Bricked iMac Pro requires a 2nd Mac to restore

[captain_to_fire]

4 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-7900X 3.3GHz 10-Core Processor  ($959.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock - X299 Extreme4 ATX LGA2066 Motherboard  ($201.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Team - Vulcan 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($329.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($276.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX VEGA 64 8GB Video Card  ($697.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ B&H) 
Other: Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Widescreen Video Calling and Recording, 1080p Camera, Desktop or Laptop Webcam  ($45.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: 5k LG Monitor ($1075.99)
Total: $3803.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-18 00:47 EST-0500

I saved a grand plus.

• Not a Xeon processor (8c for base model)
• No DDR4 ECC memory (32 GB for base model)
• No NVME SSD (1TB for base model) 

[79wjd]

8 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-7900X 3.3GHz 10-Core Processor  ($959.89 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock - X299 Extreme4 ATX LGA2066 Motherboard  ($201.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Team - Vulcan 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($329.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($276.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX VEGA 64 8GB Video Card  ($697.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ B&H) 
Other: Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Widescreen Video Calling and Recording, 1080p Camera, Desktop or Laptop Webcam  ($45.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: 5k LG Monitor ($1075.99)
Total: $3803.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-18 00:47 EST-0500

I saved a grand plus.

Which is still perfectly respectable considering it's a prebuilt, they will never be able to compete outside of a few very rare exceptions. But in fairness, you are missing a Xeon, ECC, NVME SSD, TB3, and form factor.

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

So, it's pointless to use a Xeon. 

Then you clearly do not understand the target market for the iMac Pro. 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, hey_yo_ said:

• Not a Xeon processor (8c for base model)
• No DDR4 ECC memory (32 GB for base model)
• No NVME SSD (1TB for base model) 

Also no Thunderbolt and only 1 USB C port. 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

But in fairness, you are missing a Xeon and ECC.

He's also missing NVME SSDs and Thunderbolt. 

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

Read what I just said.

Xeon and ECC exist because professionals need them. i9 is not a professional CPU, its more like a prosumer CPU. 

[79wjd]

3 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

The W used at based is compared to an 8 core i7, so why not use an i9 for more work horsepower?

 

People who don't know how to build a workstation, ya I get that.

Because Xeons do exist for a reason. 

 

Or any company where it very often isn't worth the extra time required to build and validate a custom build, or anyone who values form or has space at a premium (both of which are perfectly valid use cases as well), or anyone who just doesn't want to.

 

People on these very forums spend thousands of dollars on water and RGB and Apple gets shit for selling the iMac Pro about 10-15% over what a custom build would cost (which again, is a very reasonable margin for a prebuilt). 

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

The W used at based is compared to an 8 core i7, so why not use an i9 for more work horsepower?  

People who don't know how to build a workstation, ya I get that.

Core i9s are not workstation CPUs!

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

The 8 core W is literally just an alternative to a 7820x.  Again, that's why I picked an i9.

No they freaking aren't. 

 

 

[sazrocks]

2 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

Because mobile devices and portable storage exists. You don't need an iMac to have encryption. Oh wait, why does ecryption exist at all?

If you don't think encryption is necessary outside of mobile devices, then this product isn't for you. Webmasters/Sysadmins/Programmers with similar beliefs are why we have massive security breaches like the equifax event.

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

That was the original challenge.

The challenge was to use workstation parts, you did not do that. 

 

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

Well, if the base W is basically just a 7820x then I don't see it as a workstation CPU.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon 

[79wjd]

3 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

Yet, I can still build one with similar specs myself.   I did that.  That was the original challenge.

He was arguing against it being overpriced (with equivalent hardware I might add). A 10% premium does not constitute being overpriced.

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

Tada!

Tada! You just proved why the i9 is not a Xeon! 

[79wjd]

2 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

That's actually opinionated, and up to whoever wants to purchase it.  

