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27″ iMac Pro (Late 2017)

Mark Sokolovsky - 2024.10.28

You definitely have to ponder for a minute – what was Apple thinking when making this computer? There’s literally nothing else like it, developed and released at a time when people were unsure of whether or not the Mac Pro would receive an update. The 2013 Mac Pro 6,1 received little to no updates in its 6 year reign as Apple’s Pro-end desktop computer. As a result of a continued desire for a solution from creative professionals, the iMac Pro was born, resulting in the first and last Xeon-based iMac.

That being said, the 5K display paired with the Radeon Pro Vega 56 with HBM II memory is set to reach the stars. Taking it a step further, the default configuration comes with 32 GB of 2666 MHz DDR4 error correcting code (ECC) RAM, an 8-core Xeon W-2140B, a DCI-P3 display on top of already being retina, and other perks the 27″ model enjoys. You get color-matching peripherals, which for a while sold online for inflated value on sites like eBay, shortly after this iMac Pro’s release.

 

Make no mistake, this isn’t anything to sneeze at, it’s eye-wateringly powerful, even years after its initial launch. Aimed at Virtual Reality, Particle Simulation, real-time 3D rendering, heavy computational tasks, and even gaming, this iMac Pro made a gargantuan leap in power from where the Mac Pro 6,1 stood. Claiming up to 400 GB/s memory bandwidth between the GPU and VRAM, this iMac Pro is touted as having 2x faster graphics than “any iMac” at the time, and 3x more-so than the preceding Mac Pro 6,1. This is also the first Mac with more than 12 cores, being available with 14/18 core options.

Details

  • Announced 2017.12.14
  • Model Identifier: iMacPro1,1
  • A1862, (EMC 3144)
  • Order by CPU model:
    • 8-Core: MQ2Y2LL/A (Discontinued Aug 4th 2020)
    • 10-Core: MHLV3LL/A*
    • 14-Core: BTO/CTO
    • 18-Core: BTO/CTO

Mac OS

  • Requires macOS 10.13.2 (17C2111) High Sierra or later, compatible with latest intel build of macOS Sequoia 15

Core System

Note: When Apple was marketing the Xeon CPU for the iMac Pro, they lumped together the L2 and L3 cache numbers. The numbers will instead be listed below as the Mac would see the cache in system profiler.

  • 3.2 Ghz 8-Core Intel Xeon W-2140B, 16 Threads, ($4999), Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
    • Discontinued 2020.8.4, (256k L1, 8MB L2, 11 MB L3)
  • 3.0 Ghz 10-Core Intel Xeon W-2150B, 20 Threads, ($5799) Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
    • Price amended to $4999 2020.8.4, (320k L1, 10MB L2, 13.75MB L3)
  • 2.5 Ghz 14-Core Intel Xeon W-2170B, 28 Threads, ($6599) Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
    • Price amended to $5799 2020.8.4, (448k L1, 14MB L2, 19.25 MB L3)
  • 2.3 Ghz 18-Core Intel Xeon W-2191B, 36 Threads, ($7300) Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
    • Price amended to $6599 2020.8.4, (448k L1, 18MB L2, 24.75 MB L3)

Memory

  • 32 GB 2666 MHz PC4-21300 Error Correcting Code (ECC) DDR4 SDRAM (Default)
    • Configurable to: 64GB (+$800)
    • Max until March 18 2019: 128GB (+$2400)
    • Added March 19th 2019: 256GB (+$5200)
  • 4 Ram slots total, fully sized RAM sticks like in a desktop. 512GB Max.

Video

  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 8 GB with HBM2 Memory (Default)
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 16 GB with HBM2 Memory (+$600)
    • Apple bumped down the price on this option to $550 on 2019.03.19
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X 16GB with HBM2 Memory (Unavailable initially)
    • This option was available starting March 19th, 2019 onward for (+$700)
  • 27″ 5120 x 2880 5K Retina DCI-P3 TFT Active Matrix IPS LED Backlit Display (218 PPI)
  • 1080p Facetime Camera

Drives

  • 1 TB PCIe-Based SSD, 2.8 GB/s Read/Write, (Default)
  • 2 TB (+$800) +$600 after March 19 2019, and $400 after July 9 2019
  • 4 TB (+$2800) +$2400 after March 19 2019 and $1200 after July 9 2019

Expansion

  • LGA 2066 Socket, CPU is upgradeable
    • GPU is Soldiered to the logic board
  • 4x 2666 MHz DDR4 RAM slots, up to 512 GB
  • 2 onboard PCIe based SSD slots
  • 3.5mm Headphone Jack
  • Full Sized SDXC Card slot
    • Support for UHS-II
  • 10 Gigabit Ethernet (standard)
  • Four USB-A style USB 3.0 ports
  • Four USB-C style Thunderbolt 3 ports
    • Support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Up to 10Gb/s)
    • Displayport 1.2
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
  • Four Microphones

Physical

  • H x W x D: 20.3 x 25.6 x 8.0 in/516 x 650 x 203 mm
  • Weight: 21.5 lb/9.7 kg
  • CR2032 PRAM Battery
  • Power supply: 500W

Accelerators & Upgrades

  • 2.3 Ghz 18-Core Intel Xeon W-2191B is the best CPU possible.