If you're a serious music producer who uses Logic Pro, this is the computer to get. If you master & mix your songs all in one project file (like me), you won't have to worry about buffer errors. (Maybe occasionally, but it's rare.) I'm talking about 60-70+ tracks, with 3-6 plugins on each track, and a high CPU EQ & limiter on the master bus (i.e., Ozone Izotope & Softube plugins). Most laptops would crash if you were to put that kind of CPU strain on them. But not the iMac Pro.
I'm also an occasional Final Cut user, and it works pretty damn snappy. I also dabble with Photoshop & Lightroom with no problems. The 5K display is a beast for video & photo editing. I could actually run Logic, Final Cut & Photoshop at the same time without issue.
That said, if you're a creative type who doesn't exclusively use Mac software, then this computer might not be for you. The Logic & Final Cut software were designed to work more efficiently with multi-core Macs. So using non-Apple software, like Ableton or Adobe Premiere (etc.), negates the advantage. But I'm sure it'd still work great.
Obviously, you can get away with running Logic or Final Cut on a cheaper/slower iMac or MacBook Pro. I did for years & know many others who do. But if you're a professional or semi-professional music producer or video editor, the iMac Pro is highly recommended. Of course, it's not cheap. But it should last you 10 years. And it will save you the frustration of buffer errors & slow rendering times.
(My last MacBook Pro lasted me 6+ years, and I beat it to shit. So I imagine this desktop that is sitting in my studio should last much longer.).
For reference, I have the 8-core / 32 GB Ram / 1 TB hard drive version. I got it refurbished on Amazon for $3,800, and it works like new. I purchased it December 2018. So I've been using it for well over a year now.
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Energy efficiency
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EPEAT EPEAT addresses the sustainability impacts of electronic products. An EPEAT registered product must meet required criteria and can meet optional criteria. The criteria depend on the type of product and can include energy efficiency, reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases), and end of life management. Products meeting 50% - 75% optional criteria are “Silver” and those meeting more than 75% are “Gold”.
Certification Level
GOLD Part of
Climate Pledge Friendly
Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.
Energy efficiency
Conserves energy compared to similar products.
As certified by
EPEAT EPEAT addresses the sustainability impacts of electronic products. An EPEAT registered product must meet required criteria and can meet optional criteria. The criteria depend on the type of product and can include energy efficiency, reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases), and end of life management. Products meeting 50% - 75% optional criteria are “Silver” and those meeting more than 75% are “Gold”.
Certification Level
GOLD Part of
Climate Pledge Friendly
Compare Apple Mac products
| Price | From: - | From: - | From: - |
| Ratings | (40) | (526) | (533) |
| Display | 27-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina 5K display | 27-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina 5K display | 21.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina 4K display |
| Processor | 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz | 3.0GHz 6‑core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz) or 3.1GHz 6‑core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz) | 3.6GHz quad‑core Intel Core i3 or 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz) |
| Graphics | Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB of HBM2 memory | Radeon Pro 570X with 4GB of VRAM, Radeon Pro 575X with 4GB of VRAM, or Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB of VRAM | Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB of VRAM or Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of VRAM |
| Storage | 1TB SSD | 1TB or 2TB Fusion Drive | 1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive or 1TB Fusion Drive |
| Keyboard and Mouse | Space Gray Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Space Gray Magic Mouse 2 | Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 | Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 |
Reviews with images
So much power in such a beautiful machine
It's the best thing I have ever bought. I've never been happier!!!
