iMac Pro iMac Pro: are you happy with your new iMac Pro?

[thefriendshipmachine]

I've owned the tower G3, G4, G5(liquid cooled) and none ever overheated and the liquid cooled one never leaked. I think you will find that the issues you mentioned were experienced by a small fraction of the user base owning those models. Issues get reported and discussed. Non-issues are rarely discussed.

nope, leaky G5 cooling systems are very common, search the forum and google to see for yourself. It was also a big deal at the time and apple was just replacing G5's left and right.

 

[MarcoTogni]

None of those issues here. Very happy with the product, it's exactly as I expected.

Don't forget that the effect of specialist forums is to amplify the 1% of defects that inevitably all tech products will have.

If you are going to hear about any problems, the forums will make them sound widespread, when really the majority of the many thousand that Apple must have shipped by now will be perfectly fine, you just won't see any posts about them.

You are right, but on the other side there are:
- many people who are too proud of their purchase to accept it has a defect.
- many people who are not so "specialist" and they can't understand a defect.

 

[BayouTiger]

I’ve been happy overall with mine, but it hasn’t been without some glitchyness. Biggest issue has been a sleep/wake failure and I will find that it has rebooted when going to sleep. Was pretty consistent for a few days and nowseems to have stopped. Crash report reported an issue with BridgeOS. Biggest frustration is that when the occurs, my Pegasus does not reconnect and my external 4K monitor connected via an ElGato TB2 Dock does not reconnect. The dock is a known sleep issue with the dock so I’m not that worried there. I plan on moving the monitor to a CAldigit USB-C to DisplayPort adapter.

Stranger is that this morning I found a “no file system” folder on the screen when i first looked this morning. Rebooted fine after a power cycle. Then the fan came on full for about 20 seconds as someone else mentioned. The machine wasn’t doing anything but it was punching a bunch of heat out the vent. I found that strange since I have purposely ran a handbrake queue for about 8 hours overnight just to see how ho5 it got and everything stayed silent with only minimal heat from the back.

May have had some really weird power issue as my QNAP shut down yesterday afternoon and I had to Resynsc the array. Never had that happen before.

I wonder if I am just going through one of those weird snakebit periods where nothing goes right. My nMP started having frequent random reboots a couple weeks ago and I have tried replacing Ram and putting my 6core processor back in (I had upgraded to a 12c). That machine had been rock solid - the best Mac I ever owned - until 10.13.2. Yet I swiped it clean and installed 10.12.6 and still got the reboots. Pretty much cued the purchase of the iMP. Even my very solid Thinkpad started being weird a few weeks ago after the latest big Win10 update. Lost DirectAccess which is by far my favorite feature of the Windows ecosystem.

I am going to give it another couple days before I get them to swap it. Been trying to decide if I want to return it and order an upgraded model as I had ordered one, but cancelled it before it shipped to pick up a base config at the local store. Maybe it’s Karma calling...but I have pretty much come to realize that the base model is a great setup and I don’t see where the upgrades are necessary.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

A lot of talk about the fans on start up and on wake from sleep, this was noted in a lot of the reviews I have seen and seems to be a deliberate design. It may jut be checking the fans for function or keeping everything cool as it all springs to life before settling down.

 

[maxq]

A lot of talk about the fans on start up and on wake from sleep, this was noted in a lot of the reviews I have seen and seems to be a deliberate design. It may jut be checking the fans for function or keeping everything cool as it all springs to life before settling down.

I haven't noticed it on mine but then again it stays running 24/7 so it would only have happened during the setup process and I don't recall whether or not it did. If it did it wasn't something that caught my attention but then I do have other machines which do this, including a blade server that sounds like a hurricane for the first 10 seconds after power on (you really need earplugs) then the fans slow to a whisper and are barely noticeable in normal use. Compared to that, anything the iMP is doing would not have seemed unusual to me. I would just assume it's running a POST test to make sure the fans will operate at full power if needed.

I don't know why it would do that on waking from sleep though, unless they just decided that was a good time to do another fan test for some reason, but I just tried a brief sleep on mine and there was no fan activity on waking it up so perhaps it depends on how long it's been sleeping and what it was doing. Maybe it's worth asking Apple support if it's bothering anyone, to see if they have a sensible answer.

