Apple iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010) vs Apple iMac Pro (2017)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac (27-inch, Mid 2010) | AppleiMac Pro (2017) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | July 2010 | December 2017 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i3-550, Intel Core i5-680, Intel Core i5-760 or Intel Core i7-870 | Intel Xeon W-2140B, Intel Xeon W-2150B, Intel Xeon W-2170B or Intel Xeon W-2191B |
| CPU cores | 2 or 4 | 8, 10, 14 or 18 |
| Graphics | ATI Radeon HD 5670 (512 MB GDDR3) or ATI Radeon HD 5750 (1 GB GDDR5) | Radeon Pro Vega 56 (8 GB HBM2), Radeon Pro Vega 64 (16 GB HBM2) or Radeon Pro Vega 64X (16 GB HBM2) |
| Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB | 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB (better) |
| Storage | 256 GB to 2 TB | 1 TB to 4 TB (better) |
| CPU | 3.2 GHz dual-core Core i3-550 or optional 3.6 GHz dual-core Core i5-680, both with Hyper-Threading and 4 MB L3 cache; higher model has a 2.8 GHz quad-core Core i5-760 or optional 2.93 GHz quad-core Core i7-870 with Hyper-Threading, both with 8 MB L3 cache. Exact identities cross-checked with EveryMac; optional unpublished boost figures omitted. | Xeon W at 3.2 GHz with 8 cores (Turbo Boost 4.2 GHz), 3.0 GHz with 10 cores (4.5 GHz), 2.5 GHz with 14 cores (4.3 GHz) or 2.3 GHz with 18 cores (4.3 GHz). Exact W-B CPU identities follow Geekbench. The 8/10-core versions launched first; Macworld reports later January 2018 availability for 14/18-core options. Apple changed the standard configuration to 10 cores in August 2020. |
| GPU | Dual-core models have ATI Radeon HD 5670 with 512 MB GDDR3; quad-core models have ATI Radeon HD 5750 with 1 GB GDDR5 | Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8 GB HBM2, optionally Vega 64 or Vega 64X with 16 GB HBM2. Vega 64X is a later option included in Apple’s current specification sheet, absent from the launch reviews. |
| Memory type | 4 GB standard as two 2 GB modules; four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots support up to 16 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3. UK launch release offers factory upgrades to 8 or 16 GB for both models. | Quad-channel 2666 MHz DDR4 ECC; 32 GB standard, configurable to 64/128/256 GB. The current maker sheet includes the later 256 GB option; launch reviews cover up to 128 GB. No user-accessible memory door. |
| Storage type | 1 TB 7200 rpm hard drive standard, configurable to 2 TB. UK launch release explicitly offers a 256 GB SSD as a primary or secondary drive. Separate hard-drive-plus-SSD options are described here rather than labelled Fusion Drive or combined into a single SSD capacity. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with double-layer DVD burning. | 1 TB SSD, configurable to 2 or 4 TB |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 27″ | 27″ |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1440 | 5120 × 2880 (better) |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Brightness | 375 nits | 500 nits (better) |
| Display type | Glossy LED-backlit IPS widescreen display, 2560 × 1440 pixels and maker typical brightness 375 cd/m²; refresh rate unpublished and omitted | LED-backlit Retina 5K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac. Native refresh rate omitted because Apple does not publish it in the specification sheet. |
| Display features | – | Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | DisplayPort, 4 × USB-A, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone jack | 4 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s | 10 Gb/s (better) |
| External displays | Up to 1 | Up to 4 (better) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 + EDR | 5.0 |
| Camera | iSight camera | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Back ports | Mini DisplayPort audio/video input and output, four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 at 7 W, Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC slot, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire and audio input are described here because the main port list has no fields for them. | Four USB-A ports; four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports with DisplayPort 1.2, Thunderbolt up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; UHS-II SDXC, Nbase-T Ethernet supporting 1/2.5/5/10Gb and 3.5 mm headphone jack. Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA require adapters. |
| External displays | Full built-in resolution and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; Mini DisplayPort input can display an external DisplayPort source. Extended desktop and mirroring, with optional DVI/VGA/dual-link DVI output adapters. | Two 5120 × 2880 displays at 60 Hz with one billion colours, four 3840 × 2160 displays at 60 Hz with one billion colours, or four 4096 × 2304 displays at 60 Hz with millions of colours, alongside the built-in display |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers with two internal 17 W amplifiers, microphone and support for iPhone headset microphones | Stereo speakers |
| Microphones | – | Four microphones; supports Hey Siri |
| Keyboard and mouse | Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse; Magic Trackpad available separately | Space grey Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Mouse 2; optional space grey Magic Trackpad 2 |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 13.8 kg | 9.7 kg (better) |
| Width × depth × height | 650 × 207 × 517 mm | 650 × 203 × 516 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | – | Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. Optional VESA mount adapter kit. |
| Power supply | Maximum continuous power 365 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase | 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase |
| Materials | Aluminium and glass enclosure, arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight; BFR-free and PVC-free components, with PVC-free AC cord availability limited to named regions | Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight |
| In the box | iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife at launch | iMac Pro, space grey Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, space grey Magic Mouse 2, Lightning to USB cable and power lead |
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