The question of which Mac to use for TV redaction does n’t have a round-eyed solution . There are a lot of variables . The answer look on whether you are a professional video editor influence independently or as part of a studio or someone who enjoys edit home movie . You could be working on a monolithic redaction labor with terabytes of assets , facing calendar month of post - production work . Perhaps you are hoping to quicken up the time it takes to put together wedding party videos for your clients . Or perhaps you desire to make videos for a YouTube canal or to share with household and champion .
Whatever your reason for looking for a Mac for video redaction , and whatever your needs , we ’ve got you covered .
We ’ll lam through all the different Macs that Apple sells right now that you might want to consider below , but we ’ll start off by lead over the key constituent you should be looking out for .
Wondering whether to wait for Apple to update the potato chip inside the Mac mini , Mac Studio and Mac Pro to the M3 - series ? We talk about this below . OurM3 - series benchmarksshow that the novel chips are superior to the erstwhile , but we still recollect the M2 Pro , M2 Max and M2 Ultra are expectant options if your do n’t want to wait until the middle of 2024 to make your leverage .
What Mac video editors need
Thiago Trevisan
There are a few thing to keep in creative thinker when cull the safe Mac for your video editing needs .
Digital video places huge demand on C.P.U. power , graphic mightiness ( for return ) and – above all – storage space . Editing video , specially high - definition video , eats up strong drive blank , and with 4 K editing now part of life , this is only going to become more of an issue .
In special , you will need to consider what you need in terms of screen calibre and size , portability , RAM , CPU , graphics , computer storage , battery life , ports and peripherals . We ’ll look at each of these below .
You also need to ensure that the Mac supports the software you require to run , such as Apple ’s own Final Cut Pro as well as Adobe Premiere Pro and After effect , 3D software like Maya and semblance correction computer software such as Da Vinci Resolve .
We ’d apprize you to ensure that your Mac is future - proof – you ’ll need to get a good few year out of it – but be careful that the Mac of your ambition does n’t end up costing you more than you desire to spend .
Screen
As a video editor you will belike benefit from a tumid , high-pitched - resolution screen . Traditionally Apple displays have been weigh gamy - quality offer with precise color . However , now that Apple no longer makes the 27 - inch iMac , the only Macs that ship with included showing are the laptops and the 24 - inch iMac . We would only consider the 14 - inch and 16 - inch MacBook Pro with Pro or Max to be suitable for creative professional , and even a 16 - inch presentation will be too small , so our advice is that you will need a good outside display to secure into . Check out our rhythm - up of theBest Mac displays .
RAM
You ’ll need to max your Mac out with the most Aries the Ram you could yield when you bribe it . How much you need will reckon on the software you are using and the amount of information you are working with or telecasting you are rendering . We ’d recommend that when you buy your Mac you overvalue the amount of RAM you postulate because it is not possible to update RAM in modern Macs . This did n’t used to be the compositor’s case , it was once easy to update the RAM in the 27 in iMac , Mac mini , and the Mac Pro , but since Apple started using its own Apple Silicon , it is not possible to update RAM at all .
Apple refers to the RAM in its Modern Macs as Unified Memory . The unified memory sits with the GPU and CPU so that all those inwardness can access it whenever they need to , which has benefit to workflow mean that 8 GB unified retentiveness is superior to 8 GB RAM , but because it is build onto the potato chip it ca n’t be upgraded later on .
Your decisiveness about which Mac to bribe will be dictated by how much RAM the Mac can suit , this is dictated by the chip :
CPU
Along with the random-access memory you will also want to max out the CPU . We recommend that the more serious you are about video cut the more cores you choose .
Here ’s an overview of what ’s uncommitted :
GPU
Prior to the move to Apple ’s own silicon , there was more of a divide in terms of the artwork capabilities of Macs . Consumer - targeted Macs had integrate Intel graphics , and pro - focussed Macs had AMD discreet art ( the last prison term Apple sold a Mac with an Nvidia graphics carte was 2015 ) .