By that logic literally any and all laptops are overpriced compared to a comparably spec'd desktop. Products are overpriced relative to a competing product. A prebuilt system does not compete with a custom build anymore than an ultrabook competes with a 4U server. 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

I said the Xeon in question was compared to an i7.  I just showed you where it was compared.  Maybe read a little?

Maybe understand that the Intel Core i series of CPUs lack the professional certifications, ECC support, and more features that professionals use and rely on to do their work? 

[sazrocks]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

I never said it was.  I said the Xeon in question was compared to an i7.  I just showed you where it was compared.  Maybe read a little?

You are missing the point; the i9 you put in the build, while it does have more performance with its 10 cores, does not support features that are essential in many professional applications, such as ECC RAM. Not to mention the other things you missed such as an NVME SSD and TB 3.

[captain_to_fire]

7 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

Read what I just said.

It’s probably better if you picked a Samsung 960 Pro 1TB (read: 3500 MB/s, write: 2100 MB/s) to even out the playing field. The WD Blue SSD you’ve picked might be M.2 but it’s using SATA3 and not NVME. The iMac Pro’s NVME SSD has a read speed of 3000 MB/s read and write speeds. SATA3 SSDs usually are capped at 600 MB/s. 

 

[79wjd]

2 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

It’s probably better if you picked a Samsung 960 Pro 1TB

Yeah, but then it doesn't fit the narrative he's trying to weave.

[79wjd]

1 minute ago, valdyrgramr said:

They simply said similarly specced.  They never clarified I needed every little instruction.

No, he actually didn't.

 

54 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Any Thunderbolt 3 Mac would work.....

 

Also say that the iMac Pro is overpriced again? Try parting out an exactly equal machine using the same level of Workstation Hardware. 

 

[sazrocks]

3 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

They simply said similarly specced.  They never clarified I needed every little instruction.

There's a difference between stupid details and details that make the difference between whether a system can be used at all or not in a professional enviroment. Stop back pedaling and present a system that fulfills these features for significantly cheaper and we will be proven wrong. And I consider the difference between a SATA SSD and an A+ tier NVME SSD, as well as the difference between thunderbolt and usb to be greater than a

Quote

little instruction

 

[DrMacintosh]

I'm loving this  

[sazrocks]

 

2 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

Kinda hard when the W wasn't an option.  The original reason I used the i9.

Not an excuse. You can't call a product overpriced when you literally can't build an equivalent.

[sazrocks]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

I can by opinion.

Sure, you're free to have your own opinions, just don't act surprised when you express them on an online forum and people disagree with you.

2 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

Especially considering the Ws are coming to the consumer market.

I fail to see how this is relevant.

[79wjd]

9 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

Then this doesn't seem to be the right product for a lot of people then. Like, most of us just want to play games, browse the web and social media (the people Apple markets to) and itd be nice to be able to do that at a fraction of the cost and not be really expensive or troublesome to unbrick.

Gamers have never been Apple's target audience (aside from the, we have games in the app store nonsense). And an iMac with a Xeon, ECC RAM, and a Vega Pro GPU is not marketed towards web users. The non-pro iMac is what's marketed toward the average users. This is purely marketed towards professionals.

[sazrocks]

Just now, huilun02 said:

Then this doesn't seem to be the right product for a lot of people then. Like, most of us just want to play games, browse the web and social media (the people Apple markets to) and itd be nice to be able to do that at a fraction of the cost and not be really expensive or troublesome to unbrick.

...What?

I can't be bothered to keep posting screenshots, so just read the page yourself : https://www.apple.com/imac-pro/

3 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

I never said people can't disagree with me.  Since professional reviewers are using i7s, TR, and others as comparisons I don't see why I can't.

Because those people don't need ECC, etc. Professional reviewers aren't exactly Apple's target consumers.

4 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

^Well, actually the Ws are coming to the consumer market.  So, I literally will be able to.

Ah I see what you meant now. I still fail to see its relevance though. You have no idea what the price will be so right now you cannot say factually that the imac pro is overpriced compared to equivelant hardware because you have no idea what equivalent hardware costs.