 5K monitor options is scarce. It’s really the LG UF 5K, the Dell one, or bust. I don’t know if the Dell one still requires two TB ports though. 

    Maybe it’s because Apple’s lack of an external 5K monitor that drove a scarcity in 5K monitors in the first place! The LG UF 27 is great monitor. I like it, but it’s generic and undifferentiated from the sea of 4K monitors available. An Apple branded 5K monitor would stick out as an Apple monitor anywhere it sits. 

    Why Apple didn’t update the iMac Pro in 2018 with Titan Ridge controllers? Who knows. They upgraded RAM capacity and the GPU, so they did do something. The Xeon W-22xx series CPUs that would be a good fit for the iMac Pro were announced this Fall (not officially Winter yet) or maybe it was Summer, but availability is still scarce. 

    So if Apple is going to update the iMac Pro, March 2020 would be a good time as there is a convergence of component availability. Along with the Xeons, a 16 GB Radeon W5700X, Titan Ridge TB3 controllers, 8 TB NAND options, sounds like a good upgrade for the machine. Really hope they have a T3 with A13 CPU cores, FPGA/ASIC, and maybe the neural engines. 

    I would prefer if if they made a half Mac Pro with the Xeon W-22xx series, 4 RAM slots, 6 PCIe slots, and 700 W PSU. Along with an external 27” 5K monitor, it would be a good seller for Apple’s market of programmers and prosumers. I could afford it as a family computer. 

    And they can continue to push the iMac downmarket to something like the $1500 base price for the 27” model. 
    mobirdd_2watto_cobraphilboogiedysamoria
  • Reply 12 of 36
    thttht Posts: 5,447member
    melgross said:
    wizard69 said:
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  
    That's not true. There is no definition as to what pro means for equipment, other than pros use it. And we know that a lot of pros use this equipment.

    What I don't like, is Apple not updating it every year.
    Yeah, I think everyone would like them to update their products every 12 months, maybe at least every 18 months. It doesn’t have to be big, just contemporary components and it would demonstrate commitment. 

    Still waiting on that book that describes what happened inside Apple from about early 2012 to about 2017. They bought into the iPad sales trajectory and thought Macs were done, so they put little effort into it?
    gatorguyd_2philboogiedysamoria
  • Reply 13 of 36
    wizard69 said:
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  
    I don't disagree that Apple's "pro" computers are not always kept up to date with the most current hardware options, I think we're all familiar with how Apple refresh their hardware.

    However two things: "pro" infers professionals - while this generally means faster hardware there are clearly compromises made for the usability/design and thermal profile, as such the iMac Pro is as pro as you're going to get in an all-in-one mac. Apple were pretty clear to make a point that a new Mac Pro and display was also on the way.
    The second problem at hand is that the iMac Pro was announced in July 2017, it's parts were likely finalised and ordered well before then, the earliest the device became available was December 2017, two years ago. The choice of componentry was appropriate for a pro level device of the day, for the volume of devices needing to be manufactured and the price point required to be met.
    This isn't Apple skimping on consumers, this is hardware cycles and the reality of designing a computer. When you don't make compromises you get the new XDR display and Mac Pro: A single XDR display costs more than the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro entry price is spec'd with a uselessly small SSD.

    To drive the point further home: wait a month and check the benchmarks of the 8 Core iMac Pro (2017) and the 8 Core Mac Pro (2019).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 36
    wizard69 said:
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  
    Define “pro” my guy. Because per Craig, their most populous group of pro users are...software devs. And these machines (iMac 5K, iMac Pro, MBP) serve our purposes just fine. Very well, in fact. Pro is and has been a marketing term to indicate “best” in the typical good/better/best tiers. Just because it doesnt do something some pros want doesn’t mean it’s a cop out, poorly managed, gimped hardware, yada yada. 
    edited December 2019 watto_cobrabaconstangwilliamlondon
  • Reply 15 of 36
    tht said:
    melgross said:
    wizard69 said:
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  
    That's not true. There is no definition as to what pro means for equipment, other than pros use it. And we know that a lot of pros use this equipment.

