We're going to build a system that's as close as we can get to the base $4,999 iMac Pro. It's won't be exactly the same, but it will be very close. Prices listed will be averages, and if you search around you may find better deals.
At the heart of the iMac Pro, as well as out iMac Pro clone, is an Intel Xeon processor. Here we have eight cores running at 2.1GHz, backed up by 20 megabytes of L2 cache.
This silicon is perfect for heavy workloads.
Price: $420 | More info
This board gets us a lot for the price:
Price: $650 | More info
Eye-watering price for a stick of RAM, but you can always add more if the budget allows.
Price: $300 | More info
We need a terabyte of fast storage, so we have to go for the Samsung 960 EVO M.2, a rock-solid, super-reliable drive that will make sure this build doesn't have any bottlenecks.
Price: $450 | More info
This is where we have to make a deviation from the iMac Pro because Apple has announced that it will be powered by AMD's Vega graphics chip, but cards featuring this GPU aren't out yet, so we're going with the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti as an alternative.
Price: $780 | More info
This system is going to need a powerful and stable PSU to make sure that it can deliver the performance where it's needed. The EVGA SuperNOVA can not only deliver the watts when they are needed, but it's also highly energy efficient and comes with a 10-year warranty.
Price: $330 | More info
Unless you're going to run all the parts in a cardboard box, you need a case, and the NZXT H440 has a lot of features that I like:
OK, it doesn't look like an iMac; I think it looks better.
Price: $120 | More info
This display isn't encased in brushed aluminum, and we can't shove all the other components into it, but this display makes an awesome centerpiece to this build.
Price: $2,000 | More info
That Xeon chip doesn't come with a cooler, so we need to add one to the build. This Noctua is not only efficient, but it is also low-noise, which means your PC won't sound like Air Force One taking off.
Price: $55 | More info
If you want Thunderbolt ports, you'll need a Thunderbolt add-on card since there are no Thunderbolt ports on the motherboard. However, if you don't need these ports, fee free to leave the card out of the build.
Price: $80 | More info
Apple's iMac Pro ships with a Magic Keyboard which features a numeric keypad, and a choice of Magic Mouse 2 or Magic Trackpad 2. However, you're free to choose whatever suits your needs.
Price: Around $200 for Apple peripherals
The final piece of this PC is a copy of Windows 10 Pro.
Price: $140 for OEM, $199 for retail copy
While there are clearly design differences, and we can't get out hands on any AMD Vega GPUs, from a hardware perspective this system ticks most of the boxes -- it's a Xeon-powered PC with 32-gigabytes of RAM, a terabyte of fast M.2 storage, and a spectacular 5K display.
But what's the price?
Believe it or not, the final price for this system comes in at more than the base iMac Pro -- $5,500 plus change. You can probably do better than this by shopping around (these prices listed are averages), and if you are able to do with a 4K display instead of a 5K unit, then you're looking at quite a saving.