 

[BayouTiger]

Mine did not do it on setup. Only once. And then after a crash. It also did not seem like a test as it was blowing very hot air so it seemed like a legitimate run. What I don’t know is why it was so hot at that moment when it has not gotten hot with a full workload.

 

[whwang]

The only thing that's annoying me is my Dell 5K seems a bit wonky with it. Every once in awhile the panel decides to stretch the image, while still reporting 5k. The only way to fix it is to actually unplug the power cord from the monitor and plug it back in. This happens when the display goes to sleep and is then awakened later, but only randomly.
I'm using a special Sonnet dual DisplayPort to since Thunderbolt 3/USB C adapter.
I have had trouble with my cMP and the Dell 5K, sometimes having to power cycle it for it to perform properly, but nothing like this.
My nMP, while I had it, also worked flawlessly with the monitor. So this is a bit strange and disappointing. Nothing I can't work around, but just ...annoying.

Ouch... That sounds scary to me. I am using a Dell 5K with my cMP. Its behavior is just like what you said: occasional power cycle is needed, but not a major trouble.

I had also placed an order for the Sonnet dual DP adapter, and I will order an iMP as soon as it is available in my country. I hope I won't run into the same problem on the Dell 5K.

 

[Redneck1089]

Ouch... That sounds scary to me. I am using a Dell 5K with my cMP. Its behavior is just like what you said: occasional power cycle is needed, but not a major trouble.

I had also placed an order for the Sonnet dual DP adapter, and I will order an iMP as soon as it is available in my country. I hope I won't run into the same problem on the Dell 5K.

Prior to putting the computer to sleep I just power off the Dell, rather than letting it go to sleep with the rest of the system. The problem seems to start if the monitor ‘sleeps’ and is reactivated. Powering off the monitor, and then manually powering it on after the rest of the system is awakened from sleep seems to have cured the problem, so far. I’ll report back if it happens again using this method.

 

[andiedan]

After I had some problems on two iMacs, I am thinking to buy an iMac Pro but I am quite shocked about how many people are having some problems (I read about backlight problems, startup issues, display wifi speed problem, etc.)

My question is: are you happy with your new purchase? or your iMac Pro is having some problems?

[doublepost=1518879393][/doublepost]I have had an iMac Pro for just over a month. Was to replace an older 27" iMac. Mostly it is fine but there is a recurring problem which I haven't quite managed to repeat deliberately. Seems to have something to do with the sequence of copy/paste. The keyboard seems to freeze gives bleeps as if a key is stuck (it isn't). Only way out seems to be to close down all open applications and restart. Anybody experienced anything like it?

 

[FredT2]

[doublepost=1518879393][/doublepost]I have had an iMac Pro for just over a month. Was to replace an older 27" iMac. Mostly it is fine but there is a recurring problem which I haven't quite managed to repeat deliberately. Seems to have something to do with the sequence of copy/paste. The keyboard seems to freeze gives bleeps as if a key is stuck (it isn't). Only way out seems to be to close down all open applications and restart. Anybody experienced anything like it?

I have not.

 

[Trebuin]

Having come from the 2017 iMac, I am perfectly happy with the iMac pro!

 

[Mac32]

I'm very happy with it, but the new SMC in Bootcamp makes me nervous. Hopefully Apple didn't mess with it too much, and lets hope there will be a fan control software available in the near future. It would improve gaming in Bootcamp a lot, and the Vega GPU heats up VERY quickly if you run games in 4K, or play the most demanding games like Crysis 3 etc.

 

[JBB4]

I too am very happy with my 18 core iMac pro (having had it for just under two weeks now). The only niggle is that when I power off and back on again, I lose connection to both the keyboard and mouse (both the space grey apple products shipped with the iMac Pro). Switching either off and on doesnt help, so I end up plugging in a wired keyboard to get past the log in screen and then both start working again fine. I don't normally power off so it's not a huge problem to me but it's annoying nonetheless. Would be interested if others have encountered the same with the 18 core?

 

[iMacDonald]

I too am very happy with my 18 core iMac pro (having had it for just under two weeks now). The only niggle is that when I power off and back on again, I lose connection to both the keyboard and mouse (both the space grey apple products shipped with the iMac Pro). Switching either off and on doesnt help, so I end up plugging in a wired keyboard to get past the log in screen and then both start working again fine. I don't normally power off so it's not a huge problem to me but it's annoying nonetheless. Would be interested if others have encountered the same with the 18 core?

