As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases @AMAZON
2019 Mac Pro: Image Scaling with Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI
Related: 2019 iMac 5K, 2019 Mac Pro, 4K and 5K display, AMD Radeon GPU, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, Artificial Intelligence, focus stacking, GPU, iMac, iMac 5K, image scaling, Mac Pro, Macs, memory, Topaz Labs, Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI, video

MPG tested the $9399 Apple 2019 Mac Pro with 384GB OWC memory vs the top-end $3849 2019 iMac 5K 3.6 GHz Intel Core i9 8-core / Vega 48 with 128GB OWC memory. The memory difference is not a factor in this test.
The support of OWC / MacSales.com and B&H Photo is essential for making these reviews possible. Please order through our links via these companies and/or subscribe to diglloyd publications. Mac wish list • Storage wish list • SSD wish list • Ports wish list
Not sure which Mac to get or how to configure it? Consult with MPG Lloyd.
Gigapixel AI does very high quality image scaling. It is extremely GPU intensive (though it can be run with the GPU disabled and use CPU cores instead).
Results
Tests were run using the GPU and also using CPU cores with the GPU disabled and both approaches are shown.
The 2019 iMac 5K with AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 outperforms the 2019 Mac Pro with AMD Radeon Pro 580X by 16% or so. The 580X has only about 80% GPU utilization, for unknown reasons, but it is a consistent behavior in various applications.
When CPUs are used (no GPU), the iMac 5K takes 40% longer.
* Shame on Apple for shipping an outdated underperforming base GPU in their flagship Mac which starts at a base price more than 50% higher than the 2019 iMac 5K! Basically, to get a decent GPU, you have to upspend another $2400 for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II, at least until the W5700X becomes available.
Performance

GPU Utilization Analysis
As seen below, GPU utilization is about 80% with the AMD Radeon Pro 580X in the 2019 Mac Pro, but 100% with the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 in the 2019 iMac 5K.


![]() $5999 Apple 32" Pro Display XDR 16:9 Retina 6K HDR IPS Display (Nano-T… OUT OF STOCK in Computers: Displays
|