iMac Pro editing machine for C200

Gary Huff · February 15th, 2018, 09:23 AM

The trashcan is a good deal if you get it used/refurbished, but keep in mind that the comparable iMac Pro (in cores) is 50% faster.

Steven Davis · February 15th, 2018, 10:35 AM

Very good point Gary. I'm thinking of buying a Canon C200, so I'll need all the power.

Ricky Sharp · February 15th, 2018, 01:17 PM

I'm sure even an 8-core iMac Pro would be ample horsepower for Cinema RAW Lite. I have a 10-Core myself. One area where I put more cash in was in storage. Cinema RAW Lite files are huge, so you'll want to ensure you have both space and speed.

I'm using LaCie RAIDs paired up with my iMac Pro. A 6-bay RAID 10 (approx 600 MBps reads/writes) and a 2-bay RAID 0 scratch disk (approx 400 MBps reads/writes). Finally, a third RAID 1 for backups. The internal SSD is left for applications.

Steven Davis · February 15th, 2018, 08:01 PM

Well here is the comparison. What I see glaring at me is the number of cores.

https://www.apple.com/mac/compare/re...oduct2=mac-pro

Steven Davis · February 18th, 2018, 02:03 PM

And this is what I'm leaning towards.

3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
64GB 2666MHz DDR4 ECC memory
1TB SSD
Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB of HBM2 memory
Magic Mouse 2 - Space Gray
Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad - US English - Space Gray

Gary Huff · February 21st, 2018, 10:00 AM

That is a good compromise between the maximum specs you can get and the price you pay.

Steven Davis · February 21st, 2018, 10:16 AM

Thank you Gary

Ricky Sharp · February 21st, 2018, 02:22 PM

Do check if the software you'll use will benefit from the Vega 64. If not, you may want to consider sticking with the Vega56 and update to the 10-core version. That is what I did for the software I use (Xcode, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Final Cut Pro X and various 3D packages to include Cinema 4D). While some do tap into the GPU, many of the processes I run are CPU-bound.

Steven Davis · February 21st, 2018, 04:39 PM

That's a good point. I've already toyed around with FCPX but am thinking Adobe Premier if FCPX doesn't do it for me. I'm a long time Vegas editor, but I'm looking to move on.

I'll be sure to check on FCPX and Premier and see how they handle processing. Thanks, Ricky.

Gary Huff · February 21st, 2018, 06:05 PM

Personally, I would buy a 10-core, but you have to decide if the potential speed is worth it. Primarily use Adobe with some FCPX thrown in for certain clients.

Steven Davis · February 22nd, 2018, 11:31 AM

Good point Gary. I called Adobe upper support and they could relay numbers for the upgrades, but they don't have an official announcement to say, put more money in this or that. According to Adobe, Premier uses either/or video or cpu processing and can be switched on and off depending. So that's at least good to know.

I did a test on my current editor, with well below video specs for 4k, and Adobe premier handled the video play back so much better than Sony Vegas. Which is what started me on this new purchase journey. :}

Steven Davis · March 25th, 2018, 01:47 PM

Update:

So after researching the iMac Pro to death, thinking I knew pretty much the ins and outs of what I was looking for, I went to my local Apple store to discuss options. I asked the sales guy if I buy a base model, can I get upgrades later. The blue guy went to the back to ask the head Apple technician. He came back with a definitive, no, no, nothing is upgradable on the iMac Pro after purchase. So I left completely confused.

I called Apple and they told me the only thing that is upgradable after purchase is the Ram. Which is different than the Apple store guy.

I called another Apple store near Washington D.C. and they said their Apple guy could upgrade the hard drives, Ram and Core.

Needless to say, I'm perplexed atm. I chatted with BH and they told me I should pay attention to the Vram, which is good advice.

Gary Huff · March 25th, 2018, 04:59 PM

You should buy the highest end machine you can absolutely afford, and figure that it won't be easily upgradeable in the future. That's what I plan to do.