I wouldn't call switching a fairly expensive computer on and not being able to type to logon or use the mouse that were shipped with it a "niggle".

 

[BurgDog]

I am extremely happy with my base config iMac Pro. I got it from Micro Center using their $1000 off deal and at $4000 + tax it is a great value for what I got. I do not use it to make money but I like pro level stuff in general if I can get it and afford it as they tend to be more robust and reliable long term. I use it for Handbrake compresses and gaming. I can do both at the same time if I wish as handbrake uses the CPU and games are mostly on the GPU - gets the fans moving though, 2400 rpm is noticeable and both the CPU and GPU get in the 90s when I do both.

I too am very happy with my 18 core iMac pro (having had it for just under two weeks now). The only niggle is that when I power off and back on again, I lose connection to both the keyboard and mouse (both the space grey apple products shipped with the iMac Pro). Switching either off and on doesnt help, so I end up plugging in a wired keyboard to get past the log in screen and then both start working again fine. I don't normally power off so it's not a huge problem to me but it's annoying nonetheless. Would be interested if others have encountered the same with the 18 core?

You can connect the supplied keyboard to the iMac Pro USB port using the supplied charging cable and turn it into a USB keyboard bypassing bluetooth. One less thing to keep on your desk. I've had none of those problems you described on my iMP base config booting into Mac OS. I do have keyboard and mouse issues in bootcamp w10 where I sometimes have to use the charge cable trick to get the keyboard to work and a wired mouse I keep on hand for games for mouse support. That looks to be a bootcamp driver issue as others have the same problem.

 

[Mac32]

I too am very happy with my 18 core iMac pro (having had it for just under two weeks now). The only niggle is that when I power off and back on again, I lose connection to both the keyboard and mouse (both the space grey apple products shipped with the iMac Pro). Switching either off and on doesnt help, so I end up plugging in a wired keyboard to get past the log in screen and then both start working again fine. I don't normally power off so it's not a huge problem to me but it's annoying nonetheless. Would be interested if others have encountered the same with the 18 core?

I have the same issue with Apple’s bluetooth touch pad and keyboard. The driver was broken by one of the last Windows updates.

 

[tribaltek]

I have the same issue with Apple’s bluetooth touch pad and keyboard. The driver was broken by one of the last Windows updates.

Same. Haven't been able to fix it yet. Was fine until I installed all of the available Windows updates.

 

[chrono1081]

I'm holding out to see if pro owners start complaining about thermal problems and image retention. Personally I think it's just a matter of time before these things start frying. If there's one thing apple cannot do its build an imac that doesnt overheat.

I'm sorry but you're just flat out wrong here. Too many people think "getting hot" means "overheating" and that isn't the case. True overheating will manifest itself in slowness, weird hiccups, and eventually the system shutting down to protect itself. Getting warm and heating up is 100% normal on computers.

Sorry but the overheating thing is a pet peeve of mine from working many years in IT where users would panic any moment the computer got warm.

 

[Mac32]

I'm sorry but you're just flat out wrong here. Too many people think "getting hot" means "overheating" and that isn't the case. True overheating will manifest itself in slowness, weird hiccups, and eventually the system shutting down to protect itself. Getting warm and heating up is 100% normal on computers.

Sorry but the overheating thing is a pet peeve of mine from working many years in IT where users would panic any moment the computer got warm.

But certainly the big temperature jumps up and down, when using the current fan profile in Bootcamp when gaming can't be good for the electronics over time. I'm seeing the CPU jumping up and down, suddenly spiking at low-to-mid 90s Celsius for a few seconds, and then suddenly down to the 70s again. The GPU heats up really quickly in high resolutions and demanding games too. I'd be much more comfortable running the fans at a medium base speed, and keeping things no hotter than low 80s. No serious PC builder would find the kind of temperatures seen in the latest iMac models (including the Pro) acceptable. Don't know too much specific about hardware longevity and temperatures, I'm not an IT guy, but just sayin'...

 

[chrono1081]

But certainly the big temperature jumps up and down, when using the current fan profile in Bootcamp when gaming can't be good for the electronics over time. I'm seeing the CPU jumping up and down, suddenly spiking at low-to-mid 90s Celsius for a few seconds, and then suddenly down to the 70s again. The GPU heats up really quickly in high resolutions and demanding games too. I'd be much more comfortable running the fans at a medium base speed, and keeping things no hotter than low 80s. No serious PC builder would find the kind of temperatures seen in the latest iMac models (including the Pro) acceptable. Don't know too much specific about hardware longevity and temperatures, I'm not an IT guy, but just sayin'...