    What I don't like, is Apple not updating it every year.
    Still waiting on that book that describes what happened inside Apple from about early 2012 to about 2017. They bought into the iPad sales trajectory and thought Macs were done, so they put little effort into it?
    Didn’t Craig already address this with regards to the MP in the tech crunch transcript of their meeting on the roadmap for the MP, where they announced the 2017 iMP and teased the MP? Craig talked about the bet on parallel processing which didn’t come to pass, and the thermal corner. 
    edited December 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 36
    wizard69 said:
    zimmie said:
    tht said:
    That is one strange issue. The TB3 chips in the iMac Pro aren’t full Titan Ridge chips? Bandwidth limitation?
    Essentially, yes. Based on teardowns, iMac Pro units uses two JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controllers ("products formerly Alpine Ridge"; each handles two ports), which only support DisplayPort 1.2.
    So even though the base pro tower ships with a 580X one needs an entire iMac Pro upgrade to run 6K (or better 8K) simply due to the choice of a $8.55 controller in a $5,000+ computer...?  We have a 2017 'pro' computer based on a 2010 TB standard ?    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#1.2

    How and why does this happen...? 
    You serious?   The Mac team has been poorly managed for year, little of the hardware sold as “pro” is actually pro.   Apples goals for years have been high margins at all cost no matter how badly it impacts usability.  

    I know this bothers many Apple fan boys but the reality is the hardware they use in their Mac lineup is focused far more on margins than value to the customer or longevity of that hardwares. Today one needs to realize that Intel has been left behind and is no longer the first place people go looking for value or performance.  

    People like to defend Apples practices and even I can understand the low end isn’t going to be state of the art.  However Apple simply markets too many machines as pro that simply aren’t pro grade at all.  

    You whine all the time about OS X and Mac at every Linux forum and Windows forum you can find. What's the point? You might as well bitch to Intel for the spec decisions on those iMac CPUs as they are in compliance with Intel's designs.

    That RX 580X will soon be off those Mac Pro specs and you know it. The moment the RDNA 2.0 products are announced at CES Apple will update its internal GPGPU options and they won't include the RX580. They'll most likely offer an inexpensive swap out for those who bought that GPU when they configured the Mac Pro. Then again, I know of nobody who would do so.
    watto_cobramacxpress
  • Reply 17 of 36
    wizard69 said:

    This is exactly the problem.   Apple simply lets its “pro” hardware languish for way too long turning them into bad buys.   There are few rumors yet but I’m really hoping we see a new iMac Pro early in 2020!    Chip technology has advanced significantly and it isn’t just TB3 controllers.  An iMac Pro built around AMDs Thread Ripper technology would be amazing. IMac might not be able to handle the highest end Thread Rippers but with in a reasonable power budget Intel can’t compete.  
    Except so far AMD has made no move to TB3. I guess they will when the USB4 spec is done and shipping but right now, Apple is all in on Thunderbolt3 and I can't see them switching to AMD until AMD supports it (and probably not even then.)
    watto_cobradysamoria
  • Reply 18 of 36
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,167member
    This is exactly the problem.   Apple simply lets its “pro” hardware languish for way too long turning them into bad buys.   

    Quite so.

    and it’s approach can result in too many constraints. The lack of threadripper processors is probably because Apple is all in with thunderbolt.
    edited December 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 36
    How and why does this happen...? 
    It happens because the iMac Pro was developed and shipped when Alpine Ridge was the only TB3 controller Intel offered. The Titan Ridge controller used on the Macs that can drive the XDR display at 6K did not ship until the year after the iMac Pro was released. And before folks ask, there were no new CPUs or GPUs for the iMac Pro until the last couple of months. So now Apple has a reason to upgrade the iMac Pro and when they do, it will add Titan Ridge.
    edited December 2019 watto_cobrabaconstangEsquireCatswilliamlondonfastasleep
  • Reply 20 of 36
    wizard69 said:
    Appleish said:
    The current iMac Pros are old in computer years, so this doesn't surprise me. My XDR arrives in January. Can't wait to pair it in 6K with my 16-inch MBP.
    This is exactly the problem.   Apple simply lets its “pro” hardware languish for way too long turning them into bad buys.   There are few rumors yet but I’m really hoping we see a new iMac Pro early in 2020!    Chip technology has advanced significantly and it isn’t just TB3 controllers.  An iMac Pro built around AMDs Thread Ripper technology would be amazing. IMac might not be able to handle the highest end Thread Rippers but with in a reasonable power budget Intel can’t compete.  

    Pro aaa my a pipe dream but the fact remains IMac Pro is due for an update.   Hopefully the new Pro team at Apple will address the mechanical issues that make iMac Pro too much of a pain in the ass for pros.  Specifically RAM and SSD access.  
    Why nobody remembers that iMac Pro is actually just updated in 2019?

    Also, that update came alongside those 2019 iMacs which are compatible with Pro Display XDR.

    They definitely had a chance to upgrade the Thunderbolt component this year.

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5mac.com/2019/03/19/256-gb-ram-imac-pro/amp/
    williamlondonphilboogie
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