New iMac Pro 2019: lots of power, but it costs like a car

On the first day of WWDC 2019, the Cupertino-based company launched the new workstation dedicated to graphic designers and video producers. Top performance and monstrous price

During WWDC 2019, which began yesterday in San Jose, Apple also presented the latest versions of its workstations dedicated to graphics: the Mac Pro 2019 (which have nothing to do with the MacBook Pro). As is tradition, these Mac Pros are also computers with stratospheric power, dedicated to graphics and video professionals who need truly impressive computing capabilities.

Prices for these machines are as high as their power: they start at $5,999 for the basic version equipped with an 8-core Intel Xeon CPU, 32 GB of RAM, single Radeon Pro 580X video card and a 256 GB SSD drive. At the same time as the new Mac Pros, Apple also unveiled the new Apple Pro Display XDR Professional Monitor with a 32-inch Retina panel, 6K resolution and a price tag of $4,999 (in standard glass version) or $5,999 (in nano-texture glass version). Doing two accounts on the fly, it is easy to see that to take home an "entry level" professional workstation from Apple are needed today 11 thousand euros, including monitor.

Mac Pro 2019: technical characteristics

If those just seen are the minimum characteristics of a new Mac Pro 2019, reading the maximum ones almost makes an impression. In fact, the most powerful processor that can equip a Mac Pro is the Intel Xeon W-3175X with 28 cores at 3.1 GHz (up to 4.3 GHz with turbo), which alone costs over $3,000. Maximum installable RAM is 1.5 terabytes (yes, 1,500 gigabytes!) thanks to the six channels and 12 slots available. For storage you can also choose a configuration with two SSDs of 2 terabytes each, for a total of 4 terabytes, while the maximum graphics configuration provides two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo flanked by two other identical video cards mounted on Apple MPX modules. That is, a total of 4 video cards, with 128 gigabytes of dedicated RAM and a total computing capacity of 56 teraflops. Numbers to thrill, which allow, for example, video editing in real time up to 8K resolution. To keep on and running a "monster" like that you need a power supply just as monstrous: the top of the range configuration provides a power supply of 1.4 kW, practically half a household meter.

Mac Pro 2019: a design that causes discussion

The design of the Mac Pro 2019 is very different from that of its predecessor and, in large part, recalls the previous models. The engineering of this workstation does not leave anything to chance, also because with components like this even the case must be studied to perfection to facilitate a comfortable access to the interior and, above all, a proper cooling of the electronics. That said, there is no shortage of criticism of the front of this new Mac Pro, which is full of holes to promote air circulation. But on the net are already turning the first photomontages in which the new Mac Pro is used as a cheese grater.