Apple’s iMac Pro sent out large shock-waves when it first arrived on the scene. After all, a device which costs $4,999 in its base configuration is bound to be hiding something special under the hood. Well, if you think the base model is pricey, wait till you hear what the top model costs.
So Apple has yet to send out official estimates of what the top model could cost. However, ZDNet has managed to reach a pretty shrewd estimate of what the device could cost base upon its what specs a top end iMac model could pack.
So first up is the processor. Assuming that the top end model rocks a Xeon E5-2697 inside, the cost borne by Apple for the 18-core processor would be over $2,200. However, Apple generally applies a massive 70% plus up charge on the processors and going by that, the 18-core upgrade could around $4,000.
Similarly, a 128-GB RAM could bump up the cost by around $2,700. On the other hand, no estimates were available for the Pro Vega 16GB HBM2 memory upgrade that the device is likely to sport. In this case, ZDNet used a celver bit of comparison between Nvidia’s GTX Titan X with 6GB and 12GB memory to reach its estimate of $2,000 — after an 80 percent markup by Apple.
Finally, the cost for a 4TB SSD was estimated and stood somewhere around $3,600. Honestly though, a 4TB SSD! Who would have thought such a thing was even possible just a few years ago. But then that is the beauty of science. It never ceases to amaze you.
So with all said and done, the final estimated price for iMac Pro, top end model, came out to be somewhere around $17,299. It is an estimate true, but personally, I feel as if it won’t fall too far of its mark. As far as the question of the system being too expensive is concerned, well the kind of specifications it boasts of make it a beast, and well worth the price.
