But these new systems upend the established rules for how to configure a computer system for media editing.A Mac would easily put you north of 1,000. Most of us have heard of Apple’s transition from Intel CPUs to its own Apple silicon. BUT.I also feel why spend so much on a 13' when for a bit more I could have everything with a 15' (except the portability).The video does not sell the 16-inch Mac short, because it did knock the rival M1 MacBook Pro in graphics performance by 12.5 due to its strong AMD Radeon 5300M dedicated GPU, granted it did. However, most 'serious' editing will be done at home on my iMac and the macbook pro would be more for browsing, movie watching and storage when travelling and maybe a bit of basic video shortlisting.And that would cost you a cool 1,500 or more.Which Is The Best Computer for Video Editing On the iMac Pro side, were impressed. The MacBook Pro is the Apple equivalent of a high-end PC. Even these cost around 1,000. You would need a high-end PC to get the processing power video editing requires.
Their focus is on the user experience, system integration and performance.The second key thing you need to understand about the M1 is that it is not a CPU. Apple has never been about providing the lowest price. Future computers will use newer versions of this architecture.In other words, while the system design will probably remain consistent between chips, the specifications and performance will continue to improve.Why will performance improve? Because there is absolutely no reason for Apple to make the immensely difficult switch to new computer technology unless there were striking benefits to the new gear. Apple has promised all of its computers will transition to Apple-designed chips over the next year or so, but only the first ones will use the M1. Here’s what I learned.NOTE: Here are my thoughts on how to configure the new 24″ M1 iMac for video editing.This first iteration of Apple-designed chips is called the “ M1.” And this is the most important point: The M1 represents the start of a new architecture. Download game android drag mod indonesiaCan we use it for video?In the past, when Apple combined CPUs from Intel, GPUs from AMD and RAM from, um, RAM suppliers, each vendor had its own way to store data. The M1 maxes out at 16 GB. But as frame sizes exceeded 4K, frame rates increased and we moved to HDR (high-dynamic range) media, Apple recommended expanding the RAM to 32 GB, or more. But the heart of the system is this single SoC, designed by Apple and tightly integrated for performance.It’s this integration that makes planning very different as we think about our next computer system for media editing.In the past, Apple recommended that, when editing HD (high-definition) media, 16 GB was an appropriate amount of RAM. CPU, GPU, RAM and all the supporting chips needed to make the computer work are all combined together in one place.NOTE: Well, OK, that’s an overstatement a computer consists of many, many different chips. ![]() Since the speed of the SSDs in these new computers is very, VERY fast – approaching 3,000 MB/second, compared to the 600 MB/sec of older SSDs – this means that files swap between RAM and storage four times faster. Paging transfers files that are not immediately needed from RAM to storage (and back). Intel-based iMacs and Mac Pros are still better for this than current M1 chips – though, again, that will change as Apple releases more of the M1 chip family in future computers.NOTE: “Paging” also helps when dealing with smaller amounts of RAM. It may contain less RAM but it can hold more data.NOTE: While the new M1 systems are very efficient with RAM, I would still recommend getting a system with at least 16 GB of RAM for editing media.The key to video editing performance is the speed of our storage, even more than the amount of RAM or the speed of the CPU.While it is possible to hit the wall with a 16 GB system, especially when running multiple applications at the same time, or editing large-frame size, high-frame rate HDR media, keep in mind, again, that these initial systems are not designed for high-end video editing. Apple is using custom-built SSDs based upon the NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) specification, which is very, very fast approaching 3,000 MB/secondHowever, unlike spinning media, SSDs have a limit on the number of times they can write data to a memory cell before it fails. The system dials in whichever CPU is needed for the task you are doing.NOTE: The M1 also includes hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC compression and decompression, making these formats much easier to edit.Storage is a bit trickier. Apple agrees, which is why they don’t promote the speed of the CPU in the M1.The M1 simplifies picking the “right” CPU by creating a system with multiple high-performance cores for video editing and high-efficiency cores for less complex tasks like web browsing, email, word processing and the like. I’ve written in the past that CPU speed is over-rated, especially when compared to the GPU and storage bandwidth. We would argue endlessly about the i3, vs. ![]() This does not mean current M1 systems create images of lesser quality, simply that they do not do so as quickly.METAL MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR GRAPHICSMetal is the technology that provides near-direct access to the graphics processing unit (GPU), enabling developers to maximize the graphics and compute potential of their apps. But it does not yet fully compete with high-end GPUs. GPU speed is an important determiner of performance in color grading, effects and rendering.Currently, the M1 chip processes graphics faster than any integrated GPU (such as the integrated Intel GPUs on lower-end systems). These first systems are FAST! The price of these initial systems, compared to the power they offer, provides a significant performance benefit. So, there’s a reason to wait until we see the full range of what Apple has up its sleeve. Still, there are several benefits to purchasing one of the current M1 systems – even for professional editing: DaVinci Resolve 17.1, released March 9, 2021.The history of computing has proven that computers always get faster. Pro Vs Book Pro For Video Editing Portable Systems HaveApple has announced that it will convert all its Mac systems to the new Apple silicon over the next 18 months though no specific timing or gear are yet announced. Still, when those systems ship, they could redefine desktop computing as we know it. No, the M1 doesn’t violate the laws of physics, but by integrating different elements into a single common infrastructure, Apple is able to achieve better performance in less space that before.If you need an editing system right now, the Mac mini is an amazing editing powerhouse in itself, with a starting price of only a few hundred dollars. If you need serious performance with a larger screen and additional ports, the current 27″ iMac with an Intel chip is a better choice.Other systems are on the horizon. So much so that the rules we knew to be true in the past no longer fully apply. The two portable systems have very efficient battery life which is important if you are using your laptop on a location with limited power.The M1 SoC is the start of something very big.
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