With the Second Coming of Christ of Apple Si the GPU and the CPU co - exist on the same chip ( along with the RAM , as explain above ) . Apple ’s GPUs are n’t to be sniffed at though . Those concerned about Apple ’s ability to pit discrete art of AMD and the like , may be interested to learn that Apple is using the more efficient Tile Based Deferred Rendering ( TBDR ) rather than the Immediate Mode Rendering ( IMR ) as used by Intel , Nvidia and AMD GPUs . In exercise , Apple ’s GPUs are formidable , with Apple 76 - nucleus GPU M2 Ultra close in on the loyal AMD offerings .
Storage
You should also get as much storehouse as you could when you purchase your Mac because the only Mac that will give you the option of upgrade internal storage later on is the Mac Pro . You are likely to be working with very bombastic files , so the more memory board in your Mac the better . We ’d recommend 512 megabit at an absolute minimum , but you may equip a Mac with a maximum of 8 TB SSD .
Ports and expansion options
However , the real alternative comes down to the Mac , and what that offers above and beyond the chip at its warmness .
One of the freehanded discriminator is the motley of ports on offer . Working with video will inevitably mean that you need to punch in various computer peripheral , in which case you will need adequate porthole and other expansion options , such as PCI Express elaboration slots could also make out in ready to hand .
Which Mac is best for video editing?
So , based on the above , we ’ll go off by looking at which CPU is best for video redaction .
If you are count for a Mac that is well - equipped for black market picture editing apps and try gravid file cabinet then you will most probably be looking at the M2 Max or M2 Ultra , although an M2 Pro may be sufficient .
That feed you the following Macs to turn over :
Although they have been discontinued by Apple , you may still find the follow models on cut-rate sale from resellers or inApple ’s refurbished memory :
Which of those Macs will be good for video ?
Also read :
Why Mac Pro users should switch to a Mac Studio – and never expect back
macintosh mini vs Mac Studio : M2 Pro vs M2 Max
Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)
Starting at $ 6,999/£7,199 for the Mac Pro with 24 - burden CPU , 60 - Congress of Racial Equality GPU , 64 GB RAM , and 1 TB SSD , the cost of the floor Mac Pro model is higher than the equivalently specced Mac Studio . But , the Mac Pro does offer PCIe expandability and the pick to promote the SSD . Why might these feature matter ?
PCIe expandability is the primary reasonableness to get a Mac Pro . It gives you the redundant tractability to fit rafts of unlike PCIe card in a path that is neater , faster , and well mix than flesh out your Mac via external interface and equipment .
The Mac Pro used to be a good choice because it was upgradeable . It ’s not really the caseful these days , although you could kick upstairs the SSD down the road to accommodate ever - produce file size .
Apple Mac Studio (M2 Ultra, 2023)
The M2 Ultra version of the Mac Studio offers the same eyeglasses as the Mac Pro for a circumstances less money . The same 24 - gist CPU , 60 - core GPU , 64 GB RAM , and 1 TB SSD standard specification will be you just $ 3,999/£4,199 . That ’s $ 3,000/£3,000 less , which seems quite illogical when you look at that these Macs offer the same spec .
There are , of course , reasons to choose the Mac Pro over the Mac Studio , but the Mac Studio has a circumstances travel for it thanks to its compact footprint and easy access to larboard .
The enceinte negative is really the lack of internal expansion . If you have to pick out external devices for your expansion speeds will be slower , and the fan noisier . Like the Mac Pro you ca n’t change the memory , CPU or GPU , but here the SSD is also non - upgradable .
Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
If you do n’t need the power of the M2 Ultra there is another Mac Studio pick to consider . The M2 Max - powered Mac Studio is just $ 1,999/£2,099 , which is by far the gaudy way to get your hand on the M2 Max .
This Mac Studio offers a 12 - Core CPU , 30 - Core GPU , 32 GB and 512 GB SSC , but you could spec it up with more GPU cores , more Aries ( up to 94 GB ) , and a bigger SSD .
Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023)
The Mac miniskirt might be ascertain as a bit of a violent - placard here . But it ’s certainly deserving consider .
The Mac mini with M2 start at $ 599/£649 , but we are interested in the M2 Pro version here , which comes with 10 - Core CPU , 16 - Congress of Racial Equality GPU , 16 GB unified entrepot , and 512 GB SSD for $ 1,299/£1,399 . It ’s the punk way of life to get your hand on the M2 Pro cow dung . Build - to - order options include a 12 - core group CPU , 19 - centre GPU and up to 32 GB RAM and an 8 TB SSD . If you do n’t consider you will take 64 GB random-access memory then this could be the machine for you .
MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, late 2023)
It ’s further down the inclination because there are inevitably disadvantages to using a laptop to redact television . The stocky nature of the machine means it will be circumscribe in terms of heating plant direction and even if you take a 16 - inch MacBook Pro you will probably be wishing the screen was bigger .
Of naturally , when you are at your desk you could always secure in an outside display . The benefit of a Mac laptop computer is that you’re able to carry it with you and work wherever your work make you .
We ’re recommending the 16 - in MacBook Pro primarily because it has a bigger concealment than the 14 - inch combining weight . Both Macs are identical in spec , the 16 - in is just a small more expensive . If you are looking for a Mac you could stock around with you then you may favour the lighter 14 - inch good example .
The M3 Max interlingual rendition of the 16 - in MacBook Pro offer 14 - effect CPU , 30 - core GPU , 36 GB Unified Memory and 1 TB SSD Storage as standard . It costs $ 3,499/£3,599 . you’re able to opt for up to 128 GB memory and 8 TB SSD at the point of sales agreement . There is also a cheaper 30 - core GPU build - to - order offer , which brings the cost down .
If you really want to bring through money then the 14 - inch MacBook Pro could also be an option . It ’s slimly flashy than the 16 - inch model , and if you are going to secure it into a display anyway you probably wo n’t neglect those two column inch of screen .
But , when you consider you could get those eyeglasses in the Mac Studio for a fraction of that price , you really need to want a portable Mac .
Read our fullApple MacBook Pro ( 2023 ) review
Verdict: Best Mac for Video Editing
Which Mac should you buy for video editing ? That calculate on whether you ’re a professional telecasting editor program hitting deadlines or an extremely enthusiastic amateur .
The Mac Studio is our top choice because it offer the most for your money . If you take the most muscular simple machine you’re able to get but do n’t want to pay almost double just to get some expansion options then this is an . well-fixed determination .
The Mac Pro was intended to answer the prayers of many picture editors , but the 2023 Mac Pro does n’t deliver on all the promise of the example it interchange . It ’s improbable that you will really necessitate a Mac Pro unless you fit into a niche grocery of gamey - closing telecasting professional . However , if you need interior enlargement option then the PCIe - equipped Mac Pro will be the good option for you .
The best choice if you want to save money is the Mac mini with M2 Pro , it ’s not get the power of the M2 Max and it ca n’t fend for more than 32 GB RAM , but , if you are on a budget it could be the best answer .
Finally , if you necessitate a well video - editing machine that can allow you to edit video on the move , the MacBook Pro is your best choice , especially now that Apple is selling models with the M3 Max and M3 Pro microprocessor chip . If you could afford to , opt an M3 Max model , but the M3 Pro may be sufficient if you do n’t necessitate more than 36 GB RAM .
Speaking of the M3 - series , you may be inquire whether to wait for Apple to update the chips inside the Mac mini , Mac Studio and Mac Pro . As we ’ve go through from our M3 - serial publication benchmarks , the new chip are higher-ranking to the onetime , but we still think the M2 Pro and M2 Max , and of course , the M2 Ultra were and are great option . So if you see one of those models at a bank discount we recommend them . If you could wait until the midriff of 2024 to make your purchase then hang on for the next generation .
We also have this guide to thebest Mac for exposure editing .
