Should I Buy the iMac Pro or Spec Out a New 2020 iMac?

0 votes
by (120 points)
My dilemma has turned into a tragic conflict between buying a new 2020 iMac which has a better configuration or going for an iMac Pro. Which purchase will be more beneficial?

1 Answer

0 votes
by (300 points)
It's a case of weighing your particular requirements against your budget. For instance, if better thermal management, improved audio from speakers & microphones as well as a camera or cameras, then the iMac Pro may be a worthwhile investment. But then, it's also pricier than the basic models. For someone looking to build a new 2020 iMac to the highest possible specs, I'd advice looking at the pricing and specifications of the iMac Pro to determine which one is more suited for your requirements.
by (100 points)
Content is still relevant in 2022. Buying a used 2017 iMac Pro on a famous auction site gets you some pretty impressive hardware for $1k less than a top tier 2020 iMac. I'm hoping the new M2 Mac mini gets close to the performance of an i9 5700XT, so I don't have to buy another 27" monitor.
by (100 points)
Dope content! I personally feel like the iMac Pro should have gotten a refresh alongside the standard iMac to make things more clear cut for customers. The 4 TB3 ports and cooling system are almost enough to sway one in that direction. But the performance on the standard iMac (especially for HEVC encoding) has been marvelous. And I think it's ultimately down to the fact that in a lot performance-areas, you're getting a better machine for nearly half the cost (depending on which models you're comparing). Either way, I think the biggest thing to look forward to is the eventual design refresh :)

- Miles
by (100 points)
People who buy the iMac Pro probably aren’t just buying the base model iMac Pro which is the model that all of these YouTubers are comparing the new 2020 iMac to. The iMac Pro can be configured up to an 18-core processor and 256 Gb of Ram. Specs that actual pros will take advantage of not just your everyday YouTuber doing video editing. Once you step into the world of pro music production, pro software engineer and AI engineering as well as CAD and 3D modeling engineering, even the top spected 2020 iMac wouldn’t be enough for those tasks. That’s where the iMac Pro comes into play.
by (100 points)
Hi, Hope you are good. Do you think this imac Pro would be still a good choice to buy in 2024 or 25? I am concerned that I won't be able to update the latest software. I want to have the 27 inch screen than 24 inch for software development and some editing. Thanks.
by (100 points)
hey I'm trying to decide on a iMac Pro(Ram 128, 18 core,  1TB) or 2020 iMac 27 (  Ram 64, i7 8 core, 2TB, 5700xt 16GB,). price point similar just looking to find out which one would be best specs, performance,?  mainly using it for coding tech stuff not editing etc
by (100 points)
Sitting here in 2024 and one downside of the Pro is that updates have stopped being supported as far as I know. Where the 3 year newer machine will get updates for longer.
by (100 points)
Thanks a lot for your review! I use a 2011 27" iMac and had two times graphics card of death. Now I want a newer one. Apple has none 27" iMac anymore so I want to buy a refurbished one and was not sure which one, pro or no pro. Now I'm sure it will be a pro. The 2011 sounds so well from the speakers and I hope the pro will sound the same, or better!
by (100 points)
Great comparison content!...On the fence on purchasing the iMac Pro but disappointed with no refresh!
Perhaps, this is a sign by Apple to wait for the new design!
by (100 points)
Top content, imagine finding a second hand 18 core iMac Pro with Vega 64X 16GB graphics card. Not many proper iMac Pro top spec vs iMac 2020 top spec.
by (100 points)
Your individual points are not wrong, but you are wrong in thinking the iMac and the iMac Pro is the same machine. There is a BIG difference in cost. Apple doesn't in any way claim the new iMac is better than the iMac Pro. They say it's much better compared to previous iMacs(non pro models). The new iMac has better performance in many situations and a much lower cost. Of course there is going to be some kind of sacrifice between a machine that starts at $1,799 and one that starts at $4,999. A very nicely specced iMac is going to set you back $3,500 and then add $250 on top for 64 GB of ram. You're getting a machine that in most situations outperforms the iMac Pro for a lot less.
Apple is transitioning to the Apple Silicon so of course they were not about to do a lot of changes to the iMAc, when a completely redesigned model is just around the corner.
by (100 points)
For a 2K more$ it (Pro) should be different. That’s the idea
by (100 points)
iMac Pro (Sexy) حفظه الله
iMac 5K 27 2020 (Great) رضي الله عنه
by (100 points)
iMac Pro for the win.
by (100 points)
You keep saying Apple claims this or that, and I think you're listening to reviewers or other sources and conflating their statements to Apple claims.

For instance, Apple never claimed there were new speakers - just that the T2 chip is used with variable EQ to produce better base.

Didja just buy your iMac Pro or something? You sound very defensive about that machine.

The fact of the matter is that I think it would be foolish to buy a new iMac Pro at this juncture - you can pretty much get just as much machine for a lot less money - and the Pro is Intel server chip based. Yes, the thermals on the 2020 iMac aren't quite as nice, but you can get user upgradable RAM a ton cheaper. Heck, you can get just about everything a ton cheaper, and the consumer based Intel chips have QuickSync.

When they finally get around to adding it to FCPX, you will have the ability to use the Navi 5700 XT's encoders which will widen the gap.

The problem with the iMac Pro is that it's an aging machine with a lot of old hardware in it.

As to Apple's marketing: I haven't heard squat out of Apple about this machine other than what's on the product page - I think you should go back to the product page and reread it. Any advertisements I've seen pretty much just reiterate what's on that page.

I come from a 2017 iMac 5K and there's a ton of improvement from that top-of-the-line model. There was a steep difference between the 2017 iMac 5K and the iMac Pro, but a lot of that difference has evaporated when compared against the 2020 iMac 5K.

Should you upgrade from the iMac Pro to the 2020 iMac? Probably not.

But the almost 5K price on the 2020 machine you're quoting is a 5K speced up - now spec up the iMac Pro to get similar capabilities and capacities and price that out - don't just compare a speced up 2020 iMac 5K against a base model iMac Pro.
by (100 points)
Lol! What were you expecting? You can’t compare a 5K iMac Pro (no matter how old) to a 2020 updated iMac, you just can’t. It’s going to take years before a regular iMac outdoes the 2017 iMac Pro, and I think that was done on purpose. Keep the iMac Pro, and return the 2020 iMac.
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