You can finally buy the iMac Pro after a long anticipated wait, and now you can find out just how much it’s going to cost you. A couple of days ago we posted our initial hands on look at the iMac Pro that was conducted by Ben Allan ACS. Ben was impressed by the performance and features of the iMac Pro, but they do come at a price.
It has been known for quite some time that the base price of the iMac Pro is $4999 USD, but now we know that if you tick everyone of the option boxes you are looking at a machine that will cost you $13,348 USD (this is with the Apple mouse, track pad and keyboard). In anyones language that is some serious coin and if you are thinking about pulling the pin on one you are going to need deep pockets.
The iMac Pro that Ben Allan ACS was testing had 10 cores, the fastest GPU (16 GB), 128 GB RAM and 2TB of flash storage. For this configuration you are looking at $9599 USD.
So lets have a closer look at what all the options cost:
Processor
3.00GHz 10-core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz- $800 USD
2.5GHz 14-core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz- $1600 USD
2.3Hz 10-core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz- $2400 USD
Memory
64GB 2666MHz DDR4 ECC memory- $800 USD
128GB 2666MHz DDR4 ECC memory- $2400 USD
Storage
2TB SSD- $800 USD
4TB SSD- $2800 USD
Graphics
Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB of HBM2 memory- $600 US
Just like previous Apple products the prices will vary depending on where in the world you live. Below is a list of how much the most expensive iMac Pro configuration will set you back (price includes the Apple mouse, track pad and keyboard) for just a handful of countries
USA $13,348 USD
Australia A$20,634.00 (including GST)
U.K £12,428.00 (including VAT)
Germany, France, Spain etc. €15.508,00 (including local tax)
Japan ￥1,476,600 (including sales tax)
Hong Kong HK$103,996
China (Not yet available)
New Zealand NZ$22,678.00 (including GST)
Brazil (not available yet)
India (not available yet)
United Arab Emirates AED 53,378.00
Russia Only the base model currently available
Malaysia RM 59,368.00
I did some rough calculations and below you can see just how much more or less the iMac Pro is than the price in the US
Australia +$2484 USD
U.K +$3356 USD
Germany, France, Spain etc. +$4924 USD
Japan -$204 USD
Hong Kong -$36 USD
New Zealand +$2577 USD
United Arab Emirates +$1186 USD
Malaysia +$1250 USD
So if you live in Europe or the U.K you certainly have to pay a massive premium for a iMac Pro. Australia and New Zealand also pay a hefty premium. If you are lucky enough to Live in japan or Hong Kong then the iMac price is actually cheaper than that in the US.
How does the price compare to other Apple computers?
To put the iMac Pro cost into perspective, here is what a 2017 27″ iMac and a 2017 Mac Pro fully optioned up cost:
2017 27″ iMac
4.2GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i& processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
64GB 2400MHz DDR4
2TB SSD
TOTAL: $5299 USD
2017 Mac Pro
2.7GHz 12-core with 30MB of L3 cache
64GB (4x16GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
1TB PCIe-based SSD
Total: $6999 USD
Premium pricing
Do you pay a premium because it is made by Apple? Of course, but then again there are plenty of people who will be happy to pay it. Yes you could build a PC with better specs and that’s great if you are into that sort of thing, but then again, that’s not the person the iMac Pro is aimed at.
The iMac Pro is being squarely aimed at people who just want something that they can take out of the box, turn on and have work straight away. If you don’t want to tinker around building computers or adding extra components then the iMac Pro (despite its price tag) is probably going to be your best option if you need a professional machine.
Even a lot of Pro users are not going to need 18 cores, 128GB RAM and 4TB SSD, but at least the options are there if you need it. From personal experience if you are going to buy a Mac then it makes the most sense to option it up to a point that will meet your needs today and at least 4-5 years down the track. I bought a 27″ iMac back in 2012 and I ticked all the boxes, that way I have been able to get my 5 years of solid use out of it. If I had of bought the base spec version I would of had to have replaced it a few years ago.
Buy or pass?
The iMac Pro certainly isn’t for everyone and you shouldn’t just buy one if you don’t need it. A fully optioned up 2017 27″ iMac is still going to be a very capable machine if you want a Mac and don’t want to break the bank. If you aren’t dealing with lots of high resolution and/or RAW camera files, or doing a lot of heavy post production work, you may well find that the computer you are already using will do the job.
No matter what you buy, there is always going to be something better that comes a long. Whether you need any piece of filmmaking equipment (and this includes a computer) comes down to your needs and if it’s going to speed up your work and help you make money.
What do you think of the iMac prices? Are you going to buy one? If not what do you think is a better option? Let us know in the comments section below.
