How to build your own iMac Pro [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

[izo1]

did you see the 5K version coming (using a single DP 1.4 cable)

I had a feeling it's coming out soon, got a link?

It's probably going to be $1999 USD for the 38" since the 34" is $1499 (It's not available yet though)

 

[izo1]

At first place I would recommend to gather your personal experience with a single LG 38 monitor/Vega configuration. From my personal experience a kind of nightmare.. VGA boot screen resolution via DP. 30 Hz under 10.13.6 via HDMI. 60 Hz under 10.14 via HDMI, but you will not be able to wake your monitor after display sleep. You will have to change your monitor settings to HDMI compatibility mode and you will be once more with 30 Hz also under 10.14 Mojave.

LG 38 monitors are great but have major incompatibility issues with Vegas.

Thanks for the heads up. I had a feeling it wouldn't be as easy. So you're saying it won't do 60Hz with DisplayPort booted into macOS?

I don't mind if boot screen is stretched, I never shut down my workstations anyway. It will irk me, but...

I have a hard time letting go of the 27" dual Apple Cinema Displays since they are 2560x1440, width wise I'm losing about 20-25% going to the 38" LG. I work in Adobe apps all day and dual monitors is a must for me. But these monitors are from 2011 and showing their age. The panels are still great, and the design is obviously timeless in my opinion.

Curious to see how this ultrawide performs, I'll throw it on ebay or return it if I don't like it.

 

[kgp]

I had a feeling it's coming out soon, got a link?

It's probably going to be $1999 USD for the 38" since the 34" is $1499 (It's not available yet though)

@izo1, could you provide any kind of information or link to the LG 38" 5K2K? That would be awesome!

 

[izo1]

@izo1, could you provide any kind of information or link to the LG 38" 5K2K? That would be awesome!

Like you, I only know about the 34" 5k version that only works with Thunderbolt 3 though and not DP1.4 (which is not super mainstream yet)...

The 34" 5k is not even out yet. At least in the USA, it might be out in Europe.

 

[kgp]

Thanks for the heads up. I had a feeling it wouldn't be as easy. So you're saying it won't do 60Hz with DisplayPort booted into macOS?

I don't mind if boot screen is stretched, I never shut down my workstations anyway. It will irk me, but...

I have a hard time letting go of the 27" dual Apple Cinema Displays since they are 2560x1440, width wise I'm losing about 20-25% going to the 38" LG. I work in Adobe apps all day and dual monitors is a must for me. But these monitors are from 2011 and showing their age. The panels are still great, and the design is obviously timeless in my opinion.

Curious to see how this ultrawide performs, I'll throw it on ebay or return it if I don't like it.

No that's not what I am saying.. it will make 60 Hz via Display Port under macOS without any issues. It will even make 72 Hz via Display Port when enabling FreeSync but it won't boot with such configuration. The problematic part under macOS is HDMI, which is restricted to 30 Hz when forced to enable HDMI compatibility on the monitor to ensure display wake under 10.14. And I guess under 10.13.6, the display anyway just runs with 30 Hz via HDMI.

The problem with the Display Port is that the monitor is not able to run at native resolution during boot. Splash Screen Image and verbose boot messages are VGA like, while via HDMI everything works as expected..

For running Adobe apps with native 4K resolution, the 34 and 38 5K2K displays will be certainly of advantage. Although I really will have to ensure that the DisplayPort of the 38 inch 5K2K monitor is 1.4.. I need to connect 2 rigs to my screen, which is not possible within a TB3 chain.. The DisplayPort of the 34 inch 5K2K display is still 1.2.. which might cause similar issues with Vegas as currently observed and also prevent a 5K2K resolution via the monitor's DisplayPort (I expect 5K2K to be TB3 only).

 

[izo1]

No that's not what I am saying.. it will make 60 Hz via Display Port under macOS without any issues. It will even make 72 Hz via Display Port when enabling FreeSync but it won't boot with such configuration. The problematic part under macOS is HDMI, which is restricted to 30 Hz when forced to enable HDMI compatibility on the monitor to ensure display wake under 10.14. And I guess under 10.13.6, the display anyway just runs with 30 Hz via HDMI.

The problem with the Display Port is that the monitor is not able to run at native resolution during boot. Splash Screen Image and verbose boot messages are VGA like, while via HDMI everything works as expected..

For running Adobe apps with native 4K resolution, the 34 and 38 5K2K displays will be certainly of advantage. Although I really will have to ensure that the DisplayPort of the 38 inch 5K2K monitor is 1.4.. I need to connect 2 rigs to my screen, which is not possible within a TB3 chain.. The DisplayPort of the 34 inch 5K2K display is still 1.2.. which might cause similar issues with Vegas as currently observed and also prevent a 5K2K resolution via the monitor's DisplayPort (I expect 5K2K to be TB3 only).