I am an IT guy and everything you're describing is 100% normal and the electronics are more than capable of handling that kind of thing.

 

[AttilaMN]

Temps hitting the 80s & 90s? I thought that the imac Pro was supposed to have some sort of really improved cooling/fan system? Are these kinds of temps better than that of other imacs?

 

[mossback]

A little over a month in and I love, love, love the iMP. Fantastic machine in every regard.

 

[JBB4]

I am extremely happy with my base config iMac Pro. I got it from Micro Center using their $1000 off deal and at $4000 + tax it is a great value for what I got. I do not use it to make money but I like pro level stuff in general if I can get it and afford it as they tend to be more robust and reliable long term. I use it for Handbrake compresses and gaming. I can do both at the same time if I wish as handbrake uses the CPU and games are mostly on the GPU - gets the fans moving though, 2400 rpm is noticeable and both the CPU and GPU get in the 90s when I do both.


You can connect the supplied keyboard to the iMac Pro USB port using the supplied charging cable and turn it into a USB keyboard bypassing bluetooth. One less thing to keep on your desk. I've had none of those problems you described on my iMP base config booting into Mac OS. I do have keyboard and mouse issues in bootcamp w10 where I sometimes have to use the charge cable trick to get the keyboard to work and a wired mouse I keep on hand for games for mouse support. That looks to be a bootcamp driver issue as others have the same problem.

Thanks BurgGog, what an excellent suggestion, am kicking myself for not thinking of that, cheers.
[doublepost=1518939879][/doublepost]

I wouldn't call switching a fairly expensive computer on and not being able to type to logon or use the mouse that were shipped with it a "niggle".

I can see where you’re coming from but i’m sure it’ll be fixed at some point and as I leave the machine on all the time normally... as a matter of fact I was also going to ask if anyone has the website address for submitting issues/errors/problems to Apple? I’ve seen it before in this forum but can’t for the life of me find it again!

 

[caoc9]

So far, in my limited time use of it so far (got it late Tuesday, 10c/64gb/1TB/Vega64) and I haven't had much time to put it through its paces. It is a slick machine. Beautiful all around and FAST.

The (...possibly nit-picky...) things I've noted:

• Screen and text on screen seems much clearer than my 2014 5K iMac.
  • It seems to have a 'pink tint' to it according to the wife. I don't see it, but she says "it is noticeable" ... I guess it looks a shade 'warmer' than my 2014 iMac but I don't see it being 'pink' /shrug
• The speakers, are loud, and with some music, almost an improvement, but in Apple's attempt to make them sound 'bass-y' it makes dialog based audio harder to hear (to me and my ears) and more distant / hollow sounding.
• Fans... I've done some basic testing quick renders in FCPX and some large RAW Photo files, loaded up a game (Guild Wars 2), and just tried to do things things that would make my 2014 iMac howl ... the iMac Pro was dead silent. Ran everything like a champ, and speeds that make my 2014 look like a paper weight.
  • HOWEVER... There's something that started last night and curious if other people have this issue as well, when the system wakes from sleep (or goes to sleep it seems now...), the fans kick on, FULL BLAST. Stay on for maybe 15-20 seconds, then eventually slow down and are silent again. Under normal operation, fans never come back on, always completely silent, but if I go away a bit, come back, wake the system, 2 out of 3 times, the fans will flare up again. Also seems to do this on a fresh boot from a shut down.

I'd say it is a hell of a machine, but I need a bit more actual 'work time' with it to know for sure how it will play out and if I can confidently say it is a keeper!

Hi

Did you manage to fix the fan issue, I am experiencing the same problem...

Regards

Per

 

[SecuritySteve]

The only issue I've run into with my iMac Pro was a startup issue that causes the system to lag on the login page when a Razer device is plugged in. Other than that installing some drivers can be a pain, since the T2 coprocessor has to validate it. It took me about 3 reboots and an uninstall / reinstall in order to get Razer Synapse working correctly.

But in all, this is a beautiful machine with amazing performance. 10/10 would recommend again.