3 ms·

If both iMac and iMac Pro are powered by the same chip, then what would be the differentiating factor between them?

by akritrime 6y ago

kelp 6y ago
I’d imagine the pro would have a better screen. Intended for professional creative work.
- akritrime 6y ago
  Oh yeah, that could be it. Apple's Pro Display XDR with an ARM processor would be interesting, though the question is are the M SoCs ready to drive those yet?
  - whynotminot 6y ago
    They already do.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
tempfs 6y ago
More graphics power in the form of a discrete GPU, more storage and memory offered...etc. With memory and storage soldered ofcourse...as is tradition.
- akritrime 6y ago
  Hmm, the discrete GPU would be interesting, but I don't think would go back to that. The SoC model has been working out great for Apple, I can't see them seceding control to get a discrete 3rd-party GPU working.
  - nicoburns 6y ago
    > I can't see them seceding control to get a discrete 3rd-party GPU working. Nobody said the discrete GPU would be 3rd party. I suspect Apple will release their own discrete GPU before long. SoC works well for the long end, but I can't see it being worth it at the Mac Pro level.
    - akritrime 6y ago
      That's also true. They already made some kind of add-on card for the Mac Pro, right?
      - dagmx 6y ago
        Yes the AfterBurner card for acceleration of ProRes content
bombcar 6y ago
Perhaps the iMac Pro could run TWO of the chips somehow.
- protomyth 6y ago
  Well, I would expect that might be an option depending on what powers the Mac Pro going forward. I wonder if Apple is at the multi-CPU stage. I am expecting external RAM and I hope ECC for the next Mac Pro.
  - bombcar 6y ago
    Given the onchip everything it’d have to be some sort of NUMA architecture and I’m not sure it’s setup for that.
weego 6y ago
I'd imagine you'd get a similar situation to the ipads where the X chip is far superior in the same gen eg: iMac - m2 chip + max out at 64 gig ram iMac Pro - m2x chip + max out at 256 gig ram
- akritrime 6y ago
  Hmm the X Chip difference makes sense, because they are the same chip with the regular one built to be mobile. But in case of M2, the same distinction doesn't make sense because they are built for larger devices by default. Though I guess, they could have two completely separate chips and just use the X as convention.
  - djrogers 6y ago
    You’re arguing about naming conventions for a product that hasn’t been released, and where names are all speculative. What you think is an m1x may be called an m2, or a m2x or a dp2fgh.

If both iMac and iMac Pro are powered by the same chip, then what would be the differentiating factor between them?

kelp 6y ago

I’d imagine the pro would have a better screen. Intended for professional creative work.

akritrime 6y ago
Oh yeah, that could be it. Apple's Pro Display XDR with an ARM processor would be interesting, though the question is are the M SoCs ready to drive those yet?
- whynotminot 6y ago
  They already do.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

tempfs 6y ago

More graphics power in the form of a discrete GPU, more storage and memory offered...etc. With memory and storage soldered ofcourse...as is tradition.

akritrime 6y ago
Hmm, the discrete GPU would be interesting, but I don't think would go back to that. The SoC model has been working out great for Apple, I can't see them seceding control to get a discrete 3rd-party GPU working.
- nicoburns 6y ago
  > I can't see them seceding control to get a discrete 3rd-party GPU working. Nobody said the discrete GPU would be 3rd party. I suspect Apple will release their own discrete GPU before long. SoC works well for the long end, but I can't see it being worth it at the Mac Pro level.
  - akritrime 6y ago
    That's also true. They already made some kind of add-on card for the Mac Pro, right?
    - dagmx 6y ago
      Yes the AfterBurner card for acceleration of ProRes content

bombcar 6y ago

Perhaps the iMac Pro could run TWO of the chips somehow.

protomyth 6y ago
Well, I would expect that might be an option depending on what powers the Mac Pro going forward. I wonder if Apple is at the multi-CPU stage. I am expecting external RAM and I hope ECC for the next Mac Pro.
- bombcar 6y ago
  Given the onchip everything it’d have to be some sort of NUMA architecture and I’m not sure it’s setup for that.

weego 6y ago

I'd imagine you'd get a similar situation to the ipads where the X chip is far superior in the same gen eg: iMac - m2 chip + max out at 64 gig ram iMac Pro - m2x chip + max out at 256 gig ram

akritrime 6y ago
Hmm the X Chip difference makes sense, because they are the same chip with the regular one built to be mobile. But in case of M2, the same distinction doesn't make sense because they are built for larger devices by default. Though I guess, they could have two completely separate chips and just use the X as convention.
- djrogers 6y ago
  You’re arguing about naming conventions for a product that hasn’t been released, and where names are all speculative. What you think is an m1x may be called an m2, or a m2x or a dp2fgh.