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Base and Middle Tier Mac Pro Models Offer CPU Performance Similar to iMac Pro

Tuesday December 17, 2019 2:52 pm PST by Juli Clover

Geekbench 5 benchmarks of some of the new Mac Pro processor options are now available, giving us an idea of how the Mac Pro performs relative to other Apple machines.

Based on the available scores, the 8-core, 12-core, and 16-core Mac Pro processors offer performance similar to the processors in the 2017 iMac Pro models.

8-core 2019 Mac Pro vs. 8-core 2017 iMac Pro

The base Mac Pro with an 8-core Xeon W chip has a single-core score of 1008 and a multi-core score of 7606, which is beaten out by the 8-core 2017 iMac Pro's single core score of 1076 and multi-core score of 8120.

Similar scores can also be seen in the higher-core Mac Pro models as well. The 12-core Mac Pro earned a single-core score of 1090 and a multi-core score of 11599, while the 16-core machine earned a single-core score of 1104 and a multi-core score of 14285.

Geekbench 5 single-core Mac scores (8-core model not pictured here but ranking can be seen in full chart)

The 16-core processor in the Mac Pro does win out over the 18-core processor in the 2017 iMac Pro when it comes to both multi-core and single-core performance, but there's not a huge difference in score.

In single-core performance, the new Mac Pro models are outshined by many of Apple's 2019 Macs, especially when it comes to the lowest-end 8-core machine. The higher-end 2019 MacBook Pro models (13, 15, and 16-inch), the high-end Mac mini, and 2019 iMac models all beat out even the 16-core machine when it comes to single-core scores.

In multi-core performance, it's only the iMac Pro models and the high-end iMac that outshine the 8-core Mac Pro, while 12-core and 16-core models are close to the top of the chart.

Geekbench 5 multi-core Mac scores

Though the base and middle tier models offer performance that's fairly similar to the performance you get from many of the 2017 iMac Pro models, the upgradeability and expandability of the Mac Pro should not be overlooked.

Every component is modular and can be improved and upgraded after purchase, with RAM upgrades, SSD upgrades, and GPU upgrades all possible, unlike the iMac Pro.

When it comes to the higher-tier 24 and 28-core processor options in the Mac Pro, we can expect to see performance that far exceeds what's possible with an iMac Pro as the 2017 iMac Pro tops out at the 18-core Xeon processor option.

Related Roundup: Mac Pro

Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

JPack

12 months ago

Another big difference: You can't buy $400 wheels for the iMac.

Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)

MakeAppleAwesomeAgain

Intel is really slacking these days.

Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Greenmeenie

And you don’t have to buy a $5,000 monitor or $1,000 stand when you buy an iMac Pro.

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Count Blah

It’s a shame Apple doesn’t want to offer Ryzen based Macs

Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)

beaker7

The scores are pretty embarassing for a pro machine in 2018.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

MikeMo

Of COURSE the benchmarks are similar when the machines have similar hardware! The Mac Pro begins to shine when you opt for more power. OF COURSE. Like, DUH! The base model is slower than the high end model. Whoda thunk it!

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