But not the 4-core Mac Pro.
Even an iMac is faster than this lame duck which doesn't have the same quality CPUs the 8-core Mac Pros have.
If you are on a budget, the i5 27" iMac would work, too. It's just that those iMac are sooner outdated than a workstation. For long term planning on professional use the Mac Pro is the better option. You are also able to get a display that is not reflective, like the high end NEC 25.5" or 30". The Apple 30" cinema display is outdated and overpriced. As far as I know, it doesn't even have hardware color calibration built in. It's about 35% too expensive.