I think it’s a macOS issue in terms of the boot screen. It’s a really weird resolution at 3840x1600. It’s not even true 4K at 3840x2160.

Apple doesn’t really care to support it which is sad. We should send them feedback for Mojave.

 

[kgp]

I think it’s a macOS issue in terms of the boot screen. It’s a really weird resolution at 3840x1600. It’s not even true 4K at 3840x2160.

Apple doesn’t really care to support it which is sad. We should send them feedback for Mojave.

The Display Port Boot Screen issue is definitely not a macOS issue.. it exclusively affects the early system boot (splash screen, clover and verbose boot messages) and not the MacOS System. Same issues when booting the system with Windows or macOS! I am sure the issue is due to the Display Port 1.2 implementation on the monitor and the Display Port 1.4 implementation on the Vega. And basically it is some incompatibility between monitor's and Vega's firmware..

The 30 Hz HDMI issue indeed seems macOS related, although the need for enabling HDMI compatibility mode on the monitor for a proper monitor wake again rather points to Display Port or Firmware incompatibilities between the Monitor and Vegas..

I never observed any of these issues with my LG 38 inch, when using my former Nvidia GPU and the respective web drivers.

And the issues really relate to ALL Vegas!

I guess the responsibility definitely is at the side of AMD/ATI and LG or any other 4K or WUHD monitor manufacturer still implementing the old Display Port 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 standards..

 

[izo1]

The Display Port Boot Screen issue is definitely not a macOS issue.. it exclusively affects the early system boot (splash screen, clover and verbose boot messages) and not the MacOS System. Same issues when booting the system with Windows or macOS! I am sure the issue is due the Display Port 1.2 implementation on the monitor and the Display Port 1.4 implementation on the Vega. And basically it is some incompatibility between monitor's and Vega's firmware..

The 30 Hz HDMI issue indeed seems macOS related, although the need for enabling HDMI compatibility mode on the monitor for a proper monitor wake again rather points to Display Port or Firmware incompatibilities between the Monitor and Vegas..

I never observed any of these issues with my LG 38 inch, when using my former Nvidia GPU and the respective web drivers.

And the issues really relate with ALL Vegas!

I guess the responsibility definitely is at the side of AMD/ATI and LG or any other monitor manufacturer still implementing the old Display Port 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 standards..

I am considering ordering a 2nd 38"...but now not sure if it's worth the investment.

Here's a promo for the 34" 5k that's coming soon. I really like that it's not curved. 2 of these would be amazing (but it's TB3 only).

But that would cost around $3,000 USD for 2...

 

[izo1]

The Display Port Boot Screen issue is definitely not a macOS issue.. it exclusively affects the early system boot (splash screen, clover and verbose boot messages) and not the MacOS System. Same issues when booting the system with Windows or macOS! I am sure the issue is due the Display Port 1.2 implementation on the monitor and the Display Port 1.4 implementation on the Vega. And basically it is some incompatibility between monitor's and Vega's firmware..

The 30 Hz HDMI issue indeed seems macOS related, although the need for enabling HDMI compatibility mode on the monitor for a proper monitor wake again rather points to Display Port or Firmware incompatibilities between the Monitor and Vegas..

I never observed any of these issues with my LG 38 inch, when using my former Nvidia GPU and the respective web drivers.

And the issues really relate with ALL Vegas!

I guess the responsibility definitely is at the side of AMD/ATI and LG or any other monitor manufacturer still implementing the old Display Port 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 standards..

Did you try the 2nd HDMI port? I read somewhere one of the HDMI ports is limiting...

 

[kgp]

Did you try the 2nd HDMI port? I read somewhere one of the HDMI ports is limiting...

• Same issues with the 2x HDMI ports of the Nitro+ Vega 64.. Same issues with the 2x DisplayPorts ports of the Nitro+ Vega 64..
• Same issues with the 3x HDMI ports of the Gigabyte Vega 64.. Same issues with the 3x DisplayPorts ports of the Gigabyte Vega 64
• Same issues with the 1x HDMI port of the Vega Frontier.. Same issues with the 3x DisplayPorts of the Vega Frontier..
• Same issues with the 2x HDMI ports of my LG 38 inch
• Same issues with the 1x DisplayPort of my LG 38 inch

In fact that was my reason for hesitating that much time to change from Nvidia to Vegas... permanently lacking Web drivers during macOS Public Betas finally made the race for implementing a Vega on my system.. although the remaining HDMI and DisplayPort issues at native 4K or WUHD screen resolution are anything else than acceptable or satisfying or something one would like to live with.. At least not on a 8000$ system...