February 15th, 2018, 09:23 AM	#16
Gary Huff Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 2,006	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 The trashcan is a good deal if you get it used/refurbished, but keep in mind that the comparable iMac Pro (in cores) is 50% faster.

February 15th, 2018, 10:35 AM	#17
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Very good point Gary. I'm thinking of buying a Canon C200, so I'll need all the power. __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

February 15th, 2018, 01:17 PM	#18
Ricky Sharp Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 180	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 I'm sure even an 8-core iMac Pro would be ample horsepower for Cinema RAW Lite. I have a 10-Core myself. One area where I put more cash in was in storage. Cinema RAW Lite files are huge, so you'll want to ensure you have both space and speed. I'm using LaCie RAIDs paired up with my iMac Pro. A 6-bay RAID 10 (approx 600 MBps reads/writes) and a 2-bay RAID 0 scratch disk (approx 400 MBps reads/writes). Finally, a third RAID 1 for backups. The internal SSD is left for applications.

February 15th, 2018, 08:01 PM	#19
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Well here is the comparison. What I see glaring at me is the number of cores. https://www.apple.com/mac/compare/re...oduct2=mac-pro __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

February 18th, 2018, 02:03 PM	#20
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 And this is what I'm leaning towards. 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 ECC memory 1TB SSD Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB of HBM2 memory Magic Mouse 2 - Space Gray Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad - US English - Space Gray __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

February 21st, 2018, 10:00 AM	#21
Gary Huff Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 2,006	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 That is a good compromise between the maximum specs you can get and the price you pay.

February 21st, 2018, 10:16 AM	#22
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Thank you Gary __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

February 21st, 2018, 02:22 PM	#23
Ricky Sharp Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 180	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Do check if the software you'll use will benefit from the Vega 64. If not, you may want to consider sticking with the Vega56 and update to the 10-core version. That is what I did for the software I use (Xcode, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Final Cut Pro X and various 3D packages to include Cinema 4D). While some do tap into the GPU, many of the processes I run are CPU-bound.

February 21st, 2018, 04:39 PM	#24
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 That's a good point. I've already toyed around with FCPX but am thinking Adobe Premier if FCPX doesn't do it for me. I'm a long time Vegas editor, but I'm looking to move on. I'll be sure to check on FCPX and Premier and see how they handle processing. Thanks, Ricky. __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

February 21st, 2018, 06:05 PM	#25
Gary Huff Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 2,006	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Personally, I would buy a 10-core, but you have to decide if the potential speed is worth it. Primarily use Adobe with some FCPX thrown in for certain clients.

February 22nd, 2018, 11:31 AM	#26
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Good point Gary. I called Adobe upper support and they could relay numbers for the upgrades, but they don't have an official announcement to say, put more money in this or that. According to Adobe, Premier uses either/or video or cpu processing and can be switched on and off depending. So that's at least good to know. I did a test on my current editor, with well below video specs for 4k, and Adobe premier handled the video play back so much better than Sony Vegas. Which is what started me on this new purchase journey. :} __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

March 25th, 2018, 01:47 PM	#27
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 Update: So after researching the iMac Pro to death, thinking I knew pretty much the ins and outs of what I was looking for, I went to my local Apple store to discuss options. I asked the sales guy if I buy a base model, can I get upgrades later. The blue guy went to the back to ask the head Apple technician. He came back with a definitive, no, no, nothing is upgradable on the iMac Pro after purchase. So I left completely confused. I called Apple and they told me the only thing that is upgradable after purchase is the Ram. Which is different than the Apple store guy. I called another Apple store near Washington D.C. and they said their Apple guy could upgrade the hard drives, Ram and Core. Needless to say, I'm perplexed atm. I chatted with BH and they told me I should pay attention to the Vram, which is good advice. __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

March 25th, 2018, 04:59 PM	#28
Gary Huff Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 2,006	Re: iMac Pro editing machine for C200 You should buy the highest end machine you can absolutely afford, and figure that it won't be easily upgradeable in the future. That's what I plan to do.