Very similar to the original iMac, the iMac Pro is not that more expensive: it also has different components that allow it to be more powerful on paper. But what is it actually? To find out, just look at the technical data sheet of each device to discover their respective strengths. In the end, only certain profiles will see a real opportunity to opt for the Pro model.
The iMac as we know it today did not begin to be marketed with its final design until 2007. Since then, water has flowed under the bridges and the success of this range is such a more prestigious edition – with a Pro suffix evoking its very premium character – arrived on the market almost a decade later. The first noticeable difference between the two, striking at first glance, is their color: where the iMac (period) is light gray with a black border around the screen, the iMac Pro is much darker. and uses the codes of the eponymous iPad tablet. But the elements that make it possible to compare the two computers do not stop there.
General Info
| iMac | iMac Pro | |
| Brand | Apple | Apple |
| Weight | 5.44 kg | 9.7 Kg |
| OS | Mac OS | Mac OS |
| Dispay | 4K Display | 5K Retina display |
| Dimensions | 528 x 450 x 175 mm | 650 x 516 x 203 mm |
| Colors | Silver, Space Gray | Space Grey |
Display
| iMac | iMac Pro | |
| Display Type | 4K LED | 5K LED |
| Display Size | 21.5 Inch | 27 inch |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 5120 x 2888 |
| Display Touchscreen | No | No |
| Operating System Type | Mac OS | No |
The iMac can also be configured with a 21.5-inch panel, the iMac Pro only has a 27-inch model. The design, meanwhile, remains the same, but the dimensions are therefore logically larger with the largest screen: count 65 x 51.6 cm against 52.8 x 45 cm for the smallest. In addition, the mass to be transported during each installation also changes: where the iMac Pro is (on average and depending on the choice of components) 9.7 kg, the iMac 27″ sticks to almost 9, 42 kg or around 5.6 kg for the 21″.
The 27-inch diagonal screen of the iMac Pro offers an automatic 5K definition (5120 x 2880 pixels) with support for a billion colors, the basic iMac is “limited” to the 4K. To tell the truth, apart from graphic designers or amateurs of the seventh art concerned with detail, few will see it as a disadvantage but the difference is notable especially at this scale. For the rest, no real difference: the two machines support more than a billion colors each, and the brightness reaches 500 nits which should allow working regardless of the lighting.
Specification
| iMac | iMac Pro | |
| Processor | Intel Core i7 | 10 Core |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 | Vega 56 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 256 / 512 SSD | 1 TB SSD |
Performance
| iMac | iMac Pro | ||
| Clockspeed | 2.3 Ghz | 2.5 GHz | |
| Graphic Processor | Intel Iris Plus | Vega 56 | |
| Processor | Graphics 640 | Vega 56 |
The iMac Pro can outperform the iMac 27 ″. It is equipped with an Intel Xeon W processor with eighteen cores clocked at 2.3 GHz (whose Turbo Boost mode allows to climb to 4.3 GHz) supported by 256 GB of RAM ECC DDR4 at 2 666 MHz in its maximum configuration. It also includes a Radeon Pro Vega 64X graphics card with 16 GB of HBM2 memory as well as a 4TB SSD.
The iMac, on the other hand, sticks to the following parts at most:
CPU Intel Core i9 ninth-generation octa-core clocked at 3.6 GHz (against 5 GHz with Turbo Boost)
64GB of DDR4 RAM, the vendor is the same as the iMac Pro here too
Radeon Pro Vega 48 GPU with 8 GB HBM2 memory
2TB SSD or 3TB Fusion Drive storage
In addition, even if it is anecdotal, the iMac would work without a hitch up to 3000 meters of altitude, against 5000 m with the iMac Pro. However, it is difficult to know which users other than scientists will see a real advantage in it.
Multimedia
| iMac | iMac Pro | ||
| Web-cam | Yes | Yes | |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo Speakers | |
| Microphone Jack | Yes 3.5 mm | Yes 3.5 mm | |
| Wireless Lan | Yes | Yes | |
| Bluetooth | 4.2v | 5.0v | |
| SD Card Reader | Yes | Yes |
If you appreciate round and powerful bass, it would be best to equip yourself with a quality speaker or wireless headphones like the WF-1000XM3 designed by Sony. But in case of troubleshooting, the iMac range is obviously delivered with speakers: there are two on the original model, and four on the iMac Pro.
It is not specified who is responsible for their production, but the sound of Apple computers is generally reliable and clear. As for the microphones, there is only one on the iMac but the iMac Pro has four also: conversations with several as during videoconferences will be facilitated.
Fewer connections with the classic iMac
Another major advantage of the iMac Pro compared to the iMac concerns the number of sockets it offers on the back of its recyclable aluminum shell: a quartet of USB 3 ports, the same number of USB-C plugs (Thunderbolt 3), an Ethernet port, an SDXC card reader and a 3.5mm jack. The iMac only integrates two USB-Cs: complex installations will therefore require the purchase of a hub, but the MFi certification set up by an Apple labeling program fifteen years earlier guarantees to find compatible and safe solutions from most resellers.
Power
| iMac | iMac Pro | |
| Line Voltage | 100–240V AC | 100–240V AC |
| Frequency | 50Hz to 60Hz | 50Hz to 60Hz |
Which is better!
The characteristics of the two products come together at first glance, but the design of the iMac Pro, as well as its unique accessories, allow it to stand out from the crowd, especially among the public adept of continuity for whom this aspect, emblematic of the brand at the apple, is a selection argument.
Otherwise, the technical sheet also knows how to separate the duo: the iMac Pro is its most expensive configuration thus becomes a powerful monster capable of measuring up to the Mac Pro, while the iMac, simpler, is also intended for individuals: families will appreciate it for its more affordable cost that does not skimp on technological details. And inside, no matter what edition, you still count on high-performance processors and expandable RAM.
