18-Core Xeon Processors Power Apple iMac Pro Launched At WWDC 2017

Apple announced the $4,999 Apple iMac Pro at the WWDC 2017 on Monday. Touted to be the most powerful Mac ever, the pro-level computer is powered by an 18-core Xeon processor and Radeon Pro Vega graphics which is a new GPU with high-bandwidth memory.

The Apple iMac Pro’s processor and graphics card are enough for up to 11 Teraflops of single precision, Engadget reported. It features up to 4TB of SSD storage and comes with a row of USB ports lining up with four Thunderbolt ports. The tech website notes that the new computer is for power users and anyone involved with graphics editing, virtual reality, and graphics work.

With its price tag, Tech Radar pointed out that the Apple iMac Pro will be the most expensive computer which will begin shipment in December. It is available in Space Gray color and has a 27-inch Retina display with an all-flash memory architecture. It comes with new Wireless Magic Keyboard, including numeric keys, and a wireless Magic Mouse in Space Gray color.

For now, the Apple iMac Pro is the most powerful Mac until Apple updates the Mac Pro in 2018. It will be redesigned for higher-end computing in a modular and upgradable design. The iMac Pro is actually a sneak peek for developers and customers of the Mac Pro, according to John Ternus, the vice president of Hardware Engineering of Apple.

Ternus says Apple reengineered the whole system and designed a new thermal architecture for the Apple iMac Pro. The new design will deliver up to 80 percent more cooling capacity in the same iMac design which is thin and seamless. It resulted in extraordinary performance packed into the elegant and quiet iMac enclosure which Apple customers love. He adds the new computer is a huge step forward and there has never been anything like it.